Category Archives: German Royals

Prince Aribert of Anhalt

by Susan Flantzer
© Unofficial Royalty 2020

Credit – Wikipedia

Prince Aribert of Anhalt was the husband of Princess Marie Louise of Schleswig-Holstein, a granddaughter of Queen Victoria of the United Kingdom from 1891 until the marriage was dissolved in 1900. Prince Aribert Joseph Alexander of Anhalt was born on June 18, 1864, in Wörlitz, Duchy of Anhalt, now in the German state of Saxony-Anhalt. He was the fourth of the four sons and the fifth of the six children of Friedrich I, Duke of Anhalt and Princess Antoinette of Saxe-Altenburg.

Aribert had four elder siblings and one younger sibling:

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Aribert met his future wife, Princess Marie Louise of Schleswig-Holstein, in 1890, at the wedding of Marie Louise’s first cousin Princess Viktoria of Prussia and Prince Adolph of Schaumberg-Lippe. Marie Louise was the daughter of Prince Christian of Schleswig-Holstein and Princess Helena of the United Kingdom, a daughter of Queen Victoria. Aribert served in the Prussian military and was close friends with Wilhelm II, German Emperor, King of Prussia, Marie Louise’s first cousin. Wilhelm encouraged the relationship, and it was at a family luncheon at his Neues Palais in Potsdam, Kingdom of Prussia that the engagement of Marie Louise and Aribert was announced in December 1890. The couple was married in the presence of Queen Victoria on July 6, 1891, at St. George’s Chapel, Windsor Castle in Windsor, England.

The couple settled in Dessau, the capital of the Duchy of Anhalt. However, Marie Louise found life there difficult due to the strict court etiquette. Aribert’s primary focus was his military career and he had little interest in having a life at home. Fortunately for Marie Louise, they spent little time in Anhalt, as Aribert was based primarily in Berlin.

It soon became obvious that Aribert and Marie Louise had little in common, and they would often go days without seeing each other, even while living in the same home. Often suffering from ill-health in the cold weather, Marie Louise traveled extensively. It was while on one of these trips, to the United States and Canada, that her marriage ended without her knowledge. On November 13, 1900, the New York Times reported that “a judicial separation between Prince and Princess Aribert of Anhalt is an accomplished fact. The deeds were signed and the other formalities completed during the stay in Berlin of Prince Christian of Schleswig-Holstein, father of the Princess.”

While traveling in Canada, Marie Louise received a cable from her father-in-law, demanding that she return home immediately. Just an hour later, she received another cable, this time from Queen Victoria – “tell my granddaughter to come home to me. V.R.” Upon arriving in England, Marie Louise was told that her marriage had been dissolved by her father-in-law, at her husband’s insistence. It has been speculated that the marriage was never consummated and that Aribert was homosexual, and had been caught in a compromising situation with another man by either his wife or his father. In her memoirs, Marie Louise stated that even though her marriage was annulled, she maintained the vows she had made at her wedding, and would never remarry.

Prince Aribert; Credit – Wikipedia

In 1894, Prince Aribert became the chairman of the German Empire Olympic Committee in preparation for the first modern Olympics in Athens, Greece in 1896. He was once again chairman of the German Empire Olympic Committee for the 1900 Olympic Games in Paris, France.

Aribert’s eldest brother had predeceased their father and so upon the death of Friedrich I, Duke of Anhalt in 1904, his second son Friedrich II became Duke of Anhalt. Friedrich II’s marriage was childless and so upon his death in April 1918, the third son Eduard became Duke of Anhalt. Eduard’s reign was only five months long as he died in September 1918. Eduard’s 17-year-old son Joachim Ernst became Duke of Anhalt. As Joachim Ernst was underage, his uncle Aribert served as Regent. With the German Empire crumbling, Aribert abdicated on Joachim Ernst’s behalf on November 12, 1918, and the Duchy of Anhalt became the Free State of Anhalt.

Prince Aribert of Anhalt died on December 24, 1933, aged 69, in Munich, Germany. He was buried in the Ducal Mausoleum (link in German) in Dessau, Saxony-Anhalt, Germany. In 1958, the remains of members of the House of Anhalt were removed from the Ducal Mausoleum secretly by night for political reasons (Dessau was then in Communist East Germany) and reburied in the Ziebigker Cemetery in Dessau in a common grave, marked only by a simple wooden cross. In 2019, Aribert’s remains were moved a second time and reinterred in the Marienkirche (link in German) in Dessau, the traditional burial site of the Dukes of Anhalt-Dessau dating back to the 15th century. The Marienkirche was destroyed during World War II and has since been rebuilt.

This article is the intellectual property of Unofficial Royalty and is NOT TO BE COPIED, EDITED, OR POSTED IN ANY FORM ON ANOTHER WEBSITE under any circumstances. It is permissible to use a link that directs to Unofficial Royalty.

Works Cited

  • De.wikipedia.org. 2020. Aribert Von Anhalt. [online] Available at: <https://de.wikipedia.org/wiki/Aribert_von_Anhalt> [Accessed 16 September 2020].
  • En.wikipedia.org. 2020. Prince Aribert Of Anhalt. [online] Available at: <https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Prince_Aribert_of_Anhalt> [Accessed 16 September 2020].
  • Findagrave.com. 2020. Aribert Joseph Alexander Von Anhalt (1866-1933) -…. [online] Available at: <https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/209620112/aribert-joseph_alexander-von_anhalt> [Accessed 16 September 2020].
  • Mehl, Scott, 2015. Princess Marie Louise Of Schleswig-Holstein. [online] Unofficial Royalty. Available at: <https://www.unofficialroyalty.com/princess-marie-louise-of-schleswig-holstein/> [Accessed 16 September 2020].
  • Timesmachine.nytimes.com. 1900. Royal Couple Separated. [online] Available at: <https://timesmachine.nytimes.com/timesmachine/1900/11/14/102621268.pdf> [Accessed 16 September 2020].

Philip Christoph von Königsmarck, Lover of Sophia Dorothea of Celle, Electoral Princess of Hanover

by Susan Flantzer  © Unofficial Royalty 2020

Philip Christoph von Königsmarck; Credit – Wikipedia

Count Philip Christoph von Königsmarck, the lover of Sophia Dorothea of Celle, Electoral Princess of Hanover (the wife of the future King George I of Great Britain and the mother of King George II of Great Britain) disappeared from the Leineschloss in the Electorate of Hanover, now in the German state of Lower Saxony, and was never seen again. Born on March 4, 1665, in Stade, then part of the Swedish province of Bremen-Verden-Wildeshausen, now in Lower Saxony, Germany, Philip Christoph was the second of the two sons and the youngest of the four children of Count Kurt Christoph von Königsmarck and Maria Christina von Wrangel. Despite their German name and coming from an old Brandenburg noble family, the family considered themselves Swedish.

Philip Christoph had three siblings:

Philip Christoph’s father Count Kurt Christoph von Königsmarck was a Major General in the Swedish Army and served as Deputy Governor of the Swedish possessions in Germany. In 1671, he left the Swedish Army to serve in the army of Willem III, Prince of Orange (the future King William III of England), participating in the Dutch campaign against the French. On October 10, 1673, when Philip Christoph was eight years old, his father was killed at the age of 39 at the Siege of Bonn by friendly fire from an accidental cannon shot.

Philip Christoph von Königsmarck at an early age; Credit – Wikipedia

During his childhood, Philip Christoph served as a page at the court of Georg Wilhelm, Prince of Celle. Celle was a small principality, now in Lower Saxony, Germany. There he became friends with Princess Sophia Dorothea of Celle, Georg Wilhelm’s only child, who was a year younger than Philip Christoph. At the age of 16, Sophia Dorothea married her first cousin, 22-year-old Georg Ludwig, Electoral Prince of Hanover and Hereditary Prince of Brunswick-Lüneburg, the eldest son of Ernst August, Elector of Hanover, Duke of Brunswick-Lüneburg and Sophia of the Palatinate, commonly referred to as Electress Sophia of Hanover. Electress Sophia of Hanover’s mother was Elizabeth Stuart, the second child and eldest daughter of King James VI of Scotland/King James I of England. It was through this descent and the exclusion of Catholics from the British throne, that Sophia Dorothea’s husband Georg Ludwig became King George I of Great Britain when Queen Anne, the last ruler of the House of Stuart, died. However, Sophia Dorothea of Celle was never Queen of Great Britain but she is an ancestor of the British Royal family (and other European royal families) through her son King George II of Great Britain.

After spending some time wandering through Europe, Philip Christoph found himself a wealthy man as the heir of his uncle and elder brother who had both died in battle. In 1688, Philip Christoph went to Hanover where he entered into the service of Sophia Dorothea’s father-in-law Ernst August, Elector of Hanover, Duke of Brunswick-Lüneburg. He participated in a campaign against France and became colonel of Ernst August’s bodyguard. Philip Christoph was regularly present at social events at the court of Hanover.

