Ernst, 7th Prince of Hohenlohe-Langenburg (Ernst Wilhelm Friedrich Carl Maximilian, 7. Fürst zu Hohenlohe-Langenburg; 13 September 1863 – 11 December 1950) was a German aristocrat and

Prince of Hohenlohe-Langenburg Hohenlohe-Langenburg () was a German county and later principality in the Holy Roman Empire. It was located around Langenburg in what is now northeastern Baden-Württemberg, Germany. Starting in medieval times and continuing until 1806, this smal ...

. He served as the

Regent In a monarchy, a regent () is a person appointed to govern a state because the actual monarch is a minor, absent, incapacitated or unable to discharge their powers and duties, or the throne is vacant and a new monarch has not yet been dete ...

of the Duchy of

Saxe-Coburg and Gotha Saxe-Coburg and Gotha (), or Saxe-Coburg-Gotha ( ), was an Ernestine duchy in Thuringia ruled by a branch of the House of Wettin, consisting of territories in the present-day states of Thuringia and Bavaria in Germany. It lasted from 1826 to ...

during the minority of his wife's cousin, Duke Charles Edward, from 1900 to 1905.

Biography

Family

Born in Langenburg,

Kingdom of Württemberg The Kingdom of Württemberg ( ) was a German state that existed from 1806 to 1918, located within the area that is now Baden-Württemberg. The kingdom was a continuation of the Electorate of Württemberg, which existed from 1803 to 1806. Geogr ...

on 13 September 1863, Ernst was the oldest of three children, and the only son, of Hermann, Prince of Hohenlohe-Langenburg, and

Princess Leopoldine of Baden Princess Leopoldine of Baden (''Leopoldine Wilhelmine Amalie Pauline Maximiliane''; 22 February 1837, Karlsruhe – 23 December 1903, Strasbourg) was a Princess of Baden by birth and Princess of Hohenlohe-Langenburg by marriage. Life Leopoldine ...

, daughter of Prince William of Baden. He was the grand-nephew of

Queen Victoria Victoria (Alexandrina Victoria; 24 May 1819 – 22 January 1901) was Queen of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland from 20 June 1837 until Death and state funeral of Queen Victoria, her death in January 1901. Her reign of 63 year ...

; his paternal grandmother was Feodora of Leiningen, Victoria’s elder half-sister. His paternal great-grandmother was Princess Victoria of Saxe-Coburg-Saalfeld, Duchess of Kent and Strathearn, the mother of Princess Feodora and Queen Victoria. He married the Queen's granddaughter, Princess Alexandra of Edinburgh, daughter of

Alfred, Duke of Saxe-Coburg and Gotha Alfred (Alfred Ernest Albert; 6 August 184430 July 1900) was sovereign Duke of Saxe-Coburg and Gotha from 22 August 1893 until his death in 1900. He was the second son and fourth child of Queen Victoria and Prince Albert. He was known as the Du ...

and

Maria Alexandrovna of Russia Grand Duchess Maria Alexandrovna of Russia (; – 22 October 1920) was the sixth child and only surviving daughter of Alexander II of Russia and Marie of Hesse and by Rhine; she was Duchess of Edinburgh and later Duchess of Saxe-Coburg and Got ...

, on 20 April 1896 at the Ehrenburg Palace (''Schloss'' Ehrenburg) in

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

Germany Germany, officially the Federal Republic of Germany, is a country in Central Europe. It lies between the Baltic Sea and the North Sea to the north and the Alps to the south. Its sixteen States of Germany, constituent states have a total popu ...

. He was known as "Erni" to his relatives.

Education

After finishing high school in

Karlsruhe Karlsruhe ( ; ; ; South Franconian German, South Franconian: ''Kallsruh'') is the List of cities in Baden-Württemberg by population, third-largest city of the States of Germany, German state of Baden-Württemberg, after its capital Stuttgart a ...

