House of Saxe-Coburg and Gotha
Encyclopedia
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
.
Founded by Ernst Anton, the sixth duke of Saxe-Coburg-Saalfeld
, it is also the royal house
of several European monarchies, and branches currently reign in Belgium
through the descendants of Leopold I
, and in the Commonwealth realm
s through the descendants of Prince Albert. Due to anti-German sentiment
in the United Kingdom during World War I
, George V of the United Kingdom
changed the name of his branch from Saxe-Coburg and Gotha to Windsor
in 1917. The same happened in Belgium where it was changed to "van België" (Dutch) or "de Belgique" (French).
(as Ernest III) from 1806 until the duchy was reorganized in 1826. Ernst's younger brother Leopold became King of the Belgians in 1831, and his descendants continue to serve as Belgian head of state. Léopold's only daughter, Princess Charlotte of Belgium, was the consort of Maximilian I of Mexico
, known as the Empress Carlota of Mexico
, in the 1860s. Ernst's nephew Ferdinand
married Queen Maria II of Portugal, and his descendants continued to rule Portugal
until that country became a republic in 1910.
Ernst I's second son, Prince Albert
(1819–1861), married Queen Victoria in 1840, and thus is the progenitor of the United Kingdom's current royal family, called Windsor since World War I.
In 1826, a cadet branch
of the house inherited the Hungarian princely estate of Koháry, and converted to Roman Catholicism. Its members managed to marry an imperial princess of Brazil, an archduchess of Austria, a royal princess of "the French", a royal princess of Belgium and a royal princess of Saxony. A scion of this branch, also named Ferdinand
, became Prince, and then Tsar
, of Bulgaria
, and his descendants continued to rule there until 1946. The current head of the House of Bulgaria, the former Tsar Simeon II who was deposed
and exile
d during World War II
, goes by the name Simeon Sakskoburggotski and served as Bulgaria's prime minister from 2001 to 2005.
The ducal house consisted of all male-line descendents of John Ernest IV, Duke of Saxe-Coburg-Saalfeld legitimately born of an equal marriage
, males and females (the latter until their marriage), their wives in equal and authorised marriages, and their widows until remarriage. According to the House law
of the Duchy of Saxe-Coburg and Gotha the full title of the Duke was:
Although the ducal branch is eponym
ous with the dynasty, its head is not the genealogically or agnatically
senior member of the family. In 1893 the reigning duke died childless, whereupon the throne of Saxe-Coburg and Gotha would have devolved, by male primogeniture
, upon the British branch descended from Prince Albert. However, as heirs to the British throne, Albert's descendants consented and the law of the duchy ratified that the ducal throne would not be inherited by the British monarch or heir apparent
. Therefore, the German duchy became a secundogeniture
, hereditary among the younger princes of the British royal family who belonged to the House of Wettin, and their male-line descendants.
Instead of the future Edward VII of the United Kingdom
inheriting the duchy, it was diverted to his next brother, Prince Alfred, Duke of Edinburgh
and, upon the latter's death without surviving sons, to the youngest grandson of Prince Albert and Queen Victoria, Prince Charles Edward, Duke of Albany
(bypassing Prince Arthur, Duke of Connaught (and his male line) who, although senior by birth to his nephew Charles Edward, preferred to remain on British soil).
The current head of the ducal branch, Andreas, Prince of Saxe-Coburg and Gotha, is therefore the descendant and German heir of Charles Edward. Should his legitimate male line become extinct, the claim to the Saxon duchy (which lost its sovereignty and independent existence in 1918) would revert to the male line of Edward VII, currently represented in chief by Prince Richard, Duke of Gloucester
.
Manuel II died childless in 1932. He recognised as his successor his distant cousin Duarte Nuno, Duke of Braganza
, who is not a descendant of Ferdinand II, or the house of Saxe-Coburg and Gotha. Duarte Nuno and his successors, as claimants to the Portuguese throne, are therefore members of the House of Braganza
, rather than the House of Braganza-Saxe-Coburg and Gotha
.
If Elizabeth II is succeeded by her child (or a child of one of her sons), the House of Saxe-Coburg and Gotha will be succeeded patrilineally
by the House of Schleswig-Holstein-Sonderburg-Glücksburg, a cadet branch
of the House of Oldenburg
. However, by a 1960 Order in Council, her children also bear the name of Windsor and therefore the reigning dynasty will continue under that name unless changed.
According to the official website of the British monarchy, however, "the only British monarch of the House of Saxe-Coburg-Gotha was King Edward VII, who reigned for nine years. King George V replaced the German-sounding title with the name of Windsor during the First World War. The name Saxe-Coburg-Gotha survived in other European realms, including the former monarchies of Portugal and Bulgaria and in the Belgian royal family until 1920."
through his sister Princess Victoria of Saxe-Coburg-Saalfeld
. As a consequence of their marriage, Saxe-Coburg and Gotha became the dynasty of the British Royal Family
from the accession of Edward VII in 1901 until changed to Windsor by King George V in 1917, during the United Kingdom's war
with the German Empire
.
