Richard, 6th Prince of Sayn-Wittgenstein-Berleburg
Richard, 6th Prince of Sayn-Wittgenstein-Berleburg (Richard Casimir Karl August Robert Konstantin; 29 October 1934 – 13 March 2017)[1] was the head of the House of Sayn-Wittgenstein-Berleburg and husband of Princess Benedikte of Denmark.
| Richard | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
 The Prince in Stockholm at Crown Princess Victoria of Sweden's wedding celebrations, June 2010 | |||||
| Prince of Sayn-Wittgenstein-Berleburg | |||||
| Predecessor | Prince Gustav Albrecht | ||||
| Successor | Prince Gustav | ||||
| Born | 29 October 1934 Giessen, Hesse, Germany | ||||
| Died | 13 March 2017 (aged 82) Berleburg, Siegen-Wittgenstein, North Rhine-Westphalia, Germany | ||||
| Burial | 21 March 2017 Forest Cemetery Sengelsberg, Berleburg | ||||
| Spouse | |||||
| Issue | Gustav, 7th Prince of Sayn-Wittgenstein-Berleburg Princess Alexandra Princess Nathalie | ||||
| |||||
| House | Sayn-Wittgenstein-Berleburg | ||||
| Father | Gustav Albrecht, 5th Prince of Sayn-Wittgenstein-Berleburg | ||||
| Mother | Margareta Fouché d'Otrante | ||||
Biography
Richard Casimir Karl August Robert Konstantin was the eldest son and child of Gustav Albrecht, 5th Prince of Sayn-Wittgenstein-Berleburg, a highly decorated German army officer declared missing in 1944 yet only legally declared dead in 1969, and Margareta Fouché d'Otrante, a descendant of Napoleonic statesman Joseph Fouché, Duke d'Otrante. Richard was raised in Sweden with his maternal grandfather, the Duke of Otranto, at Elghammar Castle. He attended the boarding schools Viggbyholm and Sigtuna.
Having studied arboreal science at Munich University, Prince Richard obtained his forestry diploma at the University of Göttingen in Lower Saxony. He took post-graduate training as Forstreferendar, obtaining a degree as Assessor des Forstdienstes after passing the second-level examination at the North Rhine Westphalian State Forestry Service.[2]
In July 2003, he underwent surgery for treatment of prostate cancer; previously, he had undergone treatment for skin cancer.[3]
Conservation
Prince Richard engaged in several conservation programmes, while responsible for managing his family's extensive lands in Germany.[4] He launched a project to re-introduce European bison to the native continent on part of his 32,000 acre estate in North Rhine-Westphalia, credited as a success by Rewilding Europe as part of a larger effort to restore depleted animals across Europe.[5]
Marriage
Richard married Princess Benedikte of Denmark at Fredensborg Palace Church on 3 February 1968. She is the second daughter of Frederik IX of Denmark and Ingrid of Sweden and younger sister of Margrethe II of Denmark.[2] The couple lived at Berleburg Castle. Pursuant to the marriage contract, in Denmark Richard and his children by Princess Benedikte were to be attributed the style of Highness, rather than the unknown Durchlaucht ("Serene Highness") to which all Sayn-Wittgenstein princes were historically entitled in Germany.[4]
While the couple were raising their family Princess Benedikte reduced her royal engagements in Denmark, where she spent only about a quarter of her time.[4]
Death
Prince Richard died suddenly on 13 March 2017 at the castle of Berleburg in Germany.[6] He was 82.
Children and grandchildren
- Gustav, 7th Prince of Sayn-Wittgenstein-Berleburg (born 12 January 1969).
- Princess Alexandra of Sayn-Wittgenstein-Berleburg (born 20 November 1970). She married on 6 June 1998 at Gråsten Palace Count Jefferson von Pfeil und Klein-Ellguth (born 12 July 1967).[4] The couple have two children, they divorced in 2017. She remarried on 18 May 2019 Count Michael Ahlefeldt-Laurvig-Bille (born 26 February 1965).
- Count Richard von Pfeil und Klein-Ellguth (born 14 September 1999),
- Countess Ingrid von Pfeil und Klein-Ellguth (born 16 August 2003).
- Princess Nathalie of Sayn-Wittgenstein-Berleburg (born 2 May 1975). On 27 May 2010, she married Alexander Johannsmann (born 6 December 1977). The couple have two children.
- Konstantin Johannsmann (born 24 July 2010),
- Louisa Johannsmann (born 28 January 2015).
