Prince Andreas of Saxe-Coburg and Gotha, Duke of Saxony (''Andreas Michael Friedrich Hans Armin Siegfried Hubertus Prinz von Sachsen-Coburg und Gotha Herzog von Sachsen''; born 21 March 1943) is a German landowner and nobleman who has been the head of the

House of Saxe-Coburg and Gotha The House of Saxe-Coburg and Gotha (; german: Haus Sachsen-Coburg und Gotha) is a European royal house. It takes its name from its oldest domain, the Ernestine duchy of Saxe-Coburg and Gotha, its members later sat on the thrones of Belgium, Bu ...

since 1998. He is the grandson of Charles Edward, the last ruling duke of

Saxe-Coburg and Gotha Saxe-Coburg and Gotha (german: Sachsen-Coburg und Gotha), or Saxe-Coburg-Gotha (german: Sachsen-Coburg-Gotha, links=no ), was an Ernestine, Thuringian duchy ruled by a branch of the House of Wettin, consisting of territories in the present ...

. He is thus a great-great grandson of Queen Victoria of the United Kingdom, by direct male line, and is a third cousin of Queen Elizabeth II.

Early life

Prince Andreas was born at Schloss Casel in

Lower Lusatia Lower Lusatia (; ; ; szl, Dolnŏ Łużyca; ; ) is a historical region in Central Europe, stretching from the southeast of the German state of Brandenburg to the southwest of Lubusz Voivodeship in Poland. Like adjacent Upper Lusatia in the sou ...

to Friedrich Josias, Prince of Saxe-Coburg and Gotha and the former Countess Viktoria-Luise of Solms-Baruth; his parents divorced in 1946. In 1949, he moved to

New Orleans New Orleans ( , ,New Orleans

in the

United States The United States of America (U.S.A. or USA), commonly known as the United States (U.S. or US) or America, is a country Continental United States, primarily located in North America. It consists of 50 U.S. state, states, a Washington, D.C., ...

, where he spent his childhood with his mother and her second husband, Richard Whitten. Prince Andreas became

heir apparent An heir apparent, often shortened to heir, is a person who is first in an order of succession and cannot be displaced from inheriting by the birth of another person; a person who is first in the order of succession but can be displaced by the b ...

to the headship of the ducal house on 6 March 1954, when his father became the head. From the age of 16, he made regular visits to Germany in preparation for his future role as head of the ducal house, permanently returning in 1965. He completed his

military service Military service is service by an individual or group in an army or other militia, air forces, and naval forces, whether as a chosen job ( volunteer) or as a result of an involuntary draft (conscription). Some nations (e.g., Mexico) require ...

between 1966 and 1968 in the Armoured Reconnaissance Battalion 6 based in

Eutin Eutin () is the district capital of Eastern Holstein county located in the northern German state of Schleswig-Holstein. As of 2020, the town had some 17,000 inhabitants. History The name Eutin (originally Utin) is of Slavic origin. Its meaning i ...

, Schleswig-Holstein. After leaving the army, he trained as a timber merchant in Hamburg from 1969 to 1971.

Head of the house

Prince Andreas succeeded to the headship of the ducal house upon his father's death on 23 January 1998. In 2006, Prince Andreas created the Ducal Saxe-Coburg and Gotha House Order, which is based on the extinct

Ducal Saxe-Ernestine House Order The Saxe-Ernestine House Order (german: link=yes, Sachsen-Ernestinischer Hausorden)Hausorden
Herz ...

. Prince Andreas is a first cousin of King

Carl XVI Gustaf of Sweden Carl XVI Gustaf (Carl Gustaf Folke Hubertus; born 30 April 1946) is King of Sweden. He ascended the throne on the death of his grandfather, Gustaf VI Adolf, on 15 September 1973. He is the youngest child and only son of Prince Gustaf Adolf, D ...

