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79-581: The title Countess von Gleichen was created by the Duke of Saxe-Coburg and Gotha in 1861 for Laura Seymour , morganatic wife of Prince Victor of Hohenlohe-Langenburg , a German prince and nephew of the British Queen Victoria . Prince Victor is sometimes also identified as Count Gleichen, jure uxoris . After Princess Victor's death her title passed to her only son Count Edward . In 1917, when British citizens were required to relinquish all German titles,

158-465: A Thuringian contingent; he commented in a letter to his brother that "I should have declined any other command of the kind, but I could not refuse this one, as, in the present condition of our States, it is important to keep the executive power in our hands". As commander of a German corps, Ernest was instrumental in winning the 5 April 1849 battle of Eckernförde against Danish forces, capturing two frigates. Also at this time, Ernest took an interest in

237-440: A century to win the affection and confidence of these self-retained hardy mountain people, his memory will a century hence be as green as are the firs and pines that cling so tenaciously to their native rock; and the deeds and words of the popular “Herr Herzog” will there be spoken of when in the outer world his name will be remembered only by the historian. The dead sportsman's hunting - knife, which I saw so often in his strong hand,

316-441: A claim on the late duke's estates. However, he was at that time in the process of divorcing Louise, and the other branches used this as a leverage to drive a better bargain for themselves by insisting that he should not inherit Gotha. They reached a compromise on 12 November 1826: Ernest received Gotha, but had to cede Saalfeld to Saxe-Meiningen . He subsequently became "Ernest I, Duke of Saxe-Coburg and Gotha". Although he had given

395-605: A close interest in the movement for reform, and was perceived as a progressive within Germany. His favorable view of liberalism caused his duchy to become an asylum for political refugees from other German states. In 1863, he attended the liberal Frankfurt Conference, which was openly avoided by more conservative Prussia. Though his attendance made him no friends in Prussia, he developed such strong contacts in Austria that many looked to him as

474-528: A constitution to Coburg in 1821, he did not interfere in the system of government in Gotha. At Coburg, Ernest was responsible for various construction projects, including the establishment of the Hoftheater in its new building. The Schlossplatz as it appears today is largely due to work under his rule. He is chiefly remembered for the economic, educational and constitutional development of his territories, and for

553-468: A fashion by the tutelage of his father, who took his sons to "sample the pleasures" of Paris and Berlin, to Albert's "horror and shame". Ernest had been so visibly deteriorating in appearance as a result that Sarah Lyttelton , a lady-in-waiting of Queen Victoria, observed at Windsor Castle in 1839 that he was "very thin and hollow-cheeked and pale, and no likeness to his brother, nor much beauty. But he has fine dark eyes and black hair, and light figure, and

632-487: A few weeks at Windsor Castle . Both boys, especially Albert, were considered by their family to be a potential husband for the young princess, and they were both taught to speak competent English . Their father at first thought that Ernest would make a better husband to Victoria than Albert, possibly because his sporting interests would be better received by the British public. However, most others favored Albert over Ernest as

711-628: A great look of spirit and eagerness". Later that year, Albert counselled his brother against finding a wife until his 'condition' was fully recovered. He further warned that continued promiscuity could leave Ernest incapable of fathering children. Some historians believe that while he himself was able to father other children, the disease rendered his young wife infertile. Ernest was married for 51 years and with his wife visited Queen Victoria in Paris in 1890. On 29 January 1844, Ernest's father died in Gotha , one of

790-408: A husband. Additionally, Ernest met with his nephew at Thebes , most likely attempting to discourage him from the match in person. In an 11 April letter, Victoria unhappily noted to her eldest daughter, "You did not tell me that Bertie had met Uncle Ernest at Thebes...I am always alarmed when I think of Uncle Ernest and Bertie being together as I know the former will do all he can to set Bertie against

869-440: A joke for younger generations. His great-niece Marie of Edinburgh would later describe Ernest as "an old beau, squeezed into a frock-coat too tight for his bulk and uncomfortably pinched in at the waist, sporting a top hat, lemon coloured gloves, and a rosebud in his lapel". He put on weight and though on paper his wealth was large, he was still constantly in debt. An excellent musician and amateur composer all his life, Ernest

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948-407: A large inheritance, he also had frequent debts. There were increasing calls to nationalize most of his property. Indeed, Albert had to intervene at one point and spare his brother the embarrassment of losing one of his Coburg properties. During the 1848 turmoil in Germany , Albert had been constructing his own liberal reform plan, under which a single monarch, chancellor, and parliament would unite

