Princess Feodora of Saxe-Meiningen (1890-1972)
Encyclopedia
Princess Feodora of Saxe-Meiningen (Feodora Karola Charlotte Marie Adelheid Auguste Mathilde; 29 May 1890 – 12 March 1972) was the eldest child of Prince Friedrich Johann of Saxe-Meiningen, a younger son of Georg II, Duke of Saxe-Meiningen
, and Countess Adelaide of Lippe-Biesterfeld
, a daughter of Ernst, Count of Lippe-Biesterfeld. By marriage, she was known as Grand Duchess of Saxe-Weimar-Eisenach.
, Feodora was urged by her kinsman Emperor Wilhelm II to make a match with the widowed Wilhelm Ernst, Grand Duke of Saxe-Weimar-Eisenach. He had been serving with the Prussian artillery during that time. Despite his role in their engagement however, Emperor Wilhelm refused to attend the wedding. This caused much speculation, as he and his wife were very close to the Grand Duke. This was seen by many to be due to the mutual ill will felt between Wilhelm and Feodora's grandfather Georg II, Duke of Saxe-Meiningen
, whose morganatic wedding to Ellen Franz
had greatly displeased many royal personages like Wilhelm. Georg was the only ruling member of a German royal house who had never visited the Emperor upon his accession in 1888, and who had never received any imperial German visitors in kind at his own court. Wilhelm's disapproval was even more surprising in that he had recently allowed the marriage between a Hohenzollern prince (Prince Frederick William of Prussia, son of Prince Albert of Prussia) with a much lower-ranked member of the nobility; it was considered odd that he refused to recognize one equal marriage and acknowledge another lesser match, especially when the latter was within his own family and subject to the rigid rules of Hohenzollern behavior.
The Emperor's boycott of the wedding was so strongly resented in Saxe-Meiningen
that when newspapers announced that Wilhelm would not be attending the wedding, the official communication from the royal palace declared that he had never been invited.
On 14 January 1910 in Meiningen
, Feodora was married to Wilhelm Ernst. She was his second wife (his first wife Princess Caroline Reuss of Greiz
died childless after eighteenth months of marriage in 1905). This first marriage had been unhappy, as Karoline disliked the Weimar court, eventually fleeing to Switzerland
. After being persuaded to return to court, her death soon after was considered by some to be suicide.
Feodora was unhappy in such an environment; at the age of 23, reports leaked out that she was staying at a sanatorium
for her health. She was stricken with a severe attack of measles and scarlet fever, which she had acquired while visiting an asylum she had founded. Her increased attentions to this particular asylum were attributed to her unhappiness at court, and seen as an escape. The extreme etiquette also caused there to be a distance between herself and the Grand Duke, as well as with their young children. While reports did not call her husband particularly cruel, he was, according to one source:
Feodora was very popular among the middle and lower classes of Weimar; this was largely attributed to her charm and kindness to the poor and suffering.
—was forced to abdicate. His throne and all his lands were relinquished and he fled with his family to the family estate in Silesia
, where he died four years later. Feodora died on 12 March 1972 in Freiburg im Breisgau, Germany.
Georg II, Duke of Saxe-Meiningen
Georg II, Duke of Saxe-Meiningen , was the penultimate Duke of Saxe-Meiningen, reigning from 1866 to 1914.-Family and early life:...
, and Countess Adelaide of Lippe-Biesterfeld
Countess Adelaide of Lippe-Biesterfeld
Countess Adelaide of Lippe-Biesterfeld was the eldest child of Ernest II, Count of Lippe-Biesterfeld and Countess Karoline of Wartensleben.-Family and early life:...
, a daughter of Ernst, Count of Lippe-Biesterfeld. By marriage, she was known as Grand Duchess of Saxe-Weimar-Eisenach.
