Saxe-Coburg and Gotha
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Saxe-Coburg and Gotha or Saxe-Coburg-Gotha (German: Sachsen-Coburg und Gotha) served as the name of the two German duchies of Saxe-Coburg and Saxe-Gotha in Germany, in the present-day states of Bavaria and Thuringia, which were in personal union between 1826 and 1918.
The name Saxe-Coburg-Gotha may also refer to the family of the ruling House of Saxe-Coburg and Gotha. This family played many and varied roles in 19th-century European dynastic and political history.
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[edit] Duchy
The two duchies of Saxe-Coburg and Saxe-Gotha were both among the Saxon duchies held by the Ernestine branch of the Wettin dynasty. The Duchy of Saxe-Coburg and Gotha originated as the personal union of these two in 1826, following the death of the last Duke of Saxe-Gotha-Altenburg without male heirs. His Wettin relations repartitioned his lands, and the Duke Ernst I of Saxe-Coburg-Saalfeld (former husband of Louise of Saxe-Gotha-Altenburg, the only niece of the last duke) received Gotha, and changed his title to Duke of Saxe-Coburg and Gotha, although the two duchies remained technically separate.
Ernst I died in 1844 and his elder son and successor, Ernst II, ruled until his death in 1893. As he died childless, the throne of the Duchy would have passed to the male descendant's of Ernst's late brother Albert the Prince Consort, husband of Queen Victoria of the United Kingdom. However, the Duchies' constitutions excluded the King and heir apparent of Great Britain from the ducal throne if other eligible male heirs exist.[1]. Therefore Edward, Prince of Wales had already renounced his claim to the throne in favour of his next brother, Alfred, Duke of Edinburgh. Alfred's only son, also named Alfred, committed suicide in 1899, so when Duke Alfred died in 1900, he was succeeded by his nephew the Duke of Albany, the sixteen-year-old son of Queen Victoria's youngest son, Leopold (Duke Arthur of Connaught and his son did not want to receive the Coburg-Gotha Duchy, so had already renounced their right to succession). Reigning as Duke Carl Eduard, and under the regency of the Hereditary Prince of Hohenlohe-Langenburg until he came of age in 1905, Carl Eduard also continued to use the British title Duke of Albany. As Carl Eduard fought for Germany in the First World War, he was stripped of his British titles in 1919.[2]
Carl Eduard reigned until November 18, 1918 when the Workers' and Soldiers' Council of Gotha deposed him during the German Revolution. The two Duchies, bereft of a common ruler, became separate states, but ceased to exist shortly thereafter, with Saxe-Coburg becoming a part of Bavaria, and Saxe-Gotha merging with other small states to form the new state of Thuringia in 1920 in the Weimar Republic.
The capitals of Saxe-Coburg and Gotha were Coburg and Gotha. By 1914 the area and populations of the two duchies were: [3]
| Duchy | Area | Population |
|---|---|---|
| Sachsen-Coburg | 1415 km² | 74818 |
| Sachsen-Gotha | 562 km² | 182359 |
| Total | 1977 km² | 257177 |
Saxe-Coburg-Gotha was the only European country to appoint a diplomatic consul to the Confederate States of America during the American Civil War. The consul was named Ernst Raven, assigned to a position in the State of Texas. Raven applied to the Confederate Government for a diplomatic exequatur on July 30, 1861 and was accepted.[1]
[edit] House
| House of Saxe-Coburg and Gotha Saxony, Coburg and Gotha |
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| Country: | Germany | ||
| Parent house: | House of Wettin | ||
| Titles: | Duke of Saxe-Coburg-Gotha, King of Belgians, King of Portugal, Tsar of Bulgaria, King of the United Kingdom | ||
| Founder: | Ernest I, Duke of Saxe-Coburg and Gotha | ||
| Final ruler: | Charles Edward, Duke of Saxe-Coburg and Gotha | ||
| Current head: | Andreas, Prince of Saxe-Coburg and Gotha | ||
| Founding year: | 1826 | ||
| Dissolution: | 1918 | ||
| Ethnicity: | German | ||
| Cadet branches: | House of Windsor |
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The House of Saxe-Coburg and Gotha was formerly the Royal House of several European monarchies, and branches currently reign in Belgium through the descendants of Leopold I, and in the United Kingdom and its associated Commonwealth realms through the descendants of Prince Albert. In the United Kingdom, King George V changed the name from Saxe-Coburg and Gotha to the House of Windsor in 1917. The House of Saxe-Coburg and Gotha is a line of the Saxon House of Wettin.