1027-442: A letter to her eldest daughter. The death did not solve their argument however; seeing that his direct involvement had failed to persuade Victoria, Ernest tried a new tactic. He began to spread gossip about Alexandra and her family, saying that her mother Princess Louise "had illegitimate children and Alexandra had flirtations with young officers"; he also wrote to Louise herself, warning that Bertie would be an unfortunate choice for

1106-587: A letter written to her uncle Leopold I of Belgium , Victoria stated her support for a new royal branch of the House of Saxe-Coburg and Gotha (as Leopold had been chosen as King of the Belgians in 1831), as well as her desire for her second son, Alfred, to succeed his uncle in the duchy. As negotiations continued however, she began to lose enthusiasm for the idea. There were problems to the nomination; Ernest had no legitimate children, and thus would have had to adopt one of

1185-529: A little badger from impatience and liveliness. He is not pretty now, except his beautiful black eyes." In May 1820, his mother described Ernest as "very big for his age, as well as intelligent. His big black eyes are full of spirit and vivacity." Biographer Richard Hough writes that "even from their infancy, it was plainly evident that the elder son took after his father, in character and appearance, while Albert strongly resembled his mother in most respects." Ernest and his brother often lived with their grandmother

1264-584: A naval career was chosen for Alfred, a common profession for a British prince but almost unheard of for a German prince. Ernest also wanted Alfred to be educated in Coburg, but his brother refused. Albert's refusal most likely stemmed from the negative British reaction that would have inevitably occurred and the fact that Albert was fearful of Alfred's moral development. Thus, despite Ernest's protests, he went unheeded in Albert's lifetime. In 1863, Ernest told Victoria that it

1343-410: A pamphlet that greatly angered his family; though produced anonymously, no one doubted that it was written by Ernest. It attacked Vicky as a disloyal German that was too dependent on her mother, and declared that she had been too indiscreet in passing along confidential information during both war and peacetime. Queen Victoria was furious, writing to Vicky, "What you told me of Uncle E and that pamphlet

1422-420: A possible husband. Temperamentally, Victoria was much more like Ernest, for both were lively and sociable with a love for dancing, gossip, and late nights; conversely, this fast pace made Albert physically ill. Victoria believed Ernest had a "most kind, honest, and intelligent expression in his countenance", while Albert "seemed full of goodness and sweetness, and very clever and intelligent." No offer of marriage

1501-406: A potential leader in the mounting conflict between the northern and southern powers. He grew tired of the advice he received from Albert on the subject however; as Ernest "was by no means inclined to consent to an energetic rule such as I adopted immediately afterwards for the perfection of the constitutional system", according to Albert's letters. The Austro-Prussian War of 1866 was triggered by

1580-417: A price. According to historian Charlotte Zeepvat , Ernest "was increasingly lost in a whirl of private amusements which earned only contempt from outside". Ernest funneled his political thoughts into the private sphere, preferring to write covertly sponsored articles in the Coburg press that became increasingly embittered against England. In 1886, Ernest published Co-Regents and Foreign Influence in Germany ,

1659-401: A short illness. “When the news of the duke's death reached the secluded Hinter - Riss, the deepest consternation took possession of the people, amongst whom the prince and the duchess had passed, as they often used to say, the happiest days of their long, eventful lives. In him they lost a kind, dear master and a good friend, who was for ever willing to help where help was needed. If it took half

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1738-653: Is now lying before me, a cherished memento, kindly sent me by the stricken dowager-duchess a few weeks after the funeral. It will ever remind me, not so much of a sportsman prince, as of a prince among sportsmen.” From the book: Sport in the Alps in the Past and Present, An Account of the Chase of the Chamois, Red Deer, Bouquetin, Roe-deer, Capercaillie, and Black-cock, with Personal Adventures and Historical Notes and Some Sporting Reminiscences of H.R.H.

