Prince Albert of Saxe-Altenburg

Contents

Prince Albert of Saxe-Altenburg (Albert Heinrich Joseph Carl Viktor Georg Friedrich; 14 April 1843 in Munich – 22 May 1902 in Serrahn) was a German prince of the ducal house of Saxe-Altenburg.

Biography

Family and early life

Prince Albert was the eldest son (third in order of birth but the only one who survived to adulthood) of Prince Eduard of Saxe-Altenburg (youngest son of Frederick, Duke of Saxe-Hildburghausen) and his second wife, Princess Luise Caroline Reuss of Greiz.

He entered the Russian army early in life, and attained the rank of Major-General in this service, but subsequently exchanged it for the Prussian army, where he became a general of cavalry.[1]

Marriages

He was first married in Berlin on 6 May 1885 to Princess Marie of Prussia, widow of Prince Henry of the Netherlands.

They had two daughters:

  • Princess Olga Elisabeth Carola Victoria Maria Anna Agnes Antoinette of Saxe-Altenburg (Schloß Albrechtsberg, 17 April 1886 – Münster, 13 January 1955); married on 20 May 1913 Karl Frederick, Count of Pückler-Burghauss and Freiherr von Groditz (1886–1945).
  • Marie (Schloß Albrechtsberg, 6 June 1888 – Hamburg, 12 November 1947); married on 20 April 1911 Heinrich XXXV, Prince von Reuss of Köstritz (1887–1936, son of Heinrich VII, Prince Reuss of Köstritz); they divorced in 1921, and Heinrich remarried to Princess Marie Adelheid of Lippe-Biesterfeld. Marie adopted in 1942 her godson Theodor Franz (Graf Praschma) von Sachsen-Altenburg (1934–2012).

Princess Marie died in 1888 from the effects of puerperal fever. A few years later on 13 December 1891, at Remplin, Albert married Duchess Helene of Mecklenburg-Strelitz. The couple had no children.

Albert was a conspicuous figure in Berlin society, and was a great favorite due to his "clever" mind, genial disposition, pleasant address, and enthusiasm as a sportsman.[2] Marie died in 1888.[2] Sources reported that the Emperor′s "arbitrary manners" became so intolerable to Albert and others, as they were used to the days of social courtesy under the old Wilhelm I.[3]

Prince Albert died on 22 May 1902 at Remplin.[2]

Honours

He received the following orders and decorations:[4]

  • Ernestine duchies: Grand Cross of the Saxe-Ernestine House Order, May 1861[5]
  • Saxe-Weimar-Eisenach: Grand Cross of the White Falcon, 17 December 1866[6]
  • Kingdom of Saxony: Knight of the Rue Crown
  • Mecklenburg: Grand Cross of the Wendish Crown, with Crown in Ore
  • Ascanian duchies: Grand Cross of Albert the Bear, 1 January 1863; with Swords, 2 November 1864[7]
  • Kingdom of Hanover: Grand Cross of the Royal Guelphic Order, 1862[8]
  • Persian Empire: Order of the Lion and the Sun, 1st Class
  • Kingdom of Italy: Grand Cross of Saints Maurice and Lazarus
  • Kingdom of Prussia: Knight of the Red Eagle, 3rd Class with Swords, 1864; Grand Cross with Swords on Ring, 6 May 1885[9]; Member of the Royal House Order of Hohenzollern, with Swords; Knight of Justice of the Johanniter Order, 1900[10]; Iron Cross (1870), 2nd Class
  • Oldenburg: Grand Cross of the Order of Duke Peter Friedrich Ludwig, with Golden Crown and Collar
  • Netherlands: Grand Cross of the Netherlands Lion
  • Austria-Hungary: Grand Cross of the Imperial Order of Leopold, 1889[11]
  • Russian Empire: Knight of St. George, 4th Class; Knight of St. Vladimir, 2nd Class with Swords; Knight of St. Alexander Nevsky; Knight of St. Anna, 3rd Class with Swords

Ancestry

References

  1. 1."Obituary". The Times. No. 36776. London. 24 May 1902. p. 8.
  2. 2.[2.2][2.3]"Berlin-Malcom Clarke", Minneapolis Tribune, 22 July 1902
  3. 3."Snubbed By The Kaiser", The New York Times, 17 February 1896
  4. 4.Staatshandbücher für das Herzogtum Sachsen-Altenburg (1902), "Genealogie des Herzoglichen Hauses" pp. 7-8
  5. 5.Staatshandbücher für das Herzogtum Sachsen-Altenburg (1869), "Herzoglich Sachsen Ernestinischer Hausorden" p. 18
  6. 6.Staatshandbuch für das Großherzogtum Sachsen / Sachsen-Weimar-Eisenach (1869), "Großherzogliche Hausorden" p. 11
  7. 7.Hof- und Staats-Handbuch des Herzogtum Anhalt (1867) "Herzoglicher Haus-orden Albrecht des Bären" p. 18
  8. 8.Staat Hannover (1865). Hof- und Staatshandbuch für das Königreich Hannover: 1865. Berenberg. p. 80.
  9. 9."Rother Adler-orden", Königlich Preussische Ordensliste (in German), vol. 1, Berlin, 1886, p. 27
  10. 10.Johanniter-Ordensblatt: amtliche Monatschrift der Balley Brandenburg (in German), vol. 43, 1902, p. 133
  11. 11."Ritter-Orden", Hof- und Staatshandbuch der Österreichisch-Ungarischen Monarchie, 1901, p. 70, retrieved 1 December 2020