Category Archives: Former Monarchies

Princess Ida of Schaumburg-Lippe, Princess Reuss of Greiz

by Susan Flantzer  © Unofficial Royalty 2020

Ida of Schaumburg-Lippe; Credit – Wikipedia

Princess Ida Mathilde Adelheid of Schaumburg-Lippe, the wife of Heinrich XXII, 5th Prince Reuss of Greiz, was born on July 28, 1852, in Bückeburg, Principality of Schaumburg-Lippe, now in Lower Saxony, Germany. She was the fifth of the eight children and the third of the four daughters of Adolf I, Prince of Schaumburg-Lippe and his first cousin Princess Hermine of Waldeck and Pyrmont, Ida and her sisters had a simple upbringing but were well-educated. They knew about how to run a household and could hold their own in discussions about philosophy and science.

Ida had four older siblings and three younger siblings:

Ida’s husband Heinrich XXII, 5th Prince Reuss of Greiz; Credit – Wikipedia

Note about the Reuss numbering system: All males of the House of Reuss were named Heinrich plus a number. In the Reuss-Greiz, Elder 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.

On October 8, 1872, 20-year-old Ida married 26-year-old Heinrich XXII, 5th Prince Reuss of Greiz. Ida and Heinrich XXII had one son and five daughters. Their only son Heinrich XXIV would be unable to marry and be unable to rule because of his physical and mental disabilities as a result of an accident in his childhood. Heinrich XXIV would be nominally the 6th Prince Reuss of Greiz but two Regents from the House of Reuss-Gera (also called the Younger Line) successively ruled the Principality of Reuss-Greiz: Heinrich XIV, 4th Prince Reuss of Gera from 1901 – 1913 and then his son Heinrich XXVII, 5th and last Prince Reuss of Gera from 1913 – 1918, when the monarchy was abolished in 1918 at the end of World War I.

Ida’s son Heinrich XXIV, 6th Prince Reuss of Greiz; Credit – Wikipedia

Ida and Heinrich XXII’s children:

The five Reuss-Greiz sisters, left to right – Hermine, Ida, Marie, Caroline, and Emma; Credit – Wikipedia

From 1871 to 1873, Heinrich XXII built Jagdschloss Ida-Waldhaus, a hunting lodge in the forest near Greiz which he named after his beloved wife Ida. Heinrich XXII loved the tranquility of that forest so much that he decided to be buried there. In 1878, Heinrich XXII commissioned Eduard Oberländer, the master builder of Greiz, to build a Gothic-style chapel with a crypt. Completed in 1883, the Waldhaus Mausoleum (link in German) would first be used for Ida eight years later.

Waldhaus Mausoleum near Greiz; Credit – Wikipedia

Sadly, on September 28, 1891, Ida died, aged 39, from complications that occurred during the birth of her sixth child, a daughter, named Ida after her. Heinrich XXII wrote to his former mentor Baron Albert von der Trenk, “The sun of my earthly happiness set on September 28.”  Ida was buried in the Waldhaus Mausoleum her husband had built in the forest near Greiz. When Ida’s husband Heinrich XXII died in 1902 and when their son Heinrich XXIV died in 1927, they were also buried in the Waldhaus Mausoleum. By 1969, the Waldhaus Mausoleum had fallen into disrepair and the remains of Heinrich XXII, Ida, and their son Heinrich XXIV were taken to Werdau Crematorium, cremated, and placed in urns. The urns were reburied at the Neue Friedhof (New Cemetery) in Greiz, Thuringia, Germany. Since 1997, the resting place of the urns has been at the Stadtkirche St. Marien (link in German) in Greiz.

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-Greiz Resources at Unofficial Royalty

Works Cited

  • En.wikipedia.org. (2020). Princess Ida of Schaumburg-Lippe. [online] Available at: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Princess_Ida_of_Schaumburg-Lippe [Accessed 5 Mar. 2020].
  • Flantzer, Susan. (2020). Heinrich XXII, 5th Prince Reuss of Greiz. [online] Unofficial Royalty. Available at: https://www.unofficialroyalty.com/heinrich-xxii-5th-prince-reuss-of-greiz/ [Accessed 5 Mar. 2020].
  • It.wikipedia.org. (2020). Ida di Schaumburg-Lippe. [online] Available at: https://it.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ida_di_Schaumburg-Lippe [Accessed 5 Mar. 2020].

Assassination of Carlos I, King of Portugal (1908)

by Scott Mehl
© Unofficial Royalty 2020

On February 1, 1908, in what became known as the Lisbon Regicide, King Carlos I of Portugal was shot and killed by two gunmen while riding in an open carriage in the Terreiro do Paço (now Commerce Square) in Lisbon, Portugal. The king’s elder son and heir, Luís Filipe, Prince Royal, was also killed in the attack.

Carlos I of Portugal. source: Wikipedia

King Carlos I of Portugal

Carlos was born in Lisbon, Portugal in September 1863, the elder son of King Luís I of Portugal and Princess Maria Pia of Savoy. He married Princess Amelie of Orleans, daughter of the pretender to the French throne and had three children. Becoming King upon his father’s death in 1889, Carlos faced numerous crises during his reign. Giving in to British demands that he cede sovereignty of some land in Africa, Carlos began to quickly lose the loyalty of the Portuguese people. Despite this, the King was able to bring Portugal to the center of European diplomacy and developed close friendships and alliances with many of the crowned heads of Europe. However, the country also fell into bankruptcy twice during Carlos’s reign, spurring on the Republican movement. After appointing Joāo Franco as Prime Minister in 1906, the little support he had quickly diminished, as many felt that Franco was turning the country into a dictatorship.

For more information, see Unofficial Royalty: King Carlos I of Portugal

The Assassination

Embed from Getty Images 

On February 1, 1908, King Carlos, along with his wife and elder son Luís Filipe, were returning from a stay in Vila Viçosa. Upon their arrival in Lisbon, they were greeted by their younger son, Manuel, the King’s brother, and the Prime Minister. The King, his wife, and two sons got into an open carriage for their ride back to the Palace of Necessidades.