Contrary to common belief, Saxe-Coburg and Gotha was not the personal surname of either Prince Albert, his wife or their descendants. Queen Victoria launched an inquiry to identify her surname. After an exhaustive search her advisors concluded that Prince Albert (and thus the Queen—by virtue of her marriage) had the surname Wettin.
George V changed both Wettin and Saxe-Coburg and Gotha to Windsor by proclamation
in 1917.
In 1947 Elizabeth II married Prince Philip, Duke of Edinburgh
, who also had German heritage, being descended from the House of Schleswig-Holstein-Sonderburg-Glücksburg, and whose surname since shortly before his marriage has been Mountbatten
—anglicized during WWI from "Battenberg"
of the Grand Duchy of Hesse
. The Queen's marriage to Prince Philip raised the issue of the surname and dynastic name to be carried by the Queen's descendants, including future monarchs. An Order in Council in 1960 decreed that the name and dynasty of Elizabeth II would remain "Windsor", as would that of her children by the Duke of Edinburgh (save that of any of their daughters who married). The order stipulated, however, that those of their male-line
descendants who do not bear the title of prince or princess and the style of Royal Highness
would have the surname of Mountbatten-Windsor
. In fact, some of Elizabeth II's children have also chosen, on occasion, to use that designation on legal documents.
, descent as reckoned from father to son, has historically been the principle determining membership in reign
ing families, thus the dynasty to which the monarchs of the House of Saxe-Coburg-Gotha belonged genealogically
through the 20th century is the House of Wettin, despite the official use of varying names by different branches of the patriline.
Descent before Conrad the Great
may not be entirely accurate.
House of Wettin
|-
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Germans
The Germans are a Germanic ethnic group native to Central Europe. The English term Germans has referred to the German-speaking population of the Holy Roman Empire since the Late Middle Ages....
dynasty
Dynasty
A dynasty is a sequence of rulers considered members of the same family. Historians traditionally consider many sovereign states' history within a framework of successive dynasties, e.g., China, Ancient Egypt and the Persian Empire...
, the senior line of the Saxon House of Wettin that ruled the Ernestine duchies
Ernestine duchies
The Ernestine duchies, also called the Saxon duchies , were a changing number of small states largely located in the present German state of Thuringia, governed by dukes of the Ernestine line of the House of Wettin.-Overview:The...
, including the duchy of Saxe-Coburg and Gotha
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...
.
Founded by Ernst Anton, the sixth duke of Saxe-Coburg-Saalfeld
Saxe-Coburg-Saalfeld
The Duchy of Saxe-Coburg-Saalfeld was one of the Saxon Duchies held by the Ernestine line of the Wettin Dynasty. Established in the 17th century, the Saxe-Coburg-Saalfield line lasted until the reshuffle of Ernestine territories that occurred following the extinction of the Saxe-Gotha line in...
, it is also the royal house
Royal House
A royal house or royal dynasty consists of at least one, but usually more monarchs who are related to one another, as well as their non-reigning descendants and spouses. Monarchs of the same realm who are not related to one another are usually deemed to belong to different houses, and each house is...
of several European monarchies, and branches currently reign in Belgium
Belgium
Belgium , officially the Kingdom of Belgium, is a federal state in Western Europe. It is a founding member of the European Union and hosts the EU's headquarters, and those of several other major international organisations such as NATO.Belgium is also a member of, or affiliated to, many...
through the descendants of Leopold I
Leopold I of Belgium
Leopold I was from 21 July 1831 the first King of the Belgians, following Belgium's independence from the Netherlands. He was the founder of the Belgian line of the House of Saxe-Coburg-Gotha...
, and in the Commonwealth realm
Commonwealth Realm
A Commonwealth realm is a sovereign state within the Commonwealth of Nations that has Elizabeth II as its monarch and head of state. The sixteen current realms have a combined land area of 18.8 million km² , and a population of 134 million, of which all, except about two million, live in the six...
s through the descendants of Prince Albert. Due to anti-German sentiment
Anti-German sentiment
Anti-German sentiment is defined as an opposition to or fear of Germany, its inhabitants, and the German language. Its opposite is Germanophilia.-Russia:...
in the United Kingdom 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...
, 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....
changed the name of his branch from Saxe-Coburg and Gotha to 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...
in 1917. The same happened in Belgium where it was changed to "van België" (Dutch) or "de Belgique" (French).
History
The first duke of Saxe-Coburg and Gotha was Ernst I, who reigned from 1826 until his death in 1844. He had previously been Duke of Saxe-Coburg-SaalfeldSaxe-Coburg-Saalfeld
The Duchy of Saxe-Coburg-Saalfeld was one of the Saxon Duchies held by the Ernestine line of the Wettin Dynasty. Established in the 17th century, the Saxe-Coburg-Saalfield line lasted until the reshuffle of Ernestine territories that occurred following the extinction of the Saxe-Gotha line in...
