Johann Leopold, Hereditary Prince of Saxe-Coburg and Gotha

Johann Leopold
Hereditary Prince of Saxe-Coburg and Gotha
Duke of Saxony
Born (1906-08-02)2 August 1906
Callenberg Castle, Coburg
Died 4 May 1972(1972-05-04) (aged 65)
Grein, Austria
Spouse Feodora von der Horst
(m. 1932–62)
Maria Theresia Reindl
(m. 1963–72)
Issue Princess Caroline Mathilde
Prince Ernst Leopold
Prince Peter Albert
Full name
John Leopold William Albert Ferdinand Victor
German: Johann Leopold Wilhelm Albert Ferdinand Viktor
House Saxe-Coburg and Gotha
Father Charles Edward, Duke of Saxe-Coburg and Gotha
Mother Princess Victoria Adelaide of Schleswig-Holstein-Sonderburg-Glücksburg
British Royalty
House of Saxe-Coburg and Gotha
Victoria and Albert
Great-grandchildren
Prince Alastair of Connaught
Johann Leopold, Hereditary Prince of Saxe-Coburg and Gotha
Princess Sibylla, Duchess of Västerbotten
Prince Hubertus of Saxe-Coburg and Gotha
Princess Caroline Mathilde, Countess of Castell-Rüdenhausen

Johann Leopold, Hereditary Prince of Saxe-Coburg and Gotha (Johann Leopold William Albert Ferdinand Victor; 2 August 1906 – 4 May 1972) was the eldest son of Charles Edward, Duke of Saxe-Coburg and Gotha and Princess Victoria Adelaide of Schleswig-Holstein-Sonderburg-Glücksburg. From his birth until his father's abdication, he was known as Hereditary Prince Johann Leopold.

Early life

Johann Leopold was born 2 August 1906 at Callenberg Castle in Coburg as the eldest son of Charles Edward, Duke of Saxe-Coburg and Gotha and Princess Victoria Adelaide of Schleswig-Holstein-Sonderburg-Glücksburg.

His paternal grandparents were Prince Leopold, Duke of Albany, (the fourth and last son of Queen Victoria of Great Britain and her consort, Prince Albert), and his wife, Princess Helena of Waldeck and Pyrmont

John Leopold had four younger siblings: Sibylla, Hubertus, Caroline Mathilde and Friedrich Josias.

He was heir-apparent, from his birth, until the forced abdication of his father on 18 November 1918, to Saxe-Coburg and Gotha. The abdication was a result of the German Revolution.

Marriage

Johann Leopold's first wife was Feodora Freiin von der Horst (1905–1991),[1] whom he married morganatically on 9 March 1932. The prince was forced to cede his own succession rights at the time of the marriage. The couple had three children and were divorced on 27 February 1962. His second wife was Maria Theresia Reindl (1908–1996),[1] whom he married morganatically on 3 May 1963. They had no children.

Notwithstanding his morganatic marriages and his father's loss of his British title of Duke of Albany under the Titles Deprivation Act 1917, Johann Leopold remained heir to the title and was eligible to apply for its reinstatement, though he did not do so. Since he and his siblings married in contravention of the Royal Marriages Act 1772 the right to petition for the return of the title became extinct on his brother Friedrich Josias's death in 1998.

Issue

The Prince had three children by his first wife, all barred from the succession of the duchy of Saxe-Coburg and Gotha

NameBirthDeathNotes
By Feodora von der Horst
Caroline Mathilde Adelheid Sibylla Marianne Erika Prinzessin von Sachsen-Coburg und Gotha5 April 1933; Hirschbergmarried, 5 December 1953, Michael Nielsen (12 August 1923 – 20 September 1975); had issue - Margarethe-Brigitte (b. 30 September 1954) and Renate Christine (b. 4 February 1957)
Ernst Leopold Prinz von Sachsen-Coburg und Gotha14 January 1935; Hirschberg27 June 1996; Bad Wiessee (suicide)married (1), 4 February 1961, Ingeborg Henig; divorced 1963; had issue (one son, Hubertus Prinz von Sachsen-Coburg und Gotha)
(2), 29 May 1963, Gertraude Monika Pfeiffer; divorced 1985; had issue (two daughters, Viktoria and Alice, and three sons: Ernst-Josias, Karl-Eduard and Ferdinand-Christian)
(3), 20 January 1986, Sabine Biller, with whom he committed suicide; no issue
Peter Albert Friedrich Josias Prinz von Sachsen-Coburg und Gotha12 June 1939; Dresdenmarried, 12 May 1964, Roswitha Henriette Breuer; had issue (two sons, Peter and Malte)

Ancestry

References

  1. 1 2 Theroff, Paul. "Saxony". www.angelfire.com/realm/gotha/ (Paul Theroff’s Royal Genealogy Site).
Johann Leopold, Hereditary Prince of Saxe-Coburg and Gotha
Cadet branch of the House of Wettin
Born: 2 August 1906 Died: 4 May 1972
German royalty
Preceded by
Prince Arthur of Connaught
Heir to Saxe-Coburg and Gotha
as heir apparent

2 August 1906 – 14 November 1918
Succeeded by
None
Monarchy abolished
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