William, Duke of Brunswick

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William, Duke of Brunswick
Born	25 April 1806 Brunswick
Died	18 October 1884 Sibyllenort
Title	Duke of the Duchy of Brunswick

William (German Wilhelm; 25 April 1806, Brunswick – 18 October 1884, Sibyllenort), Duke of Brunswick-Lüneburg, was ruling duke of the Duchy of Brunswick from 1830 until his death.

William was the second son of Frederick William, Duke of Brunswick-Lüneburg, and after the death of his father in 1815, was under the guardianship of King George IV of the United Kingdom. He became a Prussian major in 1823. When his brother, Charles, was deposed as ruling duke by a rebellion in 1830, William took over government provisionally. In 1831 a family law of the House of Welf made William ruling duke permanently. William left most government business to his ministers, and spent most of his time outside of his state at his possessions in Oels.

While William joined the Prussian-led North German Confederation in 1866, his relationship to Prussia was strained, since Prussia refused to recognize Ernest Augustus, 3rd Duke of Cumberland, his nearest male-line relative, as his heir, because of the Duke of Cumberland's claim to the throne of Hanover. William died in 1884; he passed on his private possessions to the Duke of Cumberland. His death caused a constitutional crisis for Brunswick that lasted until the accession of Ernst August III, Duke of Brunswick, the son of the Duke of Cumberland, in 1913.

William died unmarried, but had a number of illegitimate children.

[edit] Ancestors

William's ancestors in three generations

William VIII, Duke of Brunswick	Father: Frederick William, Duke of Brunswick-Wolfenbüttel	Paternal Grandfather: Charles William Ferdinand, Duke of Brunswick	Paternal Great-grandfather: Charles I, Duke of Brunswick-Lüneburg
			Paternal Great-grandmother: Princess Philippine Charlotte of Prussia
		Paternal Grandmother: Princess Augusta Charlotte of Wales	Paternal Great-grandfather: Frederick, Prince of Wales
			Paternal Great-grandmother: Princess Augusta of Saxe-Gotha
	Mother: Princess Marie of Baden	Maternal Grandfather: Margrave Charles Louis of Baden	Maternal Great-grandfather: Charles Frederick, Grand Duke of Baden
			Maternal Great-grandmother: Karoline Luise of Hesse-Darmstadt
		Maternal Grandmother: Landgravine Amalie of Hesse-Darmstadt	Maternal Great-grandfather: Louis IX, Landgrave of Hesse-Darmstadt
			Maternal Great-grandmother: Karoline of Zweibrücken

[edit] References

• Meyers Konversationslexikon, 1889
• Allgemeine Deutsche Biographie, vol. 43, p. 4-13

William, Duke of Brunswick House of Brunswick-Bevern Cadet branch of the House of Welf Born: 25 April 1806 Died: 18 October 1884
German royalty
Preceded by Charles II	Duke of Brunswick-Wolfenbuttel 1830-1884	Succeeded by Prince Albert of Prussia as Imperial Regent