Sophia Dorothea, Electoral Princess of Hanover in 1686; Credit – Wikipedia

The marriage of Sophia Dorothea and Georg Ludwig (called George hereafter) was happy at first, but soon both George and Sophia Dorothea found affection elsewhere. George fell in love with one of his mother’s ladies-in-waiting, Melusine von der Schulenburg, and Sophia Dorothea fell in love with her childhood friend Philip Christoph von Königsmarck. Their affair started around March 1692. Despite warnings, from her mother and friends, Sophia Dorothea and Philip Christoph wrote letters to each other, met secretly, and planned to escape Hanover together. In 1694, Countess Clara Elisabeth von Platen, the mistress of Ernst August, Elector of Hanover, Duke of Brunswick-Lüneburg, tried to marry her daughter to Philip Christoph Königsmark but he declined. Because of this insult by Königsmark, Clara Elisabeth revealed his affair with Sophia Dorothea to Elector Ernst August.

On the morning of July 2, 1694, after a meeting with Sophia Dorothea, 29-year-old Philip Christoph von Königsmarck disappeared from the Leineschloss in Hanover and was never seen again. It was widely believed he was secretly murdered that same day. Officially, Philip Christoph von Königsmarck is still a missing person. His disappearance became a state affair and news of his disappearance spread throughout the royal courts of Europe and the general public. Bones were found at Leineschloss Castle during a 2016 renovation project, however, tests proved that some of the bones were from animals and the human bones came from at least five different skeletons. None of the remains have been proven to belong to Philip Christoph von Königsmarck.

Sophia Dorothea with her two children; Credit – Wikipedia

On December 28, 1694, a tribunal of judges and Lutheran Church officials declared the marriage of George and Sophia Dorothea dissolved on the grounds of Sophia Dorothea’s desertion. Meanwhile, 28-year-old Sophia Dorothea had been moved to the Castle of Ahlden in her father’s Principality of Celle. She did not know that Königsmarck had disappeared and hoped to be reunited with him. Finally, Sophia Dorothea was told about the terms of the marriage dissolution. Because she was considered the guilty party, she was not allowed to remarry, would never again see her two children (the 11-year-old future King George II of Great Britain and the 7-year-old future Queen Sophia Dorothea in Prussia, wife of King Friedrich Wilhelm I in Prussia), and would be kept as a prisoner at the Castle of Ahlden for the remainder of her life. The Castle of Ahlden had a guard unit of 40 soldiers with five to ten soldiers guarding the castle around the clock. Sophia Dorothea had a household consisting of two maids of honor, several maids, and other staff for the household and kitchen, who were all chosen for their loyalty to Hanover.

Castle of Ahlden; Credit – Wikipedia

Although Sophia Dorothea spent 32 years in captivity, she received an income that allowed her to live in the style of a princess and she was able to go for drives in her coach with an escort. Her father refused to visit her, but her mother did make visits, and unsuccessfully tried to obtain her release by asking Queen Anne of Great Britain for help. Sophia Dorothea apparently drowned her sorrows in the pleasure of eating, and became quite obese, increasingly suffering from fevers and indigestion. She suffered a stroke in August 1726 and never again left her bed. Sophia Dorothea refused medical attention and food, and died on November 13, 1726, at the age of 60. Her former husband, now King George I of Great Britain, would not allow mourning at the British court and was furious when he learned that his daughter had ordered court mourning in Prussia.

Because the guards at the Castle of Ahlden had no funeral or burial instructions, Sophia Dorothea’s remains were placed in a lead coffin and stored in the castle cellar. In January 1727, orders came from London to bury the remains without any ceremony in the cemetery of Ahlden. However, this was impossible because of weeks of heavy rains and the coffin remained in the castle cellar. Finally, in May 1727, Sophia Dorothea was buried in the middle of the night beside her parents at the Stadtkirche St. Marien (link in German) in Celle. Her former husband King George I died four weeks later after receiving a deathbed letter from Sophia Dorothea cursing him, and their son acceded to the British throne as King George II.

This article is the intellectual property of Unofficial Royalty and is NOT TO BE COPIED, EDITED, OR POSTED IN ANY FORM ON ANOTHER WEBSITE under any circumstances. It is permissible to use a link that directs to Unofficial Royalty.

Works Cited

  • De.wikipedia.org. 2020. Kurt Christoph Von Königsmarck. [online] Available at: <https://de.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kurt_Christoph_von_K%C3%B6nigsmarck> [Accessed 9 May 2020].
  • De.wikipedia.org. 2020. Philipp Christoph Von Königsmarck. [online] Available at: <https://de.wikipedia.org/wiki/Philipp_Christoph_von_K%C3%B6nigsmarck> [Accessed 9 May 2020].
  • En.wikipedia.org. 2020. Philip Christoph Von Königsmarck. [online] Available at: <https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Philip_Christoph_von_K%C3%B6nigsmarck> [Accessed 9 May 2020].
  • Flantzer, Susan, 2015. Sophia Dorothea Of Celle, Electoral Princess Of Hanover. [online] Unofficial Royalty. Available at: <https://www.unofficialroyalty.com/sophia-dorothea-of-celle-electoral-princess-of-hanover/> [Accessed 9 May 2020].
  • Sv.wikipedia.org. 2020. Philip Christoph Königsmarck. [online] Available at: <https://sv.wikipedia.org/wiki/Philip_Christoph_K%C3%B6nigsmarck> [Accessed 9 May 2020].
  • Van der Kiste, John, 2013. The Georgian Princesses. New York: History Press.

Lola Montez, Mistress of King Ludwig I of Bavaria

by Susan Flantzer
© Unofficial Royalty 2020

Lola Montez, 1851; Credit – Wikipedia

Lola Montez was a dancer, courtesan, and a mistress of King Ludwig I of Bavaria. She was born Marie Dolores Eliza Rosanna Gilbert on February 17, 1821, in Grange, County Sligo, Connacht, Ireland. At the time of her birth, all of Ireland was part of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland. Known as Eliza, she was the daughter of a Scotsman, Edward Gilbert, and Eliza Oliver from an Irish country noble family. Eliza’s paternal grandfather was Charles Silver Oliver, a High Sheriff of Cork and a member of Parliament for Kilmallock in County Limerick, Ireland. Eliza’s mother grew up at the family home, Castle Oliver. Eliza’s father was an Ensign in The King’s Own Scottish Borderers, a regiment of the British Army. Eliza’s parents met when her father’s regiment arrived in Grange, Ireland. When Eliza was two years old her father was posted to India and Eliza and her mother accompanied him. However, her father died from cholera shortly after arriving in India. Eliza and her mother remained in India and her mother married again to Lieutenant Patrick Craigie.

Eliza Gilbert, circa 1837; Credit – Wikipedia

When Eliza reached school age, she was sent to live with her stepfather’s father Captain John Craigie in Montrose, Scotland. At the age of ten, Eliza was sent to Sunderland, England to live with her stepfather’s sister Catherine Rae. Eliza attended a boarding school that Catherine Rae ran with her husband. She finished her education at a boarding school in Bath, England. To avoid a marriage with the much older judge Sir Abraham Lumley, she ran away with Lieutenant Thomas James. The couple married in 1837. Eliza’s husband was posted to India in 1838 and she accompanied him but the couple separated in 1842.

In 1842, Eliza returned to England and lived in London where she learned the Spanish language and Spanish dances. Using the stage name Maria de los Dolores Porrys y Montez, also known as Lola Montez, Eliza pretended to be a Spanish dancer from Seville, Spain. In June 1843, her true identity was revealed when she was recognized as Mrs. Thomas James. Her career in England was hampered and she left for continental Europe. By this time she was certainly accepting favors from wealthy men in return for sex and was widely regarded as a courtesan.

Lola Montez, 1844; Credit – Wikipedia

As Lola Montez traveled across Europe, she caused scandals through her affairs and performances. She became famous for her Spider Dance, which involved her shaking imaginary tarantulas out of her clothes and stamping on them. She then raised her skirt so high that the audience could see that she wore no underwear. On September 3, 1843, Lola danced in front of King Friedrich Wilhelm IV of Prussia and Nicholas I, Emperor of All Russia at the Los Boleros de Cadiz in Berlin, Kingdom of Prussia. Her guest appearance in Warsaw caused an uproar. Her dancing caused her to be expelled from Berlin, Warsaw, Reuss-Ebersdorf, and Baden-Baden. After performing in various European cities, Lola settled in Paris, where she was accepted by the Bohemian literary society of the time. She received more notoriety when her lover Alexandre Dujarrier (link in French), editor of the newspaper La Presse was shot to death in a duel in 1845. Heinrich LXXII, Prince Reuss of Lobenstein and Ebersdorf, the father and son writers Alexandre Dumas the Elder and Alexandre Dumas the Younger, and the composer Franz Liszt were among her lovers.