Manuel Buiça.  source: WIkipedia

Alfredo Costa. source: Wikipedia

While crossing the Terreiro do Paço, the royal family was soon attacked with gunfire. One of the shooters, Manuel Buiça, emerged in the square about 25 feet behind the carriage and fired a shot that struck the King in the neck killing him instantly. A second shot struck the King in the shoulder, forcing his body to slump over in the carriage. A second shooter, Alfredo Costa, jumped on the carriage step and fired two more shots into the King’s back – ensuring that he was dead. Then the two assassins took aim at Luís Filipe who had stood and drawn his revolver, firing at, and injuring, Costa. Buiça rushed to the carriage and fired, striking the Prince in the head. Amazingly, the Queen was unharmed, and Prince Manuel only suffered a gunshot to his arm. The carriage rushed to the nearby Naval Arsenal where Luís Filipe also died from his injuries. A soldier quickly moved in and fired on Buiça, injuring him in the leg and subduing him. Soon after, a police officer shot and killed Buiça on the spot. Costa was also subdued by the same soldier before the police apprehended him and took him to the police station. Upon arriving at the entrance to the station, Costa was shot and killed by an unidentified officer or member of the Municipal Guard.

What happened to Carlos?

Embed from Getty Images

King Carlos was killed instantly, and Luís Filipe died moments later at the Naval Arsenal.  The King and his son were buried together in the Royal Pantheon of the House of Braganza, at the Monastery of Sāo Vicente de Fora in Lisbon. The King’s younger son took the throne as King Manuel II and would be the last King of Portugal. In October 1910, Portugal was declared a Republic, and the Portuguese monarchy was abolished.

Tomb of Carlos and Luís Filipe. source: findagrave.com

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.

Heinrich XXII, 5th Prince Reuss of Greiz

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, Elder 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-Greiz: The House of Reuss began their rule circa 1010. Heinrich XI, Count Reuss of Greiz, Lower-Greiz (Untergreiz) and Upper-Greiz (Obergreiz) was elevated to princely status in 1778 and then used the title of Prince Reuss, Older Line, or Prince Reuss of Greiz.

Heinrich XXIV, the 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. Instead, a Regent ruled the Principality of Reuss-Greiz: Heinrich XIV, 4th Prince Reuss of Gera from 1901 – 1913 and then his son Heinrich XXVII, 5th and last Prince Reuss of Gera from 1913 – 1918.

On November 11, 1918, the Regent, Heinrich XXVII, Prince Reuss of Gera (Younger Line) abdicated in the name of the disabled Heinrich XXIV, 6th Prince Reuss of Greiz. After the abdication, Heinrich XXIV retained the right of residence of the Lower Castle in Greiz and lived there until his death. The territory that encompassed the Principality of Reuss-Greiz is now in the German state of Thuringia.

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Heinrich XXII, 5th Prince Reuss of Greiz; Credit – Wikipedia

Heinrich XXII, 5th Prince Reuss of Greiz was born on March 28, 1846, in Greiz, Principality of Reuss-Greiz now in Thuringia, Germany. He was the second but the eldest surviving of the three sons and the third of the five children of Heinrich XX, 4th Prince Reuss of Greiz and his second wife Princess Caroline Amalie of Hesse-Homburg.

Heinrich XXII had four siblings:

  • Princess Hermine Reuss of Greiz (1840 – 1890), married Prince Hugo of Schönburg-Waldenburg (link in German), one son and three daughters
  • Prince Heinrich XXI Reuss of Greiz (born and died 1844)
  • Prince Heinrich XXIII Reuss of Greiz (1848 – 1861), died of influenza at age 13
  • Princess Marie Reuss of Greiz (1855 – 1909), married Count Friedrich of Ysenburg and Büdingen (link in German), no children

When Heinrich XXII was thirteen-years-old, his father Heinrich XX, 4th Prince of Reuss of Greiz died. He then succeeded his father as the 5th Prince Reuss of Greiz. Heinrich XXII’s mother Caroline Amalie was Regent of the Principality of Reuss-Greiz from 1859 until 1867.

As the daughter of an Austrian general, Caroline Amalie had an anti-Prussian attitude. During the Austro-Prussian War, she was on the side of Austria and as a consequence, Reuss-Greiz was occupied by Prussian troops. The Principality of Reuss-Greiz avoided the fate of the Kingdom of Hanover, which was annexed by Prussia, because Karl Alexander, Grand Duke of Saxe-Weimar-Eisenach intervened with his brother-in-law King Wilhelm I of Prussia on behalf of the House of Reuss-Greiz. However, Caroline Amalie had to pay a price. She had to abandon her position as Regent and pay half of the war indemnities with her personal wealth.

On March 28, 1867, Heinrich XXII took over the reins of the government of the Principality of Reuss-Greiz. One of his first accomplishments was giving his principality its first constitution with limited parliamentary representation. Being extremely conservative, Heinrich XXII tried to rule with as much absolute power as possible and made Reuss-Greiz a stronghold of orthodox Lutheranism. Throughout his reign, Heinrich XXII remained faithful to the memory of his parents and remained anti-Prussian. The Principality of Reuss-Greiz did join the German Empire in 1871 but Heinrich XXII refused to take part in the proclamation of the German Empire in the Hall of Mirrors at the Palace of Versailles in France on January 18, 1871.

Ida of Schaumburg-Lippe; Credit – Wikipedia

On October 8, 1872, Heinrich XXII married Princess Ida of Schaumburg-Lippe, daughter of Adolf I, Prince of Schaumburg-Lippe and Princess Hermine of Waldeck and Pyrmont. Heinrich XXII and Ida had one son and five daughters:

The five Reuss-Greiz sisters, left to right – Hermine, Ida, Marie, Caroline, and Emma; Credit – Wikipedia

Throughout his reign, Heinrich XXII refused to accept that the Hohenzollern German Emperors had precedence over other German royal houses. He believed Prussia and Reuss-Greiz “were allies for the common defense of the German Federation.” Heinrich XXII refused to allow any official or private mourning when the deaths of the emperors Wilhelm I and Friedrich III occurred. Also forbidden in Reuss-Greiz were any celebrations of the anniversaries of the German victories of 1870. Despite all his reservations about Prussia, Heinrich was a General in the Prussian Army and the head of the 2nd battalion of the 96th Infantry Regiment.

Jagdschloss Ida-Waldhaus; Credit – Wikipedia

From 1871 to 1873, Heinrich XXII built Jagdschloss Ida-Waldhaus, a hunting lodge in the forest near Greiz. He loved the tranquility of that forest so much that he decided to be buried there. In 1878, Heinrich XXII commissioned Eduard Oberländer, the master builder of Greiz, to build a Gothic-style chapel with a crypt, that was completed in 1883. The Waldhaus Mausoleum (link in German) would first be used for Ida eight years later.

