Princess Marie Alexandrine of Saxe-Weimar-Eisenach
Encyclopedia
Princess Marie Alexandrine of Saxe-Weimar-Eisenach (Marie Alexandrine Anne Sophie Auguste Helene; 20 January 1849 – 6 May 1922) was the eldest daughter and second child of Charles Alexander, Grand Duke of Saxe-Weimar-Eisenach
and his wife Princess Sophie of the Netherlands
.
Through her mother, Marie was second-in-line to the Dutch throne after her nephew William Ernest, Grand Duke of Saxe-Weimar-Eisenach
from 1900 to the birth of Princess Juliana
in 1909. As her nephew was expected to abdicate his right to the throne in favor of retaining his title, Marie was expected to directly inherit the Dutch Crown upon the possible death of her still childless cousin Wilhelmina. The birth of Juliana subsequently changed the succession.
were considered as possible brides for Albert Edward, Prince of Wales (the future Edward VII of the United Kingdom
). Nothing came of this however, as his mother Queen Victoria believed Marie's teeth to be "almost black"; both girls were considered nice, but "delicate and not pretty". The prince later married Princess Alexandra of Denmark
.
On 6 February 1876 in Weimar
, Marie married Prince Heinrich VII Reuss of Köstritz. They had the following children:
meant his underage daughter Wilhelmina
became Queen at the age of ten. Wilhelmina married Duke Henry of Mecklenburg-Schwerin in 1901, but the marriage remained childless until the birth of Princess Juliana
in 1909. Thus between 1890 and 1909 the heirs to the Dutch throne were first, Marie's mother Princess Sophie of the Netherlands
and with her death in 1897 her grandson William Ernest, Grand Duke of Saxe-Weimar-Eisenach
. The succession issue became particularly important after Queen Wilhelmina suffered from an attack of typhoid in the early 1900s.
William Ernst however had stated repeatedly that he had no wish to inherit the throne if given the opportunity, as the Dutch constitution required that he would have to give up his title as Grand Duke of Saxe-Weimar-Eisenach. Due to this fact, the heir to the Dutch throne would have become his aunt Marie followed by her eldest son Prince Heinrich XXXII Reuss of Köstritz
. As her son was serving as a lieutenant in the German navy, concerns were raised by many (particularly the British
and the French
) of the dangers the Netherlands would be under were a German prince with close ties to the Hohenzollern royal family to succeed to the Dutch throne; one publication lamented that if the Queen were to remain childless, the Dutch Crown "was bound to pass into the possession of a German prince, whose birth, training, and affiliations would naturally have led him to bring Holland within the sphere of the German Empire, at the expense of her independence, both national and economic". By the time of these events Princess Marie was an elderly widow with ill-health, and thus there was speculation that she herself would also give up her claim to the Dutch throne in favor of her eldest son, who was in his mid-twenties.
In 1907, there were fears that Wilhelmina was going to abdicate in favor of her Saxe-Weimar cousins, as a clause in a recent legislative bill submitted to the Dutch parliament called for the exclusion from the succession of children born after the abdication of a sovereign. Such fears were misplaced however, as Wilhelmina later elaborated that she had no wish of abdicating, and that the legislation was directed at the widowed and childless Grand Duke of Saxe-Weimar-Eisenach, who, though well known to be considering giving up his claim to the throne, was considering marrying again; there would have been considerable confusion as a result were he to give up the succession claim in favor of his aunt Marie, only to later pass his claim onto any children he might have.
Queen Wilhelmina suffered multiple miscarriages during her marriage, increasing speculation of the succession. The birth of Princess Juliana in 1909 put everyone's fears to rest, as the Dutch succession was now secured for another generation.
Princess Marie died on 6 May 1922 in Trebschen
.