King Ludwig I of Bavaria; Credit – Wikipedia

On October 5, 1846, Lola arrived in Munich, Kingdom of Bavaria. She applied for an engagement as a dancer at the Munich Hofbühne but her application was denied. Lola decided to appeal to King Ludwig I of Bavaria and met with him for the first time on October 7, 1846. Soon, she was making guest appearances at the Munich Court and National Theater, and within a month, the 25-year-old Lola became the mistress of the 60-year-old Ludwig. The king changed his will to include payments to Lola and provided her with a luxurious residence where he often visited her. Their relationship quickly became known and was met with disapproval by the citizens of Bavaria.

Lola Montez painted for King Ludwig I of Bavaria by Joseph Karl Stieler for the Gallery of Beauties at Nymphenburg Palace in Munich; Credit – Wikipedia

It was well known that King Ludwig I had a constant stream of mistresses. His wife, born Therese of Saxe-Hildburghausen, often left Bavaria in defiance of her husband’s actions and maintained a massive amount of sympathy and support from the Bavarian people. When Ludwig’s relationship with Lola Montez began, Queen Therese refused to back down. She publicly chastised her husband and refused his request to grant Lola the Order of Therese.

Because Lola’s only identification was a passport from the Principality of Reuss-Ebersdorf, King Ludwig I asked his cabinet to grant Lola Bavarian citizenship in 1847. The cabinet refused and all the cabinet ministers resigned. After a new cabinet was formed, Lola was granted Bavarian citizenship which caused riots in Munich. On August 25, 1847, Ludwig’s 61st birthday, Lola was created Countess of Landsfeld and was given a large annuity.

A caricature of Lola Montez wearing a crown and holding a whip in her left hand. Attached to a leash is King Ludwig I of Bavaria, depicted as a dog standing on its hind legs; Credit – Wikipedia

By 1848, because of the revolutionary fervor in Europe, Ludwig I’s reign came to an abrupt end. His relationship with Lola and the influence he allowed her to wield also played a role. Facing protests and demonstrations by students and the middle classes, Ludwig ordered the university to be closed. Shortly after, the crowds raided the armory on their way to storm the Munich Residenz, the palace in Munich. Ludwig’s brother Prince Karl Theodor appeased the protesters but the damage was done. Ludwig’s family and advisors turned against him and he was forced to sign the March Proclamation, giving substantial concessions toward a constitutional monarchy. Unwilling to rule this way, King Ludwig I abdicated on March 20, 1848, in favor of his son Maximilian II, King of Bavaria.

Lola fled to Switzerland where she hoped Ludwig would join her but he never did. The letters between Lola and Ludwig show that she lived in luxury with the money she had received from Ludwig. Lola continued writing to Ludwig and the letters show that she was mainly concerned with getting more money from him.

Lola returned to London in 1849 and appeared at Covent Garden. Although she had never divorced her first husband Thomas James, Lola married George Trafford Heald, a British Army officer. They fled from England to avoid a bigamy lawsuit. Lola and George lived in France and Spain but within two years, their relationship was falling apart and George reportedly drowned in 1851.

Cartoon of Lola Montez, circa 1852 By DC Johnston; Credit – Wikipedia

Lola set off to make a new start in the United States in 1851, where she was surprisingly successful for a while. In 1852, on Broadway, she played herself in a theater revue, Lola Montez in Bavaria. She toured the east coast until 1853 when she went to San Francisco where her performances created a sensation. In July 1853, Lola married Patrick Hull, a local newspaper reporter, and moved to Grass Valley, California but by August her marriage had failed. Lola remained in Grass Valley, California for nearly two years until she went on tour for two years in Australia where she mostly entertained in gold-mining towns. After she performed her Spider Dance at the Theatre Royal in Melbourne, the newspapers reported that her show was “utterly subversive to all ideas of public morality”  and her show suffered financial losses.

Upon returning to New York in 1857, Lola attempted a theatrical comeback that failed. She then arranged with Charles Chauncey Burr, an American journalist, author, and publisher, to deliver a series of lectures Burr had written in the United States and the United Kingdom which allowed her to earn a living.

By 1860, Lola was exhibiting the third-stage effects of syphilis. During the summer of 1860, she had symptoms similar to a stroke. In December 1860, Lola developed pneumonia. She died on January 17, 1861, aged 39, in Brooklyn, a borough of New York City. Lola Montez, born Marie Dolores Eliza Rosanna Gilbert, was buried at Green-Wood Cemetery in Brooklyn, New York, where her tombstone says: “Mrs. Eliza Gilbert Died Jan. 17, 1861.” The reverse of her tombstone gives more biographical information.

This article is the intellectual property of Unofficial Royalty and is NOT TO BE COPIED, EDITED, OR POSTED IN ANY FORM ON ANOTHER WEBSITE under any circumstances. It is permissible to use a link that directs to Unofficial Royalty.

Works Cited

  • De.wikipedia.org. 2020. Lola Montez. [online] Available at: <https://de.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lola_Montez> [Accessed 7 April 2020].
  • En.wikipedia.org. 2020. Lola Montez. [online] Available at: <https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lola_Montez> [Accessed 7 April 2020].
  • Findagrave.com. 2020. Lola Montez (1821-1861) – Find A Grave Memorial. [online] Available at: <https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/726/lola-montez> [Accessed 7 April 2020].
  • Heichelbech, R., n.d. The Spider Dance That Captivated The World In The 1840S. [online] Dusty Old Thing. Available at: <https://dustyoldthing.com/lola-montez-spider-dance/> [Accessed 7 April 2020].
  • History-is-made-at-night.blogspot.com. 2009. Lola Montez And The Spider Dance. [online] Available at: <http://history-is-made-at-night.blogspot.com/2009/05/lola-montez-and-spider-dance.html> [Accessed 7 April 2020].
  • Mehl, Scott, 2016. King Ludwig I Of Bavaria. [online] Unofficial Royalty. Available at: <https://www.unofficialroyalty.com/king-ludwig-i-of-bavaria/> [Accessed 7 April 2020].

Sophia Magdalene of Brandenburg-Kulmbach, Queen of Denmark and Norway

by Susan Flantzer  © Unofficial Royalty 2020

Sophia Magdalene of Brandenburg-Kulmbach, Queen of Denmark and Norway; Credit – Wikipedia

Margravine Sophia Magdalene of Brandenburg-Kulmbach was the wife of Christian VI, King of Denmark and Norway. She was born at Schloss Schönberg in Lauf an der Pegnitz near the Imperial City of Nuremberg, now in the German state of Bavaria, on November 28, 1700. Sophia Magdalene was the ninth of the fourteen children and the fourth of the seven daughters of Margrave Christian Heinrich of Brandenburg-Kulmbach and Sophie Christiane of Wolfstein.

Sophia Magdalene had thirteen siblings but seven did not survive childhood. Several of her siblings lived in Denmark and/or were appointed to Danish positions once Sophia Magdalena’s husband became King of Denmark and Norway.

Sophia Magdalene’s father Christian Heinrich of Brandenburg-Kulmbach was the father of two reigning Margraves of Brandenburg-Bayreuth and a Queen Consort of Denmark and Norway but never ruled as a sovereign himself. His title of Margrave was a nominal title. Because Christian Heinrich had few resources and was in debt, in 1694 he accepted the invitation of his relative, Georg Friedrich II, Margrave of Brandenburg-Ansbach, to move in with his family at Schloss Schönberg where Sophia Magdelena was born in 1700.

In 1703, Christian Heinrich signed the Contract of Schönberg. Under the terms of this contract, he renounced his succession rights in Anhalt and Bayreuth in favor of Prussia. Friedrich I, King in Prussia then granted Christian Heinrich the use of Schloss Weferlingen (link in German) now in the German state of Saxony-Anhalt. Four-year-old Sophia Magdalene moved to Schloss Weferlingen with her family. When she was eight years old, Sophia Magdalene’s father died at the age of 47, three months before the birth of his last child.

Christiane Eberhardine of Brandenburg-Bayreuth, Queen of Poland, Electress of Saxony, who raised Sophia Magdalene; Credit – Wikipedia

After her father’s death, Sophia Magdalene was raised at Pretzsch Castle in Pretzsch, Electorate of Saxony, now in the German state of Saxony-Anhalt, by Christiane Eberhardine of Brandenburg-Bayreuth, the wife of Augustus II, King of Poland, Elector of Saxony and Sophie Magdalene’s distant relative.  Christiane Eberhardine’s husband converted to Catholicism to become King of Poland, however, she remained a staunch Lutheran throughout her life. Besides Sophia Magdalene, Christiane Eberhardine took in several other relatives including Sophia Magdalene’s sister Sophie Caroline and Charlotte Christine of Brunswick-Wolfenbüttel who married Tsarevich Alexei Petrovich of Russia. the son and heir of Peter I (the Great), Emperor of All Russia.