Waldhaus Mausoleum near Greiz; Credit – Wikipedia

Sadly, on September 28, 1891, Heinrich XXII’s wife Ida died, aged 39, from complications that occurred during the birth of her sixth child, a daughter, named Ida after her. Heinrich XXII wrote to his former mentor Baron Albert von der Trenk, “The sun of my earthly happiness set on September 28.” Henry took Ida’s death as a divine sentence and refused to marry again although he knew that this decision would mean the end of the House of Reuss-Greiz. Heinrich XXII’s only son would be unable to marry and be unable to rule because of his physical and mental disabilities as a result of an accident in his childhood. Because of Heinrich XXII’s conservatism, there was no question of changing the family law in favor of the rule of one of his daughters.

Heinrich XXII, 5th Prince of Reuss of Greiz died from heart disease on April 19, 1902, aged 56, in Greiz, Principality of Reuss-Greiz. He was first buried with his wife Ida in the Waldhaus Mausoleum in Greiz, Principality of Reuss-Greiz. By 1969, the Waldhaus Mausoleum had fallen into disrepair and the remains of Heinrich XXII and Ida were taken to Werdau Crematorium, cremated, and placed in urns. The urns were reburied at the Neue Friedhof (New Cemetery) in Greiz, Thuringia, Germany. Since 1997, the resting place of the urns has been at the Stadtkirche St. Marien (link in German) in Greiz.

Heinrich XIV, 6th Prince Reuss of Greiz; Credit – Wikipedia

Heinrich XXII’s disabled son Heinrich XXIV succeeded him nominally as the 6th Prince Reuss of Greiz. However, two regents from the House of Reuss-Gera (also called the Younger Line) successively ruled the Principality of Reuss-Greiz: Heinrich XIV, 4th Prince Reuss of Gera from 1901 – 1913, and then his son Heinrich XXVII, 5th and last Prince Reuss of Gera from 1913 – 1918,  when the monarchy was abolished in 1918 at the end of World War I.

Reuss-Greiz Resources at Unofficial Royalty

Works Cited

  • Czauderna, H. (2020). Mausoleum Heinrich XXII Greiz – Thüringen: Mausoleum. [online] Thueringen.info. Available at: https://www.thueringen.info/greiz-mausoleum.html [Accessed 3 Mar. 2020].
  • De.wikipedia.org. (2020). Heinrich XXII. (Reuß-Greiz). [online] Available at: https://de.wikipedia.org/wiki/Heinrich_XXII._(Reu%C3%9F-Greiz) [Accessed 3 Mar. 2020].
  • De.wikipedia.org. (2020). Waldhaus (Mohlsdorf-Teichwolframsdorf). [online] Available at: https://de.wikipedia.org/wiki/Waldhaus_(Mohlsdorf-Teichwolframsdorf) [Accessed 3 Mar. 2020].
  • En.wikipedia.org. (2020). Heinrich XXII, Prince Reuss of Greiz. [online] Available at: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Heinrich_XXII,_Prince_Reuss_of_Greiz [Accessed 3 Mar. 2020].
  • Flantzer, Susan. (2020). Princess Caroline Amalie of Hesse-Homburg, Princess of Reuss of Greiz. [online] Unofficial Royalty. Available at: https://www.unofficialroyalty.com/princess-caroline-amalie-of-hesse-homburg-princess-of-reuss-of-greiz/ [Accessed 3 Mar. 2020].
  • Ru.wikipedia.org. (2020). Генрих XXII Рейсс. [online] Available at: https://ru.wikipedia.org/wiki/%D0%93%D0%B5%D0%BD%D1%80%D0%B8%D1%85_XXII_%D0%A0%D0%B5%D0%B9%D1%81%D1%81 [Accessed 3 Mar. 2020].

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.

Princess Caroline Amalie of Hesse-Homburg, Princess of Reuss-Greiz, Regent of Reuss-Greiz

by Susan Flantzer © Unofficial Royalty 2020

Caroline Amalie of Hesse-Homburg, Princess of Reuss of Greiz; Credit – Wikipedia

Princess Caroline Amalie of Hesse-Homburg, the second wife of Heinrich XX, 4th Prince Reuss of Greiz, was born on March 19, 1819 in Homburg vor der Höhe, Landgraviate of Hesse-Homburg, now in Hesse, Germany. She was given a long string of names: Caroline Amalie Elisabeth Auguste Friederike Ludowike Christiane Josephine Leopoldine George Bernhardine Wilhelmine Woldemare Charlotte.

Caroline Amalie was the eldest of the three children and the elder of the two daughters of Gustav, Landgrave of Hesse-Homburg and Princess Louise of Anhalt-Dessau. Caroline’s father joined the Swedish Army in the service of his godfather and namesake King Gustav III and then joined the Austrian Army where he saw action in early 19th-century battles.

Homburg Castle; Credit – Wikipedia

Caroline Amalie was brought up at Homburg Castle with her siblings. Their mother had been born deaf and perhaps this was one of the reasons that the family lived in self-chosen isolation.

Caroline Amalie had two younger siblings:

  • Princess Elisabeth (1823 – 1864)
  • Friedrich, Hereditary Prince of Hesse-Homburg (1830 – 1848), unmarried, predeceased his father

Caroline Amalie’s husband, Heinrich XX, 4th Prince Reuss of Greiz; Credit – Wikipedia

45-year-old Heinrich XX, 4th Prince Reuss of Greiz needed an heir. His first wife Sophie of Löwenstein-Wertheim-Rosenberg had died childless in 1838. On October 1, 1839, Heinrich XX married 20-year-old Caroline Amalie in Homburg vor der Höhe, Landgraviate of Hesse-Homburg. The couple had five children:

Heinrich XX died on November 8, 1859, at the age of 65. Heinrich XXIII, his thirteen-year-old son succeeded him as the 5th Prince Reuss of Greiz. Caroline Amalie was Regent of the Principality of Reuss-Greiz from 1859 until 1867, during the minority of their son, Heinrich XXII, 5th Prince Reuss of Greiz.

As the daughter of an Austrian general, Caroline Amalie had an anti-Prussian attitude. During the Austro-Prussian War, she was on the side of Austria and as a consequence, Reuss-Greiz was occupied by Prussian troops. The Principality of Reuss-Greiz avoided the fate of the Kingdom of Hanover, which was annexed by Prussia, because Karl Alexander, Grand Duke of Saxe-Weimar-Eisenach intervened with his brother-in-law King Wilhelm I of Prussia on behalf of the House of Reuss-Greiz. However, Caroline Amalie had to pay a price. She had to abandon her position as Regent and pay half of the war indemnities with her personal wealth.

Carolina Amalie survived her husband by thirteen years, dying on January 18, 1872, aged 52, in Greiz, Principality of Reuss-Greiz. She was buried with her husband at the Stadtkirche St. Marien (link in German), now in Greiz, Thuringia, Germany.

