Ernst II, last Duke of Saxe-Altenburg, reigned 1908-1918; Credit – Wikipedia
The Duchy of Saxe-Altenburg was created in 1826 when Friedrich, Duke of Saxe-Hildburghausen became Duke of Saxe-Altenburg. After Friedrich IV, Duke of Saxe-Gotha-Altenburg died in 1825 without heirs, the Ernestine duchies were reorganized. Gotha passed to the Duke of Saxe-Coburg-Saalfeld becoming the Duchy of Saxe-Coburg and Gotha and Altenburg passed to Friedrich. In exchange, the two Dukes ceded Saalfeld and Hildburghausen, respectively, to the Duke of Saxe-Meiningen. Today the territory that encompassed the Duchy of Saxe-Altenburg is located in the German state of Thuringia.
As World War I ended, the last Duke of Saxe-Altenburg, Ernst II, was one of the first German sovereigns to realize that major changes were coming and quickly arrived at an amicable settlement with his subjects. He abdicated on November 13, 1918.
The Duchy of Saxe-Altenburg within the German Empire; Credit – By Milenioscuro – Own work based on: File:Deutsches Reich (Karte) Sachsen-Altenburg.svg, CC BY-SA 3.0, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=35265386
Below is an indexed listing with links to biographical articles about the Ducal Family of Saxe-Altenburg. New articles will be indexed here as they are published. 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 Saxe-Altenburg Content Areas.
Duchy of Saxe-Altenburg (1826 – 1918)
House of Wettin – Dukes of Saxe-Altenburg (1826 – 1918)
Family of Friedrich, Duke of Saxe-Altenburg
- Friedrich, Duke of Saxe-Altenburg (Duke of Saxe-Hildburghausen 1780 – 1826, Duke of Saxe-Altenburg 1826–1834)
- Charlotte Georgine of Mecklenburg-Strelitz, Duchess of Saxe-Hildburghausen (wife of Friedrich)
- Notable Issue: Joseph, Duke of Saxe-Altenburg (see below)
- Notable Issue: Therese of Saxe-Hildburghausen, Queen of Bavaria
- Notable Issue: Georg, Duke of Saxe-Altenburg (see below)
Family of Joseph, Duke of Saxe-Altenburg
- Joseph, Duke of Saxe-Altenburg (reigned 1834 – 1848, abdicated)
- Amalie of Württemberg, Duchess of Saxe-Altenburg (wife of Joseph)
- Notable Issue: Marie of Saxe-Altenburg, Queen of Hanover
- Notable Issue: Elisabeth of Saxe-Altenburg, Duchess of Oldenburg
Family of Georg, Duke of Saxe-Altenburg
- Georg, Duke of Saxe-Altenburg (reigned 1848 – 1853)
- Marie Luise of Mecklenburg-Schwerin, Duchess of Saxe-Altenburg (wife of Georg)
- Notable Issue: Marie Anna of Saxe-Altenburg, Princess of Schaumberg-Lippe
- Notable Issue: Ernst I, Duke of Saxe-Altenburg (see below)
Family of Ernst I, Duke of Saxe-Altenburg
- Ernst I, Duke of Saxe-Altenburg (reigned 1853 – 1908)
- Agnes of Anhalt-Dessau, Duchess of Saxe-Altenburg (wife of Ernst I, had issue)
Family of Ernst II, Duke of Saxe-Altenburg
- Ernst II, Duke of Saxe-Altenburg (grandson of Georg, reigned 1908 – 1918, monarchy abolished)
- Adelheid of Schaumburg-Lippe, Duchess of Saxe-Altenburg (wife of Ernst II, had issue)
- Notable Issue: Georg Moritz, Hereditary Prince of Saxe-Altenburg (see below)
Pretenders to the Throne
- LAST REIGNING: Ernst II, Duke of Saxe-Altenburg
- Former: Georg Moritz, Hereditary Prince of Saxe-Altenburg
- Current: (merged with Saxe-Weimar-Eisenach in 1991)
Other Saxe-Altenburg Royals
- Dorothea Marie of Saxe-Gotha-Altenburg, Duchess of Saxe-Meiningen (daughter of Friedrich I, Duke of Saxe-Gotha-Altenburg)
- Augusta of Saxe-Gotha-Altenburg, Princess of Wales (daughter of Friedrich II, Duke of Saxe-Gotha-Altenburg, wife of Frederick, Prince of Wales, mother of King Georg III of the United Kingdom)
- Luise of Saxe-Gotha-Altenburg, Duchess of Mecklenburg-Schwerin (granddaughter of Friedrich II, Duke of Saxe-Gotha-Altenburg)
- Antoinette of Saxe-Altenburg, Duchess of Anhalt (granddaughter of Friedrich I, Duke of Saxe-Altenburg)
- Marie Gasparine of Saxe-Altenburg, Princess of Schwarzburg-Sondershausen (granddaughter of Friedrich I, Duke of Saxe-Altenburg)
- Luise Charlotte of Saxe-Altenburg, Princess Eduard of Anhalt (granddaughter of Georg, Duke of Saxe-Altenburg)
- Marie Anna of Saxe-Altenburg, Princess of Schaumburg-Lippe (granddaughter of Georg, Duke of Saxe-Altenburg)