The future King Christian VI, husband of Sophia Magdalene; Credit – Wikipedia

In 1721, Crown Prince Christian of Denmark and Norway, the son and heir of Frederik IV, King of Denmark and Norway, was traveling throughout Europe seeking a princess to become his wife. At the court of Augustus II, King of Poland, Elector of Saxony, he fell in love with Sophia Magdalene who was serving as a lady-in-waiting to Queen Christiane Eberhardine. Although Sophia Magdalene came from an insignificant, poor family, King Frederik IV of Denmark granted permission for the couple to marry. Christian and Sophie Magdalene were married on August 7, 1721, at Pretzsch Castle in the Electorate of Saxony, now in Saxony-Anhalt, Germany.

Christian and Sophia Magdalene had one son and two daughters:

Family of Christian VI, 1744, (left to right) Crown Prince Frederik (future Frederik V) King Christian VI; Queen Sophia Magdalene, and Crown Princess Louise (Frederik’s wife); Credit – Wikipedia

Sophia Magdalene’s husband succeeded his father upon his death on October 12, 1730, as Christian VI, King of Denmark and Norway. The coronation of the new King and Queen of Denmark and Norway was held on June 6, 1731, at the Fredensborg Palace Chapel in Fredensborg, Denmark. A new crown was made for Sophia Magdalene because she refused to wear the crown that the despised Queen Anna Sophie, her husband’s stepmother and longtime mistress of King Frederik IV, had worn. The majority of the Danish crown jewels come from Sophia Magdalene’s collection. Sophie Magdalen’s crown and other crown jewels can be seen today at  Rosenborg Castle in Copenhagen, Denmark.

Left: The crown made for Queen Sophia Magdalene; Right: The Crown made for King Christian V, on display at Rosenborg Palace; Photo Credit – Susan Flantzer

Sophia Magdalene never forgot that she came from a poor family and that more fortunate people helped her family. She was responsible for bringing several family members to Denmark. Sophie Magdalen’s mother, Sophie Christiane of Wolfstein, came to Denmark during her daughter’s first pregnancy in 1723 and remained in Denmark, living at Sorgenfri Palace in Kongens Lyngby, Denmark. When she died in 1737, she was buried at Roskilde Cathedral in Roskilde, Denmark, the burial site of the Danish royal family. Two of the Queen’s brothers became Danish admirals. Her widowed sister Sophie Caroline was brought to the Danish court in 1735. In 1737, Sophia Magdalene founded the Vallø Stift (Noble Vallø Foundation for Unmarried Daughters).  The foundation was headed by an abbess from a princely house and Sophia Magdalene appointed her sister Sophie Caroline as the first abbess.

Hirschholm Palace designed by Lauritz de Thurah for King Christian VI & Queen Sophia Magdalene; Credit – Wikipedia

Christian VI, King of Denmark and Norway died at the age of 46 on August 6, 1746, the day before his 25th wedding anniversary, at Hirschholm Palace located in present-day Hørsholm municipality just north of Copenhagen, Denmark. He was buried in Frederik V’s Chapel at Roskilde Cathedral in Roskilde, Denmark.

Sophia Magdalene survived her husband by twenty-four years. She lived for the entire reign of her son King Frederik V and was alive for the first four years of the reign of her grandson King Christian VII. Her summers were spent at Hirschholm Palace and the winters at Christiansborg Palace. Queen Sophia Magdalene, aged 69, died at Christiansborg Castle in Copenhagen, Denmark on May 27, 1770. At her request, she was buried in a simple ceremony in Frederik V’s Chapel at Roskilde Cathedral in Roskilde, Denmark.

Tomb of Queen Sophia Magdalene; Credit – Wikipedia

This article is the intellectual property of Unofficial Royalty and is NOT TO BE COPIED, EDITED, OR POSTED IN ANY FORM ON ANOTHER WEBSITE under any circumstances. It is permissible to use a link that directs to Unofficial Royalty.

Kingdom of Denmark Resources at Unofficial Royalty

Works Cited

  • Da.wikipedia.org. 2020. Sophie Magdalene Af Danmark. [online] Available at: <https://da.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sophie_Magdalene_af_Danmark> [Accessed 1 May 2020].
  • De.wikipedia.org. 2020. Sophie Magdalene Von Dänemark. [online] Available at: <https://de.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sophie_Magdalene_von_D%C3%A4nemark> [Accessed 1 May 2020].
  • En.wikipedia.org. 2020. Sophie Magdalene Of Brandenburg-Kulmbach. [online] Available at: <https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sophie_Magdalene_of_Brandenburg-Kulmbach> [Accessed 1 May 2020].
  • Sv.wikipedia.org. 2020. Sofia Magdalena Av Danmark. [online] Available at: <https://sv.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sofia_Magdalena_av_Danmark> [Accessed 1 May 2020].

Louise of Mecklenburg-Güstrow, Queen of Denmark and Norway

by Susan Flantzer
© Unofficial Royalty 2020

Louise of Mecklenburg-Güstrow, Queen of Denmark and Norway; Credit – Wikipedia

Louise of Mecklenburg-Güstrow was the first wife of Frederik IV, King of Denmark and Norway, who made two bigamous marriages during Louise’s lifetime. She was born on August 28, 1667, in Güstrow, then in the Duchy of Mecklenburg-Güstrow, now in the German state of Mecklenburg-Vorpommern. Louise was the ninth of the eleven children and the sixth of the eight daughters of Gustav Adolf, Duke of Mecklenburg-Güstrow and Magdalene Sibylle of Holstein-Gottorp. Louise’s father was the last Duke of Mecklenburg-Güstrow. Gustav Adolf survived his two sons and upon his death, there was an inheritance dispute that eventually led to the creation of the Duchy of Mecklenburg-Strelitz.

Louise had eight older siblings and two younger siblings:

Güstrow Castle, Louise’s childhood home; Credit – Wikipedia

Louise grew up at her father’s modest court at Güstrow Castle. Her parents were adherents to Pietism, a movement that originated in the Lutheran Church in the 17th century in Germany that stressed personal piety over religious formality and orthodoxy. Louise met her future husband Crown Prince Frederik of Denmark and Norway, son of Christian V, King of Denmark and Norway and Charlotte Amalie of Hesse-Kassel when he was looking for a wife at German Protestant courts. Frederik was instructed by his father to ask his aunt Anna Sophia of Denmark and Norway, Electress of Saxony for advice. Anna Sophia advised Frederik to marry Louise. Frederik was already partial to Louise and readily agreed. Like Frederik, Louise was a great-great-grandchild of King Frederik II of Denmark and Norway. On December 5, 1695, their wedding took place at Copenhagen Castle in Copenhagen, Denmark.

Frederik IV, King of Denmark and Norway; Credit – Wikipedia

Louise and Frederik had four sons and one daughter. Sadly, three sons died in infancy.

Frederik’s father King Christian V died on August 25, 1699, due to the after-effects of a hunting accident, ten months after he had suffered very severe injuries from being kicked by a deer. Frederik acceded to the Danish throne as King Frederik IV. Frederik and Louise were anointed King and Queen of Denmark and Norway on April 15, 1700, at the Frederiksborg Castle Chapel.

Queen Louise; Credit – Wikipedia

Growing up with parents who strictly adhered to Pietism, it was no surprise that Louise was very religious throughout her life. Her main interest was reading religious books and her 400-book collection, consisting largely of German ascetic writings, went to the Royal Library after her death. As dower properties, Louise owned Hirschholm Palace and the estates Rungstedgård and Ebberødgård, all near Copenhagen. In 1704, Louise built a gunpowder mill that was in operation until 1910.

Louise found it difficult to endure her husband’s infidelities and even worse, his two bigamous marriages. At times, Louise reproached her husband which often led to embarrassing situations at the court. It is suspected that Louise’s deep religiousness was also an escape from her disappointing marriage. Louise took part in the official court life and fulfilled her ceremonial duties. Otherwise, she led a withdrawn and quiet life.

In 1699, King Frederik IV began a relationship with Elisabeth Helene von Vieregg, a lady-in-waiting to his unmarried sister Sophia Hedwig. In 1703, without divorcing his wife Louise, Frederik made a bigamous marriage to Elisabeth. After Elisabeth died in 1704 due to childbirth complications giving birth to a son who lived only nine months, Frederik gave her an elaborate funeral.

