Prince Friedrich Josias of Saxe-Coburg and Gotha
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Prince Frederick Josias of Saxe-Coburg-Gotha (Friedrich Josias Carl Eduard Ernst Kyrill Harald) (b. Schloß Callenberg, November 29, 1918 - d. Amstetten, Wurttemberg, January 23, 1998) was the Head of the Ducal House of Saxe-Coburg and Gotha and titular Duke of Saxe-Coburg and Gotha from 1954 to his death.
The Prince was born to Carl Eduard, Duke of Saxe-Coburg and Gotha and Princess Victoria Adelaide of Schleswig-Holstein-Sonderburg-Glücksburg. However, the Duke was forced to abdicate on November 14, 1918. The third of three sons, he was not expected to succeed as Head. However, the eldest, Hereditary Prince Johann Leopold, married unequally and renounced his rights in 1932, and Prince Hubertus was killed in action in 1943, thus leaving Prince Friedrich Josias as the heir-apparent. He succeeded to the Headship on March 6, 1954.
The Prince married three times:
In Casel on January 25, 1942, Frederick Josias married firstly with the Countess Viktoria-Luise of Solms-Baruth. They had one son:
However, this marriage ended in divorce on September 19, 1946.
In San Francisco on February 14, 1948, Frederick Josias married secondly with Denyse Henrietta de Muralt. They had three children:
- Maria Claudia Sibylla (b. San Francisco, 22 May 1949), married on 17 March 1971 to Gion Schäfer.
- Beatrice Charlotte (b. Bern, 15 July 1951), married on 12 June 1977 to Frederick of Saxe-Meiningen.
- Adrian Vinzenz Eduar (b. Coburg, 18 October 1955), married firstly on 20 October 1984 to Lea Rinderknecht; the marriage was morganatic and their two sons were barred from the succession of the duchy of Saxe-Coburg and Gotha. This union ended in divorce in 1993. Secondly (and again morganatic), Adrian married on 11 July 1997 to Gertrud Krieg. They had no children.
Frederick Josias and Denyse were divorced as on September 17, 1964.
In Hamburg on 30 October 1964 Frederick Josias married thirdly (and morganatically) with Katrin Bremme. This marriage was childless.
| House of Saxe-Coburg and Gotha Born: 29 November 1918; Died: 23 January 1998 | ||
|---|---|---|
| Titles in pretence | ||
| Preceded by: Carl Eduard | * NOT REIGNING * Duke of Saxe-Coburg and Gotha (6 March, 1954-23 January, 1998) | Succeeded by: Andreas |
