Leopold, Hereditary Prince of Anhalt
Encyclopedia
Leopold of Anhalt was a German
prince
of the House of Ascania. From 1871 until his death he was heir to the duchy
of Anhalt
.
as the first child of Hereditary Prince Frederick of Anhalt-Dessau-Köthen
and his wife Princess Antoinette of Saxe-Altenburg. He was named after his grandfather Duke Leopold of Anhalt-Dessau-Köthen
.
In 1863 his grandfather, Duke Leopold, became Duke of the united Duchy of Anhalt following the death of the last Duke of Anhalt-Bernburg
.
On 22 May 1871, Duke Leopold died and Prince Leopold's father succeeded to the Duchy of Anhalt. Leopold himself now became hereditary prince.
of 1883, Hereditary Prince Leopold proposed to Princess Victoria of Prussia, daughter of Crown Prince Frederick of Prussia
and Princess Victoria of the United Kingdom
. But his proposal was refused. In April 1884 Friedrich von Holstein
recorded that:
In the end of December 1883 Hereditary Prince Leopold was engaged to Princess Elisabeth of Hesse-Kassel, the eldest daughter of Prince Frederick William of Hesse-Kassel and Princess Anna of Prussia
. When hearing of this engagement, Queen Victoria, whose daughter apparently had not informed her mother of the rejected proposal, wrote:
Leopold and Elisabeth were married on 26 May 1884 at Schloss Philippsruhe in Hanau
.They had one daughter:
on 2 February 1886. As he had no sons, he was succeeded as Hereditary prince by his younger brother Frederick
who would eventually become Duke Frederick II of Anhalt.
Princess Elisabeth never remarried and died in Dessau on 7 January 1955.
Germans
The Germans are a Germanic ethnic group native to Central Europe. The English term Germans has referred to the German-speaking population of the Holy Roman Empire since the Late Middle Ages....
prince
Prince
Prince is a general term for a ruler, monarch or member of a monarch's or former monarch's family, and is a hereditary title in the nobility of some European states. The feminine equivalent is a princess...
of the House of Ascania. From 1871 until his death he was heir to the duchy
Duchy
A duchy is a territory, fief, or domain ruled by a duke or duchess.Some duchies were sovereign in areas that would become unified realms only during the Modern era . In contrast, others were subordinate districts of those kingdoms that unified either partially or completely during the Medieval era...
of Anhalt
Anhalt
Anhalt was a sovereign county in Germany, located between the Harz Mountains and the river Elbe in Middle Germany. It now forms part of the state of Saxony-Anhalt.- Dukes of Anhalt :...
.
Early life
Prince Leopold was born on 18 July 1855 in DessauDessau
Dessau is a town in Germany on the junction of the rivers Mulde and Elbe, in the Bundesland of Saxony-Anhalt. Since 1 July 2007, it is part of the merged town Dessau-Roßlau. Population of Dessau proper: 77,973 .-Geography:...
as the first child of Hereditary Prince Frederick of Anhalt-Dessau-Köthen
Frederick I, Duke of Anhalt
Frederick I was a German prince of the house of Ascania who ruled the Duchy of Anhalt from 1871 to 1904.-Early life:...
and his wife Princess Antoinette of Saxe-Altenburg. He was named after his grandfather Duke Leopold of Anhalt-Dessau-Köthen
Leopold IV, Duke of Anhalt
Leopold IV Frederick, Duke of Anhalt was a German prince of the House of Ascania.From 1817 until 1853 he was ruler of the duchy of Anhalt-Dessau and from 1847 until 1853 also ruler of the duchy of Anhalt-Köthen...
.
In 1863 his grandfather, Duke Leopold, became Duke of the united Duchy of Anhalt following the death of the last Duke of Anhalt-Bernburg
Anhalt-Bernburg
Anhalt-Bernburg was a principality of the Holy Roman Empire and a duchy of the German Confederation ruled by the House of Ascania with its residence at Bernburg in present-day Saxony-Anhalt...
.
On 22 May 1871, Duke Leopold died and Prince Leopold's father succeeded to the Duchy of Anhalt. Leopold himself now became hereditary prince.
Marriage and issue
In the autumnAutumn
Autumn is one of the four temperate seasons. Autumn marks the transition from summer into winter usually in September or March when the arrival of night becomes noticeably earlier....
of 1883, Hereditary Prince Leopold proposed to Princess Victoria of Prussia, daughter of Crown Prince Frederick of Prussia
Frederick III, German Emperor
Frederick III was German Emperor and King of Prussia for 99 days in 1888, the Year of the Three Emperors. Friedrich Wilhelm Nikolaus Karl known informally as Fritz, was the only son of Emperor William I and was raised in his family's tradition of military service...
and Princess Victoria of the United Kingdom
Victoria, Princess Royal
The Princess Victoria, Princess Royal was the eldest child of Queen Victoria of the United Kingdom and Prince Albert. She was created Princess Royal of the United Kingdom in 1841. She became German Empress and Queen of Prussia by marriage to German Emperor Frederick III...
. But his proposal was refused. In April 1884 Friedrich von Holstein
Friedrich von Holstein
Friedrich August von Holstein was a statesman of the German Empire and served as the head of the political department of the German Foreign Office for more than thirty years.-Biography:...
recorded that:
In the end of December 1883 Hereditary Prince Leopold was engaged to Princess Elisabeth of Hesse-Kassel, the eldest daughter of Prince Frederick William of Hesse-Kassel and Princess Anna of Prussia
Princess Anna of Prussia
Maria Anna Friederike was a Princess of Prussia. She was usually called Anna.-Suitors:...
. When hearing of this engagement, Queen Victoria, whose daughter apparently had not informed her mother of the rejected proposal, wrote:
Leopold and Elisabeth were married on 26 May 1884 at Schloss Philippsruhe in Hanau
Hanau
Hanau is a town in the Main-Kinzig-Kreis, in Hesse, Germany. It is located 25 km east of Frankfurt am Main. Its station is a major railway junction.- Geography :...
.They had one daughter:
- Antoinette (Schloss Georgium, 3 March 1885 – Dessau, 3 April 1963), married on 26 May 1909 to Prince Frederick of Schaumburg-LippePrince Frederick of Schaumburg-LippePrince Frederick of Schaumburg-Lippe was a German prince and head of the Náchod branch of the princely house of Schaumburg-Lippe.He was a son of Prince William of Schaumburg-Lippe, by his wife Princess Bathildis of Anhalt.-Early life:...
.
Death
Less than one year after the birth of his daughter, Leopold died unexpectedly in CannesCannes
Cannes is one of the best-known cities of the French Riviera, a busy tourist destination and host of the annual Cannes Film Festival. It is a Commune of France in the Alpes-Maritimes department....
on 2 February 1886. As he had no sons, he was succeeded as Hereditary prince by his younger brother Frederick
Frederick II, Duke of Anhalt
Frederick II was the Duke of Anhalt from 1904 until 1918.-Early life:He was born in Dessau in 1856 as the second son of Hereditary Prince Frederick of Anhalt-Dessau and his wife Princess Antoinette of Saxe-Altenburg....
who would eventually become Duke Frederick II of Anhalt.
Princess Elisabeth never remarried and died in Dessau on 7 January 1955.