Queen Victoria’s House of Hanover
We all know that the beloved monarch of England, Queen Elizabeth II, hails from the House of Windsor. However, very few of us know that the House of Windsor has...
Tagged: House of Saxe-Coburg-Gotha
The House of Saxe-Coburg-Gotha is a German royal house that rose to international prominence in the 19th and early 20th centuries, thanks largely to strategic marriages that linked its members to several European thrones.
History
The origins of the house trace back to two duchies in present-day Germany: Saxe-Coburg and Gotha. Over time, members of this house became not just Dukes of Saxe-Coburg and Gotha, but also kings, queens, and consorts in several European countries.
- United Kingdom: Perhaps the most significant elevation of the house’s status was the accession of Prince Albert, Duke of Saxe-Coburg and Gotha, to the status of Prince Consort when he married his first cousin, Queen Victoria of the United Kingdom, in 1840. Their descendants sat on the British throne and bore the name of the house.
- Belgium and Bulgaria: Leopold I, who became the first King of the Belgians in 1831, was originally a prince of the House of Saxe-Coburg-Gotha. Similarly, in 1887, Prince Ferdinand of Saxe-Coburg-Gotha was chosen as the Prince of Bulgaria, later becoming its Tsar.
Major Facts
- Name Change in the UK: During World War I, anti-German sentiments in Britain necessitated distancing the monarchy from its German roots. In 1917, King George V, Queen Victoria and Prince Albert’s grandson, officially changed the house’s name in the UK from Saxe-Coburg-Gotha to Windsor, after the iconic Windsor Castle.
- Aviation Tragedy: In 1918, the name of Saxe-Coburg-Gotha became tragically associated with the first-ever attack by an aircraft on London, when a bomber of that name mistakenly bombed London instead of its intended target.
- Dynastic Spread: The influence of the house was not confined to Europe alone. Through Queen Victoria, referred to as the “Grandmother of Europe”, the Saxe-Coburg-Gotha bloodline spread throughout the continent, as her children and grandchildren married into various royal families.
- End of the German Duchy: The end of World War I saw the abolition of many German monarchies, including the duchies of Saxe-Coburg and Gotha. The last reigning Duke, Charles Edward, abdicated in 1918. Notably, Charles Edward had supported the Nazis and had been subjected to denazification after World War II.
- Modern Legacy: While the House of Windsor remains the reigning house of the UK, the Saxe-Coburg-Gotha lineage still exists in the titles of various European nobles and remains a part of the history of several European monarchies.