, the young prince studied law in

Paris Paris () is the Capital city, capital and List of communes in France with over 20,000 inhabitants, largest city of France. With an estimated population of 2,048,472 residents in January 2025 in an area of more than , Paris is the List of ci ...

Bonn Bonn () is a federal city in the German state of North Rhine-Westphalia, located on the banks of the Rhine. With a population exceeding 300,000, it lies about south-southeast of Cologne, in the southernmost part of the Rhine-Ruhr region. This ...

Tübingen Tübingen (; ) is a traditional college town, university city in central Baden-Württemberg, Germany. It is situated south of the state capital, Stuttgart, and developed on both sides of the Neckar and Ammer (Neckar), Ammer rivers. about one in ...

and

Leipzig Leipzig (, ; ; Upper Saxon: ; ) is the most populous city in the States of Germany, German state of Saxony. The city has a population of 628,718 inhabitants as of 2023. It is the List of cities in Germany by population, eighth-largest city in Ge ...

, where he graduated in 1885 with the first legal exam in

Naumburg Naumburg () is a town in (and the administrative capital of) the district Burgenlandkreis, in the state of Saxony-Anhalt, Central Germany (cultural area), Central Germany. It has a population of around 33,000. The Naumburg Cathedral became a UNES ...

. He also gained membership in the Corps Suevia Tübingen (1st Class) in 1884, when he was at the

University of Tübingen The University of Tübingen, officially the Eberhard Karl University of Tübingen (; ), is a public research university located in the city of Tübingen, Baden-Württemberg, Germany. The University of Tübingen is one of eleven German Excellenc ...

and Borussia Bonn in 1886, because he had gone to the

University of Bonn The University of Bonn, officially the Rhenish Friedrich Wilhelm University of Bonn (), is a public research university in Bonn, North Rhine-Westphalia, Germany. It was founded in its present form as the () on 18 October 1818 by Frederick Willi ...

Career

Ernst served as a ''Sekondelieutenant'' in the 2nd Guards Dragoon Regiment (''2. Garde-Dragoner-Regiment'') of the Prussian Army from 1885 to 1891, and was separated from active military when he entered diplomatic service.Auswärtiges Amt: ''Biographisches Handbuch des deutschen Auswärtigen Dienstes 1871-1945, Band 2 G-K'', Verlag Ferdinand Schöningh 2005, pp. 344-345 He underwent diplomatic training in Berlin and London from 1889 to 1891 and passed the diplomatic examination on 15 July 1891. On 3 August 1891, he was named a Legation Secretary (''Legationssekretär'') and appointed as Secretary at the Imperial German Embassies in St. Petersburg (1891-1892) and London (1892-1894). From 1894 to 1897, he was detached to work in

Strasbourg Strasbourg ( , ; ; ) is the Prefectures in France, prefecture and largest city of the Grand Est Regions of France, region of Geography of France, eastern France, in the historic region of Alsace. It is the prefecture of the Bas-Rhin Departmen ...

as an assistant to his father, Prince Hermann, who was the Imperial Governor of Alsace-Lorraine. He left the diplomatic service on 18 November 1897 as a ''Legationsrat'' in order to officially enter the administrative service of Alsace-Lorraine. He also prepared himself for his future role as a Peer of the Kingdom of Württemberg. Because his wife was the daughter of Alfred, Duke of Saxe-Coburg and Gotha, Ernst became the Regent of the Duchy after the death of the Duke. From 30 July 1900 to 18 July 1905, he governed Saxe-Coburg and Gotha on the behalf of the still immature successor, Charles Edward. Afterwards, he made several unsuccessful attempts to gain a foothold in the politics of the German Empire. He represented the director of the Colonial Department (''Kolonialabteilung '') of the Foreign Office (''Auswärtiges Amt'') from 1905 to 1906. He was a deputy for the Deutsche Reichspartei in the Reichstag from January 1907 to January 1912, and was 1st Vice President of the Reichstag from 1909 to 1910. In 1913, on the death of his father, Ernst became the Prince of Hohelohe-Langeburg, entitling him to sit in the '' Kammer der Standesherren'' (House of Lords) of the Kingdom of Württemberg, where he had already been serving as his father's representative since 1895. He would keep his seat until the November Revolution of 1918. Though no longer an active officer, Ernst remained an officer à la suite to the Prussian Army and had been given the '' Charakter'' of ''Major à la suite'' on 11 September 1903.Kriegsministerium: ''Rangliste der Königlich Preußischen Armee und des XIII. (Königlich Württembergischen) Armeekorps für 1914'', E.S. Mittler & Sohn, Berlin 1914, p. 39 During the

