Carl Eduard, Duke of Saxe-Coburg and Gotha
Encyclopedia
Charles Edward, Duke of Saxe-Coburg and Gotha (Leopold Charles Edward George Albert; ; 19 July 1884 – 6 March 1954) was the fourth and last reigning Duke of Saxe-Coburg and Gotha
, two duchies in Germany (from 30 July 1900 to 14 November 1918), and the head of the House of Saxe-Coburg and Gotha
from 1900 until his death in 1954. A male-line grandson of Queen Victoria and Prince Albert, he was also a Prince of the United Kingdom
and held the British title of Duke of Albany
.
The Duke was a controversial figure in the United Kingdom
due to his status as Sovereign Duke of Saxe-Coburg and Gotha, part of the German Empire
, during World War I
. He was deprived
of his British peerages, his title of Prince and Royal Highness and his British honours in 1919. In 1918, he was forced to abdicate his ducal throne. He also later joined the German Nazi Party, and served in a number of positions in Germany in the 1930s and 1940s, including as President of the German Red Cross
.
He is the maternal grandfather of King Carl XVI Gustaf of Sweden
. He was also the younger brother of HRH Princess Alice, Countess of Athlone
.
near Esher
, Surrey
. His father was Prince Leopold, Duke of Albany
, the fourth son of Queen Victoria and Albert, Prince Consort. His mother was the Duchess of Albany
(née Princess Helena of Waldeck and Pyrmont).
As his father died before his birth, Charles Edward succeeded to his titles immediately on his birth and was styled His Royal Highness The Duke of Albany.
After becoming sick, he was privately baptised at Claremont on 4 August 1884, two weeks after his birth and later baptised publicly in Esher Parish Church on 4 December 1884 four months later. His godparents were his paternal grandmother Queen Victoria, the Prince of Wales
(his paternal uncle), his paternal aunts Princess Christian of Schleswig-Holstein
and the Marchioness of Lorne
, Princess Frederica of Hanover
(his father's second cousin), his maternal uncle Alexis, Prince of Bentheim and Steinfurt
and his maternal grandfather George Victor, Prince of Waldeck and Pyrmont
(neither of whom could attend). His uncle, Edward VII
made him a Knight of the Garter
on 15 July 1902, just prior to his 19th birthday.
As a grandson of Queen Victoria, the Duke was a first cousin of King George V of the United Kingdom
, Queen Maud of Norway
, Grand Duke Ernest Louis of Hesse
, Empress Alexandra of Russia, Queen Marie of Romania
, Crown Princess Margaret of Sweden
, Queen Victoria Eugenia of Spain, Queen Sophia of Greece
, Queen Wilhelmina of the Netherlands
, and Josias, Hereditary Prince of Waldeck and Pyrmont
(the last two through his mother). The Duke was also a first cousin of the German Emperor William II
, and such was the interest Wilhelm showed in his young cousin's upbringing that Carl Eduard was known as the Emperor
's seventh son. His mother drummed into him endlessly the importance of "becoming a good man, so you bring no shame on Papa's name".
He also studied in Bonn and was a member of Corps Borussia Bonn
to which he was introduced by the Emperor.
. The Duke of Edinburgh's only son, Prince Alfred ("Young Affie"), died in 1899, and the Duke of Connaught, the Queen's third son, renounced his claims to the duchy. Arthur's son, Prince Arthur of Connaught
(who also renounced his claims), was attending school at Eton with Prince Charles Edward, and threatened to beat his cousin up if Charles Edward did not accept the duchy. While at school his mother would write to Charles Edward instilling in him a profound sense of duty and obligation. With such strong influences from both his mother and grandmother, the young boy had no choice but to take up the seat of Coburg
in order to save that line of Royal blood.
For the next five years, he reigned under the regency of the Hereditary Prince of Hohenlohe-Langenburg, the husband of Duke Alfred's third daughter Alexandra. The regent acted under the strict guidance of the Emperor, Wilhelm II
. Upon coming of age on 19 July 1905, the Duke of Saxe-Coburg and Gotha assumed full constitutional powers.
Through his daughter Sibylla
, Charles Edward is the maternal grandfather of Carl XVI Gustav of Sweden.
to the House of Windsor
. That year, the British Parliament passed the Titles Deprivation Act which empowered the Privy Council
to investigate "any persons enjoying any dignity or title as a peer or British prince who have, during the present war, borne arms against His Majesty or His Allies, or who have adhered to His Majesty's enemies." Under the terms of that act, an Order in Council on 28 March 1919 formally removed the Duke's British peerages, the Dukedom of Albany, Earldom of Clarence, and the Barony of Arklow. The Duke and his children also lost their entitlement to the titles of Prince
and Princess of the United Kingdom
and the styles Royal Highness and Highness. Nevertheless, he retained the style Highness as a member of a sovereign ducal house in Germany.
