Prince Alfred of Edinburgh, Hereditary Prince of Saxe-Coburg and Gotha

by Scott Mehl  © Unofficial Royalty 2015

Prince Alfred of Edinburgh, Hereditary Prince of Saxe-Coburg and Gotha; Credit: Wikipedia

Prince Alfred, Hereditary Prince of Saxe-Coburg and Gotha (Alfred Alexander William Ernest Albert), was the eldest child and only son of Prince Alfred, Duke of Edinburgh and Duke of Saxe-Coburg and Gotha, second son of Queen Victoria of the United Kingdom, and Grand Duchess Maria Alexandrovna of Russia, only surviving daughter of Alexander II, Emperor of All Russia. Known within the family as ‘Young Affie’, he was born on October 15, 1874, at Buckingham Palace. At the time of his birth, he was styled HRH Prince Alfred of Edinburgh, as his father had not yet become Duke of Saxe-Coburg and Gotha.

His christening was held November 27, 1874, in the Lower Bow Room at Buckingham Palace, with the following godparents:

Young Affie had four younger sisters:

Affie with his mother and sisters. source: Wikipedia

As it was expected he would one day inherit the ducal throne of Saxe-Coburg and Gotha, young Affie was raised primarily in Germany. Separated from his family, he received a strict German education and later served as a Lieutenant in the Prussian 1st Foot Guards in Potsdam. Unlike many of his relatives, he did not enjoy military life. It is believed that during this time he first contracted syphilis, which would later be a likely factor in his death.

In August 1893, his father succeeded to the ducal throne of Saxe-Coburg and Gotha, and young Alfred became the Hereditary Prince. Less than two years later, it was announced that Alfred was engaged to Duchess Elsa of Württemberg, but the marriage never took place.

In January 1899, he was noticeably absent from the celebrations for his parents’ 25th wedding anniversary. The details surrounding his death were never formally given, and vary from source to source. Some say he was suffering from a breakdown, others a tumor, others consumption. More than likely, he was suffering serious effects of syphilis he had contracted some years earlier.

It is generally accepted that Prince Alfred shot himself while the rest of the family was gathered for the anniversary celebrations. Having survived the gunshot, he was cared for at Schloss Friedenstein in Gotha, Duchy of Saxe-Coburg and Gotha, now in the German state of Thuringia, for several days, before being moved, against the doctors’ recommendation, to the Martinnsbrunn Sanatorium in Gratsch, near Meran, Austria (now Merano, Italy). This was apparently done at the direction of his mother who was both angry and embarrassed that his injury happened while the whole family was gathered together.

Prince Alfred, aged 24, died at the sanatorium on February 6, 1899. He was buried in the Ducal Mausoleum at the Glockenburg Cemetery in Coburg, Duchy of Saxe-Coburg and Gotha, now in Bavaria, Germany.

Below are some suicide prevention resources.

In the United States, the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline is 988. Anyone in the United States can text or call the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline to reach trained counselors who can help them cope with a mental health emergency. National Institute of Mental Health: Suicide Prevention is also a United States resource.

Other countries also have similar resources. Please check the resources below.

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