Reuss-Greiz Resources at Unofficial Royalty

Works Cited:

  • De.wikipedia.org. (2020). Caroline von Hessen-Homburg. [online] Available at: https://de.wikipedia.org/wiki/Caroline_von_Hessen-Homburg [Accessed 3 Mar. 2020].
  • De.wikipedia.org. (2020). Gustav (Hessen-Homburg). [online] Available at: https://de.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gustav_(Hessen-Homburg) [Accessed 3 Mar. 2020].
  • Es.wikipedia.org. (2020). Carolina de Hesse-Homburg (1819-1872). [online] Available at: https://es.wikipedia.org/wiki/Carolina_de_Hesse-Homburg_(1819-1872) [Accessed 3 Mar. 2020].
  • Flantzer, Susan. (2020). Heinrich XX, 4th Prince Reuss of Greiz. [online] Unofficial Royalty. Available at: https://www.unofficialroyalty.com/heinrich-xx-4th-prince-reuss-of-greiz/ [Accessed 3 Mar. 2020].

Sophie of Löwenstein-Wertheim-Rosenberg, Princess Reuss of Greiz

by Susan Flantzer © Unofficial Royalty 2020

Sophie of Löwenstein-Wertheim-Rosenberg, Princess Reuss of Greiz; Credit – German Documentation Center for Art History – Photo Archive Photo Marburg

Princess Sophie Maria Theresia of Löwenstein-Wertheim-Rosenberg, the first wife of Heinrich XX, 4th Prince Reuss of Greiz, was born on September 18, 1809, in Prague, Kingdom of Bohemia, now in the Czech Republic. She was the fourth of the six children and the third of the five daughters of Karl Thomas, Prince of Löwenstein-Wertheim-Rosenberg and Countess Sophie of Windisch-Grätz.

Sophie had five siblings:

The noble family of Löwenstein originated with Friedrich I, Count Palatine of the Rhine, Elector Palatine (1425 – 1476) from the House of Wittelsbach. The children from his morganatic marriage were not entitled to be part of the House of Wittelsbach, and they formed a separate, noble family. In 1611, the family split into the Protestant Löwenstein-Wertheim-Freudenberg line and the Catholic Löwenstein-Wertheim-Rochefort line. Sophie’s family was from the Catholic line.

In 1812, the Löwenstein-Wertheim-Rochefort family lost territory on the left bank of the Rhine, including Rochefort and so the family name was changed to Löwenstein-Wertheim-Rosenberg. By 1814, Sophie’s family had lost all its territory and were members of the landless high nobility. Regardless, Sophie’s father still held a seat in the First Chambers in Baden, Bavaria, Hesse, and Württemberg and always felt a strong bond with the Austrian Empire and its ruling Habsburg dynasty.

Löwenstein Castle; Credit – Von Fritz Geller-Grimm supported by Rüdiger Wandke – Eigenes Werk, CC BY-SA 3.0, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=12631060

Sophie was brought up with her siblings at Löwenstein Castle (link in German) in Kleinheubach, Kingdom of Bavaria, now in Bavaria, Germany. The castle was built in the Baroque style between 1721 and 1732. It was at Löwenstein Castle, probably at the beautiful altar below, that Sophie married the future Heinrich XX, 4th Prince Reuss of Greiz on November 25, 1834.

Altar of the chapel at Löwenstein Castle; Credit – Von Altera levatur – Eigenes Werk, CC BY-SA 4.0, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=35625169

Sophie was Catholic and her husband was Lutheran. There is no information on whether Sophie remained Catholic or converted to Lutheranism. On October 31, 1836, Heinrich XX’s elder brother Heinrich XIX, 3rd Prince Reuss of Greiz died. Because his brother had no son to succeed him, Sophie’s husband became the 4th Prince Reuss of Greiz.

Sophie’s husband Heinrich XX, 4th Prince Reuss of Greiz; Credit – Wikipedia

Sophie was in ill health for most of her marriage and never had any children. She died on July 21, 1838, at the age of 29. Heinrich XX had the Sophienkreuz (Sophie Cross), also known as the White Cross, built in her memory on a hill overlooking Greiz. The cross has been knocked down several times due to bad weather but has always been rebuilt.

Sophienkreuz; Credit – Vogtlandspiegel, Bilder vom und um das Weiße Kreuz in Greiz

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-Greiz Resources at Unofficial Royalty

Works Cited

  • De.wikipedia.org. (2020). Karl Thomas zu Löwenstein-Wertheim-Rosenberg. [online] Available at: https://de.wikipedia.org/wiki/Karl_Thomas_zu_L%C3%B6wenstein-Wertheim-Rosenberg [Accessed 3 Mar. 2020].
  • De.wikipedia.org. (2020). Schloss Löwenstein. [online] Available at: https://de.wikipedia.org/wiki/Schloss_L%C3%B6wenstein [Accessed 3 Mar. 2020].
  • De.wikipedia.org. (2020). Sophie zu Löwenstein-Wertheim-Rosenberg. [online] Available at: https://de.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sophie_zu_L%C3%B6wenstein-Wertheim-Rosenberg [Accessed 3 Mar. 2020].
  • De.wikipedia.org. (2020). Sophienkreuz. [online] Available at: https://de.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sophienkreuz [Accessed 3 Mar. 2020].
  • Flantzer, Susan. (2020). Heinrich XX, 4th Prince Reuss of Greiz. [online] Unofficial Royalty. Available at: https://www.unofficialroyalty.com/heinrich-xx-4th-prince-reuss-of-greiz/ [Accessed 3 Mar. 2020].

Heinrich XX, 4th Prince Reuss of Greiz

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, Elder 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-Greiz: The House of Reuss began their rule circa 1010. Heinrich XI, Count Reuss of Greiz, Lower-Greiz (Untergreiz) and Upper-Greiz (Obergreiz) was elevated to princely status in 1778 and then used the title of Prince Reuss, Older Line, or Prince Reuss of Greiz.

Heinrich XXIV, the 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. Instead, a Regent ruled the Principality of Reuss-Greiz: Heinrich XIV, 4th Prince Reuss of Gera from 1901 – 1913 and then his son Heinrich XXVII, 5th and last Prince Reuss of Gera from 1913 – 1918.

On November 11, 1918, the Regent, Heinrich XXVII, Prince Reuss of Gera (Younger Line) abdicated in the name of the disabled Heinrich XXIV, 6th Prince Reuss of Greiz. After the abdication, Heinrich XXIV retained the right of residence of the Lower Castle in Greiz and lived there until his death. The territory that encompassed the Principality of Reuss-Greiz is now in the German state of Thuringia.

