, house =

Holstein-Gottorp Holstein-Gottorp or Schleswig-Holstein-Gottorp () is the historiographical name, as well as contemporary shorthand name, for the parts of the duchies of Schleswig and Holstein, also known as Ducal Holstein, that were ruled by the dukes of Schlesw ...

, father =

Frederick Augustus II, Grand Duke of Oldenburg Frederick Augustus II (16 November 1852 in Oldenburg – 24 February 1931 in Rastede) was the last ruling Grand Duke of Oldenburg. He married Princess Elisabeth Anna of Prussia, daughter of Princess Maria Anna of Anhalt-Dessau and Prince Freder ...

, mother =

Duchess Elisabeth Alexandrine of Mecklenburg-Schwerin Duchess Elisabeth of Mecklenburg-Schwerin (10 August 1869 – 3 September 1955) was a daughter of Frederick Francis II, Grand Duke of Mecklenburg by his third wife Princess Marie of Schwarzburg-Rudolstadt. By her marriage to Frederick Augustu ...

, birth_date = , birth_place =

Oldenburg Oldenburg may also refer to: Places *Mount Oldenburg, Ellsworth Land, Antarctica *Oldenburg (city), an independent city in Lower Saxony, Germany **Oldenburg (district), a district historically in Oldenburg Free State and now in Lower Saxony *Olde ...

Grand Duchy of Oldenburg The Grand Duchy of Oldenburg (, also known as Holstein-Oldenburg) was a grand duchy within the German Confederation, North German Confederation and German Empire that consisted of three widely separated territories: Oldenburg, Eutin and Birke ...

, death_date = , death_place =

Rastede Rastede (Low German: ''Raastäe/Raas'') is a municipality in the Ammerland district, in Lower Saxony, Germany. It is situated approximately 12 km north of Oldenburg. It is the site of the Schloss Rastede. The Rastede railway station is loc ...

West Germany West Germany is the colloquial term used to indicate the Federal Republic of Germany (FRG; german: Bundesrepublik Deutschland , BRD) between its formation on 23 May 1949 and the German reunification through the accession of East Germany on 3 O ...

, religion =

Lutheranism Lutheranism is one of the largest branches of Protestantism, identifying primarily with the theology of Martin Luther, the 16th-century German monk and Protestant Reformers, reformer whose efforts to reform the theology and practice of the Cathol ...

Nikolaus, Hereditary Grand Duke of Oldenburg (german: Nikolaus Friedrich Wilhelm von Holstein-Gottorp, Erbgroßherzog von Oldenburg; 10 August 18973 April 1970) was the eldest son of

, who was the last ruling Grand Duke of

. In 1931, Nikolaus succeeded to his father's

title A title is one or more words used before or after a person's name, in certain contexts. It may signify either generation, an official position, or a professional or academic qualification. In some languages, titles may be inserted between the f ...

s and assumed the role of pretender to the Grand Duchy, until his death in 1970.

Early life

Nikolaus was born at

, the third child and first son of

(1852–1931) (son of

Peter II, Grand Duke of Oldenburg , issue = Frederick Augustus IIDuke Georg Ludwig , house = House of Holstein-Gottorp , father = Augustus , mother = Princess Ida of Anhalt-Bernburg-Schaumburg-Hoym , birth_date = , birth_place = Old ...

and Princess Elisabeth of Saxe-Altenburg) and his wife,

(1869–1955) (daughter of

Frederick Francis II, Grand Duke of Mecklenburg-Schwerin Frederick Francis II (German: ''Friedrich Franz II;'' 28 February 1823 – 15 April 1883) was a Prussian officer and Grand Duke of Mecklenburg-Schwerin from 7 March 1842 until 15 April 1883. Biography He was born in Schloss Ludwigslust, the e ...

and

Princess Marie of Schwarzburg-Rudolstadt Princess Marie of Schwarzburg-Rudolstadt (german: Prinzessin Marie von Schwarzburg-Rudolstadt; 29 January 1850 – 22 April 1922) was the consort and third wife of Frederick Francis II, Grand Duke of Mecklenburg-Schwerin. She was mother of Pr ...

). He was a first cousin of

Queen Juliana of the Netherlands Juliana (; Juliana Louise Emma Marie Wilhelmina; 30 April 1909 – 20 March 2004) was Queen of the Netherlands from 1948 until her abdication in 1980. Juliana was the only child of Queen Wilhelmina and Prince Henry of Mecklenburg-Schwerin. Sh ...

and with his wife and other family members was a guest at her 1937 wedding to

Prince Bernhard of Lippe-Biesterfeld , house = Lippe , father = Prince Bernhard of Lippe , mother = Armgard von Cramm , birth_date = , birth_name = Count Bernhard of Biesterfeld , birth_place = Jena, Saxe-Weimar-Eisenach, Germany , death_date = ...

Marriage

Nikolaus married on 26 October 1921 in

Arolsen Bad Arolsen (, until 1997 Arolsen, ''Bad'' being the German name for ''Spa'') is a small town in northern Hesse, Germany, in Waldeck-Frankenberg district. From 1655 until 1918 it served as the residence town of the Princes of Waldeck-Pyrmont and t ...

