Bernhard III Frederick Wilhelm Albrecht Georg, Duke of Saxe-Meiningen
Encyclopedia
Bernhard III Frederick Wilhelm Albrecht Georg, Duke of Saxe-Meiningen (b. Meiningen
, 1 April 1851 – d. Meiningen
, 16 January 1928), was the last reigning duke of Saxe-Meiningen
.
He was the eldest son of Georg II, Duke of Saxe-Meiningen
and his first wife Princess Charlotte Frederica of Prussia
. He had one full sister, Princess Marie Elisabeth
, and several half-brothers by his father's second marriage.
. When Germany
lost the war, all the German princes lost their titles and states. Bernhard was forced to abdicate as duke on 10 November 1918, and spent the rest of his life in his former country as a private citizen.
on 18 February 1878 Princess Charlotte of Prussia
,his second cousin, daughter of Frederick III, German Emperor
and granddaughter of the Queen Victoria of the United Kingdom. They had one daughter:
Meiningen
Meiningen is a town in Germany - located in the southern part of the state of Thuringia and is the district seat of Schmalkalden-Meiningen. It is situated on the river Werra....
, 1 April 1851 – d. Meiningen
Meiningen
Meiningen is a town in Germany - located in the southern part of the state of Thuringia and is the district seat of Schmalkalden-Meiningen. It is situated on the river Werra....
, 16 January 1928), was the last reigning duke of Saxe-Meiningen
Saxe-Meiningen
The Duchy of Saxe-Meiningen was one of the Saxon duchies held by the Ernestine line of the Wettin dynasty, located in the southwest of the present-day German state of Thuringia....
.
He was the eldest son of Georg II, Duke of Saxe-Meiningen
Georg II, Duke of Saxe-Meiningen
Georg II, Duke of Saxe-Meiningen , was the penultimate Duke of Saxe-Meiningen, reigning from 1866 to 1914.-Family and early life:...
and his first wife Princess Charlotte Frederica of Prussia
Princess Charlotte Frederica of Prussia
Princess Frederica Louise Wilhelmina Marianne Charlotte of Prussia was the eldest daughter of Prince Albert of Prussia and his wife Princess Marianne of the Netherlands...
. He had one full sister, Princess Marie Elisabeth
Princess Marie Elisabeth of Saxe-Meiningen
Princess Marie Elisabeth of Saxe-Meiningen was the only daughter of Georg II, Duke of Saxe-Meiningen by his first wife Princess Charlotte Frederica of Prussia. She was notable as a musician and composer...
, and several half-brothers by his father's second marriage.
Reign
Bernhard assumed the duchy of Saxe-Meiningen after the death of his father, in 1914. His short reign was affected by World War IWorld War I
World War I , which was predominantly called the World War or the Great War from its occurrence until 1939, and the First World War or World War I thereafter, was a major war centred in Europe that began on 28 July 1914 and lasted until 11 November 1918...
. When Germany
Germany
Germany , officially the Federal Republic of Germany , is a federal parliamentary republic in Europe. The country consists of 16 states while the capital and largest city is Berlin. Germany covers an area of 357,021 km2 and has a largely temperate seasonal climate...
lost the war, all the German princes lost their titles and states. Bernhard was forced to abdicate as duke on 10 November 1918, and spent the rest of his life in his former country as a private citizen.
Marriage
He married in BerlinBerlin
Berlin is the capital city of Germany and is one of the 16 states of Germany. With a population of 3.45 million people, Berlin is Germany's largest city. It is the second most populous city proper and the seventh most populous urban area in the European Union...
on 18 February 1878 Princess Charlotte of Prussia
Princess Charlotte of Prussia
Princess Charlotte of Prussia , Duchess of Saxe-Meiningen was the second child born to Prince Friedrich of Prussia and Princess Victoria...
,his second cousin, daughter of Frederick III, German Emperor
Frederick III, German Emperor
Frederick III was German Emperor and King of Prussia for 99 days in 1888, the Year of the Three Emperors. Friedrich Wilhelm Nikolaus Karl known informally as Fritz, was the only son of Emperor William I and was raised in his family's tradition of military service...
and granddaughter of the Queen Victoria of the United Kingdom. They had one daughter:
- Princess Feodora Victoria Auguste Marie MariannePrincess Feodora of Saxe-MeiningenPrincess Feodora of Saxe-Meiningen was born at Potsdam, was the only child of Bernhard III, Duke of Saxe-Meiningen and his wife Charlotte of Prussia...
(b. Potsdam, 12 May 1879 - d. Schloß Neuhoff, 26 August 1945), married on 24 September 1898 to Heinrich XXX of Reuss-KöstritzReuss Junior LineThe Principality of Reuss Younger Line formed a state in Germany, ruled by members of the House of Reuss. The Counts Reuss of Gera, of Schleiz, of Lobenstein, of Köstritz and of Ebersdorf, each became princes in 1806, and they and their reigning successors bore the title Prince Reuss, Younger Line...
.