Other members of the House of Saxe-Coburg and Gotha came to rule in various other European countries. Ernst's younger brother Léopold became King of the Belgians in 1831, and his descendants continue to serve as Belgian Head of State. Léopold's only daughter, Charlotte of Belgium, ruled as Empress Carlota of Mexico, consort to Maximilian I of Mexico in the 1860's. The short lived monarchy in Mexico would have had its roots in the House of Saxe-Coburg and Gotha. Ernst's nephew Ferdinand married Queen Maria II of Portugal, and his descendants continued to rule Portugal until that country became a republic in 1910.
Another scion of the family, also named Ferdinand, became Prince, and then Tsar, of Bulgaria, and his descendants continued to rule there until 1946. The current head of the House of Bulgaria, the former King Simeon II, goes by the name Simeon Sakskoburggotski and on 24 July 2001 became Bulgaria's Prime Minister. This marked the first occasion in history where a former monarch returned to a position of power via democratic election.
In 1826, a cadet branch of the house inherited the Hungarian princely estate of Kohary, and converted to Catholic creed. The Princes of Kohary were wealthy and are magnates of Hungary and Fuerst in the Austrian Empire. They managed to marry an imperial princess of Brazil, an archduchess of Austria, a royal princess of "the French", a royal princess of Belgium and a royal princess of Saxony. The members of the Ducal House consisted of all male-line descendents of Johann Ernst, Duke of Saxe-Coburg-Saalfeld legitimately born of an equal marriage, males and females (the last until their marriage), their wives in equal and authorised marriages, and their widows until remarriage.
According to the House law of the Duchy of Saxe-Coburg and Gotha the full title of the Duke was:
Wir, Ernst, Herzog zu Sachsen-Coburg und Gotha, Jülich, Cleve und Berg, auch Engern und Westphalen, Landgraf in Thüringen, Markgraf zu Meißen, gefürsteter Graf zu Henneberg, Graf zu der Mark und Ravensberg, Herr zu Ravenstein und Tonna usw.
Translation: We, Ernst, Duke of Saxe-Coburg and Gotha, Jülich, Cleves and Berg, also Angria and Westphalia, Landgrave in Thuringia, Margrave of Meissen, Princely Count of Henneberg, Count of the Mark and Ravensberg, Lord of Ravenstein and Tonna, et cetera.
[edit] Main branch
[edit] Dukes, 1826 - 1918
[edit] Heads of the House since 1918
- Carl Eduard 1918-1954
- Prince Friedrich Josias 1954-1998
- Prince Andreas 1998-present
[edit] Other branches
[edit] Kingdom of Belgium
- Leopold I (1831-1865)
- Leopold II (1865-1909)
- Albert I (1909-1934)
- Leopold III (1934-1951)
- Boudewijn I/Baudouin I (1951-1993)
- Albert II (1993- )
[edit] Names of the Belgian Royal House
Because of the First World War, King Albert I decided in 1920 to no longer use the name Saxe-Coburg and Gotha as the official family name of the Belgian royal family. The decision was done in silence and not enacted in an official royal decree. Therefore there is still some confusion in other countries and even in Belgium that Saxe-Coburg and Gotha still is the family name used by the Belgian royals. The family name was changed to van België, de Belgique and von Belgien ("of Belgium"). As Belgium is a country with three official languages, it was chosen to employ all three language versions as official family name with none having precedence over the other, probably making the Belgian royals the only family in the world with three different but equally valid family names. It is this family name which is used on the royals' identity cards and which they use in all official documents (marriage licenses, etc.)
On the accession of a member of the royal family to the Belgian throne, his/hers family name is officially changed to der Belgen - des Belges - der Belgier ("of the Belgians") as to denote the fact that Belgium is a popular monarchy.
[edit] Kingdom of Portugal
- Note: In Portugal the Royal House is usually not distinguished from the House of Bragança, and when so, it is known as House of Bragança-Wettin.
[edit] Tsardom of Bulgaria
- Ferdinand I (1887–1918)
- Boris III (1918–1943)
- Simeon II (1943–1946) In 2001, elected[4] as Prime Minister of Bulgaria (Simeon Saxe-Coburg-Gotha) – also known as Simeon 'Saxecoburggotski'.[5][6][7]
[edit] United Kingdom
- Edward VII (1901–1910)
- George V (1910–1936, Until 1917 when the name was changed and the Royal House and family were to be known as Windsor).
According to the official website of the British Monarchy, however, "the only British monarch of the House of Saxe-Coburg-Gotha was King Edward VII, who reigned for nine years…. King George V replaced the German-sounding title with that of Windsor during the First World War. The name Saxe-Coburg-Gotha survived in other European monarchies, including the former monarchies of Portugal and Bulgaria and in the Belgian Royal Family until 1920."[2]
[edit] Names of the British Royal House
Ernst I's younger son, Prince Albert of Saxe-Coburg and Gotha, became Prince Consort to Queen Victoria, Ernst's niece through his sister Viktoria of Saxe-Coburg-Saalfeld. As a consequence of their marriage, Saxe-Coburg and Gotha became the Royal House name of the British Royal Family from the accession of Edward VII in 1901 until changed to Windsor by King George V in 1917 because a German name was deemed unpatriotic during World War I.
