Young Duke of Albany to succeed in Coburg

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June 30, 1899

It was "officially announced" tonight that the Duke of Connaught, younger brother of the Duke of Saxe-Coburg and Gotha, and his only son, Prince Arthur, "have renounced their claims to the Coburg succession in favor of the Duke of Albany, son of the late Prince Leopold of England," reports the New York Times.

The Duke of Albany, who was born in 1884, is the younger of two children of the Prince Leopold, Duke of Albany, and his wife, Princess Helen of Waldeck und Pyrmont.   He was born several months after the death of Prince Leopold.

The Duke will become the the  heir to the Coburg throne under under the guardianship of the Prince of Hohenlohe-Langenburg, who is married to the present duke's third daughter, Princess Alexandra.

Prince Arthur of Connaught "reserves the right to the succession in the event of the death of the Duke of Albany or the extinction of the latter's male line."

The Duke of Connaught chose to renounce his rights because of "his unwillingness to part from his only son and his feeling that he could not abandon his responsibility for the latter's care and education."  It was also noted that the Duke of Connaught wished for his son to remain in England, and he understood that the "heir to the throne of Coburg required a German education."

The Duke of Connaught added that Queen Victoria and the royal family, all had a "most tender love for Coburg, to which they were joined through the late Prince Consort."

The question of an heir to the duchy became paramount earlier this year when the Duke of Saxe-Coburg and Gotha's only son, Hereditary Prince Alfred died on February 6, three days after shooting himself with a revolver.