Carl Maria Peter Ferdinand Philipp Albrecht Joseph Michael Pius Konrad Robert Ulrich Herzog von Württemberg (1 August 1936 – 7 June 2022) was the head of the

House of Württemberg The House of Württemberg is a German dynasty and former royal family from Württemberg. History County The House probably originated in the vicinity of the Salian dynasty. Around 1080 the ancestors of modern Württemberg, which was then called ...

from 1975 to 2022. He was succeeded by his grandson

Wilhelm Wilhelm may refer to: People and fictional characters * William Charles John Pitcher, costume designer known professionally as "Wilhelm" * Wilhelm (name), a list of people and fictional characters with the given name or surname Other uses * Mount ...

Life

Carl was born in

Friedrichshafen Friedrichshafen ( or ; Low Alemannic: ''Hafe'' or ''Fridrichshafe'') is a city on the northern shoreline of Lake Constance (the ''Bodensee'') in Southern Germany, near the borders of both Switzerland and Austria. It is the district capital (''K ...

on 1 August 1936. He was the second son of

Philipp Albrecht, Duke of Württemberg Philipp Albrecht, Duke of Württemberg (born ''Georg Philipp Albrecht Carl Maria Joseph Ludwig Hubertus Stanislaus Leopold Herzog von Württemberg''; 14 November 1893 – 17 April 1975) was the son of Albrecht, Duke of Württemberg, and Archduche ...

(1893–1975), and Archduchess Rosa of Austria, Princess of Tuscany (1906–1983). He was educated at the classical grammar school in

Riedlingen Riedlingen () is a town in the district (''Kreis'') of Biberach, Baden-Württemberg, in the south-west of Germany. It is one of the destinations of the Upper Swabian Baroque Route. Riedlingen has approximately 10,000 inhabitants. Geography ...

and the

University of Tübingen The University of Tübingen, officially the Eberhard Karl University of Tübingen (german: Eberhard Karls Universität Tübingen; la, Universitas Eberhardina Carolina), is a public research university located in the city of Tübingen, Baden-Wü ...

, where he studied law. After graduating, he joined the family estate business, based at Altshausen Palace.

Carl became heir-presumptive to the headship of the House of Württemberg on 29 June 1959, when his older brother, Ludwig, renounced his succession rights. He became head of the family when his father died 15 April 1975. The family company manages around 5500 hectares of forest, around 2000 hectares of meadows and fields, fifty hectares of vineyards, other land in Germany and abroad, forests in Canada and Austria, and company holdings. It also maintains some seventy cultural monuments of the House of Württemberg. The current headquarters of the estate is Friedrichshafen Castle. On 7 June 2022, Carl died in a hospital in Ravensburg at the age of 85. He was succeeded by his grandson

since Carl's eldest son Friedrich had predeceased him.

Charitable activities

Carl took part in many social and charitable activities, including the

German Red Cross The German Red Cross (german: Deutsches Rotes Kreuz ; DRK) is the national Red Cross Society in Germany. With 4 million members, it is the third largest Red Cross society in the world. The German Red Cross offers a wide range of services within ...

, the Friends of Cancer Children, the Free School Foundation, the Art Foundation, the Preventive Youth Welfare Foundation, and the Baden-Württemberg Monument Foundation, which he chaired from 2002 to 2008. He was Patron of the Society for the Promotion of the State Museum of Württemberg, and chairman of the Friends of the University of Tübingen and the University Foundation. In Altshausen, where he lived, he was Patron of the Citizens Guard Yellow Hussars. On 30 July 2002 Carl and his wife Diane met with

President of Lebanon The President of the Lebanese Republic ( ar, رئيس الجمهورية اللبنانية, rayiys aljumhuriat allubnania; french: Président de la République Libanaise) is the head of state of Lebanon. The president is elected by the parliame ...

Emile Lahoud Emil or Emile may refer to: Literature *''Emile, or On Education'' (1762), a treatise on education by Jean-Jacques Rousseau * ''Émile'' (novel) (1827), an autobiographical novel based on Émile de Girardin's early life *''Emil and the Detective ...

and his wife at the

Baabda Palace Baabda Palace (or Presidential Palace, , ), also known as Qantari Palace, is the official residence of the President of Lebanon. The palace was built in 1956 on a hill in the mountain town of Baabda overlooking the Lebanese capital, Beirut. The fi ...