(as Ernest III) from 1806 until the duchy was reorganized in 1826. Ernst's younger brother Leopold became King of the Belgians in 1831, and his descendants continue to serve as Belgian head of state. Léopold's only daughter, Princess Charlotte of Belgium, was the consort of Maximilian I of Mexico
Maximilian I of Mexico
Maximilian I was the only monarch of the Second Mexican Empire.After a distinguished career in the Austrian Navy, he was proclaimed Emperor of Mexico on April 10, 1864, with the backing of Napoleon III of France and a group of Mexican monarchists who sought to revive the Mexican monarchy...
, known as the Empress Carlota of Mexico
Charlotte of Belgium
Charlotte of Belgium is remembered today as Carlota of Mexico as empress consort of Emperor Maximilian I of Mexico, ex-Archduke of Austria.-Princess of Belgium:The only daughter of Leopold I, King of the Belgians by his second wife,...
, in the 1860s. Ernst's nephew Ferdinand
Ferdinand II of Portugal
Ferdinand of Saxe-Coburg and Gotha , named Prince Ferdinand Augustus Francis Anthony of Saxe-Coburg-Gotha-Koháry, was King of Portugal as husband of Queen Maria II of Portugal from the birth of their son in 1837 to her death in 1853.In keeping with Portuguese law, only after the birth of his son in...
married Queen Maria II of Portugal, and his descendants continued to rule Portugal
Portugal
Portugal , officially the Portuguese Republic is a country situated in southwestern Europe on the Iberian Peninsula. Portugal is the westernmost country of Europe, and is bordered by the Atlantic Ocean to the West and South and by Spain to the North and East. The Atlantic archipelagos of the...
until that country became a republic in 1910.
Ernst I's second son, Prince Albert
Prince Albert
Prince Albert was the husband and consort of Queen Victoria.Prince Albert may also refer to:-Royalty:*Prince Albert Edward or Edward VII of the United Kingdom , son of Albert and Victoria...
(1819–1861), married Queen Victoria in 1840, and thus is the progenitor of the United Kingdom's current royal family, called Windsor since World War I.
In 1826, a cadet branch
Cadet branch
Cadet branch is a term in genealogy to describe the lineage of the descendants of the younger sons of a monarch or patriarch. In the ruling dynasties and noble families of much of Europe and Asia, the family's major assets – titles, realms, fiefs, property and income – have...
of the house inherited the Hungarian princely estate of Koháry, and converted to Roman Catholicism. Its members managed to marry an imperial princess of Brazil, an archduchess of Austria, a royal princess of "the French", a royal princess of Belgium and a royal princess of Saxony. A scion of this branch, also named Ferdinand
Ferdinand I of Bulgaria
Ferdinand , born Ferdinand Maximilian Karl Leopold Maria of Saxe-Coburg and Gotha-Koháry, was the ruler of Bulgaria from 1887 to 1918, first as knyaz and later as tsar...
, became Prince, and then Tsar
Tsar
Tsar is a title used to designate certain European Slavic monarchs or supreme rulers. As a system of government in the Tsardom of Russia and Russian Empire, it is known as Tsarist autocracy, or Tsarism...
, of Bulgaria
Bulgaria
Bulgaria , officially the Republic of Bulgaria , is a parliamentary democracy within a unitary constitutional republic in Southeast Europe. The country borders Romania to the north, Serbia and Macedonia to the west, Greece and Turkey to the south, as well as the Black Sea to the east...
, and his descendants continued to rule there until 1946. The current head of the House of Bulgaria, the former Tsar Simeon II who was deposed
Deposition (politics)
Deposition by political means concerns the removal of a politician or monarch. It may be done by coup, impeachment, invasion or forced abdication...
and exile
Exile
Exile means to be away from one's home , while either being explicitly refused permission to return and/or being threatened with imprisonment or death upon return...
d during World War II
World War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
, goes by the name Simeon Sakskoburggotski and served as Bulgaria's prime minister from 2001 to 2005.
The ducal house consisted of all male-line descendents of John Ernest IV, Duke of Saxe-Coburg-Saalfeld legitimately born of an equal marriage
Morganatic marriage
In the context of European royalty, a morganatic marriage is a marriage between people of unequal social rank, which prevents the passage of the husband's titles and privileges to the wife and any children born of the marriage...
, males and females (the latter until their marriage), their wives in equal and authorised marriages, and their widows until remarriage. According to the House law
House law
House law or House laws are rules that govern a royal family or dynasty in matters of eligibility for succession to a throne, membership in a dynasty, exercise of a regency, or entitlement to dynastic rank, titles and styles...
of the Duchy of Saxe-Coburg and Gotha the full title of the Duke was:
- We, Ernst, Duke of Saxe-Coburg and Gotha, JülichDuchy of JülichThe Duchy of Jülich comprised a state within the Holy Roman Empire from the 11th to the 18th centuries. The duchy lay left of the Rhine river between the Electorate of Cologne in the east and the Duchy of Limburg in the west. It had territories on both sides of the river Rur, around its capital...
