The late Prince Albert of Saxony's funeral followed the procedures of the Roman Catholic church. The priests played their roles and the choir sang. The late Prince, who died last week at the age of 77, was buried next to the composer Carl Maria von Weber in Dresden's Catholic cemetery.
But the funeral Mass for the grandson of the last king of Saxony turned out to an embarrassment to the family that once ruled Saxony.
Prince Albert's widow, Elmira, 82, sent provided the information for the obligatory death notices. She described her husband as the Margrave of Meissen, although this title is reserved for the head of the family.
Prince Albert was never the head of the family. He and his wife were among the signatories to a family pact that named Prince Alexander of Saxony-Gessaphe, the eldest son of Princess Marie of Saxony, as the heir to Prince Max Emanuel, Margrave of Meissen.
But following the Margrave's death in July, Prince Albert and his wife decided that they were going to be styled as the Margrave and Margravine of Meissen, even though Prince Alexander was the accepted heir.
The funeral was more like a carnival parade, according to Bild's reporter. Guests included self-styled nobles, including Olaf von Neuendorf, described as the Grandmaster of the Order of Heinrich III.
The "highlight" of the mass was the appearance of Theophana The late Prince Albert of Saxony's funeral followed the procedures of the Roman Catholic church. The priests played their roles and the choir sang. The late Prince, who died last week at the age of 77, was buried next to the composer Carl Maria von Weber in Dresden's Catholic cemetery.
But the funeral Mass for the grandson of the last king of Saxony turned out to an embarrassment to the family that once ruled Saxony.
Prince Albert's widow, Elmira, 82, sent provided the information for the obligatory death notices. She described her husband as the Margrave of Meissen, although this title is reserved for the head of the family.
Prince Albert was never the head of the family. He and his wife were among the signatories to a family pact that named Prince Alexander of Saxony-Gessaphe, the eldest son of Princess Marie of Saxony, as the heir to Prince Max Emanuel, Margrave of Meissen.
But following the Margrave's death in July, Prince Albert and his wife decided that they were going to be styled as the Margrave and Margravine of Meissen, even though Prince Alexander was the accepted heir.
The funeral was more like a carnival parade, according to Bild's reporter. Guests included self-styled nobles, including Olaf von Neuendorf, described as the Grandmaster of the Order of Heinrich III.
The "highlight" of the mass was the appearance of Theophana Prinzessin von Sachsen, the former wife of the late Hermann Prinz von Sachsen, who was the adopted son of the late Prince Timo of Saxony.
Hermann was the son of Eva Montanus. He was adopted as an adult by Timo and his third wife. He is said to have paid for the name Prinz von Sachsen.
Theophana was placed next to former prime minister Kurt Biedenkopf. A real royal, Karl Friedrich, Prince of Hohenzollern, was forced to find his own seat in the church.
The Margrave of Meissen was unable to attend the funeral as he was on a business trip to Chile. His wife, Princess Gisela, represented him.
The late Prince Albert's two surviving sisters, Mathilde, 76, and Maria Josepha, 84, also attended the funeral along with Prince Frederich-Wilhelm of Saxony-Gessaphe and Prince Mauricio-Gabriel of Saxony, the eldest son of the Margrave of Meissen.
http://www.bild.de/regional/dresden/bestattung/falscher-adel-bei-wettiner-beerdigung-26685352.bild.html
This "dispute" over Meissen is, to say the least, ridiculous. Are you aware of any monies or lands still attached to the title?
ReplyDeleteAs I understand it, there is a very good claim that Albert was the Markgraf of Meissen. That is, according to the constitution of the Kingdom of Saxony, adoption is not allowed. Although I don't think that is the argument Albert put forth, more that he withdrew his agreement.
ReplyDeleteI do find the whole thing sad, families should not dispute like this.
The adoption was done for legal purposes. Succession can pass through female lines, following the end of the male line. Max Emanuel's previous heir was another nephew, Johannes of saxe coburg and gotha who died in an accident. After his death, the family agreed that Alexander would be the heir, to which Albert agreed and he signed the legal document
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