. He is the godfather of the King's younger daughter, Princess Madeleine, Duchess of Hälsingland and Gästrikland. Prince Andreas is the owner of

Callenberg Castle Callenberg Castle (''Schloss Callenberg'') is a castle on a wooded hill in Beiersdorf, an ''Ortsteil'' of Coburg, from the town centre. It was a hunting lodge and summer residence and has long been the principal residence of the House of Saxe-Cob ...

in Coburg and Greinburg Castle in

Grein, Austria Grein is a municipality in the district Perg in the Austrian state of Upper Austria. It lies on the Danube River. Population Sights One attraction in Grein is Greinburg Castle, built between 1488 and 1493. The castle was purchased by Ernest I, D ...

. He manages the family estates including farms, forests and real estate.

Marriage and issue

Hamburg Hamburg (, ; nds, label=Hamburg German, Low Saxon, Hamborg ), officially the Free and Hanseatic City of Hamburg (german: Freie und Hansestadt Hamburg; nds, label=Low Saxon, Friee un Hansestadt Hamborg),. is the List of cities in Germany by popul ...

civilly on 18 June and religiously on 31 July 1971, Prince Andreas married Carin Dabelstein (b. Hamburg, 16 July 1946), daughter of Adolf Wilhelm Martin Dabelstein,

manufacturer Manufacturing is the creation or production of goods with the help of equipment, labor, machines, tools, and chemical or biological processing or formulation. It is the essence of secondary sector of the economy. The term may refer to ...

and

merchant A merchant is a person who trades in commodities produced by other people, especially one who trades with foreign countries. Historically, a merchant is anyone who is involved in business or trade. Merchants have operated for as long as indust ...

, and wife Irma Maria Margarete Callsen. The marriage, although unequal, is not

morganatic Morganatic marriage, sometimes called a left-handed marriage, is a marriage between people of unequal social rank, which in the context of royalty or other inherited title prevents the principal's position or privileges being passed to the spous ...

, as it was authorized by Andreas's father. They have three children, who inherit the ducal styles and titles: #Princess Stephanie Sibylla of Saxe-Coburg and Gotha (b. Hamburg, 31 January 1972).. Married Jan Stal in 2018 #Hubertus Michael, Hereditary Prince of Saxe-Coburg and Gotha (b. Hamburg, 16 September 1975), heir apparent to the headship. Married to Kelly Jeanne Rondesvedt civilly on 21 May 2009 in

Coburg Coburg () is a town located on the Itz river in the Upper Franconia region of Bavaria, Germany. Long part of one of the Thuringian states of the Wettin line, it joined Bavaria by popular vote only in 1920. Until the revolution of 1918, it ...

and religiously on 23 May 2009 at

. Together they have three children: ##Princess Katharina Victoria Elizabeth Cheryl of Saxe-Coburg and Gotha (b. Munich, 30 April 2014) ##Prince Philipp of Saxe-Coburg and Gotha (b. Munich, 15th July 2015) ##Princess Madeleine Aurelia Viktoria Carin (born February 22, 2017 in Munich) #Prince Alexander Philip of Saxe-Coburg and Gotha (b. Coburg, 4 May 1977).

Honours

: Co-Sovereign Knight Grand Cross of the Ducal Saxe-Coburg and Gotha House Order * : Recipient of the 70th Birthday Badge Medal of King Carl XVI Gustaf (30 April 2016)

Ancestry

Patrilineal descent

# Theodoric I of Wettin, c. 916-976 #

Dedo I, Count of Wettin Dedo I, Count of Wettin (c. 950 – 13 November 1009), also known as Dedo I of Wettin, was a son of Theodoric I of Wettin and Jutta of Merseburg. As a young man, Dedo spent his childhood with his relative Rikdag, Margrave of Meissen, Zeitz and Me ...

, 950–1009 #

Theodoric II, Margrave of Lower Lusatia Theodoric II (german: Dietrich; – 19 November 1034) was Margrave of Lusatia from 1032 to 1034, the first of the Wettin dynasty. Life He was the only son of Count Dedo I, Count of Wettin ( – 1009) and his wife Thietburga, a daughter of Coun ...