, ClevesDuchy of ClevesThe Duchy of Cleves was a State of the Holy Roman Empire. It was situated in the northern Rhineland on both sides of the Lower Rhine, around its capital Cleves and the town of Wesel, bordering the lands of the Prince-Bishopric of Münster in the east and the Duchy of Brabant in the west...
and Berg, also AngriaAngriaAngria or Angaria is a historical region in the present-day German states of Lower Saxony and North Rhine-Westphalia. The chronicler Widukind of Corvey in his Res gestae saxonicae sive annalium libri tres denoted it as the central region of the mediæval Duchy of Saxony lying along the middle...
and WestphaliaWestphaliaWestphalia is a region in Germany, centred on the cities of Arnsberg, Bielefeld, Dortmund, Minden and Münster.Westphalia is roughly the region between the rivers Rhine and Weser, located north and south of the Ruhr River. No exact definition of borders can be given, because the name "Westphalia"...
, LandgraveLandgraveLandgrave was a title used in the Holy Roman Empire and later on by its former territories. The title refers to a count who had feudal duty directly to the Holy Roman Emperor...
in ThuringiaThuringiaThe Free State of Thuringia is a state of Germany, located in the central part of the country.It has an area of and 2.29 million inhabitants, making it the sixth smallest by area and the fifth smallest by population of Germany's sixteen states....
, MargraveMargraveA margrave or margravine was a medieval hereditary nobleman with military responsibilities in a border province of a kingdom. Border provinces usually had more exposure to military incursions from the outside, compared to interior provinces, and thus a margrave usually had larger and more active...
of MeissenMeissenMeissen is a town of approximately 30,000 about northwest of Dresden on both banks of the Elbe river in the Free State of Saxony, in eastern Germany. Meissen is the home of Meissen porcelain, the Albrechtsburg castle, the Gothic Meissen Cathedral and the Meissen Frauenkirche...
, Princely Count of Henneberg, Count of the Mark and Ravensberg, Lord of Ravenstein and Tonna, et cetera.
Dukes, 1826–1918
- Ernest I 1826–1844
- Ernest II 1844–1893
- AlfredAlfred, Duke of Saxe-Coburg and GothaAlfred, 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...
1893–1900 - Charles EdwardCharles Edward, Duke of Saxe-Coburg and GothaCharles Edward, Duke of Saxe-Coburg and Gotha was the fourth and last reigning Duke of Saxe-Coburg and Gotha, two duchies in Germany , and the head of the House of Saxe-Coburg and Gotha from 1900 until his death in 1954...
1900–1918
Heads of the house since 1918
- Charles EdwardCharles Edward, Duke of Saxe-Coburg and GothaCharles Edward, Duke of Saxe-Coburg and Gotha was the fourth and last reigning Duke of Saxe-Coburg and Gotha, two duchies in Germany , and the head of the House of Saxe-Coburg and Gotha from 1900 until his death in 1954...
1918–1954 - Friedrich Josias 1954–1998
- Andreas 1998–present
Although the ducal branch is eponym
Eponym
An eponym is the name of a person or thing, whether real or fictitious, after which a particular place, tribe, era, discovery, or other item is named or thought to be named...
ous with the dynasty, its head is not the genealogically or agnatically
Primogeniture
Primogeniture is the right, by law or custom, of the firstborn to inherit the entire estate, to the exclusion of younger siblings . Historically, the term implied male primogeniture, to the exclusion of females...
senior member of the family. In 1893 the reigning duke died childless, whereupon the throne of Saxe-Coburg and Gotha would have devolved, by male primogeniture
Primogeniture
Primogeniture is the right, by law or custom, of the firstborn to inherit the entire estate, to the exclusion of younger siblings . Historically, the term implied male primogeniture, to the exclusion of females...
, upon the British branch descended from Prince Albert. However, as heirs to the British throne, Albert's descendants consented and the law of the duchy ratified that the ducal throne would not be inherited by the British monarch or heir apparent
Heir apparent
An heir apparent or heiress apparent is a person who is first in line of succession and cannot be displaced from inheriting, except by a change in the rules of succession....
. Therefore, the German duchy became a secundogeniture
Appanage
An apanage or appanage or is the grant of an estate, titles, offices, or other things of value to the younger male children of a sovereign, who would otherwise have no inheritance under the system of primogeniture...
, hereditary among the younger princes of the British royal family who belonged to the House of Wettin, and their male-line descendants.
Instead of the future Edward VII of the United Kingdom
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...
inheriting the duchy, it was diverted to his next brother, Prince Alfred, Duke of Edinburgh
Alfred, 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...
and, upon the latter's death without surviving sons, to the youngest grandson of Prince Albert and Queen Victoria, Prince Charles Edward, Duke of Albany
Charles Edward, Duke of Saxe-Coburg and Gotha
Charles Edward, Duke of Saxe-Coburg and Gotha was the fourth and last reigning Duke of Saxe-Coburg and Gotha, two duchies in Germany , and the head of the House of Saxe-Coburg and Gotha from 1900 until his death in 1954...