Marriage
During a summer visit to the palace WilhelmshöheWilhelmshöhe
Schloss Wilhelmshöhe is a palace located in the Bergpark Wilhelmshöhe in Kassel, Germany. As King of Westphalia, Jérôme Bonaparte renamed it Napoleonshöhe and appointed his Head Chamberlain Heinrich von Blumenthal as its governor, with instructions to supervise extensive renovations.After the...
, Feodora was urged by her kinsman Emperor Wilhelm II to make a match with the widowed Wilhelm Ernst, Grand Duke of Saxe-Weimar-Eisenach. He had been serving with the Prussian artillery during that time. Despite his role in their engagement however, Emperor Wilhelm refused to attend the wedding. This caused much speculation, as he and his wife were very close to the Grand Duke. This was seen by many to be due to the mutual ill will felt between Wilhelm and Feodora's grandfather Georg II, Duke of Saxe-Meiningen
Georg II, Duke of Saxe-Meiningen
Georg II, Duke of Saxe-Meiningen , was the penultimate Duke of Saxe-Meiningen, reigning from 1866 to 1914.-Family and early life:...
, whose morganatic wedding to Ellen Franz
Ellen Franz
Ellen Franz was a German pianist and actress.-Early life:She was born in Berlin. According to Friedrich Martin von Bodenstedt, Ellen Franz made her first appearance in the Hoftheater of Meiningen in 1867.-Marriage:...
had greatly displeased many royal personages like Wilhelm. Georg was the only ruling member of a German royal house who had never visited the Emperor upon his accession in 1888, and who had never received any imperial German visitors in kind at his own court. Wilhelm's disapproval was even more surprising in that he had recently allowed the marriage between a Hohenzollern prince (Prince Frederick William of Prussia, son of Prince Albert of Prussia) with a much lower-ranked member of the nobility; it was considered odd that he refused to recognize one equal marriage and acknowledge another lesser match, especially when the latter was within his own family and subject to the rigid rules of Hohenzollern behavior.
The Emperor's boycott of the wedding was so strongly resented in Saxe-Meiningen
Saxe-Meiningen
The Duchy of Saxe-Meiningen was one of the Saxon duchies held by the Ernestine line of the Wettin dynasty, located in the southwest of the present-day German state of Thuringia....
that when newspapers announced that Wilhelm would not be attending the wedding, the official communication from the royal palace declared that he had never been invited.
On 14 January 1910 in Meiningen
Meiningen
Meiningen is a town in Germany - located in the southern part of the state of Thuringia and is the district seat of Schmalkalden-Meiningen. It is situated on the river Werra....
, Feodora was married to Wilhelm Ernst. She was his second wife (his first wife Princess Caroline Reuss of Greiz
Princess Caroline Reuss of Greiz
Princess Caroline Reuss of Greiz was the first wife of Wilhelm Ernst, Grand Duke of Saxe-Weimar-Eisenach.-Early life:...
died childless after eighteenth months of marriage in 1905). This first marriage had been unhappy, as Karoline disliked the Weimar court, eventually fleeing to Switzerland
Switzerland
Switzerland name of one of the Swiss cantons. ; ; ; or ), in its full name the Swiss Confederation , is a federal republic consisting of 26 cantons, with Bern as the seat of the federal authorities. The country is situated in Western Europe,Or Central Europe depending on the definition....
. After being persuaded to return to court, her death soon after was considered by some to be suicide.
Court life
Feodora's marriage was unhappy; the Weimar court was generally considered to be one of the most stifling and etiquette-driven in Germany. One source recounted:
"It envelops royalty there in a species of captivity, and while the grand duke lends thereto and is too conservative to admit of any change, it crushes with its trammels the more spirited members of the family".