. Now a private citizen, the deposed Duke became associated with various right-wing paramilitary and political organisations. In 1932, he took part in the creation of the so-called Harzburg Front
, through which German National People's Party
became associated with the Nazi Party.
He joined the Nazi Party in 1935 and became a member of the SA (or Brownshirts)
, rising to the rank of Obergruppenführer
. He also served as a member of the Reichstag representing the Nazi Party from 1937 to 1945 and as president of the German Red Cross
from 1933 to 1945. During his years the German Red Cross
became a part of the Nazi Organisation and no longer affiliated to the neutral International Red Cross. It is very unlikely that Charles Edward was ignorant of the concentration camps and medical experiments on mentally disabled patients known as Action T4
as he first nominated Ernst-Robert Grawitz
as head of operations for the German Red Cross
1937-1945 and then replaced him in 1945 with Karl Gebhardt
, both of whom were found guilty of war crimes and crimes against humanity after the war.
In 1936, Adolf Hitler
sent the Duke of Saxe-Coburg and Gotha to Britain as president of the Anglo-German Friendship Society
. His mission was to improve Anglo-German relations
and to explore the possibility of a pact between the two countries. The Duke, who attended the funeral of his cousin King George V
in his SA uniform (his English ceremonial robes having been taken away from him), approached the new king, Edward VIII
, about the possibility of a pact. Nothing came of these talks. Nonetheless, he continued to send Hitler encouraging reports about the strength of pro-German sentiment among the British aristocracy. After the abdication crisis, he played host to the former king and his wife, by then the Duke and Duchess of Windsor, during their official tour of Germany in 1937.
, was killed in action in 1943 on the eastern front in a plane crash.
When World War II ended, the American Military Government in Bavaria, under the command of General George S. Patton
, placed the Duke under house arrest because of his Nazi sympathies and later imprisoned him with other Nazi officials. His sister, Princess Alice
, learning of her brother's incarceration, came to Germany with her husband to plead for his release with his American captors. Princess Alice and the Earl of Athlone dined with the American generals holding her brother, but they declined to release him.
In 1946 (August 1949, according to his ODNB entry), he was sentenced by a denazification court, heavily fined and almost bankrupted. Since Gotha was part of Thuringia and therefore of the Soviet occupation zone, the Soviet Army confiscated much of the family's property in Gotha, whereas Coburg had become part of Bavaria in 1920, and the family kept property there and in other parts of Germany and abroad.
The former Duke of Saxe-Coburg and Gotha spent the last years of his life in seclusion. In 1953, he travelled to a local cinema to watch the coronation of his cousin's granddaughter, Elizabeth II. He died in Coburg in his flat in Elsässer Straße on 6 March 1954 as the elder of only two surviving male grandchildren of Queen Victoria.
While Duke of Saxe-Coburg and Gotha, his full style was, in , which translates to the Duke of Saxe-Coburg and Gotha; Duke in Saxony; Prince of Great Britain and Ireland; Duke of Albany; Duke of Jülich, Cleves and Berg, of Angria and Westphalia; Earl of Clarence; Princely Count of Henneberg; Count of the Mark and Ravensberg; Baron Arklow; Lord of Ravenstein and Tonna
aired an hour-length documentary concerning Charles Edward called Hitler's Favorite Royal. It featured re-coloured original footage and photos from all stages of Charles Edward's private and public life, his troubled conversion to the National-Socialist regime and other aspects. Various international historians commented on the events and issues revolving around his life, reminding the public of his existence and reviving the public debate once again. The programme, however, contained a number of inaccuracies, for example describing Charles Edward as Queen Victoria's youngest grandson, which he was not.
Saxe-Coburg and Gotha
Saxe-Coburg and Gotha or Saxe-Coburg-Gotha served as the collective name of two duchies, Saxe-Coburg and Saxe-Gotha, in Germany. They were located in what today are the states of Bavaria and Thuringia, respectively, and the two were in personal union between 1826 and 1918...
, two duchies in Germany (from 30 July 1900 to 14 November 1918), and the head of the House of Saxe-Coburg and Gotha
House of Saxe-Coburg and Gotha
The House of Saxe-Coburg and Gotha is a German dynasty, the senior line of the Saxon House of Wettin that ruled the Ernestine duchies, including the duchy of Saxe-Coburg and Gotha....
from 1900 until his death in 1954. A male-line grandson of Queen Victoria and Prince Albert, he was also a Prince of the United Kingdom
British prince
This is a list of British princes from the accession of George I in 1714. The title of prince is at the will of the sovereign, who can both grant and revoke the title. Individuals holding the title of prince will usually also be styled His Royal Highness or formerly His Highness...
and held the British title of Duke of Albany
Duke of Albany
Duke of Albany is a peerage title that has occasionally been bestowed on the younger sons in the Scottish, and later the British, royal family, particularly in the Houses of Stuart and Hanover....
.
