Princess Marie of Saxe-Altenburg (1854–1898)
Princess Marie of Saxe-Altenburg (Marie Friederike Leopoldine Georgine Auguste Alexandra Elisabeth Therese Josephine Helene Sophie; 2 August 1854 – 8 October 1898) was the wife of Prince Albert of Prussia, Regent for the duchy of Brunswick.[1]
| Princess Marie | |||||
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| Princess Albert of Prussia | |||||
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| Born | 2 August 1854 Eisenberg | ||||
| Died | 8 October 1898 (aged 44) Kamenz Castle | ||||
| Spouse | |||||
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| House | Saxe-Altenburg | ||||
| Father | Ernst I, Duke of Saxe-Altenburg | ||||
| Mother | Princess Agnes of Anhalt-Dessau | ||||
Family edit
Marie was the only surviving child of Ernst I, Duke of Saxe-Altenburg and his wife Princess Agnes of Anhalt-Dessau, as her younger brother Georg died as an infant. Because her father had no surviving sons to inherit his title, he was succeeded by Marie's cousin Ernst.
Marriage and issue edit
Marie arrived at Potsdam on the evening of 18 April 1873, where she was received by Prince Albert of Prussia, her fiance.[2] The couple drove to Bellevue Castle, where they were received by the Emperor and Empress.[2]
On 9 April 1873 in Berlin, Marie married Prince Albert, a grandson of Frederick William III of Prussia.[1] Other reports have them being married on 19 April.[3] Albert's parents had been unhappily married to each other and later divorced; as he chose to wait before getting married and was 36 at the time of their wedding, this is believed to be the reason he did not marry earlier.[4] Spectators commented that the wedding ceremony was grander than most, with Dragoon Guards opening the procession and the Emperor and Empress in attendance.[4] Marie was described as possessing "girlish beauty, and [a] modest unpretending demeanor" that "at once captivated the hearts of the multitude".[4]
They had the following children:
- Prince Friedrich Heinrich Albrecht (1874–1940)
- Prince Joachim Albrecht (1876–1939); married Marie von Blich-Sulzer and Karoline Kornelia Stockhammer
- Prince Friedrich Wilhelm (1880–1925); married Princess Agatha of Hohenlohe-Schillingsfürst
Later life edit
In 1885, Albert was appointed Regent for the Duchy of Brunswick, replacing Ernest Augustus, Crown Prince of Hanover, who had been removed from office by German Chancellor Otto von Bismarck.[5] Ernest Augustus was also a distant relative of Marie's, as his mother Queen Marie was born a princess of Saxe-Altenburg. After accepting the regency, Albert and Marie resided chiefly in Brunswick, Berlin, and Kamenz.[5]
Princess Marie died on 8 October 1898 at Kamenz Castle.[1][3] Emperor Wilhelm II and Empress Augusta Victoria attended her funeral, which was held at the castle where she died.[6]
Prince Albert died in 1906. They were buried in the Mausoleum auf dem Hutberge in the park of Schloss Kamenz/Silesia. After World War II, the mausoleum was plundered and they were reburied in the park.[7]
Ancestry edit
| Ancestors of Princess Marie of Saxe-Altenburg (1854–1898) |
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References edit
- ^ a b c "Princess Maria of Prussia Dies", The New York Times, 9 October 1898
- ^ a b "Germany", The Manchester Guardian, Berlin, 19 April 1873
- ^ a b "Princess Maria of Saxony Dead", The Washington Post, Berlin, 9 October 1898
- ^ a b c "A Royal Marriage", The New York Times, Berlin, 7 May 1873
- ^ a b "Memorial Notices", The Manchester Guardian, 11 October 1898
- ^ "The Kaiser Goes To A Funeral", The New York Times, 12 October 1898
- ^ "Saxe-Altenburg". Royaltyguide.nl. Archived from the original on 26 May 2011. Retrieved 14 September 2010.