Beirut Beirut, french: Beyrouth is the capital and largest city of Lebanon. , Greater Beirut has a population of 2.5 million, which makes it the third-largest city in the Levant region. The city is situated on a peninsula at the midpoint o ...

to discuss a project to assist deprived Lebanese children as well as other social and cultural activities.

Marriage and issue

On 21 July 1960, Carl married Princess Diane d'Orléans (born 1940), the daughter of Prince Henri, Count of Paris, and his wife

Princess Isabelle of Orléans-Braganza Princess Isabelle of Orléans-Braganza (Isabelle Marie Amélie Louise Victoire Thérèse Jeanne; 13 August 1911 – 5 July 2003) was a French-Brazilian memoirist and consort of the Orléanist pretender, Henri, Count of Paris. Early life Born ...

. They had four sons and two daughters and sixteen grandchildren: * Duke ''Friedrich'' Philipp Carl Franz Maria (

, 1 June 1961 – near

Ebenweiler Ebenweiler is a village in the district of Ravensburg in Baden-Württemberg in Germany Germany,, officially the Federal Republic of Germany, is a country in Central Europe. It is the second most populous country in Europe after R ...

, 9 May 2018), married in Altshausen civilly on 11 and religiously on 13 November 1993 to his distant cousin Princess ''Wilhelmine'' Friederike Pauline Elisabeth ''Marie'' of Wied (born

Munich Munich ( ; german: München ; bar, Minga ) is the capital and most populous city of the States of Germany, German state of Bavaria. With a population of 1,558,395 inhabitants as of 31 July 2020, it is the List of cities in Germany by popu ...

, 27 December 1973), great-granddaughter of

Friedrich, Prince of Wied , house =Wied-Neuwied , father =William, Prince of Wied , mother =Princess Marie of the Netherlands , birth_date = , birth_place =Neuwied, Kingdom of Prussia , death_date = , death_place =Neuwied, Allied-occupied Germany } ...

, and wife

Princess Pauline of Württemberg Princess is a regal rank and the feminine equivalent of prince (from Latin ''princeps'', meaning principal citizen). Most often, the term has been used for the consort of a prince, or for the daughter of a king or prince. Princess as a subst ...

, the only child of the last

King of Württemberg King is the title given to a male monarch in a variety of contexts. The female equivalent is queen, which title is also given to the consort of a king. *In the context of prehistory, antiquity and contemporary indigenous peoples, the tit ...

to reach adulthood, and had one son and two daughters: ** Duke ''

'' Friedrich Carl Philipp Albert Nikolaus Erich Maria ( Ravensburg, 13 August 1994), succeeded Carl as Head of the House of Württemberg in 2022 ** Duchess Marie Amélie Diane Katharina Beatrix Philippa Sophie (born Ravensburg, 12 March 1996), engaged to Baron Franz-Ferdinand von Feilitzsch ** Duchess Sophie Dorothee Martina Johanna Henriette Charitas Maria (born Ravensburg, 19 August 1997) * Duchess ''Mathilde'' Marie-Antoinette Rosa Isabelle (born Friedrichshafen, 11 July 1962), married in 1988 to Prince Erich of Waldburg zu Zeil und Trauchburg (born 21 November 1962), has issue. * Duke ''Eberhard'' Alois Nikolaus Heinrich Johannes Maria (born Friedrichshafen, 20 June 1963), married in 2011 (divorced in 2016) Lucia ''Desiree'' Copf (born

Samedan Samedan (, ) is a town and municipality in the Maloja Region in the Swiss canton of Grisons. It is served by Samedan railway station on the Rhaetian Railway network and by the Samedan Airport. History Samedan is first mentioned in 1139 as '' ...

, 29 December 1969), and had one son: ** Duke ''Alexander'' Ferdinand Peter Mathias Maria (born

Mannheim Mannheim (; Palatine German: or ), officially the University City of Mannheim (german: Universitätsstadt Mannheim), is the second-largest city in the German state of Baden-Württemberg after the state capital of Stuttgart, and Germany's 2 ...