The Duke was a controversial figure in the United Kingdom
United Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...
due to his status as Sovereign Duke of Saxe-Coburg and Gotha, part of the German Empire
German Empire
The German Empire refers to Germany during the "Second Reich" period from the unification of Germany and proclamation of Wilhelm I as German Emperor on 18 January 1871, to 1918, when it became a federal republic after defeat in World War I and the abdication of the Emperor, Wilhelm II.The German...
, during World War I
World 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...
. He was deprived
Titles Deprivation Act 1917
The Titles Deprivation Act 1917 is an Act of Parliament of the United Kingdom which authorised enemies of the United Kingdom during the First World War to be deprived of their British peerages and royal titles. -Background:...
of his British peerages, his title of Prince and Royal Highness and his British honours in 1919. In 1918, he was forced to abdicate his ducal throne. He also later joined the German Nazi Party, and served in a number of positions in Germany in the 1930s and 1940s, including as President of the German Red Cross
German Red Cross
The German Red Cross , or the DRK, is the national Red Cross Society in Germany.With over 4.5 million members, it is the third largest Red Cross society in the world. The German Red Cross offers a wide range of services within and outside Germany...
.
He is the maternal grandfather of King Carl XVI Gustaf of Sweden
Carl XVI Gustaf of Sweden
Carl XVI Gustaf is the reigning King of Sweden since 15 September 1973, succeeding his grandfather King Gustaf VI Adolf because his father had predeceased him...
. He was also the younger brother of HRH Princess Alice, Countess of Athlone
Princess Alice, Countess of Athlone
Princess Alice, Countess of Athlone was a member of the British Royal Family. She was the longest-lived Princess of the Blood Royal of the British Royal Family and the last surviving grandchild of Queen Victoria...
.
Early life
Charles Edward was born at Claremont HouseClaremont (country house)
Claremont, also known historically as 'Clermont', is an 18th-century Palladian mansion situated less than a mile south of Esher in Surrey, England...
near Esher
Esher
Esher is a town in the Surrey borough of Elmbridge in South East England near the River Mole. It is a very prosperous part of the Greater London Urban Area, largely suburban in character, and is situated 14.1 miles south west of Charing Cross....
, Surrey
Surrey
Surrey is a county in the South East of England and is one of the Home Counties. The county borders Greater London, Kent, East Sussex, West Sussex, Hampshire and Berkshire. The historic county town is Guildford. Surrey County Council sits at Kingston upon Thames, although this has been part of...
. His father was Prince Leopold, Duke of Albany
Prince Leopold, Duke of Albany
The Prince Leopold, Duke of Albany was the eighth child and fourth son of Queen Victoria and Prince Albert of Saxe-Coburg and Gotha. Leopold was later created Duke of Albany, Earl of Clarence, and Baron Arklow...
, the fourth son of Queen Victoria and Albert, Prince Consort. His mother was the Duchess of Albany
Princess Helena, Duchess of Albany
Princess Helena of Waldeck and Pyrmont was the daughter of George Victor, Prince of Waldeck and Pyrmont and his wife Princess Helena of Nassau , who became a member of the British Royal Family by marriage.-Family:She was born in Arolsen, capital of Waldeck...
(née Princess Helena of Waldeck and Pyrmont).
As his father died before his birth, Charles Edward succeeded to his titles immediately on his birth and was styled His Royal Highness The Duke of Albany.
After becoming sick, he was privately baptised at Claremont on 4 August 1884, two weeks after his birth and later baptised publicly in Esher Parish Church on 4 December 1884 four months later. His godparents were his paternal grandmother Queen Victoria, the Prince of Wales
Edward VII of the United Kingdom
Edward VII was King of the United Kingdom and the British Dominions and Emperor of India from 22 January 1901 until his death in 1910...
(his paternal uncle), his paternal aunts Princess Christian of Schleswig-Holstein
Princess Helena of the United Kingdom
Princess Helena was a member of the British Royal Family, the third daughter and fifth child of Queen Victoria and Prince Albert....
and the Marchioness of Lorne
Princess Louise, Duchess of Argyll
The Princess Louise was a member of the British Royal Family, the sixth child and fourth daughter of Queen Victoria and her husband, Albert, Prince Consort.Louise's early life was spent moving between the various royal residences in the...
, Princess Frederica of Hanover
Princess Frederica of Hanover
Princess Frederica of Hanover, was a member of the House of Hanover. After her marriage, she lived mostly in England, where she was a prominent member of Society.-Early life:...
(his father's second cousin), his maternal uncle Alexis, Prince of Bentheim and Steinfurt
Alexis, Prince of Bentheim and Steinfurt
Alexis Carl Ernst Louis Ferdinand Eugen Bernhard, Prince of Bentheim and Steinfurt was a Lieutenant General, statesman, and the Prince of Bentheim and Steinfurt from 28 September 1890 to 21 January 1919.-Early life:...
and his maternal grandfather George Victor, Prince of Waldeck and Pyrmont
George Victor, Prince of Waldeck and Pyrmont
George Victor was the 3rd sovereign Prince of the German state of Waldeck and Pyrmont.He was born in Arolsen the son of George II, Prince of Waldeck and Pyrmont and his wife Princess Emma of Anhalt-Bernburg-Schaumburg-Hoym...