First World War World War I or the First World War (28 July 1914 – 11 November 1918), also known as the Great War, was a World war, global conflict between two coalitions: the Allies of World War I, Allies (or Entente) and the Central Powers. Fighting to ...

, the Prince was active in voluntary military medical aid efforts (''freiwillige Krankenpflege''). He was promoted to ''

Oberstleutnant () (English: Lieutenant Colonel) is a senior field officer rank in several German-speaking and Scandinavian countries, equivalent to lieutenant colonel. It is currently used by both the ground and air forces of Austria, Germany, Switzerland, ...

'' ''à la suite'' of the army on 24 December 1914. From 19 July 1915 to 5 October 1915, he was sent as a special envoy to the German Embassy in

Constantinople Constantinople (#Names of Constantinople, see other names) was a historical city located on the Bosporus that served as the capital of the Roman Empire, Roman, Byzantine Empire, Byzantine, Latin Empire, Latin, and Ottoman Empire, Ottoman empire ...

and to the

Balkans The Balkans ( , ), corresponding partially with the Balkan Peninsula, is a geographical area in southeastern Europe with various geographical and historical definitions. The region takes its name from the Balkan Mountains that stretch throug ...

to assume the duties of the envoy Hans Freiherr von Wangenheim who had fallen ill. He later served as the General Delegate to the staff of the Supreme Commander East (''Oberbefehlshaber Ost'') on the Eastern Front and on 10 July 1918 became the Imperial Commissioner and Military Inspector of Voluntary Medical Aid (''Kaiserlicher Kommissar und Militärinspekteur der freiwilligen Krankenpflege'').

Relationship with the Nazi Party

After

Adolf Hitler Adolf Hitler (20 April 1889 – 30 April 1945) was an Austrian-born German politician who was the dictator of Nazi Germany from 1933 until Death of Adolf Hitler, his suicide in 1945. Adolf Hitler's rise to power, He rose to power as the lea ...

came to power in 1933, Ernst joined his son (who had already entered in 1931) in the

Nazi Party The Nazi Party, officially the National Socialist German Workers' Party ( or NSDAP), was a far-right politics, far-right political party in Germany active between 1920 and 1945 that created and supported the ideology of Nazism. Its precursor ...

with the membership number of 3726902.

Retirement

After the Second World War, Ernst retired to private life. His wife, who suffered from various illnesses, died in 1942. Ernst was dedicated to church and nursing activities and was a member of the

German Evangelical Church Assembly The German Protestant Church Assembly ( German ''Deutscher Evangelischer Kirchentag'', DEKT) is an assembly of lay members of the Protestant Church in Germany, that organises biennial events of faith, culture and political discussion. History ...

(the ''Kirchentag''), Commander of the ''Württemberg-Badenschen Genossenschaft'' (Württemberg-Baden Cooperative), Governor of the Bailiwick of Brandenburg Order of St. John, Honorary President of the Württemberg State Association of the

Red Cross The organized International Red Cross and Red Crescent Movement is a Humanitarianism, humanitarian movement with approximately 16million volunteering, volunteers, members, and staff worldwide. It was founded to protect human life and health, to ...

as well as of the Evangelical People's League of Württemberg (''Evangelischen Volksbund für Württemberg''). On 11 December 1950, Ernst died at the age 87 at Langenburg,

Baden-Württemberg Baden-Württemberg ( ; ), commonly shortened to BW or BaWü, is a states of Germany, German state () in Southwest Germany, east of the Rhine, which forms the southern part of Germany's western border with France. With more than 11.07 million i ...