, c. 990-1034 #

Thimo the Brave, Count of Wettin Thimo I, Count of Wettin (9 March 1090/1091 or c. 1100), a member of the Wettin dynasty, was Count of Wettin and Brehna. Life Thimo was a younger son of Margrave Theodoric II, Margrave of Lower Lusatia and his wife Mathilda, a daughter of Mar ...

, c. 1015–1090/1091 or 1100 #

Conrad, Margrave of Meissen Conrad I ( – 5 February 1157), called the Great (german: Konrad der Große), a member of the House of Wettin, was Margrave of Meissen from 1123 and Margrave of Lusatia from 1136 until his retirement in 1156. Initially a Saxon count, he became t ...

, c. 1097-1157 #

Otto II, Margrave of Meissen Otto II, the Rich (german: Otto der Reiche; 1125 – 18 February 1190), a member of the House of Wettin, was Margrave of Meissen from 1156 until his death. Life He was the eldest surviving son of Conrad, Margrave of Meissen and Lusatia. When his ...

, 1125–1190 #

Theodoric I, Margrave of Meissen Theodoric I (11 March 1162 – 18 February 1221), called the Oppressed (''Dietrich der Bedrängte''), was the Margrave of Meissen from 1198 until his death. He was the second son of Otto II, Margrave of Meissen and Hedwig of Brandenburg. Bi ...

, 1162–1221 #

Henry III, Margrave of Meissen Henry III, called Henry the Illustrious (''Heinrich der Erlauchte'') (c. 1215 – 15 February 1288) from the House of Wettin was Margrave of Meissen and last Margrave of Lusatia (as Henry IV) from 1221 until his death; from 1242 also Landgrav ...

, 1215–1288 #

Albert II, Margrave of Meissen Albert II, the Degenerate (de: ''Albrecht II der Entartete'') (1240 – 20 November 1314) was a Margrave of Meissen, Landgrave of Thuringia and Count Palatine of Saxony. He was a member of the House of Wettin. He was the eldest son of Henry II ...

, 1240–1314 # Frederick I, Margrave of Meissen, 1257–1323 #

Frederick II, Margrave of Meissen Frederick II (; 30 November 1310 – 18 November 1349) was the margrave of Meissen from 1323 until his death. Early life Frederick was born on 30 November 1310 in Gotha. His parents were Margrave Frederick I of Meissen and Elisabeth von Lob ...

, 1310–1349 # Frederick III, Landgrave of Thuringia, 1332–1381 #

Frederick I, Elector of Saxony Frederick I, the Belligerent or the Warlike (german: Friedrich der Streitbare; 11 April 1370 – 4 January 1428), a member of the House of Wettin, ruled as Margrave of Meissen from 1407 and Elector of Saxony (as Frederick I) from 1423 until ...

, 1370–1428 #

Frederick II, Elector of Saxony Frederick II, The Gentle (''Friedrich, der Sanftmütige''; Frederick the Gentle) (22 August 1412 – 7 September 1464) was Elector of Saxony (1428–1464) and was Landgrave of Thuringia (1440–1445). Biography Frederick was born in Leipz ...

, 1412–1464 # Ernest, Elector of Saxony, 1441–1486 #

John, Elector of Saxony Johann (30 June 146816 August 1532), known as Johann the Steadfast or Johann the Constant (''Johann, der Beständige''), was Elector of Saxony from 1525 until 1532 from the House of Wettin. He is notable for organising the Lutheran Church in th ...

, 1468–1532 #

John Frederick I, Elector of Saxony John Frederick I (30 June 1503 in Torgau – 3 March 1554 in Weimar), called the Magnanimous, was the Elector of Saxony (1532–1547) and head of the Schmalkaldic League. Early years John Frederick was the eldest son of Elector John by his fi ...

, 1503–1554 # Johann Wilhelm, Duke of Saxe-Weimar, 1530–1573 #

Johann II, Duke of Saxe-Weimar Johann II, Duke of Saxe-Weimar (''Johann Maria Wilhelm''; 22 May 1570 – 18 July 1605) was a Duke of Saxe-Weimar and Jena. Biography He was the second son of Johann Wilhelm, Duke of Saxe-Weimar and Dorothea Susanne of Simmern. His father died ...