(neither of whom could attend). His uncle, Edward VII
Edward VII of the United Kingdom
Edward VII was King of the United Kingdom and the British Dominions and Emperor of India from 22 January 1901 until his death in 1910...
made him a Knight of the Garter
Order of the Garter
The Most Noble Order of the Garter, founded in 1348, is the highest order of chivalry, or knighthood, existing in England. The order is dedicated to the image and arms of St...
on 15 July 1902, just prior to his 19th birthday.
As a grandson of Queen Victoria, the Duke was a first cousin of King George V of the United Kingdom
George V of the United Kingdom
George V was King of the United Kingdom and the British Dominions, and Emperor of India, from 6 May 1910 through the First World War until his death in 1936....
, Queen Maud of Norway
Maud of Wales
Princess Maud of Wales was Queen of Norway as spouse of King Haakon VII. She was a member of the British Royal Family as the youngest daughter of Edward VII and Alexandra of Denmark and granddaughter of Queen Victoria and also of Christian IX of Denmark. She was the younger sister of George V...
, Grand Duke Ernest Louis of Hesse
Ernest Louis, Grand Duke of Hesse
Ernest Louis Charles Albert William , was the last Grand Duke of Hesse and by Rhine from 1892 until 1918...
, Empress Alexandra of Russia, Queen Marie of Romania
Marie of Edinburgh
Marie of Romania was Queen consort of Romania from 1914 to 1927, as the wife of Ferdinand I of Romania.-Early life:...
, Crown Princess Margaret of Sweden
Princess Margaret of Connaught
Princess Margaret of Connaught was the daughter of Prince Arthur, Duke of Connaught, third son of Queen Victoria, and his wife, Princess Luise Margarete of Prussia...
, Queen Victoria Eugenia of Spain, Queen Sophia of Greece
Sophia of Prussia
Princess Sophie of Prussia was Queen of the Hellenes as the wife of King Constantine I.-Princess of Prussia:...
, Queen Wilhelmina of the Netherlands
Wilhelmina of the Netherlands
Wilhelmina was Queen regnant of the Kingdom of the Netherlands from 1890 to 1948. She ruled the Netherlands for fifty-eight years, longer than any other Dutch monarch. Her reign saw World War I and World War II, the economic crisis of 1933, and the decline of the Netherlands as a major colonial...
, and Josias, Hereditary Prince of Waldeck and Pyrmont
Josias, Hereditary Prince of Waldeck and Pyrmont
Josias, Hereditary Prince of Waldeck and Pyrmont was the heir apparent to the throne of the Principality of Waldeck and Pyrmont and a General in the SS. From 1946 until his death he was the head of the Princely House of Waldeck and Pyrmont...
(the last two through his mother). The Duke was also a first cousin of the German Emperor William II
William II, German Emperor
Wilhelm II was the last German Emperor and King of Prussia, ruling the German Empire and the Kingdom of Prussia from 15 June 1888 to 9 November 1918. He was a grandson of the British Queen Victoria and related to many monarchs and princes of Europe...
, and such was the interest Wilhelm showed in his young cousin's upbringing that Carl Eduard was known as the Emperor
Emperor
An emperor is a monarch, usually the sovereign ruler of an empire or another type of imperial realm. Empress, the female equivalent, may indicate an emperor's wife or a woman who rules in her own right...
's seventh son. His mother drummed into him endlessly the importance of "becoming a good man, so you bring no shame on Papa's name".
He also studied in Bonn and was a member of Corps Borussia Bonn
German Student Corps
Corps are the oldest still-existing kind of Studentenverbindung, Germany's traditional university corporations; their roots date back to the 15th century. The oldest corps still existing today was founded in 1789...
to which he was introduced by the Emperor.
Duke of Saxe-Coburg and Gotha
In 1900, the sixteen-year-old Duke of Albany inherited the ducal throne of Saxe-Coburg and Gotha from his uncle Alfred, Duke of Saxe-Coburg and GothaAlfred, Duke of Saxe-Coburg and Gotha
Alfred, Duke of Saxe-Coburg and Gotha was the third Duke of Saxe-Coburg and Gotha, and reigned from 1893 to 1900. He was also a member of the British Royal Family, the second son and fourth child of Queen Victoria and Prince Albert of Saxe-Coburg and Gotha...
. The Duke of Edinburgh's only son, Prince Alfred ("Young Affie"), died in 1899, and the Duke of Connaught, the Queen's third son, renounced his claims to the duchy. Arthur's son, Prince Arthur of Connaught
Prince Arthur of Connaught
Prince Arthur of Connaught and Strathearn was a member of the British Royal Family, a grandson of Queen Victoria. Prince Arthur held the title of a British prince with the style His Royal Highness...