Contrary to common belief, Saxe-Coburg and Gotha was not the personal surname of either Prince Albert, his wife or their descendants. Neither Albert nor Victoria, in fact, knew their actual surname (royalty had no need of and never used such common labels) until in the late 19th century Queen Victoria launched an inquiry to identify her surname. After an exhaustive search her advisors concluded that Prince Albert (and thus the Queen — by virtue of her marriage) had the surname Wettin.
George V changed both Wettin and Saxe-Coburg and Gotha to Windsor in 1917. However, an Order-in-Council in 1960 again separated the Royal House name and the personal family surname of the monarch and her family. It decreed that while the Royal House name would remain Windsor, the descendants of Queen Elizabeth II and of Prince Philip, Duke of Edinburgh would use the surname Mountbatten-Windsor. However, Prince Philip belongs to the house of Schleswig-Holstein-Sonderburg-Glücksburg, and, technically, so will his descendants in the male line.
[edit] Patrilineal descent
Patrilineal descent, descent from father to son, is the principle behind membership in royal houses, as it can be traced back through the generations - which means that the historically accurate royal house of the monarchs of the House of Saxe-Coburg-Gotha was the House of Wettin.
Descent before Conrad the Great is taken from [3] and may be inaccurate.
House of Wettin
- Burkhard I, Duke of Thuringia, d. 870
- Burchard, Duke of Thuringia, 836 - 908
- (possibly) Burkhard III of Grabfeldgau, 866 - 913
- Dedi I, Count of Hessegau, 896 - 957
- (probably) Dietrich I of Wettin, d. 976
- (possibly) Dedi II, Count of Hessegau, 946 - 1009
- Dietrich II of Wettin, 991 - 1034
- Thimo I of Wettin, d. 1099
- Thimo II the Brave, Count of Wettin, d. 1118
- Conrad, Margrave of Meissen, 1098 - 1157
- Otto II, Margrave of Meissen, 1125 - 1190
- Dietrich I, Margrave of Meissen, 1162 - 1221
- Henry III, Margrave of Meissen, c. 1215 - 1288
- Albert II, Margrave of Meissen, 1240 - 1314
- Frederick I, Margrave of Meissen, 1257 - 1323
- Frederick II, Margrave of Meissen, 1310 - 1349
- Frederick III, Landgrave of Thuringia, 1332 - 1381
- Frederick I, Elector of Saxony, 1370 - 1428
- Frederick II, Elector of Saxony, 1412 - 1464
- Ernest, Elector of Saxony, 1441 - 1486
- John, Elector of Saxony, 1468 - 1532
- John Frederick I, Elector of Saxony, 1503 - 1554
- Johann Wilhelm, Duke of Saxe-Weimar, 1530 - 1573
- John II, Duke of Saxe-Weimar, 1570 - 1605
- Ernest I, Duke of Saxe-Gotha, 1601 - 1675
- John Ernest IV, Duke of Saxe-Coburg-Saalfeld, 1658 - 1729
- Francis Josias, Duke of Saxe-Coburg-Saalfeld, 1697 - 1764
- Ernest Frederick, Duke of Saxe-Coburg-Saalfeld, 1724 - 1800
- Francis, Duke of Saxe-Coburg-Saalfeld, 1750 - 1806
- Ernest I, Duke of Saxe-Coburg and Gotha, 1784 - 1844
- Albert, Prince Consort, 1819 - 1861
- Edward VII of the United Kingdom, 1841 - 1910
- George V of the United Kingdom, 1865 - 1936
[edit] References
- ^ Sandner, Harold [2004]. "II.1.4 Prinz Albert", Das Haus von Sachsen-Coburg und Gotha 1826 bis 2001, Andreas, Prinz von Sachsen-Coburg und Gotha (preface) (in German), 96450 Coburg: Neue Presse GmbH, 86. ISBN 3000085254. “Der zukünftige König von England und der vorraussichtliche englische Thronfolger sind von der von Regierung im Herzogtum ausgeschlossen”
- ^ Fitzroy, Almeric (28 March 1919). "The Titles Deprivation Act, 1917". The London Gazette (31255): 2. HMSO. Retrieved on 12 June 2007.
- ^ Sandner, Harold [2004]. "I.11 Herzogtum Sachsen-Coburg und Gotha", Das Haus von Sachsen-Coburg und Gotha 1826 bis 2001, Andreas, Prinz von Sachsen-Coburg und Gotha (preface) (in German), 96450 Coburg: Neue Presse GmbH, 27. ISBN 3000085254.
- ^ Bulgaria: Timeline – BBC, London, 27 June 2007.Retrieved on 2007-07-28.