(bypassing Prince Arthur, Duke of Connaught (and his male line) who, although senior by birth to his nephew Charles Edward, preferred to remain on British soil).
The current head of the ducal branch, Andreas, Prince of Saxe-Coburg and Gotha, is therefore the descendant and German heir of Charles Edward. Should his legitimate male line become extinct, the claim to the Saxon duchy (which lost its sovereignty and independent existence in 1918) would revert to the male line of Edward VII, currently represented in chief by Prince Richard, Duke of Gloucester
Prince Richard, Duke of Gloucester
Prince Richard, Duke of Gloucester is a member of the British Royal Family. Prince Richard is the youngest grandchild of King George V and Queen Mary. He has been Duke of Gloucester since his father's death in 1974. He is currently 20th in the line of succession...
.
Kings of the Belgians
- Leopold ILeopold I of BelgiumLeopold I was from 21 July 1831 the first King of the Belgians, following Belgium's independence from the Netherlands. He was the founder of the Belgian line of the House of Saxe-Coburg-Gotha...
(1831–1865) - Leopold IILeopold II of BelgiumLeopold II was the second king of the Belgians. Born in Brussels the second son of Leopold I and Louise-Marie of Orléans, he succeeded his father to the throne on 17 December 1865 and remained king until his death.Leopold is chiefly remembered as the founder and sole owner of the Congo Free...
(1865–1909) - Albert IAlbert I of BelgiumAlbert I reigned as King of the Belgians from 1909 until 1934.-Early life:Born Albert Léopold Clément Marie Meinrad in Brussels, he was the fifth child and second son of Prince Philippe, Count of Flanders, and his wife, Princess Marie of Hohenzollern-Sigmaringen...
(1909–1934) - Leopold IIILeopold III of BelgiumLeopold III reigned as King of the Belgians from 1934 until 1951, when he abdicated in favour of the Heir Apparent,...
(1934–1951) - Baudouin (1951–1993)
- Albert IIAlbert II of BelgiumAlbert II is the current reigning King of the Belgians, a constitutional monarch. He is a member of the royal house "of Belgium"; formerly this house was named Saxe-Coburg-Gotha...
(1993–present )
Belgian royal house
Because of the First World War, the family name was changed to van België, de Belgique or von Belgien ("of Belgium"), depending upon which of the country's three official languages (Dutch, French and German) is in use. It is this family name which is used on the identity cards and in all official documents by Belgium's royalty (marriage licenses, etc.).Kingdom of Portugal
In Portugal the former royal house is usually not distinguished from the House of BraganzaHouse of Braganza
The Most Serene House of Braganza , an important Portuguese noble family, ruled the Kingdom of Portugal and its colonial Empire, from 1640 to 1910...
- Pedro VPedro V of Portugal* Duke of Barcelos* Marquis of Vila Viçosa* Count of Ourém* Count of Barcelos* Count of Arraiolos* Count of Guimarães-Honours:* Knight of the Garter* Knight of the Golden Fleece-Ancestry:...
(1853–1861) - Luís ILuís I of Portugal|-...
(1861–1889) - Carlos ICarlos I of Portugal-Assassination:On 1 February 1908 the royal family returned from the palace of Vila Viçosa to Lisbon. They travelled by train to Barreiro and, from there, they took a steamer to cross the Tagus River and disembarked at Cais do Sodré in central Lisbon. On their way to the royal palace, the open...
(1889–1908) - Manuel IIManuel II of PortugalManuel II , named Manuel Maria Filipe Carlos Amélio Luís Miguel Rafael Gabriel Gonzaga Francisco de Assis Eugénio de Bragança Orleães Sabóia e Saxe-Coburgo-Gotha — , was the last King of Portugal from 1908 to 1910, ascending the throne after the assassination of his father and elder brother Manuel...
(r. 1908–1910, d.1932)
Manuel II died childless in 1932. He recognised as his successor his distant cousin Duarte Nuno, Duke of Braganza
Duarte Nuno, Duke of Braganza
Duarte Nuno, Duke of Braganza was a claimant to the throne of Portugal from 1920 until his death.-Birth:...
, who is not a descendant of Ferdinand II, or the house of Saxe-Coburg and Gotha. Duarte Nuno and his successors, as claimants to the Portuguese throne, are therefore members of the House of Braganza
House of Braganza
The Most Serene House of Braganza , an important Portuguese noble family, ruled the Kingdom of Portugal and its colonial Empire, from 1640 to 1910...
, rather than the House of Braganza-Saxe-Coburg and Gotha
House of Braganza-Saxe-Coburg and Gotha
The House of Braganza-Saxe-Coburg and Gotha was a branch of the House of Braganza that ruled the Kingdom of Portugal from 1853 until the declaration of the republic in 1910....