, 1570–1605 #

Ernest I, Duke of Saxe-Gotha Ernest I, called "Ernest the Pious" (25 December 1601 – 26 March 1675), was a duke of Saxe-Gotha and Saxe-Altenburg. The duchies were later merged into Saxe-Gotha-Altenburg. He was the ninth but sixth surviving son of Johann II, Duke of Sa ...

, 1601–1675 #

John Ernest IV, Duke of Saxe-Coburg-Saalfeld Johann Ernest IV, Duke of Saxe-Coburg-Saalfeld (22 August 1658 in Gotha – 17 February 1729 in Saalfeld) was a reigning duke of Saxe-Coburg-Saalfeld. Life He was the tenth but seventh surviving son of Ernest I, Duke of Saxe-Gotha and Elisabeth ...

, 1658-1729 #

Francis Josias, Duke of Saxe-Coburg-Saalfeld Francis Josias, Duke of Saxe-Coburg-Saalfeld (25 September 1697, in Saalfeld – 16 September 1764, in Rodach) was a duke of Saxe-Coburg-Saalfeld. Biography He was the fourth living son of Johann Ernest IV, Duke of Saxe-Coburg-Saalfeld, the thi ...

, 1697–1764 #

Ernest Frederick, Duke of Saxe-Coburg-Saalfeld Ernest Frederick, Duke of Saxe-Coburg-Saalfeld (8 March 1724, in Saalfeld – 8 September 1800, in Coburg), was a Duke of Saxe-Coburg-Saalfeld. Biography He was the eldest son of Francis Josias, Duke of Saxe-Coburg-Saalfeld and Anna Sophie of Sc ...

, 1724–1800 #

Francis, Duke of Saxe-Coburg-Saalfeld en, Francis Frederick Anthony , house = , father = Ernest Frederick, Duke of Saxe-Coburg-Saalfeld , mother = Princess Sophie Antoinette of Brunswick-Wolfenbüttel , birth_date = , birth_place = Coburg, ...

, 1750–1806 #

Ernest I, Duke of Saxe-Coburg and Gotha Ernest I (german: Ernst Anton Karl Ludwig; 2 January 178429 January 1844) was the last sovereign duke of Saxe-Coburg-Saalfeld (as Ernest III) and, from 1826, the first sovereign duke of Saxe-Coburg and Gotha (as Ernest I). He was the father of A ...

, 1784–1844 #

Albert, Prince Consort Prince Albert of Saxe-Coburg and Gotha (Franz August Karl Albert Emanuel; 26 August 1819 – 14 December 1861) was the consort of Queen Victoria from their marriage on 10 February 1840 until his death in 1861. Albert was born in the Saxon du ...

, 1819–1861 #

Prince Leopold, Duke of Albany Prince Leopold, Duke of Albany, (Leopold George Duncan Albert; 7 April 185328 March 1884) was the eighth child and youngest son of Queen Victoria and Prince Albert. Leopold was later created Duke of Albany, Earl of Clarence, and Baron Arklow ...

, 1853–1884 #

Charles Edward, Duke of Saxe-Coburg and Gotha '' , house = Saxe-Coburg and Gotha , father = Prince Leopold, Duke of Albany , mother = Princess Helen of Waldeck and Pyrmont , birth_name = Prince Charles Edward, Duke of Albany , birth_date = , birth_place = Clar ...

, 1884–1954 # Friedrich Josias, Prince of Saxe-Coburg and Gotha, 1918–1998 #Andreas, Prince of Saxe-Coburg and Gotha, b. 1943

Notes

External links

Website of Andreas, Prince of Saxe-Coburg and Gotha

Callenberg Castle website
{{DEFAULTSORT:Andreas Of Saxe-Coburg And Gotha, Prince 1943 births Living people People from Dahme-Spreewald People from the Province of Brandenburg House of Saxe-Coburg and Gotha (United Kingdom) Princes of Saxe-Coburg and Gotha