Charles Alexander, Grand Duke of Saxe-Weimar-Eisenach
Karl Alexander August Johann, Grand Duke of Saxony; 24 June 1818 – 5 January 1901) was the ruler of Saxe-Weimar-Eisenach from 1853 until his death.-Biography:...
and his wife Princess Sophie of the Netherlands
Princess Sophie of the Netherlands
Princess Sophie of the Netherlands was the only daughter of King William II of the Netherlands and of his wife Grand Duchess Anna Pavlovna of Russia...
.
Through her mother, Marie was second-in-line to the Dutch throne after her nephew William Ernest, Grand Duke of Saxe-Weimar-Eisenach
William Ernest, Grand Duke of Saxe-Weimar-Eisenach
Wilhelm Ernst Karl Alexander Friedrich Heinrich Bernhard Albert Georg Hermann was the last Grand Duke of Saxe-Weimar-Eisenach.-Biography:...
from 1900 to the birth of Princess Juliana
Juliana of the Netherlands
Juliana was the Queen regnant of the Kingdom of the Netherlands between 1948 and 1980. She was the only child of Queen Wilhelmina and Prince Henry...
in 1909. As her nephew was expected to abdicate his right to the throne in favor of retaining his title, Marie was expected to directly inherit the Dutch Crown upon the possible death of her still childless cousin Wilhelmina. The birth of Juliana subsequently changed the succession.
Marriage and issue
As a young girl, Marie and her cousin Princess PaulinePrincess Pauline of Saxe-Weimar-Eisenach
Princess Pauline of Saxe-Weimar-Eisenach was the wife of Charles Augustus, Hereditary Grand Duke of Saxe-Weimar-Eisenach....
were considered as possible brides for Albert Edward, Prince of Wales (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...
). Nothing came of this however, as his mother Queen Victoria believed Marie's teeth to be "almost black"; both girls were considered nice, but "delicate and not pretty". The prince later married Princess Alexandra of Denmark
Alexandra of Denmark
Alexandra of Denmark was the wife of Edward VII of the United Kingdom...
.
On 6 February 1876 in Weimar
Weimar
Weimar is a city in Germany famous for its cultural heritage. It is located in the federal state of Thuringia , north of the Thüringer Wald, east of Erfurt, and southwest of Halle and Leipzig. Its current population is approximately 65,000. The oldest record of the city dates from the year 899...
, Marie married Prince Heinrich VII Reuss of Köstritz. They had the following children:
- Son (1877)
- Prince Heinrich XXXII Reuss of KöstritzPrince Heinrich XXXII Reuss of KöstritzPrince Heinrich XXXII Reuss of Köstritz was the eldest surviving son of Prince Heinrich VII Reuss of Köstritz and his wife Princess Marie Alexandrine of Saxe-Weimar-Eisenach....
(1878–1935); married Princess Marie Adelheid of Lippe-BiesterfeldPrincess Marie Adelheid of Lippe-BiesterfeldMarie Adelheid of Lippe-Biesterfeld was a daughter of Prince Rudolf of Lippe-Biesterfeld and his wife Princess Luise of Ardeck....
(1895–1993) - Prince Heinrich XXXIII Reuss of Köstritz (1879–1942); married firstly Princess Victoria Margaret of Prussia (1890–1923) and secondly Allene Tew (1876–1955)
- Princess Johanna Reuss of Köstritz (1882–1883)
- Princess Sophie Renate Reuss of Köstritz (1884–1968); married Prince Heinrich XXXIV Reuss (1887–1956)
- Prince Heinrich XXXV Reuss of Köstritz (1887–1936); married Princess Marie of Saxe-Altenburg (1888–1947) and secondly Princess Marie Adelheid of Lippe-BiesterfeldPrincess Marie Adelheid of Lippe-BiesterfeldMarie Adelheid of Lippe-Biesterfeld was a daughter of Prince Rudolf of Lippe-Biesterfeld and his wife Princess Luise of Ardeck....