After the death of Elisabeth, Frederik began an affair with her lady-in-waiting, Charlotte Helene von Schindel. In 1709, Frederik wanted to again make a bigamous marriage but received strong opposition from the church leaders who told him that the law against bigamy also applied to kings. Charlotte and Frederik had a daughter in 1710 who died in infancy.

After losing interest in Charlotte Helene von Schindel in 1711, Frederik then fell in love with 19-year-old Anna Sophie Reventlow, daughter of Grand-Chancellor Conrad Reventlow who held a position similar to Prime Minister. In 1712, Frederik abducted her from her parents’ home and took her to Skanderborg Castle where they were married bigamously while Louise was still alive.

Queen Louise died on March 15, 1721, aged 53, at Charlottenborg Palace in Copenhagen, Denmark. She was buried at Roskilde Cathedral in Roskilde, Denmark.

Tomb of Louise of Mecklenburg-Güstrow; Photo by Susan Flantzer

After the death of Louise, King Frederik IV and Anna Sophie Reventlow were married in a second formal wedding conducted with great ceremony. Although the marriage was still scandalous, it was not declared morganatic and Anna Sophie was crowned Queen of Denmark and Norway less than a month after Louise’s death. Anna Sophie and King Frederick IV had six children. Three were born before the legal marriage in 1721 but none survived. This was seen by many as divine punishment for their bigamy. The three children born after the 1721 marriage were styled as Prince/Princess of Denmark but none of them survived infancy either. Anna Sophie was hated by Frederik’s two surviving children from his first marriage.

Upon Frederik IV’s death, his son and successor King Christian VI banished Anna Sophie from the court and kept her under house arrest at Clausholm Castle, her family home. When Anna Sophie died in 1743, King Christian VI allowed her to be buried at Roskilde Cathedral but in the Trolle Chapel, on the opposite side of the cathedral, far away from his parents’ tombs – so Louise got some revenge in death.

Kingdom of Denmark Resources at Unofficial Royalty

Works Cited

  • Da.wikipedia.org. 2020. Louise Af Mecklenburg-Güstrow. [online] Available at: <https://da.wikipedia.org/wiki/Louise_af_Mecklenburg-G%C3%BCstrow> [Accessed 29 April 2020].
  • De.wikipedia.org. 2020. Louise Zu Mecklenburg. [online] Available at: <https://de.wikipedia.org/wiki/Louise_zu_Mecklenburg> [Accessed 29 April 2020].
  • En.wikipedia.org. 2020. Louise Of Mecklenburg-Güstrow. [online] Available at: <https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Louise_of_Mecklenburg-G%C3%BCstrow> [Accessed 29 April 2020].

Charlotte Amalie of Hesse-Kassel, Queen of Denmark and Norway

by Susan Flantzer  © Unofficial Royalty 2020

Queen Charlotte Amalie with one of her children circa 1675; Credit – Wikipedia

Charlotte Amalie of Hesse-Kassel was the wife of Christian V, King of Denmark and Norway. During Christian V’s reign, colonies were established in the Caribbean. The islands of Saint Thomas, Saint John, Saint Croix, and Water Island were originally a Danish colony, the Danish West Indies.  The city of Charlotte Amalie, on the island of St. Thomas, was named after Christian V’s wife. Denmark sold the islands to the United States in 1917, and now they are known as the United States Virgin Islands, and Charlotte Amalie is the capital.

Born on April 27, 1650, in Kassel, Landgraviate of Hesse-Kassel, now in the German state of Hesse, Charlotte Amalie was the eldest of the seven children and the eldest of the three daughters of Wilhelm VI, Landgrave of Hesse-Kassel and Hedwig Sophia of Brandenburg.

Charlotte Amalie had six younger siblings:

Charlotte Amalie  circa 1667; Credit – Wikipedia

Unlike many other German royals of the time who were Lutheran, Charlotte Amalie’s parents followed Reformed Christianity, which adhered to the teachings of John Calvin. Charlotte Amalie was a strict adherent to Reformed Christianity her whole life. She was well-educated in French, Italian, geography, history, and philosophy, and was interested in physics and pharmacy.

Charlotte Amalie’s husband King Christian V of Denmark, circa 1675; Credit – Wikipedia

On June 25, 1667, at Nykøbing Castle in Falster, Denmark, 17-year-old Charlotte Amalie married 21-year-old Crown Prince Christian of Denmark, the son of Frederik III, King of Denmark and Norway and Sophie Amalie of Brunswick-Lüneburg. Charlotte Amalie is the only post-Reformation Danish queen who was not Lutheran or did not convert to the Lutheran religion. Because of her strict adherence to Reformed Christianity, the marriage contract stated that she was allowed to keep her religion and that she was allowed to hold services in an enclosed room with her own Reformed minister.

The couple had seven children:

Christian V with his eldest son Frederik and his other sons Christian and Carl; Credit – Wikipedia

Charlotte Amalie’s husband succeeded his father in 1670 as Christian V, King of Denmark and Norway. Christian was anointed at Frederiksborg Palace Chapel on June 7, 1671, but Charlotte Amalie did not participate because it violated her religious beliefs.

Double portrait of Christian V and Charlotte Amalie; Credit – Wikipedia

Charlotte Amalie’s relationship with her husband cannot be described as a love affair but rather a mutual, respected friendship. In 1672, King Christian V began a long-term affair with 16-year-old Sophie Amalie Moth. Sophie Amalie, the daughter of King Frederik III’s doctor, Paul Moth, had grown up at court with her siblings, so she and Christian were well acquainted. Christian had five children with Sophie Amalie, whom he publicly acknowledged. In 1677, Sophie Amalie was recognized as Christian’s official mistress and was created Countess of Samsø. Although Christian V’s public adultery caused an embarrassing situation for Charlotte Amalie, she always made the most of her position as queen, both in her public life as well as in her private interactions with her husband.

During her tenure as Queen, Charlotte Amalie worked for the rights of those who practiced Reform Christianity, especially for displaced Huguenots from France who had settled in Denmark. In 1685, Christian V issued orders for a certain degree of religious freedom for religious refugees. In 1689, the first Reformed Church in Denmark was consecrated in Copenhagen, and Charlotte Amalie was instrumental in its planning and funding. The church had a burial crypt, residences for the ministers, and later, two schools. Although Charlotte Amalie was deeply devoted to her faith, her view on religion was a Protestant ecumenical one, and she corresponded with Protestants of different churches.

Charlottenborg Palace by Jacob Coning, 1694; Credit – Wikipedia

King Christian V died in 1699 and was succeeded by his son, King Frederik IV. Charlotte Amalie allowed her daughter-in-law, Louise of Mecklenburg-Güstrow, to take her rightful place as Queen. Charlotte Amalie kept a separate court and during the winter lived at Charlottenborg Palace, which is named after her, and then during the summer, she lived at Nykøbing Castle. She owned several estates and became quite wealthy from their income. In 1703, when her son Frederik IV made a bigamous marriage by marrying his mistress Elisabeth Helene von Vieregg while his wife was still living, Charlotte Amalie was deeply grieved by his behavior but never expressed her great displeasure to her son.

On March 27, 1714, Charlotte Amalie, Queen of Denmark and Norway, aged 63, died of scarlet fever after being ill for six days at Charlottenborg Palace in Copenhagen, Denmark. She was buried in a baroque marble tomb designed by Christoph Sturmberg next to King Christian V’s tomb in the nave of Roskilde Cathedral, the traditional burial place of the Danish royal family, in Roskilde, Denmark.

Tomb of Charlotte Amalie in Roskilde Cathedral; Photo Credit – Susan Flantzer

This article is the intellectual property of Unofficial Royalty and is NOT TO BE COPIED, EDITED, OR POSTED IN ANY FORM ON ANOTHER WEBSITE under any circumstances. It is permissible to use a link that directs to Unofficial Royalty.

Kingdom of Denmark Resources at Unofficial Royalty

Works Cited

  • Da.wikipedia.org. 2020. Charlotte Amalie Af Hessen-Kassel. [online] Available at: <https://da.wikipedia.org/wiki/Charlotte_Amalie_af_Hessen-Kassel> [Accessed 29 April 2020].
  • De.wikipedia.org. 2020. Charlotte Amalie Von Hessen-Kassel. [online] Available at: <https://de.wikipedia.org/wiki/Charlotte_Amalie_von_Hessen-Kassel> [Accessed 29 April 2020].
  • En.wikipedia.org. 2020. Charlotte Amalie Of Hesse-Kassel. [online] Available at: <https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Charlotte_Amalie_of_Hesse-Kassel> [Accessed 29 April 2020].

Heinrich XLV, Hereditary Prince Reuss of Gera

by Susan Flantzer  © Unofficial Royalty 2020

NOTE: All males of the House of Reuss were named Heinrich plus a number. In the Reuss-Greiz (Older Line), the numbering covered all male children and the numbers increased until 100 was reached and then started again at 1. In the Reuss-Gera (Younger Line), the system was similar but the numbers increased until the end of the century before starting again at 1. This tradition was seen as a way of honoring Holy Roman Emperor Heinrich VI (reigned 1191 – 1197) who had benefitted the family. Therefore, the Roman numerals seen after names are NOT regnal numbers.

