Michael, Prince of Saxe-Weimar-Eisenach
Michael, Prince of Saxe-Weimar-Eisenach[1] (German: Michael Prinz von Sachsen-Weimar-Eisenach) (born 15 November 1946) is the current head of the Grand Ducal House of Saxe-Weimar-Eisenach, as well as the most senior agnate of the entire House of Wettin.[2]
| Michael | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Prince of Saxe-Weimar-Eisenach Duke of Saxony | |||||
| Head of the House of Saxe-Weimar-Eisenach | |||||
| Tenure | 14 October 1988 - present | ||||
| Predecessor | Hereditary Grand Duke Charles Augustus | ||||
| Heir-Presumptive | Prince Wilhelm Ernst | ||||
| Born | 15 November 1946 Bamberg, Germany | ||||
| Spouse | Renate Henkel Dagmar Hennings | ||||
| Issue | Leonie | ||||
| |||||
| House | House of Saxe-Weimar-Eisenach | ||||
| Father | Charles Augustus, Hereditary Grand Duke of Saxe-Weimar-Eisenach | ||||
| Mother | Baroness Elisabeth von Vangenheirm-Winterstein | ||||
| Religion | Lutheranism | ||||
Prince of Saxe-Weimar-Eisenach
Prince Michael was born in Bamberg, Bavaria, the only son of Hereditary Grand Duke Charles Augustus of Saxe-Weimar-Eisenach and Baroness Elisabeth von Wangenheim-Winterstein (1912–2010).[3] Among his godparents were Queen Juliana of the Netherlands and the Grand Duchess Anastasia of Russia imposter, Anna Anderson, who was living with his aunt Princess Luise of Saxe-Meiningen.[4]
When his father died on 14 October 1988, Michael succeeded as Head of the House of Saxe-Weimar-Eisenach. On 13 February 1991 he inherited the leadership in the House of Saxe-Altenburg, as that line went extinct and since 23 July 2012 he regards the Albertine royal Saxon line to also be extinct.[5] However, Michael has also stated he "[does not] believe in historical carnival" and that "Germany should have done it like Austria long ago and abolished all titles."[6]
In 2004 he withdrew his claim for restitution of numerous properties, archives (partly including those of Schiller and Goethe) as well as priceless artwork in a settlement with the Free State of Thuringia and acquired some forest estates in exchange.
As he has no sons, the current heir to the headship of the grand ducal house is his cousin Prince Wilhelm Ernst (b. 10 August 1946), whose only son Prince Georg-Constantin (13 April 1977 - 9 June 2018), a banker, was killed in a horse riding accident on 9 June 2018.[7] Therefore the Grand-Ducal House of Saxe-Weimar-Eisenach will in all probability become extinct in the male line.
Marriages
Prince Michael married Renate Henkel (b. Heidelberg, 17 September 1947), daughter of industrialist Konrad Henkel and wife Jutta von Hülsen and sister of Christoph Henkel, in a civil ceremony on 9 June 1970 at Hamburg-Eimsbüttel, and religiously on 4 July 1970 at Linnep bei Breitscheid.[3] The marriage was childless and dissolved by divorce at Düsseldorf on 9 March 1974.
He was married secondly to Dagmar Hennings (b. Niederpöcking, 24 June 1948), daughter of Henrich Hennings and wife Margarethe Schacht, in London on 15 November 1980. They have one daughter:
- Leonie Mercedes Augusta Silva Elisabeth Margarethe of Saxe-Weimar-Eisenach (b. Frankfurt, 30 October 1986).
Ancestry
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References
- In 1919 royalty and nobility were mandated to lose their privileges in Germany, hereditary titles were to be legally borne thereafter only as part of the surname, according to Article 109 of the Weimar Constitution. Styles such as majesty and highness were not retained. Archived 2015-07-24 at the Wayback Machine
- Willis, Daniel A., The Descendants of King George I of Great Britain, Clearfield Company, 2002, pp. 457-458.
- Montgomery-Massinberd, Hugh (1972). Burke's Guide to the Royal Family. London: Burke's Peerage, Ltd. p. 266. ISBN 0-220-66222-3.
- Mundy, Carlos & Stravlo, Marie. The Lost Romanov Icon and the Enigma of Anastasia. Page XXII
- Erbfolgestreit bei den Wettinern
- Locke, Stefan (9 April 2014). "Das war's mit dem Adel!". Frankfurter Allgemeine Zeitung. Retrieved 24 August 2020.
- "Baron tells how he tried to save life of German prince who died in freak horse riding accident". Telegraph. Retrieved 2020-01-24.
Michael, Prince of Saxe-Weimar-Eisenach Cadet branch of the House of Wettin Born: 15 November 1946 | ||
| Titles in pretence | ||
|---|---|---|
| Preceded by Charles Augustus |
— TITULAR — Grand Duke of Saxe-Weimar-Eisenach 14 October 1988 – present Reason for succession failure: Grand Duchy abolished in 1918 |
Incumbent Heir: Prince Wilhelm Ernst of Saxe-Weimar-Eisenach |
| Head of the House of Wettin 14 October 1988 – present | ||