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Heinrich XX, 4th Prince Reuss of Greiz; Credit – Wikipedia

Born on June 29, 1794 in Offenbach, Landgraviate of Hesse-Darmstadt (now in Hesse, Germany), Heinrich XX, 4th Prince Reuss of Greiz was the third but the second surviving of the three sons of Heinrich XIII, 2nd Prince Reuss of Greiz and Princess Wilhelmine Louise of Nassau-Weilburg.

Heinrich XX had two brothers:

  • Prince Heinrich XVIII Reuss of Greiz (born and died 1787)
  • Heinrich XIX, 3rd Prince Reuss of Greiz (1790 – 1836), his father’s successor, married Princess Gasparine of Rohan-Rochefort, had two daughters

Before his marriage Heinrich XX had two illegitimate children:

An illegitimate son with Isabella, Baroness von Dachenhausen, born Isabella Acton

  • Heinrich (1822 – 1892), who was given noble status upon his marriage in 1857 to Bertha Thury de Tamásfalva as Baron von Rothenthal

An illegitimate daughter with Emilie Fritsch

  • Isabella Waldhaus (1824 – 1898), married Wilhelm Henning

Sophie of Löwenstein-Wertheim-Rosenberg, Princess Reuss of Greiz; Credit – German Documentation Center for Art History – Photo Archive Photo Marburg

Heinrich XX married Princess Sophie of Löwenstein-Wertheim-Rosenberg (1809 – 1838) on November 25, 1834, at Löwenstein Castle in Kleinheubach, now in Bavaria, Germany. Sophie was the daughter of Karl, Prince of Löwenstein-Wertheim-Rosenberg, and Countess Sophie Luise of Windisch-Graetz. Their childless marriage lasted a little less than four years due to Sophie’s early death on July 21, 1838. During his marriage to Sophie, on October 31, 1836, Heinrich XX’s elder brother Heinrich XIX, 3rd Prince Reuss of Greiz died. Because his brother had no son to succeed him, Heinrich XX became the 4th Prince Reuss of Greiz.

Princess Caroline Amalie of Hesse-Homburg; Credit – Wikipedia

On October 1, 1839, 45-year-old Heinrich XX married 20-year-old Princess Caroline Amalie of Hesse-Homburg in Homburg vor der Höhe, Landgraviate of Hesse-Homburg, now in Hesse, Germany. Princess Caroline Amalie was the daughter of Gustav, Landgrave of Hesse-Homburg and Princess Louise of Anhalt-Dessau.

Heinrich XX and Caroline Amalie had five children:

Heinrich XX ruled the Principality of Reuss-Greiz as an absolute monarch until the German Revolutions of 1848 – 1849 which aimed to remove the old monarchy structures and create independent nation-states. The people of Reuss-Greiz were not really in a revolutionary mood.  This caused procrastination by Heinrich XX and his government, leading to only minor changes. Heinrich XX was forced to issue a new constitution for the Principality of Reuss-Greiz but it never went into effect.

Heinrich XX died on November 8, 1859, aged 65, in Greiz, Principality of Reuss-Greiz and was buried at the Stadtkirche St. Marien (link in German), now in Greiz, Thuringia, Germany. Heinrich XXIII, his thirteen-year-old son succeeded him as the 5th Prince Reuss of Greiz. Heinrich XX’s widow Caroline Amalie was Regent of the Principality of Reuss-Greiz from 1859 until 1867, during the minority of their son, Heinrich XXII, Prince Reuss of Greiz.

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-Greiz Resources at Unofficial Royalty

Works Cited

  • De.wikipedia.org. (2020). Heinrich XX. (Reuß-Greiz). [online] Available at: https://de.wikipedia.org/wiki/Heinrich_XX._(Reu%C3%9F-Greiz) [Accessed 2 Mar. 2020].
  • En.wikipedia.org. (2020). Heinrich XX, Prince Reuss of Greiz. [online] Available at: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Heinrich_XX,_Prince_Reuss_of_Greiz [Accessed 2 Mar. 2020].
  • Wikimedia Foundation. (n.d.). Revolution von 1848/1849 in Reuß älterer Linie. Wikipedia. https://de.wikipedia.org/wiki/Revolution_von_1848/1849_in_Reu%C3%9F_%C3%A4lterer_Linie

Heinrich XIX, 3rd Prince Reuss of Greiz

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, Elder 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-Greiz: The House of Reuss began their rule circa 1010. Heinrich XI, Count Reuss of Greiz, Lower-Greiz (Untergreiz) and Upper-Greiz (Obergreiz) was elevated to princely status in 1778 and then used the title of Prince Reuss, Older Line, or Prince Reuss of Greiz.

Heinrich XXIV, the 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. Instead, a Regent ruled the Principality of Reuss-Greiz: Heinrich XIV, 4th Prince Reuss of Gera from 1901 – 1913 and then his son Heinrich XXVII, 5th and last Prince Reuss of Gera from 1913 – 1918.

On November 11, 1918, the Regent, Heinrich XXVII, Prince Reuss of Gera (Younger Line) abdicated in the name of the disabled Heinrich XXIV, 6th Prince Reuss of Greiz. After the abdication, Heinrich XXIV retained the right of residence of the Lower Castle in Greiz and lived there until his death. The territory that encompassed the Principality of Reuss-Greiz is now in the German state of Thuringia.

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Heinrich XIX, 3rd Prince Reuss of Greiz; Credit – Wikipedia

Born on March 1, 1790 in Offenbach, Landgraviate of Hesse-Darmstadt, now in Hesse, Germany, Heinrich XIX, 3rd Prince Reuss of Greiz was the second but the eldest surviving of the three sons of Heinrich XIII, 2nd Prince Reuss of Greiz and Princess Wilhelmine Louise of Nassau-Weilburg.

Heinrich XIX had two brothers:

Upon the death of his father on January 29, 1817, Heinrich XIX succeeded as the 3rd Prince Reuss of Greiz. He married Princess Gasparine of Rohan-Rochefort (1798 – 1871) in Prague, Kingdom of Bohemia, now in the Czech Republic, on January 7, 1822. Princess Gasparine was the daughter of Charles Louis Gaspard of Rohan-Rochefort, Viscount of Rohan, Prince of Rochefort, Duke of Bouillon and Princess Marie Louise Joséphine of Rohan-Guéméné. The House of Rohan is a family of viscounts, later dukes and princes in the French nobility, originally from Rohan in Brittany, now in France. Gasparine’s paternal grandparents had left France during the French Revolution.

