Prince Welf Ernst of Hanover
Encyclopedia
Prince Welf Ernst of Hanover (Welf Ernst August Andreas Philipp Georg Wilhelm Ludwig Berthold Prinz von Hannover), Prince of Great Britain and Ireland
, Duke of Brunswick-Lüneburg
(born 25 January 1947 at Schloss Marienburg, Nordstemmen
, Lower Saxony
, Germany
; died 10 January 1981 in Poona, Maharashtra
, India
) was the eldest son of Prince George William of Hanover and his wife Princess Sophie of Greece and Denmark
, sister of Prince Philip, Duke of Edinburgh
. Welf was a first cousin of Charles, Prince of Wales
. The prince used the name Welf Prinz von Hannover.
at the Hanover family
seat of Schloss Marienburg, Welf was raised in Munich
. In 1969, the prince married Wibke van Gunsteren. Welf and his wife became followers of a syncretic movement led by Bhagwan Shree Rajneesh. In 1975, Welf and Wibke, along with their five-year-old daughter Tania Saskia
, made a pilgrimage to Poona, India
to live in a ashram
with other followers of Bhagwan. Once there, Bhagwan gave Welf the name Vimalkirti ("Spotless splendour") and Wibke Prem Turiya ("Spiritual love").
Welf died at the age of 33 at a clinic in Poona from a cerebral haemorrhage after collapsing during a morning karate
practice session and becoming paralyzed at the ashram.
(born 26 November 1948 at Lübbecke
, Westphalia
, Germany), daughter of Dr. med. Hans Daniel Christians and Ursula Schmidt-Prange, on 23 May 1969 in a civil ceremony. They were remarried two days later in a religious ceremony at Essen-Bredeney in Essen
, North Rhine-Westphalia
, Germany. Although many genealogies have an (erroneous) piece of information about that, Welf Ernst and Wibke were not divorced in 1979 (source: Marlene Eilers Koenig, Queen Victoria's Descendants), but lived together (un-divorced) up to his death, at which point Wibke 'Turiya' became widow. They had one daughter:
Princess Saskia married her second husband, Edward Hooper, on 27 January 2001. They had one son:
British prince
This is a list of British princes from the accession of George I in 1714. The title of prince is at the will of the sovereign, who can both grant and revoke the title. Individuals holding the title of prince will usually also be styled His Royal Highness or formerly His Highness...
, Duke of Brunswick-Lüneburg
Brunswick-Lüneburg
The Duchy of Brunswick-Lüneburg , or more properly Duchy of Brunswick and Lüneburg, was an historical ducal state from the late Middle Ages until the late Early Modern era within the North-Western domains of the Holy Roman Empire of the German Nation, in what is now northern Germany...
(born 25 January 1947 at Schloss Marienburg, Nordstemmen
Nordstemmen
Nordstemmen is a village and a municipality in the district of Hildesheim, in Lower Saxony, Germany. It is situated on the river Leine, approx. 10 km west of Hildesheim, and 25 km south of Hanover.-External links:...
, Lower Saxony
Lower Saxony
Lower Saxony is a German state situated in north-western Germany and is second in area and fourth in population among the sixteen states of Germany...
, Germany
Germany
Germany , officially the Federal Republic of Germany , is a federal parliamentary republic in Europe. The country consists of 16 states while the capital and largest city is Berlin. Germany covers an area of 357,021 km2 and has a largely temperate seasonal climate...
; died 10 January 1981 in Poona, Maharashtra
Maharashtra
Maharashtra is a state located in India. It is the second most populous after Uttar Pradesh and third largest state by area in India...
, India
India
India , officially the Republic of India , is a country in South Asia. It is the seventh-largest country by geographical area, the second-most populous country with over 1.2 billion people, and the most populous democracy in the world...
) was the eldest son of Prince George William of Hanover and his wife Princess Sophie of Greece and Denmark
Princess Sophie of Greece and Denmark
Princess Sophie of Greece and Denmark was the fourth child and youngest daughter of Prince Andrew of Greece and Denmark and Princess Alice of Battenberg, making her the elder sister of Prince Philip, Duke of Edinburgh...
, sister of Prince Philip, Duke of Edinburgh
Prince Philip, Duke of Edinburgh
Prince Philip, Duke of Edinburgh is the husband of Elizabeth II. He is the United Kingdom's longest-serving consort and the oldest serving spouse of a reigning British monarch....
. Welf was a first cousin of Charles, Prince of Wales
Charles, Prince of Wales
Prince Charles, Prince of Wales is the heir apparent and eldest son of Queen Elizabeth II and Prince Philip, Duke of Edinburgh. Since 1958 his major title has been His Royal Highness The Prince of Wales. In Scotland he is additionally known as The Duke of Rothesay...
. The prince used the name Welf Prinz von Hannover.
Personal life
Born in Lower SaxonyLower Saxony
Lower Saxony is a German state situated in north-western Germany and is second in area and fourth in population among the sixteen states of Germany...
at the Hanover family
House of Hanover
The House of Hanover is a deposed German royal dynasty which has ruled the Duchy of Brunswick-Lüneburg , the Kingdom of Hanover, the Kingdom of Great Britain, the Kingdom of Ireland and the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland...
seat of Schloss Marienburg, Welf was raised in Munich
Munich
Munich The city's motto is "" . Before 2006, it was "Weltstadt mit Herz" . Its native name, , is derived from the Old High German Munichen, meaning "by the monks' place". The city's name derives from the monks of the Benedictine order who founded the city; hence the monk depicted on the city's coat...
