Prince Alfred of Edinburgh and Saxe-Coburg-Gotha
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
| Prince Alfred | |
|---|---|
| Hereditary Prince of Saxe-Coburg and Gotha | |
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| Full name | |
| Alfred Alexander William Ernest Albert | |
| Titles | |
| HRH The Hereditary Prince of Saxe-Coburg and Gotha HRH Prince Alfred of Edinburgh |
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| Royal House | House of Saxe-Coburg-Gotha) |
| Father | Alfred, Duke of Saxe-Coburg and Gotha |
| Mother | Maria Alexandrovna of Russia |
| Born | 15 October 1874 Buckingham Palace, London |
| Baptised | 27 November 1874 Buckingham Palace, London |
| Died | 6 February 1899 |
| Burial | Friedenstein Castle, Germany |
Prince Alfred of Edinburgh and Saxe-Coburg-Gotha (Alfred Alexander William Ernest Albert; 15 October 1874 – 6 February 1899) was a member of the British Royal Family.
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[edit] Early life
HRH Prince Alfred of Edinburgh was born on October 15, 1874 at Buckingham Palace, London.
His father was Prince Alfred, Duke of Edinburgh, second eldest son of Victoria of the United Kingdom and Prince Albert of Saxe-Coburg-Gotha. His mother was Grand Duchess Marie Alexandrovna of Russia, a daughter of Alexander II of Russia and Marie of Hesse and by Rhine. He was baptised in the Lower Bow Room of Buckingham Palace November 27, 1874 by Archibald Tait, Archbishop of Canterbury and his godparents were Queen Victoria, the Tsar of Russia, the Emperor and Crown Princess of Germany, the Duke of Saxe-Coburg and Gotha, and the Prince of Wales.
[edit] Saxe-Coburg-Gotha
In 1893, his great-uncle, Ernst II of Saxe-Coburg-Gotha, brother of his paternal grandfather, died without an heir. The Prince of Wales had renounced his claim to the ducal throne of Saxe-Coburg-Gotha, therefore the vacant duchy fell to Alfred's father, the Duke of Edinburgh. Alfred therefore became styled HRH The Hereditary Prince of Saxe-Coburg and Gotha.
Prince Alfred had lived in Clarence House in the early years of his life with his parents and sisters - after his father's accession to the ducal throne of Saxe-Coburg-Gotha, he moved to Schloss Rosenau at Coburg.
[edit] Later life
By 1899, Alfred began exhibiting severe symptoms of the syphilis he had acquired as a young and wild Guard's officer. His parents, celebrating their 25th wedding anniversary, sent him to Merano to recover. However, he died two weeks later, on 6 February 1899. He was buried at Friedenstein, near Gotha.
His death meant the Dukedom of Saxe-Coburg and Gotha would pass to his uncle, Prince Arthur, Duke of Connaught. However the Duke of Connaught renounced the Duchy on behalf of himself and his only son, Prince Arthur of Connaught. After a purported school yard show-down, during which Arthur of Connaught threatened to beat up 'Charley' Albany, (son of the deceased hemophiliac Prince Leopold, youngest son of Victoria and Albert), if he refused to accept the inheritance, the Dukedom passed to Prince Charles Edward, Duke of Albany (later Carl Eduard).
[edit] Titles, Styles, Honours & Arms
[edit] Titles
- 1874-1893: His Royal Highness Prince Alfred of Edinburgh
- 1893-1899: His Royal Highness The Hereditary Prince of Saxe-Coburg and Gotha