Heinrich XIX and Gasparine had two daughters:

Rotunda in the Greiz Princely Park; Credit – Von Michael Sander – Eigenes Werk, CC BY-SA 3.0, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=2533995

The Reuss family had been Lutheran since the Reformation. However, Heinrich XIX’s wife Gasparine was Roman Catholic. Located within the grounds of the Summer Palace was a rotunda that Heinrich XI, 1st Prince Reuss of Greiz had built for his second wife Alexandrine for her extensive Japanese porcelain collection. In 1822, Heinrich XIX converted the rotunda into a Catholic chapel for his wife Gasparine. After World War I, the rotunda was converted into a war memorial and it remains a war memorial today.

Heinrich XIX died on October 31, 1836, aged 46, in Greiz, Principality of Reuss-Greiz. Because Heinrich XIX and his wife only had two daughters, his brother Heinrich XX became the 4th  Prince of Reuss of Greiz. Heinrich XIX was buried at the Stadtkirche St. Marien (link in German), now in Greiz, Thuringia, Germany, along with his wife Gasparine who survived him by 35 years.

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-Greiz Resources at Unofficial Royalty

Works Cited

  • De.wikipedia.org. (2020). Heinrich XIX. (Reuß-Greiz). [online] Available at: https://de.wikipedia.org/wiki/Heinrich_XIX._(Reu%C3%9F-Greiz) [Accessed 2 Mar. 2020].
  • De.wikipedia.org. (2020). Rotunde (Greiz). [online] Available at: https://de.wikipedia.org/wiki/Porzellanrotunde [Accessed 2 Mar. 2020].
  • En.wikipedia.org. (2020). Heinrich XIX, Prince Reuss of Greiz. [online] Available at: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Heinrich_XIX,_Prince_Reuss_of_Greiz [Accessed 2 Mar. 2020].
  • En.wikipedia.org. (2020). House of Rohan. [online] Available at: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/House_of_Rohan [Accessed 2 Mar. 2020].

Execution of Maximilian I, Emperor of Mexico (1867)

by Scott Mehl  © Unofficial Royalty 2020

On June 19, 1867, Emperor Maximilian I of Mexico was executed by firing squad on the Cerro de las Campanas (Hill of the Bells) in Querétaro City, Mexico.

Emperor Maximilian I of Mexico. source: Wikipedia

Archduke Maximilian of Austria was born in Vienna on July 6, 1832, the second son of Archduke Franz Karl of Austria and Princess Sophie of Bavaria. His elder brother was Emperor Franz Joseph I of Austria. Following a strict education in the Austrian court, Maximilian began his military training and quickly distinguished himself in the Austrian Navy serving as Commander.

In July 1857, Maximilian married Princess Charlotte of Belgium, his second cousin. The couple had no children. Two years later, Maximilian was first approached by a group of monarchists who wanted him to take the Mexican throne. Several offers were made over the next four years which Maximilian declined. However, after the French intervention in Mexico in 1863, he received a similar offer from Napoleon III, Emperor of the French. This time, he accepted. In doing so, he lost all his Austrian titles and dignities – something he was aware of until just before he departed for Mexico.

After accepting the Mexican crown, Maximilian and Charlotte arrived in their new country in May 1864, receiving little support from the Mexican people. They established their primary residence in Chapultepec Castle in Mexico City, a former military academy that Maximilian had remodeled and turned into an appropriate home for an Emperor.

For more information, see Unofficial Royalty: Archduke Maximilian of Austria, Emperor of Mexico

What led to Maximilian’s execution?

Benito Juarez, President of Mexico. source: Wikipedia

Maximilian arrived in Veracruz, Mexico, to a frosty reception. He was supported by Napoleon III and the Mexican conservatives but the liberal forces led by Benito Juárez, the former president deposed by the French, refused to recognize his rule. Despite this, Maximilian and Carlotta (as she was now known) set out to improve conditions in Mexico. He soon angered his conservative supporters when he chose to continue several of the liberal policies set in place by the Juarez government, including religious freedom and land reforms.

Following the American Civil War, the United States recognized Juarez as the rightful leader of Mexico and pressured France to end its support for Maximilian. Eventually, in 1866, Emperor Napoleon III withdrew his troops from Mexico under pressure from the United States, and to build up his troops at home in the ongoing battle with Prussia. Napoleon III even urged Maximilian to leave Mexico but he refused. He continued to fight the conservative forces led by Juarez before being forced to retreat to Santiago de Queretaro in February 1867. In May 1867, Maximilian tried to escape but the plan was sabotaged by a military officer who was bribed to leave a gate open and allow the forces through. The city fell to the conservative forces and Maximilian was taken into custody, court-martialed, and sentenced to death. Despite pleas from many of the reigning crowns of Europe, President Juarez refused to pardon the former Emperor and save his life.

The Execution

The execution of Maximilian (on right) and his generals. source: Wikipedia

On the morning of June 19, 1867, Emperor Maximilian of Mexico and two of his generals were executed by firing squad in the Cerro de las Campanas. His last words, in Spanish, were reportedly “I forgive everyone, and I ask everyone to forgive me. May my blood, which is about to be shed, be for the good of the country. Long live Mexico, long live independence.”

What happened to Maximilian?

Maximilian’s embalmed body on display. source: Wikipedia

Following the execution, Maximilian’s body was embalmed and put on display in Mexico. In January 1868, an Austrian admiral was sent to bring the body back to Austria. The Emperor’s coffin was taken on board the SMS Novara which sailed for Trieste, Italy. It was then taken to Vienna, where on January 18, 1868, it was placed in The Imperial Crypt.

Tomb of Emperor Maximilian I of Mexico; 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.

Heinrich XIII, 2nd Prince Reuss of Greiz

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, Elder 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-Greiz: The House of Reuss began their rule circa 1010. Heinrich XI, Count Reuss of Greiz, Lower-Greiz (Untergreiz) and Upper-Greiz (Obergreiz) was elevated to princely status in 1778 and then used the title of Prince Reuss, Older Line, or Prince Reuss of Greiz.

Heinrich XXIV, the 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. Instead, a Regent ruled the Principality of Reuss-Greiz: Heinrich XIV, 4th Prince Reuss of Gera from 1901 – 1913 and then his son Heinrich XXVII, 5th and last Prince Reuss of Gera from 1913 – 1918.

On November 11, 1918, the Regent, Heinrich XXVII, Prince Reuss of Gera (Younger Line) abdicated in the name of the disabled Heinrich XXIV, 6th Prince Reuss of Greiz. After the abdication, Heinrich XXIV retained the right of residence of the Lower Castle in Greiz and lived there until his death. The territory that encompassed the Principality of Reuss-Greiz is now in the German state of Thuringia.

