by Scott Mehl © Unofficial Royalty 2017
Kingdom of Saxony: The rulers of the Electorate of Saxony of the House of Wettin had held the title of Elector for several centuries. Friedrich August III, Elector of Saxony was not involved in the establishment of the Confederation of the Rhine, which brought about the end of the Holy Roman Empire. Staying out of the politics, he was drawn in when Napoleon advanced into German territory, siding with Prussia. The Saxony forces suffered significant losses and Friedrich August soon surrendered. He was forced to join the Confederation of the Rhine and had to cede territory to the Kingdom of Westphalia. However, the trade-off was Saxony’s elevation to a kingdom. So on December 20, 1806, Friedrich August became King Friedrich August I of Saxony. On November 13, 1918, the last King of Saxony, Friedrich August III formally abdicated the Saxony throne, bringing about the end of the monarchy. Today, the land that was once the Kingdom of Saxony is located in the German state of Saxony, in the east of Germany, bordering Poland and the Czech Republic.
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Albert, King of Saxony – source: Wikipedia
King Albert of Saxony was born Prince Friedrich August Albert Anton Ferdinand Joseph Karl Maria Baptist Nepomuk Wilhelm Xaver Georg Fidelis on April 23, 1828, in Dresden, Kingdom of Saxony, now in Saxony, Germany. He was the eldest son of King Johann of Saxony and Princess Amalie Auguste of Bavaria, and had eight siblings:
- Princess Marie Auguste (1827-1858) – unmarried
- Princess Maria Elisabeth (1830-1912) – married (1) Prince Ferdinando of Savoy, Duke of Genoa, had issue; (2) Niccolò, Marchese Rapallo, no issue
- Prince Friedrich August (1831-1847) – died in his teens
- King Georg of Saxony (1832-1904) – married Infanta Maria Anna of Portugal, had issue
- Princess Maria Sidonia (1834-1862) – unmarried
- Princess Anna (1836-1859) – married Ferdinando IV, Grand Duke of Tuscany, had issue
- Princess Margaretha (1840-1858) – married Archduke Carl Ludwig of Austria, no issue
- Princess Sophie (1845-1867) – married Karl-Theodor, Duke in Bavaria, had issue
Albert attended the University of Bonn, but his education was primarily designed for his military career. He served in the First Schleswig War, the Austro-Prussian War, and the Franco-Prussian War and was a distinguished military officer. He became Crown Prince of Saxony upon his father’s accession in 1854 and continued to serve with the Saxon and Prussian forces.
Carola of Vasa. source: Wikipedia
On June 18, 1853, in Dresden, Albert married Princess Carola of Vasa. She was the daughter of Gustaf, Prince of Vasa (formerly The Crown Prince of Sweden) and Princess Luise Amelie of Baden. The couple had no children.
Albert’s father died on October 29, 1873, and he succeeded him as King of Saxony. For the most part, his reign was quiet and uneventful, as he focused primarily on military affairs and did not involve himself much in politics. Perhaps his greatest contribution was the establishment of the Albertstadt, a suburb in Dresden. In the late 1890s, he was appointed to serve as an arbitrator in the dispute over succession in the Principality of Lippe.
After a reign of nearly 29 years, King Albert died at Sibyllenort Castle in Sibyllenort, Kingdom of Prussia, now Szczodre, Poland, on June 19, 1902, and was succeeded by his younger brother, Georg. Like his predecessors, he is buried in the Wettin Crypt at the Dresden Cathedral, formerly known as the Katholische Hofkirche (Catholic Church of the Royal Court of Saxony), in Dresden, Kingdom of Saxony, now in the German state of Saxony.
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Saxony Resources at Unofficial Royalty