by Scott Mehl © Unofficial Royalty 2018

Elisabeth of Saxe-Altenburg, Grand Duchess of Oldenburg; source: Wikipedia

Elisabeth of Saxe-Altenburg, Grand Duchess of Oldenburg

Princess Elisabeth of Saxe-Altenburg (born a Princess of Saxe-Hildburghausen) was Grand Duchess of Oldenburg by her marriage to Peter II, Grand Duke of Oldenburg. She was born Princess Elisabeth Pauline Alexandrine of Saxe-Hildburghausen, in Hildburghausen, on March 26, 1826, the fourth of six daughters of Joseph, Hereditary Prince of Saxe-Hildburghausen (later the Duke of Saxe-Altenburg) and Duchess Amelia of Württemberg. Elisabeth’s sisters were:

• Princess Marie (1818-1907) – married King Georg V of Hanover, had issue
• Princess Pauline (1819-1825) – died in childhood
• Princess Therese (1823-1915) – unmarried
• Princess Alexandra (1830-1911) – married Grand Duke Konstantin Nikolaevich of Russia, had issue
• Princess Luise (1832-1822) – died in infancy

Peter II of Oldenburg. source: Wikipedia

Elisabeth married the then Hereditary Grand Duke Peter of Oldenburg on February 10, 1852. They were second cousins through their mutual descent from Friedrich II Eugen, Duke of Württemberg. Elisabeth and Peter had two sons:

• Friedrich August II, Grand Duke of Oldenburg (1852-1931) – married (1) Princess Elisabeth Anna of Prussia, had issue ; (2) Duchess Elisabeth Alexandrine of Mecklenburg-Schwerin, had issue
• Duke Georg Ludwig (1855-1939) – unmarried

Elisabeth became Grand Duchess of Oldenburg upon her husband’s accession in 1853. As Grand Duchess, she oversaw the establishment of the Elisabeth Children’s Hospital and served as the patron of numerous charities and organizations focused on the well-being of children and the less fortunate. Much of this was done through her Elisabeth Foundation, established at the time of her marriage using funds given by her father.

Grand Duchess Elisabeth (left) photographed with Queen Amalie of Greece in the 1860s. source: Wikipedia

Grand Duchess Elisabeth died on February 2, 1896, in Oldenburg, Grand Duchy of Oldenburg, now in Lower Saxony, Germany. She was buried in the Ducal Mausoleum in Saint Gertrude’s Cemetery in Oldenburg.

Oldenburg Resources at Unofficial Royalty

• Grand Duchy of Oldenburg Index
• Profiles: Grand Dukes and Consorts of Oldenburg
• Oldenburg Royal Burial Sites
• Oldenburg Royal Dates

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