Princess Helena of Waldeck and Pyrmont Princess Helen of Waldeck and Pyrmont (later Duchess of Albany; 17 February 1861 – 1 September 1922) was a member of the British royal family by marriage. She was the fifth daughter and child of George Victor, Prince of Waldeck and Pyrmont, a ...

(1899–1948), only daughter of

Friedrich, Prince of Waldeck and Pyrmont Friedrich, Prince of Waldeck and Pyrmont (''Friedrich Adolf Hermann Fürst zu Waldeck und Pyrmont''; 20 January 1865 – 26 May 1946) was the last reigning Prince of Waldeck and Pyrmont from 12 May 1893 to 13 November 1918. Family He was th ...

and his wife, Princess Bathildis of Schaumburg-Lippe.C. Arnold McNaughton, The Book of Kings: A Royal Genealogy, in 3 volumes (London, U.K.: Garnstone Press, 1973), volume 1, page 206. Hereinafter cited as The Book of Kings. and they had issue. *

Anton-Günther, Duke of Oldenburg Anton-Günther, Duke of Oldenburg (''Anton-Günther Friedrich August Wilhelm Josias von Holstein-Gottorp, Erbgroßherzog von Oldenburg, Prinz von Lübeck''; 16 January 1923 – 20 September 2014) was the head of the Grand Ducal Family of Oldenburg ...

(16 January 1923 – 20 September 2014), married

Princess Ameli of Löwenstein-Wertheim-Freudenberg , house = Löwenstein-Wertheim-Freudenberg , father =Udo, Prince of Löwenstein-Wertheim-Freudenberg , mother =Countess Margarete of Castell-Castell , birth_date = , birth_place =Frankfurt am Main, Weimar Republic , ...

7 August 1951, and had issue. *Duchess Rixa (28 March 1924 – 1 April 1939), who died after she fell off her horse. *Duke Peter (7 August 1926 – 18 November 2016), married Princess Gertrud of Löwenstein-Wertheim-Freudenberg (24 Jan 1926-4 Feb 2011; sister of

) on 7 August 1951, and had issue. *Duchess Eilika (2 February 1928 - 26 January 2016), a bridesmaid at the 1937 wedding of

Juliana of the Netherlands Juliana (; Juliana Louise Emma Marie Wilhelmina; 30 April 1909 – 20 March 2004) was Queen of the Netherlands from 1948 until her abdication in 1980. Juliana was the only child of Queen Wilhelmina and Prince Henry of Mecklenburg-Schwerin. Sh ...

., married

Emich, 7th Prince of Leiningen Emich Kyrill, Prince of Leiningen (german: Emich Kirill Ferdinand Hermann Fürst zu Leiningen; 18 October 192630 October 1991) was a German entrepreneur and son of Karl, Prince of Leiningen. He was the 7th Prince of Leiningen from 1946 until hi ...

10 August 1950, and had issue. *Duke Egilmar (14 October 1934 - 2013) *

Duke Friedrich August of Oldenburg Duke Friedrich August of Oldenburg (11 January 19369 July 2017) was a member of the House of Holstein-Gottorp. He is a son of Nikolaus, Hereditary Grand Duke of Oldenburg and Princess Helena of Waldeck and Pyrmont. Family and early life Frederich ...

(11 January 1936 - 9 July 2017), married Princess Marie Cécile of Prussia 4 December 1965, divorced 1989, and had issue. He remarried Countess Donata of Castell-Rüdenhausen 9 February 1991. *Duchess Altburg (14 October 1938), married Baron Rüdiger von Erffa (born on 19 April 1936) on 8 July 1967 and had issue (five sons and twelve grandchildren): *Duke Huno Friedrich Peter Max of Oldenburg (3 January 1940), married Countess Felicitas-Anita Schwerin von Krosigk (born 5 July 1941) on 6 June 1970 and had issue, including

Beatrix von Storch Beatrix Amelie Ehrengard Eilika von Storch (née Herzogin von Oldenburg; 27 May 1971) is a German politician and lawyer, who has been the Deputy Leader of the Alternative for Germany since July 2015 and a Member of the Bundestag since Septembe ...

. *Duke Johann Friedrich of Oldenburg (3 January 1940), married Countess Ilka of Ortenburg (born 29 June 1942) on 9 October 1971 and had issue, including

Archduchess Eilika of Austria Eilika Duchess of Oldenburg (née Eilika Helene Jutta Clementine Duchess of Oldenburg; born 22 August 1972) is the wife of Georg von Habsburg, the third in the line of succession to the former Austro-Hungarian throne. By birth she is the member o ...

. His wife died in 1948, he married secondly on 20 September 1950 in Güldenstein to Anne-Marie von Schutzbar gennant Milchling (1903–1991), daughter of Rudolf von Schutzbar gen. Milchling and Rose Marston. They had no children.

Ancestry

Notes and sources

*Genealogisches Handbuch des Adels, Fürstliche Häuser, Reference: 1971 {{Authority control 1897 births 1970 deaths People from Oldenburg (city) Grand Dukes of Oldenburg Heirs apparent who never acceded Burials at the Ducal Mausoleum, Gertrudenfriedhof (Oldenburg)