- ^ Former king marks first year as Bulgarian Prime Minister – Radio Free Europe, 26 July 2002.Retrieved on 2007-07-28.
- ^ Bulgarian (or Spanish) Prime Minister? – Bulgaria Development Gateway, 24 July 2003. Retrieved on 2007-07-28.
- ^ Lord Alderdice speaking in the UK's House of Lords on 19 May 2005, Hansard, Lords.Retrieved on 2007-07-28.
[edit] See also
- Ernestine duchies
- Palais Coburg in Vienna
[edit] External links
- The Ducal House of Saxe-Coburg and Gotha The official website in English.
- The Catholic Encyclopedia: Saxe-Coburg and Gotha (article about the duchy, with details of religious issues, written in 1910).
- Royal and Ducal Houses of Saxony
- Royal House of Belgium
- Royal House of Bulgaria
- Royal House of Great Britain
- Royal House of Portugal
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*Royal House*
House of Saxe-Coburg and Gotha
Cadet branch of the House of Wettin
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| New title | Ruling House of the Duchy of Saxe-Coburg and Gotha 1826 – 1918 |
Duchy Abolished |
| Ruling House of the Kingdom of Belgium 1831 – present |
Incumbent | |
| Preceded by House of Braganza |
Ruling House of the Kingdom of Portugal 1853 – 1910 |
Monarchy Abolished |
| Preceded by House of Battenberg |
Ruling House of the Tsardom of Bulgaria 1887 – 1946 |
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| Preceded by House of Hanover |
Ruling House of the United Kingdom 1901 – present Name changed to House of Windsor, 1917 |
Incumbent |
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Saxe-Weimar (1572–1806) • Saxe-Coburg-Eisenach (1572–1596) • Saxe-Coburg (1596–1633; 1681–1699) • Saxe-Eisenach (1596–1638; 1640–1644; 1672–1806) • Saxe-Altenburg (1603–1672; 1826–1918) • Saxe-Gotha (1640–1680) • Saxe-Gotha-Altenburg (1681–1826) • Saxe-Marksuhl (1662–1672) • Saxe-Jena (1672–1690) • Saxe-Eisenberg (1680–1707) • Saxe-Hildburghausen (1680–1826) • Saxe-Römhild (1680–1710) • Saxe-Saalfeld (1680–1735) • Saxe-Meiningen (1681–1918) • Saxe-Coburg-Saalfeld (1735–1826) • Saxe-Weimar-Eisenach (1806–1918) • Saxe-Coburg and Gotha (1826–1918) |
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 States of the German Confederation (1815–66) |
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| Empires | Austria |  |
| Kingdoms | Prussia | Bavaria | Saxony | Hanover | Württemberg | |
| Electorates | Hesse | |
| Grand Duchies | Baden | Hesse | Luxembourg | Mecklenburg-Schwerin | Mecklenburg-Strelitz | Oldenburg | Saxe-Weimar-Eisenach | |
| Duchies | Anhalt: Bernburg¹, Dessau¹, Köthen² | Brunswick | Holstein | Limburg | Nassau | Saxony: Altenburg³, Coburg-Saalfeld4, Coburg-Gotha³, Gotha-Altenburg4, Hildburghausen4, Lauenburg, Meiningen | |
| Principalities | Hesse-Homburg | Hohenzollern: Hechingen5, Sigmaringen5 | Liechtenstein | Lippe | Reuß: Elder, Junior | Schaumburg-Lippe | Schwarzburg: Rudolstadt, Sondershausen | Waldeck and Pyrmont | |
| City-states | Bremen | Frankfurt | Hamburg | Lübeck | |
| 1: Merged to Anhalt from 1863; 2: until 1847; 3: from 1826; 4: until 1826; 5: until 1850 | ||
 States of the German Empire (1871–1918) |
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|---|---|---|
| Kingdoms | Prussia | Bavaria | Saxony | Württemberg |  |
| Grand Duchies | Baden | Hesse | Mecklenburg: Schwerin, Strelitz | Oldenburg | Saxe-Weimar-Eisenach | |
| Duchies | Anhalt | Brunswick | Saxony: Altenburg, Coburg and Gotha, Meiningen | |
| Principalities | Schaumburg-Lippe | Schwarzburg: Rudolstadt, Sondershausen | Lippe | Reuss: Elder, Junior | Waldeck-Pyrmont | |
| City-states | Bremen | Hamburg | Lübeck | |
| Other | Alsace-Lorraine | Colonial possessions | |
Categories: Former countries in Europe | Former monarchies of Europe | 1826 establishments | 1918 disestablishments | States of the German Empire | Royal families | German nobility | House of Saxe-Coburg and Gotha | Ernestine duchies | House of Wettin | European royal families | Amalgamated placenames
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