.
Kingdom of Bulgaria
- Ferdinand IFerdinand I of BulgariaFerdinand , born Ferdinand Maximilian Karl Leopold Maria of Saxe-Coburg and Gotha-Koháry, was the ruler of Bulgaria from 1887 to 1918, first as knyaz and later as tsar...
(1887–1918) - Boris IIIBoris III of BulgariaBoris III the Unifier, Tsar of Bulgaria , originally Boris Klemens Robert Maria Pius Ludwig Stanislaus Xaver , son of Ferdinand I, came to the throne in 1918 upon the abdication of his father, following the defeat of the Kingdom of Bulgaria during World War I...
(1918–1943) - Simeon IISimeon Saxe-Coburg-GothaSimeon Borisov of Saxe-Coburg and Gotha, Tsar Simeon II or Simeon II of Bulgaria is an important political and royal figure in Bulgaria...
(1943–1946) In 2001, elected Prime Minister of Bulgaria as Simeon Saxe-Coburg-GothaSimeon Saxe-Coburg-GothaSimeon Borisov of Saxe-Coburg and Gotha, Tsar Simeon II or Simeon II of Bulgaria is an important political and royal figure in Bulgaria...
—also known as Simeon "Sakskoburggotski" (Сакскобургготски).
United Kingdom
- Edward VII (1901–1910)
- George VGeorge VGeorge V was king of the United Kingdom and its dominions from 1910 to 1936.George V or similar terms may also refer to:-People:* George V of Georgia * George V of Imereti * George V of Hanover...
(1910–1936, until 1917 when the name was changed and the royal house and family were to be known as WindsorHouse of WindsorThe 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...
). - Edward VIII (1936)
- George VI (1936–1952)
- Elizabeth II (1952–)
If Elizabeth II is succeeded by her child (or a child of one of her sons), the House of Saxe-Coburg and Gotha will be succeeded patrilineally
Patrilineality
Patrilineality is a system in which one belongs to one's father's lineage. It generally involves the inheritance of property, names or titles through the male line as well....
by the House of Schleswig-Holstein-Sonderburg-Glücksburg, a cadet branch
Cadet branch
Cadet branch is a term in genealogy to describe the lineage of the descendants of the younger sons of a monarch or patriarch. In the ruling dynasties and noble families of much of Europe and Asia, the family's major assets – titles, realms, fiefs, property and income – have...
of the House of Oldenburg
House of Oldenburg
The House of Oldenburg is a North German dynasty and one of Europe's most influential Royal Houses with branches that rule or have ruled in Denmark, Russia, Greece, Norway, Schleswig, Holstein, Oldenburg and Sweden...
. However, by a 1960 Order in Council, her children also bear the name of Windsor and therefore the reigning dynasty will continue under that name unless changed.
According to the official website of the British monarchy, however, "the only British monarch of the House of Saxe-Coburg-Gotha was King Edward VII, who reigned for nine years. King George V replaced the German-sounding title with the name of Windsor during the First World War. The name Saxe-Coburg-Gotha survived in other European realms, including the former monarchies of Portugal and Bulgaria and in the Belgian royal family until 1920."
Names of the British royal house
Ernest I's younger son, Prince Albert of Saxe-Coburg and Gotha, became Prince Consort to Queen Victoria, Ernest's nieceBritish monarchs' family tree
This is the British monarchs' family tree, from James VI of Scotland to the present queen, Elizabeth II of the United Kingdom.-Before James VI/I:-House of Stuart:-House of Hanover:...
through his sister Princess Victoria of Saxe-Coburg-Saalfeld
Princess Victoria of Saxe-Coburg-Saalfeld
Princess Victoria of Saxe-Coburg-Saalfeld was the mother of Queen Victoria of the United Kingdom.-Early life:...
. As a consequence of their marriage, Saxe-Coburg and Gotha became the dynasty of the British Royal Family
British Royal Family
The British Royal Family is the group of close relatives of the monarch of the United Kingdom. The term is also commonly applied to the same group of people as the relations of the monarch in her or his role as sovereign of any of the other Commonwealth realms, thus sometimes at variance with...
from the accession of Edward VII in 1901 until changed to Windsor by King George V in 1917, during the United Kingdom's war
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...
with 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...
.
Contrary to common belief, Saxe-Coburg and Gotha was not the personal surname of either Prince Albert, his wife or their descendants. Queen Victoria launched an inquiry to identify her surname. After an exhaustive search her advisors concluded that Prince Albert (and thus the Queen—by virtue of her marriage) had the surname Wettin.
George V changed both Wettin and Saxe-Coburg and Gotha to Windsor by proclamation
Proclamation
A proclamation is an official declaration.-England and Wales:In English law, a proclamation is a formal announcement , made under the great seal, of some matter which the King in Council or Queen in Council desires to make known to his or her subjects: e.g., the declaration of war, or state of...
in 1917.
