HH Prince Andreas of Saxe-Coburg and Gotha died on Thursday, April 3, 2025. He was 82 years old, having celebrated his birthday on March 21. The prince suffered from Parkinson's Disease.
He was the titular Duke of Saxe-Coburg and Gotha.
HH Prince Andreas Michael Friedrich Hans Armin Siegfried Hubertus of Saxe-Coburg and Coburg was born in Schloss Casel, in Lower Lusatia, on March 21, 1943, the only child of HH Prince Friedrich Josias of Saxe-Coburg, Duke of Saxony, and H Ill H Countess Victoria-Luise of Solms-Baruth.
His parents divorced in 1946. The following year, his mother married Richard Whitten, an American, and the family soon moved to the United States.
In his memoirs, I did it my way, Prince Andreas wrote: "I was a wartime child, one whose early years were decidedly affected by the madness that brought Germany to its knees. the time I was celebrated my fifth birthday, however, decisions unknown to me made the United States my home."
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| @HH Prince Andreas of Saxe-Coburg and Gotha |
He considered his childhood in the United States "quite an adventure," as he and his family—his mother, stepfather, and younger sister, Victoria Whitten—were not "restrained by the heavy burden posed by social position, history, and wealth."
"I do believe that growing up in the United States, a country for which I hold to this day a special place in my heart, stamped my spirit with a different attitude."
Andreas's father, Prince Friedrich Josias, had not expected to succeed his father, Carl Eduard, Duke of Saxe-Coburg and Gotha, as he was the third son. His eldest brother, Johann Leopold, had married without permission, and he and his male descendants were barred from the succession. Hubertus, the second son, was killed during the Second World War, leaving Friedrich Josias as heir.
Carl Eduard, a grandson of Queen Victoria and a British prince by birth, was stripped of his British royal and ducal titles in 1917 when Parliament passed the Titles Deprivation Act. Carl Eduard had taken up arms against the Allies as a German sovereign. In the late 1920s, he became a devoted supporter of National Socialism.
Andreas's mother ensured her children grew up "completely bilingual." Prince Andreas noted in his memoirs that this was "quite smart of her, of course as I was expected one day in the future to inherit the Coburg legacy and for that I was surely to need fluency in German almost as a prerequisite to fulfilling my duty and obligation."
When school friends learned he spoke German, Andreas was teased and often called a Kraut. He wrote, "We began phasing out German, and we reached a point when most of the German I had known was lost."
When he returned to live in Germany in the early 1960s, he "basically had to learn German from scratch."
Although Prince Friedrich Josias also lived in the United States in the 1950s, he did not see his son. Andreas described his father as an "extremely complicated man."
Friedrich Josias succeeded his father in 1954, but Carl Eduard left his entire estate to his grandson, Prince Andreas. The late duke and other members of the Coburg Family Foundation believed that Friedrich Josias did not have the capabilities or interest to run or learn about the family properties.
The young prince did have an opportunity to meet with his grandparents in the early 1950s, when his stepfather was stationed in France. The Duke of Saxe-Coburg and Gotha died in 1954. Although Carl Eduard was succeeded as head of the house by his youngest son, Prince Friedrich Josias, he left his entire estate to his only grandson (at the time), Prince Andreas.
In the late 1950s, Andreas traveled to Argentina to visit his father, who was living in Buenos Aires, with his second wife, Denyse von Muralt, and their three children, Princess Claudia, Princess Beatrice, and Prince Adrian.
As the young prince approached his majority, he spent more time in Germany, living with his paternal grandmother, Victoria Adelheid, a princess of Schleswig-Holstein by birth. He also got to know cousins on both sides of the family- his two grandmothers were sisters- including his Swedish cousins, Princesses Margaretha, Birgitta, Desiree, Christina, and King Carl XVI Gustaf. In 1932, Friedrich Josias's older sister, Princess Sibylla, married Hereditary Prince Gustaf Adolf of Sweden (1906-1947).