Heinrich XLV, Hereditary Prince Reuss of Gera; Credit – Wikipedia

Heinrich XLV, Hereditary Prince Reuss of Gera was born on May 13, 1895, at Schloss Ebersdorf (link in German) in Ebersdorf, Principality of Reuss-Gera, now in Saalburg-Ebersdorf in Thuringia, Germany. He was the youngest of the five children and the youngest of the three sons of Heinrich XXVII, 5th and the last reigning Prince Reuss of Gera and Princess Elise of Hohenlohe-Langenburg.

Heinrich XLV had four elder siblings:

  • Princess Viktoria Feodora Reuss of Gera (link in German) (1889 – 1918) married Duke Adolf Friedrich of Mecklenburg-Schwerin; Viktoria Feodora died in childbirth a day after giving birth to her only child, a daughter Woizlawa Feodora
  • Princess Luise Adelheid Reuss of Gera (1890 – 1951), unmarried
  • Prince Heinrich XL Reuss of Gera (born and died 1891)
  • Prince Heinrich XLIII Reuss of Gera (1893 – 1912), died at age 18

Sitting: Heinrich XLIII & Elise, Princess Reuss of Gera; Standing: Heinrich XLV & Viktoria Feodora; Credit – Wikipedia

Heinrich XLV attended the Rutheneum-Gymnasium (since 1949 the Goethe-Gymnasium), founded in 1608, the oldest high school in Gera, then the capital of the Principality of Reuss-Gera, now in the German state of Thuringia. In the German education system, a Gymnasium is the most advanced of the three types of German secondary schools. He also attended the Vitzthum-Gymnasium in Dresden, then in the Kingdom of Saxony, now in the German state of Saxony.

Heinrich XLV was the only surviving son of his parents. The eldest son Heinrich XL died shortly after his birth in 1891 and the second son Heinrich XLIII died in 1912 at the age of 18. In 1913, when his father succeeded to the throne of the Principality of Reuss-Gera, Heinrich XLV became the Hereditary Prince Reuss of Gera. During World War I, Heinrich XLV served as a first lieutenant in the Imperial German Army. After World War I, Heinrich XLV studied literature, musicology, and philosophy at universities in Leipzig, Marburg, Munich, and Kiel.

Heinrich XXVII, 5th Prince Reuss of Gera, Elise, Princess Reuss of Gera and their son Heinrich XLV; Credit – WIkipedia

On November 11, 1918, following the German defeat in World War I, Heinrich XLV’s father, Heinrich XXVII, abdicated his position as 5th Prince Reuss of Gera. The new government of Reuss-Gera made an agreement with Heinrich XXVII that granted him some castles and land. After his abdication, Heinrich XXVII continued to live with his family at Schloss Osterstein (link in German) in Gera. When Heinrich XXIV, the 6th and last Prince Reuss of Greiz died in 1927, the House of Reuss-Greiz became extinct and any claims to titles passed to Heinrich XXVII. When Heinrich XXVII, the 5th and last Prince Reuss of Gera died on November 21, 1928, Heinrich XLV became Head of the House of Reuss.

Heinrich XLV was a lover of theater and worked in the theater as a director, author, and consultant. In 1923, he became head of the dramaturgy at the Reussian Theatre (link in German) in Gera. In 1931, with Hans Oppenheim, he founded the Deutsche Musikbühne, a touring opera company. Hans Oppenheim was forced out of the opera company in 1933 because of his Jewish origins and immigrated to the United States. Heinrich XLV gave up his position in 1934.

Because Heinrich XLV was unmarried and had no heirs, he adopted Prince Heinrich I Reuss of Köstritz for inheritance reasons but not for succession rights as the Head of the House of Reuss. Prince Heinrich I Reuss of Köstritz married Duchess Woizlawa Feodora of Mecklenburg-Schwerin, the daughter of Duke Adolf Friedrich of Mecklenburg-Schwerin and Princess Viktoria Feodora Reuss of Gera, the sister of Heinrich XLV. Viktoria Feodora had died delivering Woizlawa Feodora, her only child. Woizlawa Feodora was the only niece or nephew of Heinrich XLV and so Heinrich XLV’s private assests would remain in the family.

Heinrich XLV became a Nazi sympathizer and member of the Nazi Party. After World War II, the area that included the property and assets of Heinrich XLV was in the area of Germany which was controlled by the Soviet Union. It eventually became part of East Germany. In August 1945, Heinrich XLV was arrested at Schloss Ebersdorf by the Soviet military and has been missing ever since. He was likely imprisoned and killed at NKVD special camp Nr. 2, the former German concentration camp Buchenwald, which was transformed into one of the post–World War II internment camps in the Soviet-occupied parts of Germany. However, Heinrich XLV’s name is not on any of the internment camps’ lists of the dead. He was legally pronounced dead on January 5, 1962, by a court in Büdingen, West Germany, retroactive to December 31, 1953.

Heinrich XLV’s entire personal fortune was seized and confiscated in 1948 by the Soviet Military Administration in Germany, including Schloss Ebersdorf, Schloss Thallwitz, Schloss Osterstein and Jagdschloss Waidmannsheil (all links in German) as well as other property in Gera and works of art. After the German reunification in 1990, Heinrich XLV’s niece Woizlawa Feodora, as her husband’s heir, sued for restitution based on the fact that her late husband was of British nationality, as well as German, and his property should not have been confiscated under occupation law. A legal restitution claim for movable assets (works of art) was passed by the Bundestag (the German legislature) and many works of art in museums were returned to Woizlawa Feodora. In another settlement, Woizlawa Feodora received two castles and some forest property. Woizlawa Feodora lived to be 100 years old, dying in 2019.

This article is the intellectual property of Unofficial Royalty and is NOT TO BE COPIED, EDITED, OR POSTED IN ANY FORM ON ANOTHER WEBSITE under any circumstances. It is permissible to use a link that directs to Unofficial Royalty.

Reuss-Gera Resources at Unofficial Royalty

Works Cited

  • De.wikipedia.org. 2020. Heinrich XLV. (Reuß Jüngere Linie). [online] Available at: <https://de.wikipedia.org/wiki/Heinrich_XLV._(Reu%C3%9F_j%C3%BCngere_Linie)> [Accessed 24 March 2020].
  • De.wikipedia.org. 2020. Feodora Reuß Jüngere Linie. [online] Available at: <https://de.wikipedia.org/wiki/Feodora_zu_Reu%C3%9F> [Accessed 24 March 2020].
  • En.wikipedia.org. 2020. Duchess Woizlawa Feodora Of Mecklenburg. [online] Available at: <https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Duchess_Woizlawa_Feodora_of_Mecklenburg> [Accessed 24 March 2020].
  • En.wikipedia.org. 2020. Heinrich XLV, Hereditary Prince Reuss Younger Line. [online] Available at: <https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Heinrich_XLV,_Hereditary_Prince_Reuss_Younger_Line> [Accessed 24 March 2020].

Princess Elise of Hohenlohe-Langenburg, Princess Reuss of Gera

by Susan Flantzer © Unofficial Royalty 2020

Elise of Hohenlohe-Langenburg, Princess Reuss of Gera; Credit – Wikipedia

Princess Elise of Hohenlohe-Langenburg was the wife of Heinrich XXVII, 5th and the last reigning Prince Reuss of Gera. Elise Victoria Feodora Sophie Adelheid was born on September 4, 1864, in Langenburg, Kingdom of Württemberg, now in Baden-Württemberg, Germany. She was the second of the three children and the elder of the two daughters of Hermann, 6th Prince of Hohenlohe-Langenburg and Princess Leopoldine of Baden. Elise’s paternal grandmother was Princess Feodora of Leiningen, the half-sister of Queen Victoria of the United Kingdom and two of Elise’s names reflect that family connection.