, 19 January 2010) * Duke ''Philipp'' Albrecht Christoph Ulrich Maria (born Friedrichshafen, 1 November 1964), married in 1991 to Duchess Marie-Caroline in Bavaria, and had three daughters and one son: ** Duchess ''Sophie'' Anastasia Assunta Marie Pauline (born Munich, 15 January 1994), married in Altshausen, civilly on 15 September and religiously on 20 October 2018 Maximilien d'Andigné (born 1989) ** Duchess ''Pauline'' Philippa Adelheid Helena Marie (born

London London is the capital and largest city of England and the United Kingdom, with a population of just under 9 million. It stands on the River Thames in south-east England at the head of a estuary down to the North Sea, and has been a majo ...

, 15 April 1997) ** Duke ''Carl Theodor'' Philipp Maria Max Emanuel (born London, 15 June 1999) ** Duchess ''Anna'' Maximiliana Elizabeth Mariella Marie (born Frankfurt, 2 February 2007) * Duke ''Michael'' Heinrich Albert Alexander Maria (born Friedrichshafen, 1 December 1965), married civilly in Schloss Altshausen on 7 and religiously at

on 8 July 2006 ''Julia'' Ricarda Storz (born Munich, 4 April 1965), without issue. * Duchess Eleonore ''Fleur'' Juanita Charlotte Eudoxie Marie-Agnès (born Altshausen, 4 November 1977), married in 2003 to Count Moritz Louis von Goëss (born

Klagenfurt Klagenfurt am WörtherseeLandesgesetzblatt 2008 vom 16. Jänner 2008, Stück 1, Nr. 1: ''Gesetz vom 25. Oktober 2007, mit dem die Kärntner Landesverfassung und das Klagenfurter Stadtrecht 1998 geändert werden.'/ref> (; ; sl, Celovec), usually ...

, 5 June 1966, whose family is descended from the Flemish-Portuguese

humanist Humanism is a philosophical stance that emphasizes the individual and social potential and agency of human beings. It considers human beings the starting point for serious moral and philosophical inquiry. The meaning of the term "human ...

Damião de Góis Damião de Góis (; February 2, 1502January 30, 1574), born in Alenquer, Portugal, was an important Portuguese humanist philosopher. He was a friend and student of Erasmus. He was appointed secretary to the Portuguese factory in Antwerp in 152 ...

), has issue.

Honours and awards

House of Württemberg The House of Württemberg is a German dynasty and former royal family from Württemberg. History County The House probably originated in the vicinity of the Salian dynasty. Around 1080 the ancestors of modern Württemberg, which was then called ...

* Sovereign Knight Grand Cross of the Order of the Crown * Sovereign of the

Order of Olga The Order of Olga (Württemberg) (German: ''Olga-Orden'') was created by Karl I, King of Württemberg Württemberg ( ; ) is a historical German territory roughly corresponding to the cultural and linguistic region of Swabia. The main town of ...

* Sovereign Knight Grand Cross of the Order of Military Merit * Sovereign Knight Grand Cross of the Order of Frederick I, Special Class

States

Austria Austria, , bar, Östareich officially the Republic of Austria, is a country in the southern part of Central Europe, lying in the Eastern Alps. It is a federation of nine states, one of which is the capital, Vienna, the most populous ...

** Town of

Hinterstoder Hinterstoder is a municipality in the district of Kirchdorf an der Krems in Upper Austria, Austria. The village is located close on the border to the federal state Styria and 600 m above sea level. Hinterstoder is surrounded by several mountains: ...

: Honorary Citizen (2006) *

Germany Germany,, officially the Federal Republic of Germany, is a country in Central Europe. It is the second most populous country in Europe after Russia, and the most populous member state of the European Union. Germany is situated betwe ...

: Great Cross of Merit of the

Order of Merit of the Federal Republic of Germany The Order of Merit of the Federal Republic of Germany (german: Verdienstorden der Bundesrepublik Deutschland, or , BVO) is the only federal decoration of Germany. It is awarded for special achievements in political, economic, cultural, intellect ...

** Baden-Württemberg: Great Staufer Medal in Gold (Große Staufermedaille in Gold) (2017) *** Town of Althaus, Baden-Württemberg: Honorary Citizen (2006) * : Knight Commander,

Order of St. Gregory the Great The Pontifical Equestrian Order of St. Gregory the Great ( la, Ordo Sancti Gregorii Magni; it, Ordine di San Gregorio Magno) was established on 1 September 1831, by Pope Gregory XVI, seven months after his election as Pope. The order is one of ...