(who also renounced his claims), was attending school at Eton with Prince Charles Edward, and threatened to beat his cousin up if Charles Edward did not accept the duchy. While at school his mother would write to Charles Edward instilling in him a profound sense of duty and obligation. With such strong influences from both his mother and grandmother, the young boy had no choice but to take up the seat of Coburg
Coburg
Coburg is a town located on the Itz River in Bavaria, Germany. Its 2005 population was 42,015. Long one of the Thuringian states of the Wettin line, it joined with Bavaria by popular vote in 1920...
in order to save that line of Royal blood.
For the next five years, he reigned under the regency of the Hereditary Prince of Hohenlohe-Langenburg, the husband of Duke Alfred's third daughter Alexandra. The regent acted under the strict guidance of the Emperor, Wilhelm II
William II, German Emperor
Wilhelm II was the last German Emperor and King of Prussia, ruling the German Empire and the Kingdom of Prussia from 15 June 1888 to 9 November 1918. He was a grandson of the British Queen Victoria and related to many monarchs and princes of Europe...
. Upon coming of age on 19 July 1905, the Duke of Saxe-Coburg and Gotha assumed full constitutional powers.
Marriage
Wilhelm picked out Charles Edward's bride for him, his niece and on 11 October 1905, at Glücksburg Castle, Holstein, the Duke married Princess Victoria Adelaide of Schleswig-Holstein (31 December 1885 – 3 October 1970), the daughter of Duke Friedrich Ferdinand of Schleswig-Holstein-Sonderburg-Glücksburg. The Duke and Duchess of Saxe-Coburg and Gotha had five children.Through his daughter Sibylla
Princess Sibylla of Saxe-Coburg and Gotha
Princess Sibylla of Sweden, Duchess of Västerbotten , was the wife of Prince Gustav Adolf, Duke of Västerbotten, and is the mother of the current King of Sweden, Carl XVI Gustaf.-Early life:She was the daughter of Charles Edward,...
, Charles Edward is the maternal grandfather of Carl XVI Gustav of Sweden.
World War I
World War I caused a conflict of loyalties for Charles Edward, but finally the Duke supported Germany and held a commission as a general in the German Army (although he never held a major command). Consequently, George V ordered his name removed from the register of the Knights of the Garter in 1915. In July 1917, in an effort to distance his dynasty from its German origins, George V changed the name of the British Royal House from the House of Saxe-Coburg and GothaSaxe-Coburg and Gotha
Saxe-Coburg and Gotha or Saxe-Coburg-Gotha served as the collective name of two duchies, Saxe-Coburg and Saxe-Gotha, in Germany. They were located in what today are the states of Bavaria and Thuringia, respectively, and the two were in personal union between 1826 and 1918...
to the House of Windsor
House of Windsor
The House of Windsor is the royal house of the Commonwealth realms. It was founded by King George V by royal proclamation on the 17 July 1917, when he changed the name of his family from the German Saxe-Coburg and Gotha to the English Windsor, due to the anti-German sentiment in the United Kingdom...
. That year, the British Parliament passed the Titles Deprivation Act which empowered the Privy Council
Privy Council of the United Kingdom
Her Majesty's Most Honourable Privy Council, usually known simply as the Privy Council, is a formal body of advisers to the Sovereign in the United Kingdom...
to investigate "any persons enjoying any dignity or title as a peer or British prince who have, during the present war, borne arms against His Majesty or His Allies, or who have adhered to His Majesty's enemies." Under the terms of that act, an Order in Council on 28 March 1919 formally removed the Duke's British peerages, the Dukedom of Albany, Earldom of Clarence, and the Barony of Arklow. The Duke and his children also lost their entitlement to the titles of Prince
British prince
This is a list of British princes from the accession of George I in 1714. The title of prince is at the will of the sovereign, who can both grant and revoke the title. Individuals holding the title of prince will usually also be styled His Royal Highness or formerly His Highness...
and Princess of the United Kingdom
British princess
This is a list of British princesses from the accession of King George I in 1714. This article deals with both princesses of the blood royal and women who become princesses upon marriage....
and the styles Royal Highness and Highness. Nevertheless, he retained the style Highness as a member of a sovereign ducal house in Germany.
Private citizen
The Russian Revolution of 1917 caused Charles much concern and he watched anxiously during the ensuing power struggles between the left- and right-wing parties in Germany. On 18 November 1918, the Workers' and Soldiers' Council of Gotha deposed the Duke of Saxe-Coburg and Gotha. Five days later, the Duke signed a declaration relinquishing his rights to the throne. Charles Edward, who by this time had been branded a traitor and effectively exiled from England, felt doubly betrayed, and as fearful as any Royal of the communist threat, he cast about for a new hero and found Adolf HitlerAdolf Hitler
Adolf Hitler was an Austrian-born German politician and the leader of the National Socialist German Workers Party , commonly referred to as the Nazi Party). He was Chancellor of Germany from 1933 to 1945, and head of state from 1934 to 1945...
