Princess Marie of Saxe-Altenburg (1854–1898)

For other people called Marie of Saxe-Altenburg, see Princess Marie of Saxe-Altenburg.
Princess Marie
Princess Albert of Prussia
Born(1854-08-02)2 August 1854
Eisenberg
Died8 October 1898(1898-10-08) (aged 44)
Kamenz Castle
Spouse
​
​
(m. 1873)​
Issue
Names
Marie Friederike Leopoldine Georgine Auguste Alexandra Elisabeth Therese Josephine Helene Sophie
HouseSaxe-Altenburg
FatherErnst I, Duke of Saxe-Altenburg
MotherPrincess Agnes of Anhalt-Dessau

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]

Family

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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

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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:

Later life

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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

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References

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Wikimedia Commons has media related to Princess Marie of Saxe-Altenburg (1854-1898).
  1. ^ a b c "Princess Maria of Prussia Dies", The New York Times, 9 October 1898
  2. ^ a b "Germany", The Manchester Guardian, Berlin, 19 April 1873
  3. ^ a b "Princess Maria of Saxony Dead", The Washington Post, Berlin, 9 October 1898
  4. ^ a b c "A Royal Marriage", The New York Times, Berlin, 7 May 1873
  5. ^ a b "Memorial Notices", The Manchester Guardian, 11 October 1898
  6. ^ "The Kaiser Goes To A Funeral", The New York Times, 12 October 1898
  7. ^ "Saxe-Altenburg". Royaltyguide.nl. Archived from the original on 26 May 2011. Retrieved 14 September 2010.
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