In 1947 Elizabeth II married Prince Philip, Duke of Edinburgh
Prince Philip, Duke of Edinburgh
Prince Philip, Duke of Edinburgh is the husband of Elizabeth II. He is the United Kingdom's longest-serving consort and the oldest serving spouse of a reigning British monarch....
, who also had German heritage, being descended from the House of Schleswig-Holstein-Sonderburg-Glücksburg, and whose surname since shortly before his marriage has been Mountbatten
Mountbatten
Mountbatten is the family name originally adopted by a branch of the Battenberg family due to rising anti-German sentiment among the British public during World War I...
—anglicized during WWI from "Battenberg"
Battenberg family
The Battenberg family was a morganatic branch of the House of Hesse-Darmstadt, rulers of the Grand Duchy of Hesse in Germany. The first member was Julia Hauke, whose brother-in-law Grand Duke Louis III of Hesse created her Countess of Battenberg with the style Illustrious Highness in 1851, at her...
of the Grand Duchy of Hesse
Grand Duchy of Hesse
The Grand Duchy of Hesse and by Rhine , or, between 1806 and 1816, Grand Duchy of Hesse —as it was also known after 1816—was a member state of the German Confederation from 1806, when the Landgraviate of Hesse-Darmstadt was elevated to a Grand Duchy, until 1918, when all the German...
. The Queen's marriage to Prince Philip raised the issue of the surname and dynastic name to be carried by the Queen's descendants, including future monarchs. An Order in Council in 1960 decreed that the name and dynasty of Elizabeth II would remain "Windsor", as would that of her children by the Duke of Edinburgh (save that of any of their daughters who married). The order stipulated, however, that those of their male-line
Patrilineality
Patrilineality is a system in which one belongs to one's father's lineage. It generally involves the inheritance of property, names or titles through the male line as well....
descendants who do not bear the title of prince or princess and the style of Royal Highness
Royal Highness
Royal Highness is a style ; plural Royal Highnesses...
would have the surname of Mountbatten-Windsor
Mountbatten-Windsor
Mountbatten-Windsor is the personal surname of some of the descendants of Elizabeth II and Prince Philip, Duke of Edinburgh under an ambiguously-worded Order in Council issued in 1960, and as such a cadet branch of the House of Schleswig-Holstein-Sonderburg-Glücksburg , which in turn is a branch of...
. In fact, some of Elizabeth II's children have also chosen, on occasion, to use that designation on legal documents.
Genealogy
PatrilinealityPatrilineality
Patrilineality is a system in which one belongs to one's father's lineage. It generally involves the inheritance of property, names or titles through the male line as well....
, descent as reckoned from father to son, has historically been the principle determining membership in reign
Reign
A reign is the term used to describe the period of a person's or dynasty's occupation of the office of monarch of a nation or of a people . In most hereditary monarchies and some elective monarchies A reign is the term used to describe the period of a person's or dynasty's occupation of the office...
ing families, thus the dynasty to which the monarchs of the House of Saxe-Coburg-Gotha belonged genealogically
Genealogy
Genealogy is the study of families and the tracing of their lineages and history. Genealogists use oral traditions, historical records, genetic analysis, and other records to obtain information about a family and to demonstrate kinship and pedigrees of its members...
through the 20th century is the House of Wettin, despite the official use of varying names by different branches of the patriline.
Descent before Conrad the Great
Conrad, Margrave of Meissen
Conrad the Great was the Margrave of Meissen from 1123 until his retirement in 1156. He was the son of Thimo, Count of Brehna, of the House of Wettin and Ida, daughter of Otto of Nordheim. He was also Count of Wettin, Brehna, and Camburg from before 1116.In 1123, he became Count of Eilenburg...
may not be entirely accurate.
House of Wettin
- Burkhard I, Duke of Thuringia, d. 870
- Burchard, Duke of ThuringiaBurchard, Duke of ThuringiaBurchard was the Duke of Thuringia from shortly after 892 until his death. He replaced Poppo as duke shortly after his appointment in 892, but the reasons for Poppo's leaving office are unknown. Burchard may have been a Swabian.In 908 he led a large army in battle against the Magyars...
, 836–908 - (possibly) Burkhard III of Grabfeldgau, 866–913
- Dedi I, Count of Hessegau, 896–957
- (probably) Dietrich I of Wettin, d. 976
- (possibly) Dedo I of Wettin, 946–1009
- Dietrich II, Margrave of Lower Lusatia, 991–1034
- (Thimo I of Wettin, d. 1099)
- Thimo the Brave, Count of Wettin, d. 1118?
- Conrad, Margrave of MeissenConrad, Margrave of MeissenConrad the Great was the Margrave of Meissen from 1123 until his retirement in 1156. He was the son of Thimo, Count of Brehna, of the House of Wettin and Ida, daughter of Otto of Nordheim. He was also Count of Wettin, Brehna, and Camburg from before 1116.In 1123, he became Count of Eilenburg...