. Now a private citizen, the deposed Duke became associated with various right-wing paramilitary and political organisations. In 1932, he took part in the creation of the so-called Harzburg Front
Harzburg Front
The Harzburg Front was a short-lived right-wing political alliance in Weimar Germany, formed in 1931 as an attempt to present a unified opposition to the government of Chancellor Heinrich Brüning...
, through which German National People's Party
German National People's Party
The German National People's Party was a national conservative party in Germany during the time of the Weimar Republic. Before the rise of the NSDAP it was the main nationalist party in Weimar Germany composed of nationalists, reactionary monarchists, völkisch, and antisemitic elements, and...
became associated with the Nazi Party.
Sturmabteilung
The Sturmabteilung functioned as a paramilitary organization of the National Socialist German Workers' Party . It played a key role in Adolf Hitler's rise to power in the 1920s and 1930s...
, rising to the rank of Obergruppenführer
Obergruppenführer
Obergruppenführer was a Nazi Party paramilitary rank that was first created in 1932 as a rank of the SA and until 1942 it was the highest SS rank inferior only to Reichsführer-SS...
. He also served as a member of the Reichstag representing the Nazi Party from 1937 to 1945 and as president of the German Red Cross
German Red Cross
The German Red Cross , or the DRK, is the national Red Cross Society in Germany.With over 4.5 million members, it is the third largest Red Cross society in the world. The German Red Cross offers a wide range of services within and outside Germany...
from 1933 to 1945. During his years the German Red Cross
German Red Cross
The German Red Cross , or the DRK, is the national Red Cross Society in Germany.With over 4.5 million members, it is the third largest Red Cross society in the world. The German Red Cross offers a wide range of services within and outside Germany...
became a part of the Nazi Organisation and no longer affiliated to the neutral International Red Cross. It is very unlikely that Charles Edward was ignorant of the concentration camps and medical experiments on mentally disabled patients known as Action T4
Action T4
Action T4 was the name used after World War II for Nazi Germany's eugenics-based "euthanasia" program during which physicians killed thousands of people who were "judged incurably sick, by critical medical examination"...
as he first nominated Ernst-Robert Grawitz
Ernst-Robert Grawitz
Ernst-Robert Grawitz was a German physician in Nazi Germany during World War II.- Early life :Grawitz was born in Charlottenburg, in the western part of Berlin, Germany.- Career :...
as head of operations for the German Red Cross
German Red Cross
The German Red Cross , or the DRK, is the national Red Cross Society in Germany.With over 4.5 million members, it is the third largest Red Cross society in the world. The German Red Cross offers a wide range of services within and outside Germany...
1937-1945 and then replaced him in 1945 with Karl Gebhardt
Karl Gebhardt
Karl Gebhardt was a German medical doctor; personal physician of Heinrich Himmler; and one of the main coordinators and perpetrators of surgical experiments performed on inmates of the concentration camps at Ravensbrück and Auschwitz.-Career in the Third Reich:Gebhardt's Nazi career began with his...
, both of whom were found guilty of war crimes and crimes against humanity after the war.
In 1936, Adolf Hitler
Adolf Hitler
Adolf Hitler was an Austrian-born German politician and the leader of the National Socialist German Workers Party , commonly referred to as the Nazi Party). He was Chancellor of Germany from 1933 to 1945, and head of state from 1934 to 1945...
sent the Duke of Saxe-Coburg and Gotha to Britain as president of the Anglo-German Friendship Society
Deutsch-Englische Gesellschaft
The Deutsch-Englische Gesellschaft was the German sister organization of the Anglo-German Fellowship. It was formed in Berlin, Germany, around 1935, under support of the Dienststelle Ribbentrop. The Dienststelle Ribbentrop was created by Ribbentrop in 1935, and was to function parallel to the...
. His mission was to improve Anglo-German relations
Anglo-German relations
Germany – United Kingdom relations also Anglo-German relations are the bilateral relations between Britain and Germany.Before the unification of Germany in 1871, Britain was often allied in wartime with Prussia. The Hanoverian kings of England were also the rulers of the German state of Hanover...
and to explore the possibility of a pact between the two countries. The Duke, who attended the funeral of his cousin King George V
George V of the United Kingdom
George V was King of the United Kingdom and the British Dominions, and Emperor of India, from 6 May 1910 through the First World War until his death in 1936....
in his SA uniform (his English ceremonial robes having been taken away from him), approached the new king, Edward VIII
Edward VIII of the United Kingdom
Edward VIII was King of the United Kingdom and the Dominions of the British Commonwealth, and Emperor of India, from 20 January to 11 December 1936.Before his accession to the throne, Edward was Prince of Wales and Duke of Cornwall and Rothesay...
, about the possibility of a pact. Nothing came of these talks. Nonetheless, he continued to send Hitler encouraging reports about the strength of pro-German sentiment among the British aristocracy. After the abdication crisis, he played host to the former king and his wife, by then the Duke and Duchess of Windsor, during their official tour of Germany in 1937.