Elise had two siblings:

  • Ernst, 7th Prince of Hohenlohe-Langenburg (1863 – 1950), married Princess Alexandra of Edinburgh and Saxe-Coburg and Gotha (granddaughter of Queen Victoria via her son Prince Alfred), had three daughters and two sons; their son Gottfried married Princess Margarita of Greece and Denmark, sister of Prince Philip, Duke of Edinburgh
  • Princess Feodora Viktoria Alberta of Hohenlohe-Langenburg (1866 – 1932), married Emich, 5th Prince of Leiningen (grandson of Karl, 3rd Prince of Leiningen, half-brother of Queen Victoria), had four sons and one daughter; their son Karl married Grand Duchess Maria Kirillovna of Russia, daughter of Grand Duke Kirill Vladimirovich of Russia and Princess Victoria Melita of Edinburgh and Saxe-Coburg and Gotha (granddaughter of Queen Victoria via her son Prince Alfred)

Since 1806, the Princes of Hohenlohe-Langenburg were no longer reigning princes. The Principality of Hohenlohe-Langenburg was mediatized, annexed to another state while allowing certain rights to its former sovereign such as retaining titles, to the Kingdom of Württemberg in 1806. Württemberg was a County, a Duchy, and an Electorate before being recognized as Kingdom in 1806 by Napoleon I, Emperor of the French, in exchange for contributing forces to France’s armies. Between 1803 and 1806, the final years of the Holy Roman Empire, the vast majority of the states of the Holy Roman Empire were mediatized. These states lost their imperial rights and became part of other states. The number of states was reduced from about three hundred to just thirty-nine.

Heinrich XXVII Reuss of Gera and Elise, 1884; Credit – Wikipedia

On November 11, 1884 in Langenburg, Kingdom of Württemberg, now in Baden-Württemberg, Germany Elise married Heinrich XXVII, the future 5th Prince Reuss of Gera, son of Heinrich XIV, 4th Prince Reuss of Gera and Duchess Agnes of Württemberg.

Heinrich XXVII and Elise had five children:

Elise with three of her children, before 1912; Credit – Wikipedia

In 1902, Elise’s father-in-law Heinrich XIV, 4th Prince Reuss of Gera became the Regent of the Principality of Reuss-Greiz. Heinrich XXIV, 6th and last Prince Reuss of Greiz succeeded his father in 1902 but was unable to rule because of his physical and mental disabilities as a result of an accident in his childhood. Heinrich XIV was the Regent of the Principality of Reuss-Greiz until his death in 1913.

Elise with her husband Heinrich XXVII, circa 1910; Credit – Wikipedia

Upon the death of his father on March 29, 1913, Elise’s husband Heinrich XXVII became the 5th Prince Reuss of Gera and the Regent of the Principality of Reuss-Greiz. His reign was only five years long. After the German defeat in World War I, on November 11, 1918, Heinrich XXVII abdicated his position as 5th Prince Reuss of Gera and as Regent abdicated for the disabled Heinrich XXIV, 6th Prince Reuss of Greiz. The new government of Reuss-Gera made an agreement with Heinrich XXVII that granted him some castles and land. The territory encompassing the Principality of Reuss-Gera is now located within the German state of Thuringia.

After his abdication, Heinrich XXVII and his wife Elise continued to live at Schloss Osterstein (link in German) in Gera. When the disabled Heinrich XXIV, the 6th and last Prince Reuss of Greiz died in 1927, the House of Reuss-Greiz became extinct and any claims to titles passed to Heinrich XXVII. Heinrich XXVII, the 5th and last Prince Reuss of Gera died at the age of 70 on November 21, 1928, at Schloss Osterstein in Gera, Germany. Elise survived her husband by only four months, dying on March 18, 1929, aged 64, at Schloss Osterstein in Gera, Germany. Elise and her husband were buried in the family cemetery in the Park of Schloss Ebersdorf (link in German), now in Saalburg-Ebersdorf in Thuringia, Germany.

Tombs at Schloss Ebersdorf; Credit – https://www.saalburg-ebersdorf.de/touristinformation/sehenswertes/park

This article is the intellectual property of Unofficial Royalty and is NOT TO BE COPIED, EDITED, OR POSTED IN ANY FORM ON ANOTHER WEBSITE under any circumstances. It is permissible to use a link that directs to Unofficial Royalty.

Reuss-Gera Resources at Unofficial Royalty

Works Cited

  • En.wikipedia.org. 2020. German Mediatisation. [online] Available at: <https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/German_mediatisation> [Accessed 23 March 2020].
  • En.wikipedia.org. 2020. Hohenlohe-Langenburg. [online] Available at: <https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hohenlohe-Langenburg> [Accessed 23 March 2020].
  • En.wikipedia.org. 2020. Princess Elise Of Hohenlohe-Langenburg. [online] Available at: <https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Princess_Elise_of_Hohenlohe-Langenburg> [Accessed 23 March 2020].
  • Flantzer, Susan., 2020. Heinrich XXVII, 5th Prince Reuss Of Gera. [online] Unofficial Royalty. Available at: <https://www.unofficialroyalty.com/heinrich-xxvii-5th-prince-reuss-of-gera/> [Accessed 23 March 2020].

Heinrich XXVII, 5th Prince Reuss of Gera

by Susan Flantzer  © Unofficial Royalty 2020

Note about the Reuss numbering system: All males of the House of Reuss were named Heinrich plus a number. In the Reuss-Greiz (Older Line), the numbering covered all male children and the numbers increased until 100 was reached and then started again at 1. In the Reuss-Gera (Younger Line), the system was similar but the numbers increased until the end of the century before starting again at 1. This tradition was seen as a way of honoring Holy Roman Emperor Heinrich VI (reigned 1191 – 1197) who had benefitted the family. Therefore, the Roman numerals seen after names are NOT regnal numbers.

Principality of Reuss-Gera: The House of Reuss began their rule circa 1010. Heinrich XLII became Count of Reuss-Schleiz in 1784, and then also became Count of Reuss-Gera in 1802. In 1806,  the united county was raised to the Principality of Reuss-Gera or Reuss Younger Line.  Between 1824 and 1848, the senior line of Gera gradually combined the territory of the surviving cadet branches (Lobenstein, Köstritz, and Ebersdorf).

On November 11, 1918, Heinrich XXVII abdicated his position as 5th Prince Reuss of Gera and as Regent abdicated for the disabled Heinrich XXIV, 6th Prince Reuss of Greiz. The new government of Reuss-Gera made an agreement with Heinrich XXVII and granted him some castles and land. The territory encompassing the Principality of Reuss-Gera is now located within the German state of Thuringia.

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Heinrich XXVII, 5th Prince Reuss of Gera; Credit – Wikipedia

Heinrich XXVII, 5th Prince Reuss of Gera, the last reigning Prince of the Principality of Reuss-Gera, was born on November 10, 1858, in Gera, Principality of Reuss-Gera, now in Thuringia, Germany. He was the eldest of the two children and the only son of Heinrich XIV, 4th Prince Reuss of Gera and Duchess Agnes of Württemberg.

Heinrich XXVII had one sibling, a younger sister:

Heinrich XXVII had one half-brother, born to Friederike Graetz in 1875. In 1890, four years after his mother died, Heinrich XXVII’s father morganatically married Friederike Graetz and gave her the title of Baroness von Saalburg. Heinrich XXVII’s half-brother was then styled as Baron von Saalburg.

  • Baron Heinrich von Saalburg (1875 – 1954), married Margarethe Groenwoldt, no children

Heinrich XXVII studied at the Witzum Gymnasium (in the German education system the most advanced of the three types of German secondary schools) in Dresden, Kingdom of Saxony, now in the German state of Saxony. From 1879 – 1880, he studied at the University of Bonn and the University of Leipzig. After completing his studies, Heinrich XXVII joined the Prussian Army as an officer of the Hussar Regiment of the Life Guards. He later became a captain and led the squadron. Heinrich XXVII retired from active duty in 1891 and was given the honor of wearing a regimental uniform but had no official position. In 1911, he was given the unpaid honorary title of General of the Cavalry. During World War I, Heinrich XXVII was assigned to the general command of the XI Army Corps of the German Army.

Princess Elise of Hohenlohe-Langenburg, Credit – Wikipedia

On November 11, 1884, Heinrich XXVII married Princess Elise of Hohenlohe-Langenburg, the daughter of Hermann, 6th Prince of Hohenlohe-Langenburg and Princess Leopoldine of Baden. Elise’s paternal grandmother was Princess Feodora of Leiningen, the half-sister of Queen Victoria of the United Kingdom. Heinrich XXVII and Elise had five children:

Elise with three of her children, before 1912; Credit – Wikipedia

In 1902, the father of Heinrich XXVII, Heinrich XIV, 4th Prince Reuss of Gera became the Regent of the Principality of Reuss-Greiz. Heinrich XXIV, 6th and last Prince Reuss of Greiz succeeded his father in 1902 but was unable to rule because of his physical and mental disabilities as a result of an accident in his childhood. Heinrich XIV was the Regent of the Principality of Reuss-Greiz until his death in 1913.

Heinrich XXVII with his wife Elise, circa 1910; Credit – Wikipedia

When his father died on March 29, 1913, Heinrich XXVII became the 5th Prince Reuss of Gera and the Regent of the Principality of Reuss-Greiz. His reign was only five years long. After the German defeat in World War I, on November 11, 1918, Heinrich XXVII abdicated his position as 5th Prince Reuss of Gera and as Regent abdicated for the disabled Heinrich XXIV, 6th Prince Reuss of Greiz. The new government of Reuss-Gera made an agreement with Heinrich XXVII that granted him some castles and land. The territory encompassing the Principality of Reuss-Gera is now located within the German state of Thuringia.