(1895–1993)
Dutch succession
The death of William III of the NetherlandsWilliam III of the Netherlands
William III was from 1849 King of the Netherlands and Grand Duke of Luxembourg until his death and the Duke of Limburg until the abolition of the Duchy in 1866.-Early life:William was born in Brussels as son of William II of the Netherlands and...
meant his underage daughter Wilhelmina
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...
became Queen at the age of ten. Wilhelmina married Duke Henry of Mecklenburg-Schwerin in 1901, but the marriage remained childless until the birth of Princess Juliana
Juliana of the Netherlands
Juliana was the Queen regnant of the Kingdom of the Netherlands between 1948 and 1980. She was the only child of Queen Wilhelmina and Prince Henry...
in 1909. Thus between 1890 and 1909 the heirs to the Dutch throne were first, Marie's mother Princess Sophie of the Netherlands
Princess Sophie of the Netherlands
Princess Sophie of the Netherlands was the only daughter of King William II of the Netherlands and of his wife Grand Duchess Anna Pavlovna of Russia...
and with her death in 1897 her grandson William Ernest, Grand Duke of Saxe-Weimar-Eisenach
William Ernest, Grand Duke of Saxe-Weimar-Eisenach
Wilhelm Ernst Karl Alexander Friedrich Heinrich Bernhard Albert Georg Hermann was the last Grand Duke of Saxe-Weimar-Eisenach.-Biography:...
. The succession issue became particularly important after Queen Wilhelmina suffered from an attack of typhoid in the early 1900s.
William Ernst however had stated repeatedly that he had no wish to inherit the throne if given the opportunity, as the Dutch constitution required that he would have to give up his title as Grand Duke of Saxe-Weimar-Eisenach. Due to this fact, the heir to the Dutch throne would have become his aunt Marie followed by her eldest son Prince Heinrich XXXII Reuss of Köstritz
Prince Heinrich XXXII Reuss of Köstritz
Prince Heinrich XXXII Reuss of Köstritz was the eldest surviving son of Prince Heinrich VII Reuss of Köstritz and his wife Princess Marie Alexandrine of Saxe-Weimar-Eisenach....
. As her son was serving as a lieutenant in the German navy, concerns were raised by many (particularly the British
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...
and the French
France
The French Republic , The French Republic , The French Republic , (commonly known as France , is a unitary semi-presidential republic in Western Europe with several overseas territories and islands located on other continents and in the Indian, Pacific, and Atlantic oceans. Metropolitan France...
) of the dangers the Netherlands would be under were a German prince with close ties to the Hohenzollern royal family to succeed to the Dutch throne; one publication lamented that if the Queen were to remain childless, the Dutch Crown "was bound to pass into the possession of a German prince, whose birth, training, and affiliations would naturally have led him to bring Holland within the sphere of the German Empire, at the expense of her independence, both national and economic". By the time of these events Princess Marie was an elderly widow with ill-health, and thus there was speculation that she herself would also give up her claim to the Dutch throne in favor of her eldest son, who was in his mid-twenties.
In 1907, there were fears that Wilhelmina was going to abdicate in favor of her Saxe-Weimar cousins, as a clause in a recent legislative bill submitted to the Dutch parliament called for the exclusion from the succession of children born after the abdication of a sovereign. Such fears were misplaced however, as Wilhelmina later elaborated that she had no wish of abdicating, and that the legislation was directed at the widowed and childless Grand Duke of Saxe-Weimar-Eisenach, who, though well known to be considering giving up his claim to the throne, was considering marrying again; there would have been considerable confusion as a result were he to give up the succession claim in favor of his aunt Marie, only to later pass his claim onto any children he might have.
Queen Wilhelmina suffered multiple miscarriages during her marriage, increasing speculation of the succession. The birth of Princess Juliana in 1909 put everyone's fears to rest, as the Dutch succession was now secured for another generation.
Princess Marie died on 6 May 1922 in Trebschen
Trzebiechów, Zielona Góra County
Trzebiechów is a village in Zielona Góra County, Lubusz Voivodeship, in western Poland. It is the seat of the gmina called Gmina Trzebiechów. It lies approximately north-east of Zielona Góra...
.