1817-429: Is simply monstrous. I assure you that I felt great difficulty in writing to him for his birthday, but I wrote it as short and cool as I could consistently with civility". "Dear Uncle Ernest does us all a great deal of harm by his odd ways and uncontrollable tongue with his very lively imagination". Later in his reign, Ernest's actions managed to continually anger his sister-in-law. Though Victoria loved Ernest because he

1896-531: The Dowager Duchess of Saxe-Coburg-Saalfeld until her death in 1831. He and Albert were brought up and educated together as if they were twins. Though Albert was fourteen months younger, he surpassed Ernest intellectually. According to their tutor, "they went hand-in-hand in all things, whether at work or at play. Engaging in the same pursuits, sharing the same joys and the same sorrows, they were bound to each other by no common feelings of mutual love". Perhaps

1975-494: The Frankfurt Parliament and may have hoped to be chosen German Emperor , but instead he urged King Frederick of Prussia to take that position, albeit unsuccessfully. Ernest also brought about a Berlin conference of German princes in 1850; he highly valued such opportunities for the political influence they brought him. The first war ended in 1851, but would resume in 1864. During this interlude, Ernest fervently opposed

2054-509: The German Confederation fought over control of the two duchies of Schleswig and Holstein . Historically, the duchies had been ruled by Denmark since medieval times, but there remained a large German majority. This majority was sparked to rebellion after Frederick VII of Denmark announced on 27 March 1848 the duchies would become an integral part of Denmark under his new liberal constitution. Prussia soon became involved, supporting

2133-507: The German Confederation in the Schleswig-Holstein Wars against Denmark, sending thousands of troops and becoming the commander of a German corps; he was instrumental in the 1849 victory at the battle of Eckernförde against Danish forces. After King Otto of Greece was deposed in 1862, the British government put Ernest's name forward as a possible successor. Negotiations concerning this failed for various reasons—not least of which

2212-529: The second Treaty of Paris . In 1816, this estate received the name of Principality of Lichtenberg . Ernest sold it to Prussia in 1834. In 1825, Frederick IV, Duke of Saxe-Gotha-Altenburg , who was the uncle of Ernest's first wife Louise, died without an heir. This resulted in a rearrangement of the Ernestine duchies. It was only as a member of the Ernestine dynasty (and not as Louise's husband) that Ernest had

2291-519: The British government's suggestion. To their and Victoria's reasoning, if Ernest were to take the Greek throne, Alfred could immediately take up his inheritance and succeed Ernest as duke (the Prince of Wales having passed his claim to the duchy of Saxe-Coburg and Gotha on to his younger brother). Many were in favor of his nomination, including Prime Minister Lord Palmerston as well as Ernest's sister-in-law. In

2370-571: The Coburg influence. Prussian conservatives would soon turn against him, and in particular he was opposed by Prussian Minister President Otto von Bismarck . During the American Civil War , the Duke assigned Ernst Raven to the position of consul in the state of Texas. On 30 July 1861, Raven applied to the Confederate Government for a diplomatic exequatur and was accepted. On 23 October 1862, Otto of Bavaria , King of Greece ,

2449-568: The German states; in addition, each state would retain its own current ruling dynasty. As this plan pertained to his brother, Ernest was given a copy in the hope that he would develop his own liberal constitution. Ernest subsequently made a few concessions, but his position remained sound, not counting the increasing problem of his debts. A constitution was drafted and promulgated in 1849 in Gotha, though one had existed in Coburg since 1821. In 1852, both constitutions were converged into one, which converted

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2528-588: The Gleichen family retained their name but gave up their comital status, instead taking the precedence of children of a British marquess , allowing them to be styled Lord and Lady . This title and status had earlier been given to Princess Victor when her brother had inherited the title Marquess of Hertford . Count/Countess von Gleichen may refer to: Ernst II, Duke of Saxe-Coburg and Gotha Ernest II (German: Ernst August Karl Johann Leopold Alexander Eduard ; 21 June 1818 – 22 August 1893)

2607-456: The Greek throne and still maintain control of his "safer" duchies. In the end, the British cabinet thought the proposed conditions unacceptable. His recommendations having been turned down, Ernest in turn refused. In 1863, the Greek throne was accepted by another member of a royal family: the Princess of Wales ' younger brother Prince William of Denmark . Ernest would later comment, "That this cup

2686-553: The Late Duke of Saxe-Coburg-Gotha – William Adolphus Baillie-Grohman. As fitting as these final words was the act that closed this long and distinguished sporting career, for less than an hour before that fatal attack of apoplexy, his master hand had brought down two royals ! A lifelong sportsman, his last words were apparently "Let the drive commence!" His funeral was held in the Morizkirche in Coburg; thousands of spectators came to

2765-633: The Queen dislikes him particularly. He is always writing anonymous pamphlets against the Queen and the Empress Frederick, which naturally creates a great deal of annoyance in the family". Throughout his reign, Ernest had been known for his extravagance and womanizing; as he grew older, Ernest enjoyed gossip and was "now a thoroughly disreputable old roué who enjoyed the outrage provoked by his actions", leading Vicky to declare that her uncle "was his own enemy". His behavior and manner of dress increasingly became