One of Andreas's godchildren is the king's youngest child, HRH Princess Madeleine.
In 1965, Andreas returned to live in Germany. H completed his military service in 1969. I was time for the young prince to learn "the family trade: timber and forestry management." Although his father was head of the family, he did not have control of the family's foundation. spent time with the Prince of Leiningin and his family in Amorbach. Andreas's two grandmothers were granddaughters of Queen Victoria's elder half-sister, Princess Feodora of Leiningen, who married the Prince of Hohenlohe-Langenburg. Eilika, the Princess of Leiningen, wanted very much for her eldest daughter, Princess Melita, to marry Andreas.
"I didn't want to," Andreas wrote. " She later called me a bad boy because she wished I would date her daughter, but I was already engaged to Carin Dabelstein, the woman who became my wife."
Andreas was "alone in Hamburg," where he "longed for company." He had a comfortable life and wanted to "have someone to share good times with." A friend of his was dating Carin's sister, and he arranged a double date. was, according to Andreas, "a blind date."
Their relationship began in 1966. At one point, Andreas could not make up his mind, but the relationship continued. Carin was introduced to "Grandmother Coburg," who was pleased with Andreas's choice, although she would have wished for her grandchildren to marry other members of the Gotha, she "was willing to accept" Carin as Andreas' wife. She died in November 1970, six months before Andreas's civil wedding in May 1971
Their religious wedding (Lutheran) was in July 1971. In accordance with the House Law of 1855, Friedrich Josias approved the marriage. However, he and his third wife, Katja, did not attend the wedding as the date did not fit into their schedule. Andreas' mother and stepfather traveled from Louisiana to be present at the service.
The couple did not have a "huge wedding because it not really fit our personalities." At the time, Andreas did not know many members of the Gotha families, but "quite a few of the ones I knew were not happy with my choice."
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| @HH Prince Andreas of Saxe-Coburg and Gotha |
Prince Andreas and Princess Carin's marriage was very happy and successful. I lasted until November 11, 2023, when Carin died in Coburg at 77. She had been diagnosed with multiple sclerosis in 1997.
https://royalmusingsblogspotcom.blogspot.com/2023/11/hh-princess-carin-of-saxe-coburg-and.html
Andreas and his new princess settled in Coburg, where they raised their three children, HH Princess Stephanie Sibylla (1972), HH Hereditary Prince Hubertus Michael (1975), and HH Prince Alexander Philipp (1977).
Prince Andreas was a member of the board of two foundations: the Foundation of the Duke of Saxe-Coburg and Gotha (Family Foundation) and the Duke of Saxe-Coburg and Gotha Foundation for Art and Science. Both foundations were founded by Andreas's grandfather, Carl Eduard, in 1928 and "comprise the family assets."
He was 47 years old when he finally accessed his "family's inheritance" in Gotha, East Germany. tha's mayor Knut Kreuch said today: "It was love at first sight because the buildings and forests, as well as the cosmopolitanism of the people, fascinated the young prince from the House of Saxe-Coburg and Gotha.
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| HH Prince Hubertus and HH Prince Andreas in 2013 |
In June 1990, the governments of West and East Germany signed an agreement allowing for the free movement of "all Germans." As soon as he could, Prince Andreas drove into East Germany—just a few miles from Coburg—to see with his "own eyes what had happened to our real estate, properties, hunting grounds, forests, lodges and castles." He did not want to upset anyone, but the prince kept an inventory "of what we left so we could prepare for when the issue of restitution was finally raised."
When the time came to present his restitution case, Andreas, who did his due diligence, "asked for everything I could."
The negotiations were lengthy. Andreas made it clear that he "intended to stay and keep the forestry going; all the while while keeping people employed." The Federal Government returned 6200 acres to Andreas, and the State of Thuringia "restituted 800 acres for buildings and real estate that the state kept." He also received the "right of passage" to the Ducal Palace in Gotha, but decided as goodwill to not pursue a claim to the Ducal art collection, although he "demanded" that the collection "always mention the provenance of each piece."