West Germany West Germany was the common English name for the Federal Republic of Germany (FRG) from its formation on 23 May 1949 until German reunification, its reunification with East Germany on 3 October 1990. It is sometimes known as the Bonn Republi ...

Children

The children of Prince Ernst and Princess Alexandra of Hohelohe-Langenburg were descended from both

and Victoria's half-sister Feodora of Leiningen. They were: * Gottfried Hermann Alfred Paul Maximilian Viktor Fürst zu Hohenlohe-Langenburg, b. 24 March 1897, d. 11 May 1960, married 20 April 1931

Princess Margarita of Greece and Denmark Princess Margarita of Greece and Denmark (; 18 April 1905 – 24 April 1981) was a List of princesses of Greece, Greek and List of princesses of Denmark, Danish princess by birth and Princess of Hohenlohe-Langenburg by marriage. An elder sister ...

, sister of

Prince Philip, Duke of Edinburgh Prince Philip, Duke of Edinburgh (born Prince Philip of Greece and Denmark, later Philip Mountbatten; 10 June 19219 April 2021), was the husband of Queen Elizabeth II. As such, he was the consort of the British monarch from h ...

. * Princess Marie Melita of Hohenlohe-Langenburg, b. 18 January 1899, d. 8 November 1967; married Wilhelm Friedrich, Duke of Schleswig-Holstein * Princess Alexandra Beatrice Leopoldine of Hohenlohe-Langenburg, b. 2 April 1901, d. 26 October 1963 * Princess Irma Helene of Hohenlohe-Langenburg, b. 4 July 1902, d. 8 March 1986 * Prince Alfred Christian of Hohenlohe-Langenburg, b. 16 April 1911, d. 18 April 1911

Honours and awards

Grand Duchy of Baden The Grand Duchy of Baden () was a German polity on the east bank of the Rhine. It originally existed as a sovereign state from 1806 to 1871 and later as part of the German Empire until 1918. The duchy's 12th-century origins were as a Margravia ...

: ** House Order of Fidelity (1904) ** Friedrich-Luise Medal *

Kingdom of Bavaria The Kingdom of Bavaria ( ; ; spelled ''Baiern'' until 1825) was a German state that succeeded the former Electorate of Bavaria in 1806 and continued to exist until 1918. With the unification of Germany into the German Empire in 1871, the kingd ...

: Order of Saint Hubert *

Principality of Lippe Lippe (later Lippe-Detmold and then again Lippe) was a state in Germany, ruled by the House of Lippe. It was located between the Weser river and the southeast part of the Teutoburg Forest. It originated as a state during the Holy Roman Empire, an ...

: House Order of the Honor Cross, 1st Class with Crown *

Grand Duchy of Mecklenburg-Schwerin The Grand Duchy of Mecklenburg-Schwerin () was a territory in Northern Germany held by the House of Mecklenburg residing at Schwerin. It was a sovereign member state of the German Confederation and became a federated state of the North German C ...

: Military Merit Cross, 2nd Class *

Kingdom of Prussia The Kingdom of Prussia (, ) was a German state that existed from 1701 to 1918.Marriott, J. A. R., and Charles Grant Robertson. ''The Evolution of Prussia, the Making of an Empire''. Rev. ed. Oxford: Clarendon Press, 1946. It played a signif ...

: **

Order of the Red Eagle The Order of the Red Eagle () was an order of chivalry of the Kingdom of Prussia. It was awarded to both military personnel and civilians, to recognize valor in combat, excellence in military leadership, long and faithful service to the kingdom, o ...