(31 May 2002). * :

Lebanon Lebanon ( , ar, لُبْنَان, translit=lubnān, ), officially the Republic of Lebanon () or the Lebanese Republic, is a country in Western Asia. It is located between Syria to the north and east and Israel to the south, while Cyprus li ...

: Knight,

National Order of the Cedar National may refer to: Common uses * Nation or country ** Nationality – a ''national'' is a person who is subject to a nation, regardless of whether the person has full rights as a citizen Places in the United States * National, Maryland, c ...

(30 July 2002) *

Sovereign Military Order of Malta The Sovereign Military Order of Malta (SMOM), officially the Sovereign Military Hospitaller Order of Saint John of Jerusalem, of Rhodes and of Malta ( it, Sovrano Militare Ordine Ospedaliero di San Giovanni di Gerusalemme, di Rodi e di Malta; ...

: Bailiff Knight Grand Cross of Honour and Devotion

Formerly reigning families

* Ducal Family of Anhalt: Knight Grand Cross with Collar of the

Order of Albert the Bear The House Order of Albert the Bear (German: ''Hausorden Albrechts des Bären'' or ''Der Herzoglich Anhaltische Hausorden Albrechts des Bären'') was founded in 1836 as a joint House Order by three dukes of Anhalt from separate branches of the fa ...

* Imperial and Royal Family of Austria: Knight of the

Order of the Golden Fleece The Distinguished Order of the Golden Fleece ( es, Insigne Orden del Toisón de Oro, german: Orden vom Goldenen Vlies) is a Catholic order of chivalry founded in Bruges by Philip the Good, Duke of Burgundy, in 1430, to celebrate his marriage ...

* Royal Family of Bavaria: Knight Grand Cross of the

Order of Saint Hubert The Royal Order of Saint Hubert (german: Sankt Hubertus Königlicher Orden), or sometimes (german: Königlicher Orden des Heiligen Hubertus) is a Roman Catholic dynastic order of knighthood founded in 1444 or 1445 by Gerhard VII, Duke of Jülic ...

* Royal Family of Italy: Knight Grand Collar of the

Supreme Order of the Most Holy Annunciation The Supreme Order of the Most Holy Annunciation ( it, Ordine Supremo della Santissima Annunziata) is a Roman Catholic order of chivalry, originating in Savoy. It eventually was the pinnacle of the honours system in the Kingdom of Italy, which ce ...

* Royal Family of the Two Sicilies: Bailiff Knight Grand Cross of Justice of the

Sacred Military Constantinian Order of Saint George The Sacred Military Constantinian Order of Saint George (SMOCG) ( it, Sacro Militare Ordine Costantiniano di San Giorgio, es, Sagrada Orden Militar Constantiniana de San Jorge), also historically referred to as the Imperial Constantinian Order ...

Religious orders

* Knight of Honour of the

Teutonic Order The Order of Brothers of the German House of Saint Mary in Jerusalem, commonly known as the Teutonic Order, is a Catholic religious institution founded as a military society in Acre, Kingdom of Jerusalem. It was formed to aid Christians on ...

(2009)

Academic institutions

* Honorary Senator,

University of Hohenheim The University of Hohenheim (german: Universität Hohenheim) is a campus university located in the south of Stuttgart, Germany. Founded in 1818, it is Stuttgart's oldest university. Its primary areas of specialisation had traditionally bee ...

* Honorary Doctor of Theology, Philosophisch-Theologische Hochschule Vallendar (8 November 2008)

Ancestry

References

* * * {{DEFAULTSORT:Carl Wuerttemberg, Duke 1936 births 2022 deaths Pretenders to the throne of Württemberg People from Friedrichshafen Dukes of Württemberg (titular) Recipients of the Order of Merit of Baden-Württemberg Knights of the Golden Fleece of Austria Knights Commander of the Order of St Gregory the Great Bailiffs Grand Cross of Honour and Devotion of the Sovereign Military Order of Malta Honorary Knights of the Teutonic Order Commanders Crosses of the Order of Merit of the Federal Republic of Germany