Feodora was unhappy in such an environment; at the age of 23, reports leaked out that she was staying at a sanatorium
Sanatorium
A sanatorium is a medical facility for long-term illness, most typically associated with treatment of tuberculosis before antibiotics...
for her health. She was stricken with a severe attack of measles and scarlet fever, which she had acquired while visiting an asylum she had founded. Her increased attentions to this particular asylum were attributed to her unhappiness at court, and seen as an escape. The extreme etiquette also caused there to be a distance between herself and the Grand Duke, as well as with their young children. While reports did not call her husband particularly cruel, he was, according to one source:
"One of the wealthiest sovereigns in Europe; stolid, well-behaved, imbued with great pride of race, and a strict sense of what is due to the anointed of the Lord. He is also one of the most severely respected and proper of German rulers...the Grand Duke is very dull, and his court and environment reflect his character in this respect to such a respect that Weimar has become the dreariest capital in Europe".
Feodora was very popular among the middle and lower classes of Weimar; this was largely attributed to her charm and kindness to the poor and suffering.
Later life
On 9 November 1918 Wilhelm Ernst—along with the rest of the German monarchs following the defeat of Germany in World War IWorld War I
World War I , which was predominantly called the World War or the Great War from its occurrence until 1939, and the First World War or World War I thereafter, was a major war centred in Europe that began on 28 July 1914 and lasted until 11 November 1918...
—was forced to abdicate. His throne and all his lands were relinquished and he fled with his family to the family estate in Silesia
Silesia
Silesia is a historical region of Central Europe located mostly in Poland, with smaller parts also in the Czech Republic, and Germany.Silesia is rich in mineral and natural resources, and includes several important industrial areas. Silesia's largest city and historical capital is Wrocław...
, where he died four years later. Feodora died on 12 March 1972 in Freiburg im Breisgau, Germany.
Issue
Feodora and her husband had four children:| Name | |Death | Princess Sophie Luise Adelheid Marie Olga Carola Princess Sophie of Saxe-Weimar-Eisenach (1911-1988) Princess Sophie Louise of Saxe-Weimar-Eisenach was a princess of the House of Saxe-Weimar-Eisenach.She was born in Weimar, the eldest child and only daughter of William Ernest, Grand Duke of Saxe-Weimar-Eisenach by his second wife Princess Feodora of Saxe-Meiningen.As a relative of Wilhelmina of... | 20 March 1911 | 21 November 1988 | married Friedrich Günther, Prince of Schwarzburg Friedrich Günther, Prince of Schwarzburg Friedrich Günther, Prince of Schwarzburg was the final head of the House of Schwarzburg and heir to the principalities of Schwarzburg-Rudolstadt and Schwarzburg-Sondershausen.-Early life:... ; the marriage ended in divorce less than a year later. There were no children. |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Karl August Wilhelm Ernst Friedrich Georg Johann Albrecht, Hereditary Grand Duke of Saxe-Weimar-Eisenach Charles Augustus, Hereditary Grand Duke of Saxe-Weimar-Eisenach Charles Augustus, Hereditary Grand Duke of Saxe-Weimar-Eisenach was a German prince and head of the Grand Ducal house of Saxe-Weimar-Eisenach.... |
28 July 1912 | 14 October 1988 | married Baroness Elisabeth of Wangenheim-Winterstein Baroness Elisabeth of Wangenheim-Winterstein Baroness Elisabeth of Wangenheim-Winterstein was the wife of Charles Augustus, Hereditary Grand Duke of Saxe-Weimar-Eisenach... ; had issue |
||
| Prince Bernhard Friedrich Viktor | 3 March 1917 | 23 March 1986 | |||
| Prince Georg Wilhelm Albert Bernhard | 24 November 1921 | ||||
Titles and styles
- 29 May 1890 – 21 January 1910: Her Serene Highness Princess Feodora of Saxe-Meiningen
- 21 January 1910 – 9 November 1918: Her Royal Highness The Grand Duchess of Saxe-Weimar-Eisenach
- In pretense 9 November 1918 - 24 April 1923: Her Royal Highness The Grand Duchess of Saxe-Weimar-Eisenach
- In pretense 24 April 1923 - 12 March 1972: Her Royal Highness The Dowager Grand Duchess of Saxe-Weimar-Eisenach