The Principality of Brunswick-Wolfenbüttel was a subdivision of the Duchy of Brunswick-Lüneburg. After the dissolution of the Holy Roman Empire, the Congress of Vienna turned Brunswick-Wolfenbüttel into an independent country called the Duchy of Brunswick in 1815. The first Duke of Brunswick, Karl II, was the son of Friedrich Wilhelm, the last Duke of Brunswick-Wolfenbüttel. Karl was succeeded by his brother Wilhelm who was childless.

As Wilhelm had no heir, the ducal throne should have passed to Ernst August of Hanover, 3rd Duke of Cumberland, Titular Crown Prince of Hanover. However, because Ernst August refused to renounce his claim to the throne of Hanover which had been annexed by Prussia in 1866, Wilhelm I, King of Prussia (later also German Emperor) refused to allow him to succeed as Duke of Brunswick. Two Regents ruled over Brunswick for the next 23 years. In 1913, after the would-be Duke of Brunswick’s son married the daughter of Wilhelm II, German Emperor and King of Prussia, and he renounced his succession rights and his son was allowed to succeed as Duke of Brunswick. However, the reign of Ernst August III, Duke of Brunswick was short.  He was forced to abdicate on November 8, 1918, as the German Empire came to an end. Today the land that encompassed the Duchy of Brunswick is in the German state of  Lower Saxony.

• Holy Roman Empire, German Confederation, North German Confederation, and the German Empire Explained
• The Constituent States of the German Empire
• Glossary of German Noble and Royal Titles

Below is an indexed listing with links to biographical articles about the Ducal Family of Brunswick. If it says “Notable Issue” before a name, that means not all of the children for the parent of that person are listed. Also listed below are links to the Brunswick Content Areas.

Duchy of Brunswick (1815 – 1918)

House of Brunswick-Dannenberg

• Karl II, Duke of Brunswick (unmarried, reigned 1815 – 1830)
• Wilhelm, Duke of Brunswick (brother of Karl I, unmarried, reigned 1830 – 1884)

House of Hanover

Since 1866, the senior heir of the House of Hanover has been the pretender to the throne of the Kingdom of Hanover.

• Ernst August III, Duke of Brunswick (reigned 1913 – 1918, monarchy abolished)
• Viktoria Luise of Prussia, Duchess of Brunswick (wife of Ernst August III)
  • Notable Issue: Ernst August IV, Hereditary Prince of Brunswick, Prince of Hanover
    • Notable Issue: Ernst August V, Prince of Hanover
    • Caroline of Monaco, Princess of Hanover (2nd wife of Ernst August V)
  • Notable Issue: Friederike of Hanover, Queen of Greece

Pretenders to the Throne

• LAST REIGNING: Ernst August III, Duke of Brunswick
• Former: Ernst August IV, Hereditary Prince of Brunswick
• Current: Ernst August V, Hereditary Prince of Hanover, Duke of Brunswick

Brunswick Content Areas

• Profiles: Dukes, Regents, and Consorts of Brunswick
• Brunswick Royal Burial Sites
• Brunswick Royal Dates

Other Brunswick Royals

• Sophie Amalie of Brunswick-Lüneburg, Queen of Denmark and Norway (daughter of Georg, Duke of Brunswick-Lüneburg)
• Auguste Dorothea of Brunswick-Wolfenbüttel, Princess of Schwarzburg-Sondershausen (daughter of Anton Ulrich, Duke of Brunswick-Wolfenbüttel)
• Elisabeth Eleonore of Brunswick-Wolfenbüttel, Duchess of Saxe-Meiningen (daughter of Anton Ulrich, Duke of Brunswick-Wolfenbüttel)
• Wilhelmine Amalia of Brunswick-Lüneburg, Holy Roman Empress (daughter of Johann Friedrich, Duke of Brunswick-Lüneburg)
• Elisabeth Christine of Brunswick-Wolfenbüttel, Holy Roman Empress (daughter of Ludwig Rudolf, Duke of Brunswick-Wolfenbüttel)
• Elisabeth Christine of Brunswick-Bevern, Queen of Prussia (daughter of Ferdinand Albrecht II, Duke of Brunswick-Wolfenbüttel)
• Sophie Antonia of Brunswick-Wolfenbüttel, Duchess of Saxe-Coburg-Saalfeld (daughter of Ferdinand Albrecht II, Duke of Brunswick-Wolfenbüttel)
• Juliana Maria of Brunswick-Wolfenbüttel, Queen of Denmark and Norway (daughter of Ferdinand Albrecht II, Duke of Brunswick-Wolfenbüttel)
• Augusta of Wales, Duchess of Brunswick-Wolfenbüttel (wife of Karl Wilhelm Ferdinand, Duke of Brunswick)
• Elisabeth Christine of Brunswick-Wolfenbüttel, Crown Princess of Prussia (daughter of Karl, Duke of Brunswick-Wolfenbüttel)
• Augusta of Brunswick-Wolfenbüttel, Princess Friedrich of Württemberg (daughter of Karl Wilhelm Ferdinand, Duke of Brunswick-Wolfenbüttel)
• Caroline of Brunswick, Queen of the United Kingdom (daughter of Karl Wilhelm Ferdinand, Duke of Brunswick-Wolfenbüttel)