, 1098–1157 - Otto II, Margrave of MeissenOtto II, Margrave of MeissenOtto II was the Margrave of Meissen from 1157 until his death in 1190. His father was Conrad the Great and his son was Dietrich I, Margrave of Meissen. He is a direct patrilineal ancestor of Queen Elizabeth II of the United Kingdom, King Albert II of Belgium and Simeon II of Bulgaria....
, 1125–1190 - Dietrich I, Margrave of Meissen, 1162–1221
- Henry III, Margrave of MeissenHenry III, Margrave of MeissenHenry III, called Henry the Illustrious from the House of Wettin was Margrave of Meissen and last Margrave of Lusatia from 1221 until his death; from 1242 also Landgrave of Thuringia.-Life:Born probably at the Albrechtsburg residence in Meissen, Henry was the youngest son of Margrave Theodoric I...
, c. 1215–1288 - Albert II, Margrave of MeissenAlbert II, Margrave of MeissenAlbert II, the Degenerate was a Margrave of Meissen, Landgrave of Thuringia and Count Palatine of Saxony...
, 1240–1314 - Frederick I, Margrave of MeissenFrederick I, Margrave of MeissenFrederick I, called the Brave or the Bitten was margrave of Meissen and landgrave of Thuringia.-Life:...
, 1257–1323 - Frederick II, Margrave of Meissen, 1310–1349
- Frederick III, Landgrave of ThuringiaFrederick III, Landgrave of ThuringiaFrederick III, the Strict , Landgrave of Thuringia and Margrave of Meissen, was the son of Frederick II, Margrave of Meissen and Mathilde of Bavaria....
, 1332–1381 - Frederick I, Elector of SaxonyFrederick I, Elector of SaxonyFrederick IV of Meissen and Elector of Saxony was Margrave of Meissen and Elector of Saxony from 1381 until his death. He is not to be confused with his cousin Frederick IV, Landgrave of Thuringia, the son of Balthasar, Landgrave of Thuringia...
, 1370–1428 - Frederick II, Elector of SaxonyFrederick II, Elector of SaxonyFrederick II was Elector of Saxony and was Landgrave of Thuringia .-Biography:...
, 1412–1464 - Ernest, Elector of SaxonyErnest, Elector of SaxonyErnst, Elector of Saxony was Elector of Saxony from 1464 to 1486.-Biography:Ernst was founder of the Ernestine line of Saxon princes, ancestor of George I of Great Britain, Prince Albert of Saxe-Coburg and Gotha, as well as his wife and cousin Queen Victoria of the United Kingdom, and their...
, 1441–1486 - John, Elector of SaxonyJohn, Elector of SaxonyJohn of Saxony , known as John the Steadfast or John the Constant, was Elector of Saxony from 1525 until 1532...
, 1468–1532 - John Frederick I, Elector of Saxony, 1503–1554
- John William, Duke of Saxe-WeimarJohn William, Duke of Saxe-WeimarJohn William , was a duke of Saxe-Weimar. He was also the last Duke of Saxony and Landgrave of Thuringia.He was the second son of John Frederick I, Elector of Saxony, and Sybille of Cleves....
, 1530–1573 - John II, Duke of Saxe-Weimar, 1570–1605
- Ernest I, Duke of Saxe-GothaErnest I, Duke of Saxe-Gotha-Family and children:In Altenburg on 24 October 1636, Ernst married his cousin Elisabeth Sophie of Saxe-Altenburg. As a result of this marriage Saxe-Gotha and Saxe-Altenburg were unified, when the last duke of the line died childless in 1672. Ernst and Elisabeth Sophie had eighteen children:#...
, 1601–1675 - John Ernest IV, Duke of Saxe-Coburg-Saalfeld, 1658–1729
- Francis Josias, Duke of Saxe-Coburg-Saalfeld, 1697–1764
- Ernest Frederick, Duke of Saxe-Coburg-Saalfeld, 1724–1800
- Francis, Duke of Saxe-Coburg-Saalfeld, 1750–1806
- Ernest I, Duke of Saxe-Coburg and Gotha, 1784–1844
- Albert, Prince Consort, 1819–1861
- Edward VII of the United Kingdom, 1841–1910
- George V of the United KingdomGeorge VGeorge V was king of the United Kingdom and its dominions from 1910 to 1936.George V or similar terms may also refer to:-People:* George V of Georgia * George V of Imereti * George V of Hanover...
, 1865–1936 - Prince Henry, Duke of GloucesterPrince Henry, Duke of GloucesterThe Prince Henry, Duke of Gloucester was a soldier and member of the British Royal Family, the third son of George V of the United Kingdom and Queen Mary....
, 1900–1974 - Prince Richard, Duke of GloucesterPrince Richard, Duke of GloucesterPrince Richard, Duke of Gloucester is a member of the British Royal Family. Prince Richard is the youngest grandchild of King George V and Queen Mary. He has been Duke of Gloucester since his father's death in 1974. He is currently 20th in the line of succession...
, 1944–present
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