World War II
Although Carl Edward was too old for active service during World War II, his three sons served in Germany's armed forces. His second son, HubertusPrince Hubertus of Saxe-Coburg and Gotha (1909–1943)
Prince Hubertus of Saxe-Coburg and Gotha was a member of the House of Saxe-Coburg-Gotha, the second eldest son of Charles Edward, Duke of Saxe-Coburg and Gotha and his wife, Princess Victoria Adelaide of Schleswig-Holstein....
, was killed in action in 1943 on the eastern front in a plane crash.
When World War II ended, the American Military Government in Bavaria, under the command of General George S. Patton
George S. Patton
George Smith Patton, Jr. was a United States Army officer best known for his leadership while commanding corps and armies as a general during World War II. He was also well known for his eccentricity and controversial outspokenness.Patton was commissioned in the U.S. Army after his graduation from...
, placed the Duke under house arrest because of his Nazi sympathies and later imprisoned him with other Nazi officials. His sister, Princess Alice
Princess Alice, Countess of Athlone
Princess Alice, Countess of Athlone was a member of the British Royal Family. She was the longest-lived Princess of the Blood Royal of the British Royal Family and the last surviving grandchild of Queen Victoria...
, learning of her brother's incarceration, came to Germany with her husband to plead for his release with his American captors. Princess Alice and the Earl of Athlone dined with the American generals holding her brother, but they declined to release him.
In 1946 (August 1949, according to his ODNB entry), he was sentenced by a denazification court, heavily fined and almost bankrupted. Since Gotha was part of Thuringia and therefore of the Soviet occupation zone, the Soviet Army confiscated much of the family's property in Gotha, whereas Coburg had become part of Bavaria in 1920, and the family kept property there and in other parts of Germany and abroad.
The former Duke of Saxe-Coburg and Gotha spent the last years of his life in seclusion. In 1953, he travelled to a local cinema to watch the coronation of his cousin's granddaughter, Elizabeth II. He died in Coburg in his flat in Elsässer Straße on 6 March 1954 as the elder of only two surviving male grandchildren of Queen Victoria.
Titles and styles
- 19 July 1884 – 30 July 1900: His Royal Highness The Duke of Albany
- 30 July 1900 – 28 March 1919: His Royal Highness The Duke of Saxe-Coburg and Gotha
- 28 March 1919 – 6 March 1954: His Highness The Duke of Saxe-Coburg and Gotha
While Duke of Saxe-Coburg and Gotha, his full style was, in , which translates to the Duke of Saxe-Coburg and Gotha; Duke in Saxony; Prince of Great Britain and Ireland; Duke of Albany; Duke of Jülich, Cleves and Berg, of Angria and Westphalia; Earl of Clarence; Princely Count of Henneberg; Count of the Mark and Ravensberg; Baron Arklow; Lord of Ravenstein and Tonna
Honours
- KG: Knight of the GarterOrder of the GarterThe Most Noble Order of the Garter, founded in 1348, is the highest order of chivalry, or knighthood, existing in England. The order is dedicated to the image and arms of St...
, 15 July 1902–1915 - GCVO: Knight Grand Cross of the Royal Victorian OrderRoyal Victorian OrderThe Royal Victorian Order is a dynastic order of knighthood and a house order of chivalry recognising distinguished personal service to the order's Sovereign, the reigning monarch of the Commonwealth realms, any members of her family, or any of her viceroys...
, 27 January 1901
Arms
Charles Edward was never granted arms in the United Kingdom. He did not inherit the arms of his father as royal arms, as differenced version of Arms of Dominion are granted individually, and not inherited. On his accession as Duke of Saxe-Coburg and Gotha, he used the arms of that duchy, both the greater and lesser versions. One variant that he also used was a shield of the arms of Saxony, with a differenced version of the arms of the United Kingdom, with the label borne by his father on his father's arms, (essentially, the arms of his father in reverse). This was similar to the arms borne by his uncle, Alfred, as Duke of Saxe-Coburg and Gotha, as can be seen on his stall plate as a Knight of the Swedish Order of the Seraphim.In the media
On 2 June 2008, British Channel 4Channel 4
Channel 4 is a British public-service television broadcaster which began working on 2 November 1982. Although largely commercially self-funded, it is ultimately publicly owned; originally a subsidiary of the Independent Broadcasting Authority , the station is now owned and operated by the Channel...
aired an hour-length documentary concerning Charles Edward called Hitler's Favorite Royal. It featured re-coloured original footage and photos from all stages of Charles Edward's private and public life, his troubled conversion to the National-Socialist regime and other aspects. Various international historians commented on the events and issues revolving around his life, reminding the public of his existence and reviving the public debate once again. The programme, however, contained a number of inaccuracies, for example describing Charles Edward as Queen Victoria's youngest grandson, which he was not.