, Grand Cross **

, 1st Class with Diamonds ** Royal

House Order of Hohenzollern The House Order of Hohenzollern ( or ') was a dynastic order of knighthood of the House of Hohenzollern awarded to military commissioned officers and civilians of comparable status. Associated with the various versions of the order were crosses an ...

, Knight's Cross **

Order of Saint John (Bailiwick of Brandenburg) The Bailiwick of Brandenburg of the Chivalric Order of Saint John of the Hospital at Jerusalem (), commonly known as the Order of Saint John or the Johanniter Order (German: ''Johanniterorden''), is the Germans, German Protestantism, Protestant b ...

, Commander's Cross **

Iron Cross The Iron Cross (, , abbreviated EK) was a military decoration in the Kingdom of Prussia, the German Empire (1871–1918), and Nazi Germany (1933–1945). The design, a black cross pattée with a white or silver outline, was derived from the in ...

1st Class * Principality of Reuß jüngere Linie: Princely Reuss Honor Cross, 1st Class * :

Albert Order The Albert Order () was created on 31 December 1850 by King Frederick Augustus II of Saxony to commemorate Albert III, Duke of Saxony (known as Albert the Bold). It was to be awarded to anyone who had served the state well, for civil virtue, s ...

, Grand Cross with Golden Star (1900) * Grand Duchy of Saxe-Weimar-Eisenach: Order of the White Falcon, Grand Cross * Saxon Duchies: ** Ducal Saxe-Ernestine House Order, Grand Cross ** Ducal Saxe-Ernestine House Order, Grand Cross with Swords (16 April 1916) *

: ** Order of the Württemberg Crown, Grand Cross (1901) **

Friedrich Order The Friedrich Order ( or ''Friedrichsorden'') was an order of merit of the German Kingdom of Württemberg. It was instituted on 1 January 1830 by the second king of Württemberg, Wilhelm I in remembrance of his father, King Friedrich I. In 1918, ...

, Grand Cross (1893) * : Order of Saint Alexander, Grand Cross * :

Order of the Bath The Most Honourable Order of the Bath is a British order of chivalry founded by King George I of Great Britain, George I on 18 May 1725. Recipients of the Order are usually senior British Armed Forces, military officers or senior Civil Service ...

, Honorary Knight Grand Cross (Civil Division) (22 October 1897) * : Kingdom of Romania:

Order of the Star of Romania The Order of the Star of Romania (Romanian: ''Ordinul Steaua României'') is Romania's highest civil Order and second highest State decoration after the Order of Michael the Brave. It is the oldest Order of Romania. It is awarded by the Preside ...

, Grand Cross * :

Order of Saint Vladimir The Imperial Order of Saint Prince Vladimir () was an Imperial Russian order established on by Empress Catherine the Great, Catherine II in memory of the deeds of Vladimir I, Prince of Kiev, Saint Vladimir, the Grand Prince and the Baptizer of ...

, 4th Class

Ancestry

References

Bibliography

* Frank Raberg, ''Biographisches Handbuch der württembergischen Landtagsabgeordneten 1815–1933'' iographical Handbook of the Members of the ''Landtag'' of Württemberg, 1815–1833">Landtag.html" ;"title="iographical Handbook of the Members of the ''Landtag">iographical Handbook of the Members of the ''Landtag'' of Württemberg, 1815–1833 in the ''Kommission für geschichtliche Landeskunde in Baden-Württemberg'' [Commission of the Historical Studies of the State of Baden-Württemberg], (Stuttgart: W[ilhelm]. Kohlhammer, 2001), , p. 381. {{DEFAULTSORT:Ernst 02 of Hohenlohe-Langenburg, Prince 1863 births 1950 deaths People from Langenburg People from the Kingdom of Württemberg House of Hohenlohe-Langenburg Princes of Hohenlohe-Langenburg German Lutherans Free Conservative Party politicians Royalty in the Nazi Party Members of the 12th Reichstag of the German Empire Members of the Württembergian Chamber of Lords Annulled Honorary Knights Grand Cross of the Order of the Bath Pretenders