Princess Elisabeth of Saxe-Altenburg (1826–1896)

Elisabeth of Saxe-Altenburg
Grand Duchess of Oldenburg
Tenure 27 February 1853 – 2 February 1896
Born (1826-03-26)26 March 1826
Hildburghausen, Saxe-Altenburg
Died 2 February 1896(1896-02-02) (aged 69)
Oldenburg, Grand Duchy of Oldenburg, German Empire
Burial Ducal (Herzogliches) Mausoleum, Gertrudenfriedhof, Oldenburg
Spouse Peter II, Grand Duke of Oldenburg
Issue Frederick Augustus II, Grand Duke of Oldenburg
Duke Georg Ludwig of Oldenburg
Full name
Elisabeth Pauline Alexandrine
House Saxe-Altenburg
Father Joseph, Duke of Saxe-Altenburg
Mother Amelia of Württemberg
Religion Lutheranism

Princess Elisabeth Pauline Alexandrine of Saxe-Altenburg (26 March 1826 – 2 February 1896) was a daughter of Joseph, Duke of Saxe-Altenburg and his wife Duchess Amelia of Württemberg.[1] By marriage, she became Grand Duchess of Oldenburg.

Family and early life

Elisabeth was born on 26 March 1826 in Hildburghausen. She was the fourth daughter born to Joseph, the then Hereditary Prince of Saxe-Hildburghausen and his wife Duchess Amelia of Württemberg. Her official title was Princess Elisabeth of Saxe-Hildburghausen until later that year, when her family moved to Altenburg as a result of a transfer of territories among the various branches of the Ernestine Wettins. Elisabeth then took the title Princess Elisabeth of Saxe-Altenburg. In 1834, her father succeeded as Duke of Saxe-Altenburg, but was forced to abdicate in the civil revolution of 1848 due to the conservative, anti-reform nature of his government.

Elisabeth and her siblings were educated by Carl Ludwig Nietzsche, a Lutheran pastor and the father of the famous philosopher Friedrich Nietzsche. Her sisters included Queen Marie of Hanover (wife of George V of Hanover) and Grand Duchess Alexandra Iosifovna of Russia (wife of Grand Duke Konstantin Nikolayevich of Russia). Through Alexandra, Elisabeth was an aunt of Queen Olga of Greece.

Marriage

On 10 February 1852, Elisabeth married her second cousin Peter, Hereditary Grand Duke of Oldenburg.[1][2] He would succeed his father the following year as Grand Duke, making Elisabeth Grand Duchess of Oldenburg. She used funds given to her by her father on the occasion of her marriage to set up the Elisabeth Foundation, which still exists today. This fund established the Elisabeth Children’s Hospital, which she oversaw, and throughout her life she was a patron of numerous charities and organizations focused on the well-being of children, sometimes supplemented by her foundation.[3]

They had two children:

NameBirthDeathNotes
Frederick Augustus II, Grand Duke of Oldenburg16 November 185224 February 1931married firstly Princess Elisabeth Anna of Prussia and secondly Duchess Elisabeth Alexandrine of Mecklenburg-Schwerin.
Duke Georg Ludwig of Oldenburg27 June 185530 November 1939

Elisabeth died on 2 February 1896.[1][2] Her husband died four years later.

Titles, styles, honours and arms

Titles and styles

  • 26 March 1826 – 12 November 1826: Her Highness Princess Elisabeth of Saxe-Hildburghausen
  • 12 November 1826 – 10 February 1852: Her Highness Princess Elisabeth of Saxe-Altenburg
  • 10 February 1852 – 27 February 1853: Her Royal Highness The Hereditary Grand Duchess of Oldenburg
  • 27 February 1853 – 2 February 1896: Her Royal Highness The Grand Duchess of Oldenburg

Ancestry

References

  1. 1 2 3 Lundy, Darryl. "The Peerage: Elisabeth Pauline Alexandrine Prinzessin von Sachsen-Altenburg". Retrieved 20 August 2010.
  2. 1 2 "Duchess of Oldenburg Dead", The New York Times, Berlin, 3 February 1896
  3. ↑ short biography on unofficial British royalty website
Princess Elisabeth of Saxe-Altenburg (1826–1896)
Cadet branch of the House of Wettin
Born: 26 March 1826 Died: 2 February 1896
German royalty
Vacant
Title last held by
Princess Cecilia of Sweden		 Grand Duchess of Oldenburg
27 February 1853 – 2 February 1896		 Vacant
Title next held by
Duchess Elisabeth Alexandrine of Mecklenburg-Schwerin
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