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Bernhard, Margrave of Baden

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Bernhard
Bernhard and his wife in 2017
Head of the House of Baden
Tenure29 December 2022 – present
PredecessorMaximilian
Heir apparentLeopold
Born (1970-05-27) 27 May 1970 (age 54)
Schloss Salem, Salem, Baden-Württemberg, West Germany
Spouse
Stephanie Kaul
​
(m. 2001)​
Issue
  • Leopold
  • Friedrich
  • Karl-Wilhelm
Names
Bernhard Max Friedrich August Gustav Ludwig Kraft
HouseBaden
FatherMaximilian, Margrave of Baden
MotherArchduchess Valerie of Austria

Bernhard Prinz und Markgraf von Baden (born 27 May 1970), styled Margrave of Baden and Duke of Zähringen,[a] is the head of the House of Baden since 29 December 2022 following the death of his father, Maximilian.[1] He is a first cousin once removed of King Charles III of the United Kingdom.

Early life and family

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Bernhard was born at Schloss Salem in Salem, Baden-Württemberg, on 27 May 1970.[2] He is the eldest son of Maximilian, Margrave of Baden, and Archduchess Valerie of Austria (born 1941) and was styled as the heir of his father, Hereditary Prince of Baden.

His paternal grandparents were Berthold, Margrave of Baden, and Princess Theodora of Greece and Denmark, who was a sister of Prince Philip, Duke of Edinburgh.[3][4] His maternal grandparents were Archduke Hubert Salvator of Austria and Princess Rosemary of Salm-Salm.

Activities

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Bernhard, second from left, at the Kronimus race at the Iffezheim racecourse, 2005

A commercial lawyer by training, he studied business administration and law in Hamburg and Switzerland. Prince Bernhard manages the family estates, including Staufenberg Castle, and the margravial wineries dedicated to preserving the grape variety Müller-Thurgau.[5] Between 2000 and 2009, he oversaw the transfer of many family assets, including Eberstein Castle and parts of Schloss Salem, to the German state in order to stabilise the family's finances.

Bernhard has close relations with the British royal family, and his granduncle, Prince Philip, Duke of Edinburgh, often came to Germany to shoot with the Baden family.[6][7][8] On 17 April 2021, Bernhard was one of only thirty mourners at Prince Philip's ceremonial funeral at St George's Chapel, Windsor Castle. Bernhard, along with his cousins Philipp, Prince of Hohenlohe-Langenburg, and Donatus, Landgrave of Hesse, was chosen to represent the families of the Duke's late sisters who had been prevented from attending his wedding in 1947.[6] Bernhard and his wife and siblings later attended a service of thanksgiving for Prince Philip's life at Westminster Abbey on 29 March 2022.[9] He and his wife and mother were also present at the state funeral of Queen Elizabeth II at Westminster Abbey and subsequent service of committal at St George's Chapel on 19 September 2022.[10] On 30 March 2023, he and his wife attended a state banquet given by Frank-Walter Steinmeier, President of Germany, at Bellevue Palace during King Charles III and Queen Camilla's state visit to Germany.[11]

On 29 December 2022, his father, Maximilian, died and Bernhard became head of the former grand ducal house of Baden.[1] Though royal and noble titles were abolished in Germany in 1919 when the Weimar Republic was proclaimed, he is sometimes styled and titled His Royal Highness The Margrave of Baden, Duke of Zähringen, by courtesy.[12][13] Prior to this, he was styled and titled His Grand Ducal Highness Hereditary Prince of Baden. Legally in Germany, these titles form part of his surname.

Marriage and children

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Bernhard married Stephanie Anne Kaul (born 27 June 1966), daughter of Christian Kaul and Hannelore Scheel, in a civil ceremony on 22 June 2001 and a religious ceremony the following day at Schloss Salem. The marriage was acknowledged as dynastic by his father.

The couple have three sons:

  • Leopold Bernhard Max Michael Ernst-August Friedrich Guillaume (born 18 May 2002)
  • Friedrich Bernhard Leopold Christian Berthold Christoph (born 9 March 2004)
  • Karl-Wilhelm Bernhard Max Alexander Ernst-August Heinrich-Donatus Mathias (born 11 February 2006)

The family lives in Linzgau near Schloss Salem.[14]

Ancestry

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Notes and References

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  1. ^ Although titles of nobility were abolished in Germany in 1919, some titles continued to be used as courtesy titles.
  1. ^ a b Hilser, Stephen (29 December 2022). "Der bescheidene Adlige aus Salem: Max Markgraf von Baden ist tot". Südkurier (in German). Archived from the original on 30 December 2022. Retrieved 1 April 2023.
  2. ^ "Archived copy". Archived from the original on 2022-12-30. Retrieved 2022-12-30.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: archived copy as title (link)
  3. ^ "Baden Royal Family". Monarchies of Europe. Archived from the original on 16 April 2010. Retrieved 31 March 2010.
  4. ^ "Eintrag "Baden, Bernhard Prinz von"". Munzinger Online/Personen - Internationales Biographisches Archiv. Archived from the original on 16 April 2021. Retrieved 17 April 2021.
  5. ^ "Markgraf von Baden Weingut". Markgraf von Baden Weingut. Archived from the original on 2019-01-18. Retrieved 2018-12-31.
  6. ^ a b Doughty, Eleanor (17 April 2021). "The historic family ties that prompted the Queen to invite German royalty to Prince Philip's funeral". The Telegraph. Archived from the original on 20 April 2021. Retrieved 20 April 2021.
  7. ^ "Court Circular: April 17, 2021". The Times. 19 April 2021. Archived from the original on 19 April 2021. Retrieved 20 April 2021.
  8. ^ "Prince Philip: Duke's four children to walk alongside coffin at funeral". BBC News. 15 April 2021. Archived from the original on 17 April 2021. Retrieved 1 April 2023.
  9. ^ Burack, Emily (25 March 2022). "All the Royals Confirmed to Attend Prince Philip's Memorial Service". Town & Country. Archived from the original on 2 April 2023. Retrieved 1 April 2023.
  10. ^ "Bernhard Prinz von Baden erweist der Queen die letzte Ehre". Südkurier (in German). 14 September 2022. Archived from the original on 15 September 2022. Retrieved 15 September 2022.{{cite news}}: CS1 maint: bot: original URL status unknown (link)
  11. ^ Russell, Lauren (30 March 2023). "King pledges to 'strengthen connections' between UK and Germany in state banquet speech". BBC News. Archived from the original on 1 April 2023. Retrieved 1 April 2023.
  12. ^ "Seine Königliche Hoheit Max Markgraf von Baden, Herzog von Zähringen 1933–2022". Haus Baden. Archived from the original on 29 December 2022. Retrieved 29 December 2022.
  13. ^ "King Charles' first cousin, Max Margrave of Baden, dies in Germany". Astha Saxena. 29 December 2022. Archived from the original on 13 January 2023. Retrieved 31 December 2022.
  14. ^ "Königliche Hoheit im Schloss Salem". Rantlos. Archived from the original on 2018-12-31. Retrieved 2018-12-31.
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Wikimedia Commons has media related to Bernhard, Margrave of Baden.
Bernhard, Margrave of Baden
Born: 27 May 1970
Titles in pretence
Preceded by — TITULAR —
Grand Duke of Baden
29 December 2022 – present
Reason for succession failure:
Grand Duchy abolished in 1918 		Incumbent
Heir:
Leopold
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