Jump to content

Friedrich Josias, Prince of Saxe-Coburg and Gotha

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

This is an old revision of this page, as edited by DrKay (talk | contribs) at 16:54, 21 November 2016 (block evasion User:Guilherme Styles). The present address (URL) is a permanent link to this revision, which may differ significantly from the current revision.

Friedrich Josias
Prince of Saxe-Coburg and Gotha
Duke of Saxony
Head of the House of Saxe-Coburg and Gotha
PredecessorCharles Edward
SuccessorAndreas
Born(1918-11-29)29 November 1918
Died23 January 1998(1998-01-23) (aged 79)
SpouseCountess Viktoria-Luise of Solms-Baruth (m. 1942–46)
Denyse Henrietta de Muralt
(m. 1948–64)
Katrin Bremme
(m. 1964–98)
IssueAndreas, Prince of Saxe-Coburg and Gotha
Princess Claudia, Mrs. Schäfer
Beatrice Charlotte, Princess Friedrich of Saxe-Meiningen
Prince Adrian
HouseSaxe-Coburg and Gotha
FatherCharles Edward, Duke of Saxe-Coburg and Gotha
MotherPrincess Victoria Adelaide of Schleswig-Holstein-Sonderburg-Glücksburg

Friedrich Josias, Prince of Saxe-Coburg and Gotha (Friedrich Josias Carl Eduard Ernst Kyrill Harald; Callenberg Castle, 29 November 1918 – Amstetten, Austria, 23 January 1998) was the Head of the Ducal Family of Saxe-Coburg and Gotha and titular Duke of Saxe-Coburg and Gotha from 1954 until his death.

Early life

The Prince was born to Charles Edward, Duke of Saxe-Coburg and Gotha and Princess Victoria Adelaide of Schleswig-Holstein-Sonderburg-Glücksburg. Charles Edward was forced to abdicate on 14 November 1918.

In 1938, the Prince entered the Wehrmacht and participated in the occupation of Czechoslovakia, Poland and France. In 1941, he fought in Yugoslavia and the Soviet Union. He fell seriously ill in the winter of 1941. After his recovery, he fought as Oberleutnant in the Caucasus. In 1944, he was an Ordonnanzoffizier under Generalfeldmarschall Erwin Rommel on the French coast. He was stationed in June 1944 in Denmark under General von Hanneken, where he was captured by the British in May 1945 but released in autumn 1945.

The third of three sons, Prince Friedrich Josias was not expected to succeed as Head of the Ducal Family. However, his eldest brother, Hereditary Prince Johann Leopold, married unequally and renounced his rights in 1932, and Prince Hubertus was killed in action in 1943, thus leaving Prince Friedrich Josias as the heir-apparent. He succeeded to the Headship on the death of his father on 6 March 1954.

Marriages

The Prince married three times:

In Kassel on 25 January 1942, Friedrich Josias married his first cousin Countess Viktoria-Luise of Solms-Baruth (13 March 1921 – 1 March 2003). They had one son:

This marriage ended in divorce on 19 September 1946.

In San Francisco on 14 February 1948, Friedrich Josias married secondly Denyse Henrietta de Muralt (14 December 1923 – 25 April 2005). They had three children:

  • Princess Maria Claudia Sibylla of Saxe-Coburg and Gotha (22 May 1949 – 5 February 2016), married on 17 March 1971 to Gion Schäfer (b. 20 July 1945). They have two daughters:
    • Maria Christina Sibylla Schäfer (23 June 1972) married Guillaume Hubert Marie Martens on 24 June 2000. They have four children:
      • Gian Martin Martens (30 June 2001)
      • Aimée Martens (21 June 2003)
      • Louis Martens (15 July 2006)
    • Gianetta Antonia Schäfer (18 February 1975) married on 12 October 2013 to Andreas Bitsche. They had two children before their marriage:
      • Estelle Schäfer
      • Leonardo Schäfer
  • Princess Beatrice Charlotte of Saxe-Coburg and Gotha (15 July 1951), married on 12 June 1977 to Prince Friedrich of Saxe-Meiningen (1935–2004, a son of Bernhard, Prince of Saxe-Meiningen). They have two children:
    • Princess Marie Alexandra of Saxe-Meiningen (5 July 1978) married Benno Beat Christian Wiedmer on 27 July 2004.
    • Prince Friedrich Constantin of Saxe-Meiningen (3 June 1980) He has one son with Sophia Lupus:
      • Michael of Saxe-Meiningen (July 2015)
  • Prince Adrian Vinzenz Eduard (18 October 1955 – 30 August 2011), married firstly on 20 October 1984 to Lea Rinderknecht; the marriage was morganatic and their two sons were barred from the succession to the duchy of Saxe-Coburg and Gotha. This union ended in divorce in 1993. Secondly (again morganatically), Adrian married on 11 July 1997 Gertrud Krieg. They had no children.

Friedrich Josias and Denyse were divorced on 17 September 1964.

In Hamburg on 30 October 1964 Friedrich Josias married thirdly (and morganatically) Katrin Bremme (22 April 1940 – 13 July 2011[1]). This marriage was childless.

References

  1. ^ Theroff, P 2011, Royal Deaths 2011, http://www.angelfire.com/realm/gotha/news/2011_1.htm

Ancestry

Family of Friedrich Josias, Prince of Saxe-Coburg and Gotha
16. Ernest I, Duke of Saxe-Coburg and Gotha
8. Prince Albert of Saxe-Coburg and Gotha
17. Princess Louise of Saxe-Gotha-Altenburg
4. Prince Leopold, Duke of Albany
18. Prince Edward, Duke of Kent and Strathearn
9. Victoria of the United Kingdom
19. Princess Victoria of Saxe-Coburg-Saalfeld
2. Charles Edward, Duke of Saxe-Coburg and Gotha
20. George II, Prince of Waldeck and Pyrmont
10. George Victor, Prince of Waldeck and Pyrmont
21. Princess Emma of Anhalt-Bernburg-Schaumburg-Hoym
5. Princess Helena of Waldeck and Pyrmont
22. William, Duke of Nassau
11. Princess Helena of Nassau
23. Princess Pauline of Württemberg
1. Friedrich Josias, Prince of Saxe-Coburg and Gotha
24. Friedrich Wilhelm, Duke of Schleswig-Holstein-Sonderburg-Glücksburg
12. Friedrich, Duke of Schleswig-Holstein-Sonderburg-Glücksburg
25. Princess Louise Caroline of Hesse-Kassel
6. Friedrich Ferdinand, Duke of Schleswig-Holstein-Sonderburg-Glücksburg
26. George William, Prince of Schaumburg-Lippe
13. Princess Adelheid of Schaumburg-Lippe
27. Princess Ida of Waldeck and Pyrmont
3. Princess Victoria Adelaide of Schleswig-Holstein-Sonderburg-Glücksburg
28. Christian August II, Duke of Schleswig-Holstein-Sonderburg-Augustenburg
14. Frederick VIII, Duke of Schleswig-Holstein-Sonderburg-Augustenburg
29. Countess Louise Sophie of Danneskjold-Samsöe
7. Princess Karoline Mathilde of Schleswig-Holstein-Sonderburg-Augustenburg
30. Ernst I, Prince of Hohenlohe-Langenburg
15. Princess Adelheid of Hohenlohe-Langenburg
31. Princess Feodora of Leiningen
Friedrich Josias, Prince of Saxe-Coburg and Gotha
Cadet branch of the House of Wettin
Born: 29 November 1918 Died: 23 January 1998
Titles in pretence
Preceded by — TITULAR —
Duke of Saxe–Coburg and Gotha
6 March 1954 – 23 January 1998
Succeeded by