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Heinrich XIII, Prince Reuss of Greiz; Credit – Wikipedia

Heinrich XIII, 2nd Prince Reuss of Greiz was born on February 16, 1747, in Greiz in the County of Reuss-Untergreiz, later the County of Reuss-Greiz, and in 1778, the Principality of Reuss-Greiz. He was the second of the six sons and the third of the eleven children of Heinrich XI, 1st Prince Reuss of Greiz and his first wife Countess Conradine Reuss of Köstritz. Heinrich XIII’s eldest brother had died in 1745 so upon his birth, Heinrich XIII was his father’s heir.

Heinrich XIII had ten siblings. Any siblings listed as Count or Countess died before their father became Prince of Reuss-Greiz.

  • Count Heinrich XII Reuss-Greiz (1744 – 1745), died in infancy
  • Countess Amalie Reuss-Greiz (1745 – 1748), died in childhood
  • Princess Friederike Reuss of Greiz (1748 – 1816), married (1) Friedrich Ludwig, Count of Castell-Rüdenhausen, no children, divorced (2) Friedrich Wilhelm, Prince of Hohenlohe-Kirchberg, no children
  • Prince Heinrich XIV Reuss of Greiz (in German) (1749 – 1799), married Marie Anne Meyer, no children
  • Prince Heinrich XV Reuss of Greiz (in German) (1751 – 1825), unmarried
  • Princess Isabelle Auguste Reuss of Greiz (1752 – 1824), married Burgrave Wilhelm Georg of Kirchberg-Hachenburg, had children
  • Countess Marie Reuss of Greiz (1754 – 1759), died in childhood
  • Princess Viktoria Reus of Greiz (1756 – 1819), married Wolfgang Ernst II, Prince of Isenburg and Büdingen, no children
  • Count Heinrich XVI Reuss of Greiz (1759 – 1763), died in childhood
  • Prince Heinrich XVII Reuss of Greiz (1761 – 1807), married Babette von Wenz, no children

On February 2, 1770, Heinrich XIII’s mother died and eight months later his father married for a second time to Countess Alexandrina von Leningen-Dagsburg-Falkenburg but the marriage was childless.

Heinrich XIII married Princess Wilhelmine Luise of Nassau-Weilburg on January 9, 1786, in Kirchheim, Principality of Nassau-Weilburg, now in Rhineland-Palatinate, Germany. Wilhelmine Luise’s parents were Karl Christian, Prince of Nassau-Weilburg, and Princess Carolina of Orange-Nassau. Princess Carolina was the daughter of William IV, Prince of Orange, Stadtholder of the Netherlands, and Anne, Princess Royal, eldest daughter of King George II of Great Britain.

Heinrich XIII and Wilhelmine Luise three sons:

Heinrich XIII, along with his brothers Heinrich XIV and Heinrich XV, served in the Austrian Army. He attained the rank of General Feldzeugmeister, commander-in-chief of the artillery, one of the highest officers in the army. Heinrich XIII was a close personal friend of Holy Roman Emperor Joseph II. In 1789, Heinrich XIII represented the Holy Roman Empire at the court of the Kingdom of Prussia.

Upon the death of his father in 1800, Heinrich XIII succeeded as Prince Reuss of Greiz. On April 6, 1802, a large fire destroyed much of Greiz, the capital of the Principality of Reuss-Greiz. Approximately 430 buildings were destroyed. Many other buildings were demolished to prevent the fire from spreading. Heinrich XIII oversaw the rebuilding of Greiz in the neoclassical style and moved his residence from the Obere Schloss (link in German) (Upper Castle) to the Untere Schloss (link in German) (Lower Castle) so he could be closer to the people and social life of Greiz.

The Lower Castle in Greiz, with the Upper Castle in the background; Credit – Von Wolfgang Pehlemann Wiesbaden Germany – Selbst fotografiert, CC BY-SA 3.0 de, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=32945991

Upon the dissolution of the Holy Roman Empire, Heinrich XIII, representing the Principality of Reuss-Greiz, joined the Confederation of the Rhine in 1807. After the defeat of Napoleon, Heinrich XIII and the Principality of Reuss-Greiz joined the German Confederation at the Congress of Vienna in 1815.

Heinrich XIII, 2nd Prince Reuss of Greiz died on January 29, 1817, aged 69, in Greiz, Principality of Reuss-Greiz. He was buried at the Stadtkirche St. Marien (link in German) now in Greiz, Thuringia, Germany. His wife Wilhelmine Luise survived him by twenty years, dying on October 10, 1837, aged 72. She was buried with her husband.

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-Greiz Resources at Unofficial Royalty

Works Cited

  • De.wikipedia.org. (2020). Heinrich XIII. (Reuß-Greiz). [online] Available at: https://de.wikipedia.org/wiki/Heinrich_XIII._(Reu%C3%9F-Greiz) [Accessed 1 Mar. 2020].
  • En.wikipedia.org. (2020). Heinrich XIII, Prince Reuss of Greiz. [online] Available at: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Heinrich_XIII,_Prince_Reuss_of_Greiz [Accessed 1 Mar. 2020].
  • It.wikipedia.org. (2020). Enrico XIII di Reuss-Greiz. [online] Available at: https://it.wikipedia.org/wiki/Enrico_XIII_di_Reuss-Greiz [Accessed 1 Mar. 2020].
  • Pl.wikipedia.org. (2020). Henryk XIII (Reuß-Greiz). [online] Available at: https://pl.wikipedia.org/wiki/Henryk_XIII_(Reu%C3%9F-Greiz) [Accessed 1 Mar. 2020].

Heinrich XI, 1st Prince Reuss of Greiz

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, Elder 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-Greiz: The House of Reuss began their rule circa 1010. Heinrich XI, Count Reuss of Greiz, Lower-Greiz (Untergreiz) and Upper-Greiz (Obergreiz) was elevated to princely status in 1778 and then used the title of Prince Reuss, Older Line, or Prince Reuss of Greiz.

Heinrich XXIV, the 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. Instead, a Regent ruled the Principality of Reuss-Greiz: Heinrich XIV, 4th Prince Reuss of Gera from 1901 – 1913 and then his son Heinrich XXVII, 5th and last Prince Reuss of Gera from 1913 – 1918.