The family foundation has "forestry operations in Bavaria, Thuringia, and Austria" and is also responsible for maintaining Schloss Callenberg, near Coburg, and Schloss Greinburg, in Grein, Austria. The Ducal Art Collection is on display at Schloss Callenberg.
Duke Carl Eduard had left his estates in dire shape. This was due to World War II, his involvement with the Nazis, bad management and Germany''s division after the end of the war. Andreas persevered in rebuilding the family fortune and properties.
"I always managed to keep the Family Foundation debt-free, and this allowed us an incredible freedom of action in investment. So excess profits were set aside for a rainy day fund."
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| @HH Prince Andreas of Saxe-Coburg and Gotha |
It was not until January 23, 1998, when Prince Friedrich Josias died at Schloss Greinberg, that Andreas became the head of the House of Saxe-Coburg.
The late Prince Andreas was involved with numerous organizations and associations, especially in art, culture, and sport. H served on the Coburg City Council and was a member of the boards of the Coburg State Foundation, the Prince Albert Society, and the Schloss Friedenstein Foundation.
He is survived by his three children, Princess Stephanie, Prince Hubertus, who succeeds him as head of the House, and Prince Alexander; three grandchildren, Princess Katharina, Hereditary Prince Philipp, and Princess Madeleine; and two half-sisters, Princess Beatrice and Victoria Beveridge, and their families. He was predeceased by two half-siblings, Princess Claudia and Prince Adrian of Saxe-Coburg and Gotha.
After learning of Prince Andreas's death, Coburg's mayor, Dominik Sauerteig, issued a statement: "It is a special loss that the city of Coburg must endure today. Prince Andreas of Saxe-Coburg and Gotha was a figure of integration for Coburg's urban society. My thoughts are with his family.
""I am deeply saddened. H was an impressive man who dealt with his illness remarkably openly and radiated a great zest for life. Prince Andreas of Saxe-Coburg and Gotha not only bore Coburg in his name, he was also a figure internationally known and respected beyond the city's borders.
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| On November 21, 2023, HH Prince Andreas was made an honorary citizen of Coburg @Coburg |
I would particularly like to emphasize his great social, political, and cultural commitment to our city and his city. A city councilor from 1996 to 2002, as well as a member and president of the Coburg Rotarians, he was committed to Coburg society. As the owner of many hectares of forest and a nature lover, he was active in the protection of the Coburg region. H was involved in numerous clubs and associations, especially in art and culture, as well as in promoting sports. Since his illness, he has also been particularly committed to Parkinson's research and has publicly campaigned not only for himself but also for other affected people. This impressed me greatly. The city of Coburg and I personally will remember him with gratitude."
In a 2013 interview to commemorate his 70th birthday, Prince Andreas told the Neues Presse: "Tradition, home, family, honesty, loyalty -- these are the values to which I am committed. My family and I are more focused than others, but we need to pay attention to doing our job well and fulfilling our responsibilities."
HH Prince Andreas of Saxe-Coburg and Gotha most certainly fulfilled his responsibilities as the de jure Duke of Saxe-Coburg and Gotha
https://prinzandreas.com/
https://sachsen-coburg-gotha.de/?Das_Herzogshaus%3ADie_Familie_heute%3APrinz_Andreas
https://royalmusingsblogspotcom.blogspot.com/2016/11/a-coburg-christmas-tree-for-windsor.html
I did it my way is available from Amazon.
https://royalbooknews.blogspot.com/2016/04/i-did-it-my-way-by-hh-prince-andreas-of.html
Grandmother Coburg https://royalmusingsblogspotcom.blogspot.com/2020/10/viktoria-adelheid-duchess-of-saxe.html
Queen Victoria - Leopold - Charles Edward - Friedrich Josias - Andreas.
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