. In 1969, the prince married Wibke van Gunsteren. Welf and his wife became followers of a syncretic movement led by Bhagwan Shree Rajneesh. In 1975, Welf and Wibke, along with their five-year-old daughter Tania Saskia
Princess Saskia of Hanover
Princess Saskia of Hanover , Princess of Great Britain and Ireland, Duchess of Brunswick-Lüneburg is a learning assistant in an infants' school and the only child of the late Prince...
, made a pilgrimage to Poona, India
India
India , officially the Republic of India , is a country in South Asia. It is the seventh-largest country by geographical area, the second-most populous country with over 1.2 billion people, and the most populous democracy in the world...
to live in a ashram
Ashram
Traditionally, an ashram is a spiritual hermitage. Additionally, today the term ashram often denotes a locus of Indian cultural activity such as yoga, music study or religious instruction, the moral equivalent of a studio or dojo....
with other followers of Bhagwan. Once there, Bhagwan gave Welf the name Vimalkirti ("Spotless splendour") and Wibke Prem Turiya ("Spiritual love").
Welf died at the age of 33 at a clinic in Poona from a cerebral haemorrhage after collapsing during a morning karate
Karate
is a martial art developed in the Ryukyu Islands in what is now Okinawa, Japan. It was developed from indigenous fighting methods called and Chinese kenpō. Karate is a striking art using punching, kicking, knee and elbow strikes, and open-handed techniques such as knife-hands. Grappling, locks,...
practice session and becoming paralyzed at the ashram.
Marriage and issue
Welf married Wibke ChristiansTuriya Hanover
Turiya Hanover, otherwise Wibke, Prinzessin von Hannover, née van Gunsteren , is an Australian spiritualist, and a married-in member of the Royal Family of Hanover. She has published some new-age music....
(born 26 November 1948 at Lübbecke
Lübbecke
Lübbecke is a town in northeast North Rhine-Westphalia in north Germany. This former county town lies on the northern slopes of the Wiehen Hills and has around 26,000 inhabitants. The town is in the Eastwestphalian district of Minden-Lübbecke...
, Westphalia
Westphalia
Westphalia is a region in Germany, centred on the cities of Arnsberg, Bielefeld, Dortmund, Minden and Münster.Westphalia is roughly the region between the rivers Rhine and Weser, located north and south of the Ruhr River. No exact definition of borders can be given, because the name "Westphalia"...
, Germany), daughter of Dr. med. Hans Daniel Christians and Ursula Schmidt-Prange, on 23 May 1969 in a civil ceremony. They were remarried two days later in a religious ceremony at Essen-Bredeney in Essen
Essen
- Origin of the name :In German-speaking countries, the name of the city Essen often causes confusion as to its origins, because it is commonly known as the German infinitive of the verb for the act of eating, and/or the German noun for food. Although scholars still dispute the interpretation of...
, North Rhine-Westphalia
North Rhine-Westphalia
North Rhine-Westphalia is the most populous state of Germany, with four of the country's ten largest cities. The state was formed in 1946 as a merger of the northern Rhineland and Westphalia, both formerly part of Prussia. Its capital is Düsseldorf. The state is currently run by a coalition of the...
, Germany. Although many genealogies have an (erroneous) piece of information about that, Welf Ernst and Wibke were not divorced in 1979 (source: Marlene Eilers Koenig, Queen Victoria's Descendants), but lived together (un-divorced) up to his death, at which point Wibke 'Turiya' became widow. They had one daughter:
- HRH Princess Tania Saskia Viktoria-Luise of HanoverPrincess Saskia of HanoverPrincess Saskia of Hanover , Princess of Great Britain and Ireland, Duchess of Brunswick-Lüneburg is a learning assistant in an infants' school and the only child of the late Prince...
(born 24 July 1970 at DuisburgDuisburg- History :A legend recorded by Johannes Aventinus holds that Duisburg, was built by the eponymous Tuisto, mythical progenitor of Germans, ca. 2395 BC...
, North Rhine-Westphalia, Germany). Princess Saskia's first husband was Michael Alexander Naylor-Leyland (born 14 July 1956 in LondonLondonLondon is the capital city of :England and the :United Kingdom, the largest metropolitan area in the United Kingdom, and the largest urban zone in the European Union by most measures. Located on the River Thames, London has been a major settlement for two millennia, its history going back to its...
) whom she married on 6 July 1990. The couple had two children:- Jake John Naylor-Leyland (born 22 September 1993 at Chelsea and Westminster HospitalChelsea and Westminster HospitalChelsea and Westminster Hospital is a public hospital located on Fulham Road, in the Chelsea area of London, England. It is managed by the Chelsea and Westminster Hospital NHS Foundation Trust, and opened in May 1993.-History:...
, London) - Gabriel George Naylor-Leyland (born 26 March 1996 at Chelsea and Westminster Hospital, London)
- Jake John Naylor-Leyland (born 22 September 1993 at Chelsea and Westminster Hospital
Princess Saskia married her second husband, Edward Hooper, on 27 January 2001. They had one son:
-
- Louis Ivan Welf Otto Hooper (born 6 April 2007)
Titles and styles
- 25 January 1947 – 10 January 1981: His Royal Highness Prince Welf Ernst of Hanover, Prince of Great Britain and Ireland, Duke of Brunswick-Lüneburg