Alexander, Prince of Lippe
Encyclopedia
Alexander, Prince of Lippe (16 January 1831 – 13 January 1905) was the penultimate sovereign of the Principality of Lippe
. Succeeding to the throne in 1895, power was exercised by a regent throughout his reign on account of his mental illness.
the seventh child of Leopold II
, Lippe's reigning prince and his consort Princess Emilie of Schwarzburg-Sondershausen
(1800–1867). Prince Alexander for a time served as a captain in the Hanoverian Army.
He succeeded as Prince of Lippe on 20 March 1895 following the death of his brother Prince Woldemar
. As Alexander had been showing signs of a mental illness and having been placed under legal restrictions in 1870 and 1893 it was necessary for a regency to established in Lippe. Alexander was the last male of the Lippe-Detmold line, the next senior line of the House of Lippe
were the Counts of Lippe-Biesterfeld followed by the Counts of Lippe-Weissenfeld and then the most junior line the princes of Schaumburg-Lippe
.
the brother in law of the German Emperor Wilhelm II immediately claimed the position of regent
on Alexander's ascension, basing his claim on a decree issued by Prince Woldemar in 1890 but kept secret until his death. This act was disputed by Count Ernst of Lippe-Biesterfeld
who also put forward a claim to the regency. Lippe's diet
confirmed Prince Adolf as regent on 24 April pending a settlement over the disputed regency.
A settlement was reached in 1897 when a commission under the presidency of King Albert of Saxony
ruled in favour of the claims of Count Ernst of Lippe-Biesterfeld. Prince Adolf then resigned the regency and was replaced by Count Ernst who would rule as regent for Alexander until his death in 1904 when his son Count Leopold of Lippe-Biesterfeld
succeeded as regent.
of St Gilgenberg near Baireuth where he would often be seen attending concerts and the theatre
. He also passed time by playing chess, copying pictures from newspapers and listing to music. He was also aware of his position as a sovereign prince and used to insist on etiquette
being observed.
Alexander's death at St Gilgenberg brought about the extinction of the Lippe-Detmold line, with the regent Count Leopold of Lippe-Biesterfeld succeeding him as Prince of Lippe.
Principality of Lippe
Lippe was a historical state in Germany. It was located between the Weser River and the southeast part of the Teutoburg forest.-History:...
. Succeeding to the throne in 1895, power was exercised by a regent throughout his reign on account of his mental illness.
Early life and ascension
Prince Alexander of Lippe was born in DetmoldDetmold
Detmold is a city in North Rhine-Westphalia, Germany, with a population of about 74,000. It was the capital of the small Principality of Lippe from 1468 until 1918 and then of the Free State of Lippe until 1947...
the seventh child of Leopold II
Leopold II, Prince of Lippe
Leopold II of Lippe was the sovereign of the Principality of Lippe. Succeeding to the throne in 1802 he assumed control of the government in 1820 from his mother who had been acting as regent due to his age at ascension.-Biography:Leopold II was born in Detmold the eldest child of Leopold I the...
, Lippe's reigning prince and his consort Princess Emilie of Schwarzburg-Sondershausen
Schwarzburg-Sondershausen
Schwarzburg-Sondershausen was a small principality in Germany, in the present day state of Thuringia, with capital at Sondershausen.-History:...
(1800–1867). Prince Alexander for a time served as a captain in the Hanoverian Army.
He succeeded as Prince of Lippe on 20 March 1895 following the death of his brother Prince Woldemar
Woldemar, Prince of Lippe
Woldemar of Lippe was the sovereign of the Principality of Lippe reigning from 1875 until his death.-Early life and reign:...
. As Alexander had been showing signs of a mental illness and having been placed under legal restrictions in 1870 and 1893 it was necessary for a regency to established in Lippe. Alexander was the last male of the Lippe-Detmold line, the next senior line of the House of Lippe
House of Lippe
The House of Lippe is a German Royal House. The House of Lippe descends from Count Jobst Hermann of Lippe whose son Bernhard I was the founder of the state of Lippe in 1123....
were the Counts of Lippe-Biesterfeld followed by the Counts of Lippe-Weissenfeld and then the most junior line the princes of Schaumburg-Lippe
Schaumburg-Lippe
Schaumburg-Lippe was until 1946 a small state in Germany, located in the present day state of Lower Saxony, with its capital at Bückeburg.- History :...
.
Regency dispute
Prince Adolf of Schaumburg-LippePrince Adolf of Schaumburg-Lippe
Prince Adolf of Schaumburg-Lippe was the regent of the Principality of Lippe from 1895 till 1897.-Early life:He was born in Bückeburg the seventh child of Adolf I, Prince of Schaumburg-Lippe and Princess Hermine of Waldeck-Pyrmont .Following the death of Prince Woldemar on the 20 March 1895 and...
the brother in law of the German Emperor Wilhelm II immediately claimed the position of regent
Regent
A regent, from the Latin regens "one who reigns", is a person selected to act as head of state because the ruler is a minor, not present, or debilitated. Currently there are only two ruling Regencies in the world, sovereign Liechtenstein and the Malaysian constitutive state of Terengganu...
on Alexander's ascension, basing his claim on a decree issued by Prince Woldemar in 1890 but kept secret until his death. This act was disputed by Count Ernst of Lippe-Biesterfeld
Count Ernst of Lippe-Biesterfeld
Ernst II, Count of Lippe-Biesterfeld was the head of the Lippe-Biesterfeld line of the House of Lippe...
who also put forward a claim to the regency. Lippe's diet
Diet (assembly)
In politics, a diet is a formal deliberative assembly. The term is mainly used historically for the Imperial Diet, the general assembly of the Imperial Estates of the Holy Roman Empire, and for the legislative bodies of certain countries.-Etymology:...
confirmed Prince Adolf as regent on 24 April pending a settlement over the disputed regency.
A settlement was reached in 1897 when a commission under the presidency of King Albert of Saxony
Albert of Saxony
Albert of Saxony may refer to:* Albert of Saxony * Albert I, Duke of Saxony * Albert, Duke of Saxony * Prince Albert of Saxony, Duke of Teschen * Albert of Saxony...
ruled in favour of the claims of Count Ernst of Lippe-Biesterfeld. Prince Adolf then resigned the regency and was replaced by Count Ernst who would rule as regent for Alexander until his death in 1904 when his son Count Leopold of Lippe-Biesterfeld
Leopold IV, Prince of Lippe
Leopold IV, Prince of Lippe was the final sovereign of the Principality of Lippe...
succeeded as regent.
Life as prince
While unable to exercise power Alexander lived at the sanatoriumSanatorium
A sanatorium is a medical facility for long-term illness, most typically associated with treatment of tuberculosis before antibiotics...
of St Gilgenberg near Baireuth where he would often be seen attending concerts and the theatre
Theatre
Theatre is a collaborative form of fine art that uses live performers to present the experience of a real or imagined event before a live audience in a specific place. The performers may communicate this experience to the audience through combinations of gesture, speech, song, music or dance...
. He also passed time by playing chess, copying pictures from newspapers and listing to music. He was also aware of his position as a sovereign prince and used to insist on etiquette
Etiquette
Etiquette is a code of behavior that delineates expectations for social behavior according to contemporary conventional norms within a society, social class, or group...
being observed.
Alexander's death at St Gilgenberg brought about the extinction of the Lippe-Detmold line, with the regent Count Leopold of Lippe-Biesterfeld succeeding him as Prince of Lippe.