Issue
| Name | Birth | Death | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Johann Leopold, Hereditary Prince of Saxe-Coburg and Gotha Johann Leopold, Hereditary Prince of Saxe-Coburg and Gotha Johann Leopold, Hereditary Prince of Saxe-Coburg and Gotha was the eldest son of Charles Edward, Duke of Saxe-Coburg and Gotha and Princess Victoria Adelaide of Schleswig-Holstein-Sonderburg-Glücksburg... |
2 August 1906 | 4 May 1972 | married (1) unequally, renouncing his rights to the headship of the House of Saxe-Coburg and Gotha), 9 March 1932, Baroness Feodora von der Horst; divorced 1962; had issue (2), 5 May 1963, Maria Theresia Reindl; no issue |
| Princess Sibylla of Saxe-Coburg and Gotha Princess Sibylla of Saxe-Coburg and Gotha Princess Sibylla of Sweden, Duchess of Västerbotten , was the wife of Prince Gustav Adolf, Duke of Västerbotten, and is the mother of the current King of Sweden, Carl XVI Gustaf.-Early life:She was the daughter of Charles Edward,... |
18 January 1908 | 28 November 1972 | married, 20 October 1932, Prince Gustaf Adolf of Sweden, Duke of Västerbotten Prince Gustaf Adolf, Duke of Västerbotten Prince Gustaf Adolf Oscar Fredrik Arthur Edmund, Duke of Västerbotten was Duke of West Bothnia and the eldest son of Gustaf VI Adolf of Sweden and his first wife Princess Margaret of Connaught... ; had issue, Princess Margaretha Princess Margaretha, Mrs. Ambler Princess Margaretha, Mrs. Ambler , was born at Haga Palace outside Stockholm. She is the first child of Prince Gustaf Adolf, Duke of Västerbotten, and Princess Sibylla of Saxe-Coburg-Gotha, and granddaughter of King Gustaf VI Adolf of Sweden and Princess Margaret of Connaught .-Life and... , Princess Birgitta Princess Birgitta of Sweden Princess Birgitta of Sweden and Hohenzollern is a sister of King Carl XVI Gustaf. She was born at Haga Palace in Stockholm County.-Family:... , Princess Désirée Princess Désirée, Baroness Silfverschiöld Princess Désirée, Baroness Silfverschiöld , was born at Haga Palace outside Stockholm. She is the third child of Prince Gustaf Adolf, Duke of Västerbotten, and Princess Sibylla of Saxe-Coburg-Gotha, and granddaughter of King Gustaf VI Adolf of Sweden... , Princess Christina Princess Christina, Mrs. Magnuson Princess Christina, Mrs. Magnuson, is the sister of Carl XVI Gustaf, the current King of Sweden. She was born at Haga Palace outside Stockholm. She is the fourth child of Prince Gustaf Adolf, Duke of Västerbotten, and Princess Sibylla of Saxe-Coburg-Gotha, and granddaughter of King Gustaf VI... and King Carl XVI Gustaf Carl XVI Gustaf of Sweden Carl XVI Gustaf is the reigning King of Sweden since 15 September 1973, succeeding his grandfather King Gustaf VI Adolf because his father had predeceased him... |
| Prince Hubertus of Saxe-Coburg and Gotha Prince Hubertus of Saxe-Coburg and Gotha (1909–1943) Prince Hubertus of Saxe-Coburg and Gotha was a member of the House of Saxe-Coburg-Gotha, the second eldest son of Charles Edward, Duke of Saxe-Coburg and Gotha and his wife, Princess Victoria Adelaide of Schleswig-Holstein.... |
24 August 1909 | 26 November 1943 | |
| Princess Caroline Mathilde of Saxe-Coburg and Gotha Princess Caroline Mathilde of Saxe-Coburg and Gotha Princess Caroline Matilda of Saxe-Coburg and Gotha -Early life:... |
22 June 1912 | 5 September 1983 | married (1), 14 December 1931, Friedrich Wolfgang Otto, Count of Castell-Rüdenhausen; divorced 2 May 1938; had issue (2), 22 June 1938, Captain Max Schnirring; he died 1944; had issue (3), 23 December 1946, Karl Andree; divorced 27 December 1947; no issue |
| Friedrich Josias, Prince of Saxe-Coburg and Gotha | 29 November 1918 | 23 January 1998 | married (1), 25 January 1942, Countess Viktoria-Luise of Solms-Baruth Countess Viktoria-Luise of Solms-Baruth Countess Viktoria-Luise of Solms-Baruth -Early life:... ; divorced 19 September 1947; had issue (2), 14 February 1948, Denyse Henrietta de Muralt; divorced 17 September 1964; had issue (3), 30 October 1964, Katrin Bremme; no issue |
Ancestry
Sources
- Harald Sandner, Hitlers Herzog: Carl Eduard von Sachsen-Coburg und Gotha: die Biographie. Aachen, 2010.