On November 11, 1918, the Regent, Heinrich XXVII, Prince Reuss of Gera (Younger Line) abdicated in the name of the disabled Heinrich XXIV, 6th Prince Reuss of Greiz. After the abdication, Heinrich XXIV retained the right of residence of the Lower Castle in Greiz and lived there until his death. The territory that encompassed the Principality of Reuss-Greiz is now in the German state of Thuringia.

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Heinrich XI, 1st Prince Reuss of Greiz; Credit – Wikipedia

Heinrich XI, 1st Prince Reuss of Greiz was born on March 18, 1722 in Greiz, County of Reuss-Obergreiz, now in Thuringia, Germany. He was the youngest of the five children of Heinrich II, Count Reuss of Obergreiz and Countess Sofia Charlotte von Botmer.

Heinrich XI had four older siblings who all died in childhood:

  • Henrietta Erdmouth Sofia of Reuss-Obergreiz (1716 – 1719)
  • Heinrich VIII of Reuss-Obergreiz (1718 – 1719)
  • Heinrich IX, Count Reuss of Obergreiz (1718 – 1723)
  • Heinrich X of Reuss-Obergreiz (born and died in 1720)

Heinrich XI was only eight months old when his father died on November 17, 1722. His four-year-old brother Heinrich IX succeeded their father as Count Reuss of Obergreiz but he reigned for only four months, dying on March 17, 1723. Heinrich XI became Count Reuss of Obergreiz the day before his first birthday. Heinrich XI was a reigning Count and then a reigning Prince from 1723 until he died in 1800, a total of 77 years.

Heinrich XI’s half-sister Sophie von Erbach-Erbach; Credit – Wikipedia

After the death of his father, Heinrich XI’s mother married for a second time in 1723 to Count George Wilhelm von Erbach-Erbach. Heinrich XI had one half-sister from this marriage:

On April 4, 1746, Heinrich XI married Countess Conradine Reuss of Köstritz (1719–1770), the youngest daughter of Heinrich XXIV, Count Reuss of Köstritz (in German) and Baroness Marie Eleonore Emma von Promnitz-Dittersbach. Heinrich and Conradine had eleven children. The children listed as Count and Countess died before Heinrich XI became Prince Reuss-Greiz in 1778. Heinrich XI’s first wife also died before he became Prince Reuss-Greiz.

  • Count Heinrich XII Reuss-Greiz (1744 – 1745), died in infancy
  • Countess Amalie Reuss-Greiz (1745 – 1748), died in childhood
  • Heinrich XIII, 2nd Prince Reuss-Greiz (1747 – 1817), Heinrich XI’s successor, married Princess Wilhelmine of Nassau-Weilburg, had three sons
  • Princess Friederike Reuss of Greiz (1748 – 1816), married (1) Friedrich Ludwig, Count of Castell-Rüdenhausen, no children, divorced (2) Friedrich Wilhelm, Prince of Hohenlohe-Kirchberg, no children
  • Prince Heinrich XIV Reuss of Greiz (in German) (1749 – 1799), married Marie Anne Meyer, no children
  • Prince Heinrich XV Reuss of Greiz (in German) (1751 – 1825), unmarried
  • Princess Isabelle Auguste Reuss of Greiz (1752 – 1824), married Burgrave Wilhelm Georg of Kirchberg-Hachenburg, had children
  • Countess Marie Reuss of Greiz (1754 – 1759), died in childhood
  • Princess Viktoria Reus of Greiz (1756 – 1819), married Wolfgang Ernst II, Prince of Isenburg and Büdingen, no children
  • Count Heinrich XVI Reuss of Greiz (1759 – 1763), died in childhood
  • Prince Heinrich XVII Reuss of Greiz (1761 – 1807), married Babette von Wenz, no children

When Heinrich III, Count of Reuss-Untergreiz died unmarried and childless in 1768, Heinrich XI, Count of Reuss-Obergreiz, inherited the County of Reuss-Untergreiz. Obergreiz and Untergreiz were united into the County of Reuss-Greiz. The following year Heinrich, now Count Reuss of Greiz, started constructing the the family residence in Greiz, the Summer Palace.

Summer Palace in Greiz; Credit – By Steffen Löwe – Own work, CC BY-SA 4.0, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=43638573

On February 2, 1770, Heinrich XI’s first wife Conradine died, aged 51, and was buried at the Bergkirche St. Marien now in Schleiz, Thuringia, Germany which had served as the burial place for the Counts Reuss of Schleiz. Heinrich XI married again on October 25, 1770, in the Free City of Frankfurt to Countess Alexandrina von Leningen-Dagsburg-Falkenburg (1732 – 1809), daughter of Count Christian Carl Reinhard Leiningen-Dagsburg-Falkenburg (in German) and Countess Katarina Poliksen von Solms-Rödelheim. The marriage of Heinrich XI and Alexandrina was childless.

On 12 May 1778, Heinrich XI was elevated to Prince by Holy Roman Emperor Joseph II and the County of Reuss-Greiz became the Principality of Reuss-Greiz. The German language has two words for Prince: Fürst and Prinz. Fürst was used for a reigning sovereign ruler or monarch. The present-day rulers of the Principality of Liechtenstein bear the title of Fürst, and the title is also used in German when referring to the ruling princes of the Principality of Monaco. Non-reigning descendants of a Fürst are referred to in German as Prinz (prince) or Prinzessin (princess).

Heinrich XI, 1st Prince Reuss of Greiz died on June 28, 1800, aged 78, in Greiz, Principality of Reuss-Greiz and was buried at the Stadtkirche St. Marien in Greiz, the burial site for the Princes of Reuss-Greiz, Elder Line, now in the German federal state of Thuringia. His second wife Alexandrina died on October 4, 1809, aged 76, and was buried with her husband.

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-Greiz Resources at Unofficial Royalty

Works Cited

  • Bg.wikipedia.org. (2020). Хайнрих XI (Ройс-Грайц). [online] Available at: https://bg.wikipedia.org/wiki/%D0%A5%D0%B0%D0%B9%D0%BD%D1%80%D0%B8%D1%85_XI_(%D0%A0%D0%BE%D0%B9%D1%81-%D0%93%D1%80%D0%B0%D0%B9%D1%86) [Accessed 1 Mar. 2020].
  • De.wikipedia.org. (2020). Heinrich XI. (Reuß-Greiz). [online] Available at: https://de.wikipedia.org/wiki/Heinrich_XI._(Reu%C3%9F-Greiz) [Accessed 1 Mar. 2020].
  • En.wikipedia.org. (2020). Heinrich XI, Prince Reuss of Greiz. [online] Available at: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Heinrich_XI,_Prince_Reuss_of_Greiz [Accessed 1 Mar. 2020].