Heinrich XXVII during World War I; Credit – Wikipedia

After his abdication, Heinrich XXVII continued to live with his family at Schloss Osterstein (link in German) in Gera. When the disabled Heinrich XXIV, the 6th and last Prince Reuss of Greiz died in 1927, the House of Reuss-Greiz became extinct and any claims to titles passed to Heinrich XXVII. Heinrich XXVII, the 5th and last Prince Reuss of Gera died at the age of 70 on November 21, 1928, at Schloss Osterstein in Gera, Germany. His wife Elise survived her husband by only four months. Both were buried in the family cemetery in the Park of Schloss Ebersdorf (link in German), now in Saalburg-Ebersdorf in Thuringia, Germany.

Tombs at Schloss Ebersdorf; Credit – https://www.saalburg-ebersdorf.de/touristinformation/sehenswertes/park

This article is the intellectual property of Unofficial Royalty and is NOT TO BE COPIED, EDITED, OR POSTED IN ANY FORM ON ANOTHER WEBSITE under any circumstances. It is permissible to use a link that directs to Unofficial Royalty.

Reuss-Gera Resources at Unofficial Royalty

Works Cited

  • De.wikipedia.org. 2020. Heinrich XXVII. (Reuß Jüngere Linie). [online] Available at: <https://de.wikipedia.org/wiki/Heinrich_XXVII._(Reu%C3%9F_j%C3%BCngere_Linie)> [Accessed 22 March 2020].
  • En.wikipedia.org. 2020. Heinrich XXVII, Prince Reuss Younger Line. [online] Available at: <https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Heinrich_XXVII,_Prince_Reuss_Younger_Line> [Accessed 22 March 2020].
  • Uk.wikipedia.org. 2020. Генріх XXVII (Князь Ройсс-Ґери). [online] Available at: <https://uk.wikipedia.org/wiki/%D0%93%D0%B5%D0%BD%D1%80%D1%96%D1%85_XXVII_(%D0%BA%D0%BD%D1%8F%D0%B7%D1%8C_%D0%A0%D0%BE%D0%B9%D1%81%D1%81-%D2%90%D0%B5%D1%80%D0%B8)> [Accessed 22 March 2020].

Duchess Agnes of Württemberg, Princess Reuss of Gera

by Susan Flantzer  © Unofficial Royalty 2020

Agnes of Württemberg, Princess Reuss of Gera; Credit – Wikipedia

Duchess Agnes of Württemberg (Pauline Louise Agnes), wife of Heinrich XIV, 4th Prince Reuss of Gera, was born in Carlsruhe, Silesia, Kingdom of Prussia, now Pokój, Poland, on October 13, 1835. She was the youngest of the four children and the younger of the two daughters of Duke Eugen of Württemberg and his second wife Princess Helene of Hohenlohe-Langenburg.

Agnes had three older siblings:

Agnes also had three elder half-siblings from her father’s first marriage to Princess Mathilde of Waldeck and Pyrmont who died in childbirth giving birth to her last child who died a few days later:

Agnes’ father, Duke Eugen of Württemberg; Credit – Wikipedia

Agnes’ father was Duke Eugen of Württemberg, son of Duke Eugen of Württemberg and Princess Louise of Stolberg-Gedern. Her father was the nephew of Friedrich I, the first King of Württemberg; Sophie Dorothea of Württemberg, Empress Maria Feodorovna, the second wife of Paul I, Emperor of All Russia; and Elisabeth of Württemberg, the first wife of Franz II, Holy Roman Emperor (later Franz I, Emperor of Austria). Under the initial patronage of his aunt Empress Maria Feodorovna, Agnes’ father had a career in the Russian Army which continued during the reigns of his first cousins Alexander I, Emperor of All Russia and Nicholas I, Emperor of All Russia. Duke Eugen fought in the Napoleonic Wars and attained the rank of General. After 1829, Duke Eugen did not take an active part in the Russian Army or Russian court life. He lived mainly in his estates in Silesia, now mostly in Poland, with small parts in the Czech Republic and Germany, but he often visited Russia.

Agnes’ mother, Princess Helene of Hohenlohe-Langenburg; Credit – Wikipedia

Agnes’ mother Princess Helene of Hohenlohe-Langenburg was the daughter of Karl Ludwig III, Prince of Hohenlohe-Langenburg and Countess Amalie Henriette of Solms-Baruth. One of Helene’s elder brothers Ernst I, Prince of Hohenlohe-Langenburg married Princess Feodora of Leiningen, the half-sister of Queen Victoria of the United Kingdom.

Schloss Carlsruhe Castle; Credit – Wikipedia

Agnes grew up at Schloss Carlsruhe, then in Carlsruhe, Silesia, Kingdom of Prussia, now in Pokój, Poland. In 1649, a cadet branch of the House of Württemberg inherited land in the Duchy of Oels in Silesia. A hunting lodge was built in the area that later became Carlsruhe. According to legend, in 1745, Duke Karl Christian Erdmann of Württemberg-Oels got lost while hunting near the lodge, fell asleep in the forest, and had a dream about founding a city. Later, Karl Christian planned and built the residential city of Carlsruhe (now Pokój, Poland), following the architectural concept of Karlsruhe, then in the Electorate of Baden, later in the Grand Duchy of Baden, now in the German federal state of Baden-Württemberg. He also built Schloss Carlsruhe. Karl Christian had no heir and left his properties and Schloss Carlsruhe to his cousin Duke Eugen of Württemberg, Agnes’ grandfather. After Silesia became part of the Kingdom of Prussia, the family retained ownership of their properties in Carlsruhe and Schloss Carlsruhe.

Agnes’ father inherited Carlsruhe and Schloss Carlsruhe upon his father’s death. Duke Eugen, Agnes’ father, built a theater and a chapel at Schloss Carlsruhe. He was a great patron of the composer Carl Maria von Weber, who became his secretary. In 1806, von Weber was named Kapellmeister (director of music) at Schloss Carlsruhe. Sadly, at the end of World War II, Schloss Carlsruhe was destroyed by the Red Army of the Soviet Union.

Agnes’ husband, Heinrich XIV, 4th Prince Reuss of Gera; Credit – Wikipedia

On February 6, 1858, at Schloss Carlsruhe in Carlsruhe, Silesia, Kingdom of Prussia, now Pokój, Poland, Agnes married the future Heinrich XIV, 4th Prince Reuss of Gera, son of Heinrich LXVII, 3rd Prince Reuss of Gera and Princess Adelheid Reuss of Ebersdorf.

Agnes and Heinrich XIV had two children:

As Princess of Reuss-Gera, Agnes founded many organizations and institutes that bore her name, such as the Agnes School, a training institute for female servants in Gera, the capital of the Principality of Reuss-Gera. She was also an author and used Angelica Hohenstein as her pen name. Agnes died, aged 50, on July 10, 1886, at Schloss Osterstein in Gera, Principality of Reuss-Gera. She was buried at the Bergkirche St. Marien (link in German) in Schleiz, Principality of Reuss-Gera, now in Thuringia, Germany.

This article is the intellectual property of Unofficial Royalty and is NOT TO BE COPIED, EDITED, OR POSTED IN ANY FORM ON ANOTHER WEBSITE under any circumstances. It is permissible to use a link that directs to Unofficial Royalty.

Reuss-Gera Resources at Unofficial Royalty

Works Cited

  • De.wikipedia.org. 2020. Agnes Von Württemberg (1835–1886). [online] Available at: <https://de.wikipedia.org/wiki/Agnes_von_W%C3%BCrttemberg_(1835%E2%80%931886)> [Accessed 21 March 2020].
  • De.wikipedia.org. 2020. Eugen Von Württemberg (1788–1857). [online] Available at: <https://de.wikipedia.org/wiki/Eugen_von_W%C3%BCrttemberg_(1788%E2%80%931857)> [Accessed 21 March 2020].
  • De.wikipedia.org. 2020. Karl Christian Erdmann (Württemberg-Oels). [online] Available at: <https://de.wikipedia.org/wiki/Karl_Christian_Erdmann_(W%C3%BCrttemberg-Oels)> [Accessed 21 March 2020].
  • En.wikipedia.org. 2020. Duchess Agnes Of Württemberg. [online] Available at: <https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Duchess_Agnes_of_W%C3%BCrttemberg> [Accessed 21 March 2020].
  • En.wikipedia.org. 2020. Pokój, Opole Voivodeship. [online] Available at: <https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pok%C3%B3j,_Opole_Voivodeship> [Accessed 21 March 2020].