Titles, styles and honours
| Styles of Prince Richard, 6th Prince of Sayn-Wittgenstein-Berleburg | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Reference style | His Highness |
| Spoken style | Your Highness |
Titles
His Highness Prince Richard of Sayn-Wittgenstein-Berleburg
National honours
Germany: Grand Cross of the Order of Merit of the Federal Republic of Germany, 1st Class[7][8][9]
Denmark: Knight of the Order of the Elephant (R.E.)[10][11][12]- Denmark: Recipient of the 50th Anniversary Medal of the Arrival of Queen Ingrid to Denmark
- Denmark: Recipient of the 50th Birthday Medal of Queen Margrethe II
- Denmark: Recipient of the Silver Anniversary Medal of Queen Margrethe II and Prince Henrik[13]
- Denmark: Recipient of the Silver Jubilee Medal of Queen Margrethe II[14][15]
- Denmark: Recipient of the 100th Anniversary Medal of the Birth of King Frederik IX
- Denmark: Recipient of the Queen Ingrid Commemorative Medal
- Denmark: Recipient of the 75th Birthday Medal of Prince Henrik[16]
- Denmark: Recipient of the 70th Birthday Medal of Queen Margrethe II
- Denmark: Recipient of the Ruby Jubilee Medal of Queen Margrethe II[17]
Foreign honours
Sweden: Knight Grand Cross of the Royal Order of the Polar Star[18]
Spain: Knight Grand Cross of the Order of Isabella the Catholic[19][20]
Netherlands: Knight Grand Cross of the Order of the Crown[21]
Ancestry
| Ancestors of Richard, 6th Prince of Sayn-Wittgenstein-Berleburg | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
References
- Paulsen, Tommy M. (14 March 2017). "HH Prince Richard Has Died". kongehuset.dk (in Danish). Royal Family of Denmark. Retrieved 14 March 2017.
- "Unasylva - No. 88 - News of the world". Fao.org. Retrieved 24 October 2011.
- "iEuropa – News > Infos concernant iEuropa". Ifrance.com. Archived from the original on 27 April 2005. Retrieved 24 October 2011.
- Eilers, Marlene. Queen Victoria's Descendants. Rosvall Royal Books, Falkoping, Sweden, 1997. pp.100, 158-159, 179. ISBN 91-630-5964-9
- "German Prince Plans To Put Bison Back In The Wild | KUNC". Kunc.org. Retrieved 5 September 2015.
- "His Highness Prince Richard passes away". Kongehuset.dk. 14 March 2017. Retrieved 14 March 2017.
- "realm3/denmark1/benedikte". Angelfire.com. Retrieved 5 September 2015.
- "Image: Dinner Christiansborg Palace Q6oBsSwD26Il.jpg, (397 × 594 px)". 2.pictures.gi.zimbio.com. Retrieved 5 September 2015.
- "Princess Nathalie of Sayn Wittgenstein-Berleburg and her father : Photographic image" (JPG). C7.alamy.com. Retrieved 5 September 2015.
- "Image: AlexandraSWBWeddingFrontView.jpg, (319 × 480 px)". 4.bp.blogspot.com. Retrieved 5 September 2015.
- "Image: den6.jpg, (388 × 588 px)". 3.bp.blogspot.com. Retrieved 5 September 2015.
- "Danish Princess Benedicte and her Husband Prince Richard : Photographic image" (JPG). C7.alamy.com. Retrieved 5 September 2015.
- "Photographic image" (JPG). S-media-cache-ak0.pinimg.com. Retrieved 5 September 2015.
- "Photographic image" (JPG). 3.bp.blogspot.com. Retrieved 5 September 2015.
- "Queen Margrethe II's Silver Jubilee: January 14, 1997 - The Royal Forums". Theroyalforums.com. Retrieved 14 March 2017.
- "Princess Benedicte and her Husband Prince Richard : Photographic image" (JPG). C7.alamy.com. Retrieved 5 September 2015.
- "Danish Princess Benedicte and her Husband Prince Richard : Photographic image" (JPG). C7.alamy.com. Retrieved 5 September 2015.
- "Crown Princess Wedding Guests : Photographic image" (JPG). 3.bp.blogspot.com. Retrieved 5 September 2015.
- "Boletín Oficial del Estado" (PDF). Boe.es. Retrieved 5 September 2015.
- "Photographic image" (JPG). 40.media.tumblr.com. Retrieved 5 September 2015.
- "Princess Benedikte of Denmark : Photographic image" (JPG). C7.alamy.com. Retrieved 5 September 2015.
External links
Richard, 6th Prince of Sayn-Wittgenstein-Berleburg Born: 29 October 1934 | ||
| Titles in pretence | ||
|---|---|---|
| Preceded by Prince Gustav Albrecht |
— TITULAR — Prince of Sayn-Wittgenstein-Berleburg 1969–2017 Reason for succession failure: German Revolution of 1918-19 |
Succeeded by Prince Gustav |