Eduard Georg Wilhelm, Duke of Anhalt (german: Herzog Eduard Georg Wilhelm Maximilian von Anhalt; 18 April 1861 – 13 September 1918) was a German prince of the

House of Ascania The House of Ascania (german: Askanier) was a dynasty of German rulers. It is also known as the House of Anhalt, which refers to its longest-held possession, Anhalt. The Ascanians are named after Ascania (or Ascaria) Castle, known as ''Schlos ...

and the penultimate ruler of the

Duchy of Anhalt The Duchy of Anhalt (german: Herzogtum Anhalt) was a historical German duchy. The duchy was located between the Harz Mountains in the west and the river Elbe and beyond to the Fläming Heath in the east. The territory was once ruled by the Hou ...

from April to September 1918.Ralf Regener: Der Sturz der Askanier 1918 in Anhalt. Bedingungen, Verlauf und Nachwirkungen des Untergangs einer kleinstaatlichen deutschen Monarchie, Dessau-Roßlau 2013

Early life

Prince Eduard was born at

Dessau Dessau is a town and former municipality in Germany at the confluence of the rivers Mulde and Elbe, in the '' Bundesland'' (Federal State) of Saxony-Anhalt. Since 1 July 2007, it has been part of the newly created municipality of Dessau-Ro� ...

, the capital of the Duchy of Anhalt, in 1861 as the third son of Duke Friedrich I of Anhalt (1831–1904) and his wife Princess Antoinette of Saxe-Altenburg (1838–1908). As Eduard's eldest brother, Leopold, died without male offspring in 1886, and the next brother, Frederick, had no issue, Eduard became

heir presumptive An heir presumptive is the person entitled to inherit a throne, peerage, or other hereditary honour, but whose position can be displaced by the birth of an heir apparent or a new heir presumptive with a better claim to the position in question. ...

and Hereditary Prince following the death of their father, Duke Friedrich I, in 1904.

Reign

Eduard succeeded his brother Duke Friedrich II of Anhalt on 21 April 1918, but his brief reign came to an end five months later with his own death on 13 September 1918. He was succeeded by his eldest surviving son Prince Joachim Ernst under the

regency A regent (from Latin : ruling, governing) is a person appointed to govern a state '' pro tempore'' (Latin: 'for the time being') because the monarch is a minor, absent, incapacitated or unable to discharge the powers and duties of the monarchy ...

of Eduard's younger brother, Prince Aribert.

Marriage and children

Duke Eduard married

Princess Louise Charlotte of Saxe-Altenburg Princess Louise Charlotte of Saxe-Altenburg (Marie Agnes Louise Charlotte; 11 August 1873 – 14 April 1953) was a German noblewoman. She was a princess of Saxe-Altenburg by birth and a Princess of Anhalt by marriage. Life She was born on ...

(1873–1953) in Altenburg on 6 February 1895. She was a daughter of

Prince Moritz of Saxe-Altenburg , image = Prinz Moritz von Sachsen-Altenburg.jpg , image_size = , caption = , spouse = , issue = Marie Anne, Princess of Schaumburg-Lippe Grand Duchess Elizabeth Mavrikievna of Russia Princess Margarethe Ernst II, ...

and his wife

Princess Augusta of Saxe-Meiningen Princess Augusta of Saxe-Meiningen (6 August 1843 – 11 November 1919) was the daughter of Bernhard II, Duke of Saxe-Meiningen and his wife Princess Marie Frederica of Hesse-Kassel. She was the mother of Ernst II, Duke of Saxe-Altenburg. F ...

. They had six children before divorcing in 1918. *Princess Friederike of Anhalt (1896-1896) *Prince Leopold of Anhalt (1897–1898) * Princess Marie-Auguste of Anhalt (1898–1983) married in 1916

Prince Joachim of Prussia Prince Joachim Franz Humbert of Prussia (17 December 1890 – 18 July 1920) was the youngest son and sixth child of Wilhelm II, German Emperor, by his first wife, Augusta Victoria of Schleswig-Holstein. He committed suicide at age 29. Prince J ...

* Prince Joachim Ernst of Anhalt (1901–1947) *Prince Eugen Friedrich Ernst August Heinrich Adolf Aribert of Anhalt (1903–1980) married Anastasia Jungmeier (b. 25 July 1901,

Straubing Straubing () is an independent city in Lower Bavaria, southern Germany. It is seat of the district of Straubing-Bogen. Annually in August the Gäubodenvolksfest, the second largest fair in Bavaria, is held. The city is located on the Danube f ...

– d. 20 February 1970,

Vevey Vevey (; frp, Vevê; german: label=former German, Vivis) is a town in Switzerland in the canton of Vaud, on the north shore of Lake Geneva, near Lausanne. The German name Vivis is no longer commonly used. It was the seat of the district ...

) on 2 October 1935. Claimed to be Joachim's immediate successor, considering his son's marriage a morganatic one. **Princess Anastasia of Anhalt (b. 22 December 1940) married in 1962 Maria Emanuel, Margrave of Meissen *Prince Wolfgang of Anhalt (b. 12 July 1912
Schloss Ballenstedt
– d. 10 April 1936)

Ancestry

References

Dukes of Anhalt 1861 births 1918 deaths German people of French descent House of Ascania Princes of Anhalt Grand Crosses of the Order of the Dannebrog Royal reburials {{Germany-royal-stub