Gottfried, Prince of Hohenlohe-Langenburg
| Gottfried | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Prince of Hohenlohe-Langenburg | |||||
 Prince Gottfried at the age of nine | |||||
| Born |
24 March 1897 Langenburg, Kingdom of Württemberg | ||||
| Died |
11 May 1960 (aged 63) Langenburg, West Germany | ||||
| Spouse | Princess Margarita of Greece and Denmark (m. 1931) | ||||
| Issue |
Kraft, Prince of Hohenlohe-Langenburg Princess Beatrix Prince George Prince Albert Prince Ruprecht | ||||
| |||||
| House | House of Hohenlohe-Langenburg | ||||
| Father | Ernst II, Prince of Hohenlohe-Langenburg | ||||
| Mother | Princess Alexandra of Saxe-Coburg and Gotha | ||||
Gottfried, Prince of Hohenlohe-Langenburg (German: Gottfried Hermann Alfred Paul Maximilian Viktor Fürst zu Hohenlohe-Langenburg; 24 March 1897 – 11 May 1960) was the only surviving son of Ernst II, Prince of Hohenlohe-Langenburg. He was the titular Prince of Hohenlohe-Langenburg from 1950 until his death.
Early life
Gottfried was born at Langenburg, Kingdom of Württemberg, the first child of Ernst II, Prince of Hohenlohe-Langenburg (1863–1950), (son of Hermann, Prince of Hohenlohe-Langenburg and Princess Leopoldine of Baden) and his wife, Princess Alexandra of Saxe-Coburg and Gotha (1878–1942), (daughter of Alfred, Duke of Saxe-Coburg and Gotha and Grand Duchess Maria Alexandrovna of Russia). Through his maternal grandparents, he was a great-grandson of Queen Victoria and of Tsar Alexander II.
After the fall of the Imperial German monarchy in 1918, Gottfried continued to serve as a leader of the European royalty. He served in the German army in World War II, becoming severely injured at the Russian front. He was dismissed from the army after the abortive attempt on Adolf Hitler's life on 20 July 1944.[1]
Marriage and issue
Gottfried had a brief engagement to the widow Gloria Morgan Vanderbilt in 1927–28.[2][3] During the Gloria Vanderbilt custody trial in 1934, testimony of a scandalous nature was provided about the Prince and Mrs. Vanderbilt's relationship during their engagement.[4] The Prince became a witness for Gloria Morgan Vanderbilt in the trial, in an attempt to clear both of their names.[5]
On 3 December 1930, Gottfried announced his engagement with his second cousin once removed, Princess Margarita of Greece and Denmark (1905–1981), eldest daughter of Prince Andrew of Greece and Denmark and his wife, Princess Alice of Battenberg.[6] They were married on 20 April 1931 in Langenburg.[7] Both Princess Margarita and Prince Gottfried had common ancestors in Queen Victoria and Nicholas I of Russia. In descent from Queen Victoria, Prince Gottfried was a second cousin of Princess Margarita's mother Alice; i.e., they shared the Queen as their great-grandmother. In descent from Nicholas I, they were third cousins by being Nicholas' great-great-grandchildren, the Russian connection being through Gottfried's maternal grandmother Maria Alexandrovna, and Margarita's paternal grandmother Olga Konstantinovna, both of whom were grandchildren of Nicholas I.
Their marriage produced six children, all of whom were styled as His/Her Serene Highness:
- Stillborn daughter (born and died 3 December 1933 - 3 December 1933)
- Prince Kraft (25 June 1935–16 March 2004); ∞ 1965−1990 Charlotte Alexandra Prinzessin von Croÿ (born 1939) ∞ 1992 Irma Pospesch (born 1946); succeeded his father as Prince of Hohenlohe-Langenburg. He had two daughters and one son from his first marriage.
- Princess Beatrix of Hohenlohe-Langenburg (10 June 1936–15 November 1997)
- Prince Georg of Hohenlohe-Langenburg (born 24 November 1938) ∞ 1968 Luise of Schönburg-Waldenburg (born 1943). They have two daughters.
- Prince Rupprecht of Hohenlohe-Langenburg (7 April 1944–8 April 1978)
- Prince Albrecht of Hohenlohe-Langenburg (7 April 1944–23 April 1992) ∞ 1976 Maria-Hildegard Fischer. They have one son.
Prince of Hohenlohe-Langenburg
At the death of his father in 1950, Gottfried inherited the title of Prince of Hohenlohe-Langenburg.[1][7]
Titles and styles
- 24 March 1897 – 11 December 1950: His Serene Highness Prince Gottfried of Hohenlohe-Langenburg
- 11 December 1950 – 11 May 1960: His Serene Highness The Prince of Hohenlohe-Langenburg
Ancestry
Notes
- 1 2 "Prince Hohenlohe-Langenburg of German Noble Family Dies", The New York Times, Bonn, 12 May 1960
- ↑ "Mrs. Vanderbilt Is Offered Aid". Herald-Journal. 5 October 1934. Retrieved 13 August 2010.
- ↑ "Gloria Is Bound For Europe". Rochester Evening Journal. 23 January 1929. Retrieved 15 March 2011.
- ↑ "Mrs. Vanderbilt's Paris Life Exposed". Lewiston Daily Sun. 2 October 1934. Retrieved 13 August 2010.
- ↑ "Mrs. Whitney Ritzes Prince In Grand Way". The Pittsburgh Press. 16 October 1934. Retrieved 13 August 2010.
- ↑ "Betrothal To Unite Royalty Of 2 Nations", The New York Times, Stuttgart, 4 December 1930
- 1 2 Marlene A. Eilers, Queen Victoria's Descendants (Baltimore, Maryland: Genealogical Publishing Co., 1987), page 181. Hereinafter cited as Queen Victoria's Descendants.
Sources
- thePeerage.com — Gottfried Hermann Alfred Paul Maximilian Viktor VIII Fürst zu Hohenlohe-Langenburg
- Genealogics — Leo van de Pas — Gottfried, 8.Fürst zu Hohenlohe-Langenburg
- Queen Victoria's Descendants, New York, 1987, Eilers, Marlene A., Reference: 197
| Gottfried, Prince of Hohenlohe-Langenburg Cadet branch of the House of Hohenlohe Born: 24 March 1897 Died: 11 May 1960 | ||
| Titles in pretence | ||
|---|---|---|
| Preceded by Ernst II |
— TITULAR — Prince of Hohenlohe-Langenburg 1950 – 1960 Reason for succession failure: German nobility titles abolished |
Succeeded by Kraft |