Princess Adelheid of Hohenlohe-Langenburg facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Adelheid of Hohenlohe-Langenburg |
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| Duchess consort of Schleswig-Holstein | |||||
| Tenure | 11 March 1869 – 14 January 1880 | ||||
| Born | 20 July 1835 Langenburg, Kingdom of Württemberg |
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| Died | 25 January 1900 (aged 64) Dresden, Kingdom of Saxony, German Empire |
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| Spouse | Frederick VIII, Duke of Schleswig-Holstein | ||||
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Augusta Victoria, German Empress Karoline Mathilde, Duchess of Schleswig-Holstein-Sonderburg-Glücksburg Ernst Günther II, Duke of Schleswig-Holstein Princess Louise Princess Feodora |
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| House | Hohenlohe-Langenburg | ||||
| Father | Ernst I, Prince of Hohenlohe-Langenburg | ||||
| Mother | Princess Feodora of Leiningen | ||||
Princess Adelheid of Hohenlohe-Langenburg (born July 20, 1835 – died January 25, 1900) was a German princess. She became the Duchess of Schleswig-Holstein-Sonderburg-Augustenburg when she married Frederick VIII, Duke of Schleswig-Holstein.
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Early Life of Princess Adelheid
Adelheid was born in Langenburg, Germany. She was the second daughter of Ernst I, Prince of Hohenlohe-Langenburg. Her mother was Princess Feodora of Leiningen.
Princess Feodora was the older half-sister of Queen Victoria of Britain. This made Adelheid Queen Victoria's half-niece. Her family often called her "Ada."
A Royal Marriage Proposal
In 1852, Napoleon III, who had just become the Emperor of the French, wanted to marry a royal princess. He asked Adelheid's parents if he could marry her. He had not met Adelheid, but he saw political benefits in the marriage.
Marrying Adelheid would make his family seem more important. It could also help France become closer allies with Britain. This was because Adelheid was Queen Victoria's niece. She was not a direct member of the British royal family, so there was less risk of being turned down.
Queen Victoria and Prince Albert were not happy about this idea. They did not want to quickly support Napoleon's new government in France. They also did not want a young family member to be part of what they saw as a risky political move.
The British court stayed quiet about the proposal. Adelheid's parents understood that this silence meant Britain did not approve. So, they said no to Napoleon's offer. Adelheid, who was only sixteen, was disappointed. Napoleon soon gave up on finding a royal wife. He then married Eugénie de Montijo.
Family Life and Children
On September 11, 1856, Adelheid married Frederick VIII, Duke of Schleswig-Holstein. They had seven children together:
- Prince Friedrich of Schleswig-Holstein-Sonderburg-Augustenburg (born 1857 – died 1858). He passed away when he was just over a year old.
- Princess Augusta Victoria of Schleswig-Holstein-Sonderburg-Augustenburg (born 1858 – died 1921). She married Wilhelm II of Germany in 1881 and they had seven children.
- Princess Karoline Mathilde of Schleswig-Holstein-Sonderburg-Augustenburg (born 1860 – died 1932). She married Friedrich Ferdinand, Duke of Schleswig-Holstein in 1885 and they had six children.
- Prince Gerhard of Schleswig-Holstein-Sonderburg-Augustenburg (born 1862 – died 1862). He died when he was two months old.
- Ernst Günther II, Duke of Schleswig-Holstein (born 1863 – died 1921). He married Princess Dorothea of Saxe-Coburg and Gotha in 1898.
- Princess Louise Sophie of Schleswig-Holstein-Sonderburg-Augustenburg (born 1866 – died 1952). She married Prince Friedrich Leopold of Prussia in 1889 and they had four children.
- Princess Feodora Adelheid of Schleswig-Holstein-Sonderburg-Augustenburg (born 1874 – died 1910).
Through her daughters, Karoline Mathilde and Augusta Victoria, Adelheid is an ancestor of some of today's European royals. These include Carl XVI Gustaf of Sweden and Felipe VI of Spain.
Later Years and Legacy
Adelheid and her husband first lived in Dolzig, Germany. In 1863, they moved to Kiel when Duke Frederick became the rightful heir to the duchies of Schleswig-Holstein.
However, they returned to Dolzig just three years later. This was because the duchies were taken over by Prussia after the Austrian-Prussian War. For many years, the couple moved between Dolzig, Gotha, and their family lands at Primkenau.
Duke Frederick died in 1880. Soon after, their oldest daughter, Augusta Victoria, became engaged to the Prussian heir. After Augusta Victoria's wedding in 1881, Duchess Adelheid moved to Dresden. She lived a quiet life there. She was very interested in painting and music.
The Duchess passed away in Dresden on January 25, 1900.
An island in Franz Josef Land, called Adelaide Island, was named after Princess Adelheid. This was done by the Austro-Hungarian North Pole Expedition. A fictional version of Princess Adelheid also appears in the TV show Victoria. In the show, she is called "Heidi."