2844-455: The aforementioned "sorrows" related to their parents' marriage; it was not happy, and Duke Ernest I was continually unfaithful. In 1824, Ernest I and Louise divorced; she subsequently left Coburg and was disallowed from seeing her sons again. She soon remarried to Alexander von Hanstein, Count of Pölzig and Beiersdorf , dying in 1831 at the age of thirty. The year after her death, their father married his niece Duchess Marie of Württemberg , who

2923-547: The battles of Lützen and Leipzig (1813), and drew in 1814 into the French fortress of Mainz. After the battle of Leipzig, he commanded the 5. Armeekorps . After the defeat of Napoleon in the Battle of Waterloo , the Congress of Vienna on 9 June 1815 gave Ernest an area of 450 square kilometres with 25,000 inhabitants around the town of St. Wendel . Its area was somewhat augmented by

3002-488: The case. Alfred was torn between his British birth and his German inheritance. This was partly because Alfred was second-in-line to the United Kingdom until the birth of his nephew Prince Albert Victor, Duke of Clarence and Avondale , in 1864. One example of the many problems of his education concerned the language he would speak. Although he grew up learning German, his native language was decided to be English. In addition,

3081-460: The childless Ernest's heir presumptive, when his older brother, the Prince of Wales (later King Edward VII of the United Kingdom), renounced his succession rights. Issues arose over authority to control the upbringing of his heir-presumptive. As head of the Coburg family, Ernest would normally have been able to arrange Alfred's education and general upbringing unchallenged. This however was not

3160-451: The children remained with their father. Louise died in 1831. In Coburg on 23 December 1832, Ernest married his niece Duchess Marie of Württemberg , the daughter of his sister Antoinette . They had no children. This marriage made Marie both Prince Albert's first cousin and his stepmother. Ernest had three illegitimate children: After 1813, Ernest was a Prussian general and participated in military actions against Napoleon . He fought in

3239-730: The close of the term to travel around Europe. They returned to Bonn in early November to continue their studies. The brothers travelled to England again in 1839, at which time Victoria found her cousin Albert agreeable, and soon proposed. This connection would have many implications for Ernest in the future; for example, he was selected as godfather for Albert's second daughter Princess Alice , and would eventually come to give her away at her wedding, only months after Albert's death. Thanks to his widespread royal connections, he travelled widely at this stage of his life. In 1840 and 1841 he went to Spain and Portugal; in Portugal another cousin, Ferdinand ,

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3318-473: The conservatives came at a price however, and he was no longer viewed as the possible leader of a political movement. According to historian Charlotte Zeepvat , Ernest became "increasingly lost in a whirl of private amusements which earned only contempt from outside". Ernest and his only full sibling, his younger brother Prince Albert (consort to Queen Victoria of the United Kingdom), were born 14 months apart and raised as though twins. They became closer upon

3397-639: The desire of German conservative leaders to unify, albeit on different terms than their liberal counterparts. Ernest urged Prussian leaders against the impending war, and was an active advocate of the Austrian cause. Though Ernest normally followed more liberal politics than many of his counterparts, he began switching his views to align more closely with Bismarck by the mid-1860s. Despite this change in his private political views, he still had strong publicly known ties to Austria, where his cousin Alexander, Count Mensdorff ,

3476-528: The ducal throne. Ernest, Hereditary Prince of Saxe-Coburg-Saalfeld, was born at Ehrenburg Palace in Coburg on 21 June 1818. He was the elder son of Ernest III, Duke of Saxe-Coburg-Saalfeld (later Ernest I, Duke of Saxe-Coburg and Gotha) and his first wife Princess Louise of Saxe-Gotha-Altenburg . He was soon joined by a brother, Prince Albert , who would later become the husband of Queen Victoria . Though Duke Ernest fathered numerous children in various affairs,

3555-539: The funeral, including Emperor Wilhelm II and the Prince of Wales. He is buried in the ducal mausoleum in the Friedhof am Glockenberg  [ de ] which he himself had built in 1853–58. Ernest was succeeded by his nephew Prince Alfred, Duke of Edinburgh . For much of Ernest's reign, the heir presumptive to Saxe-Coburg and Gotha was his only sibling Prince Albert , consort of Queen Victoria . When it became increasingly clear that Ernest would be childless,

3634-499: The marriage of his nephew Albert Edward, Prince of Wales ('Bertie'), to Princess Alexandra of Denmark , a daughter of the future Christian IX of Denmark (and therefore an enemy of the German states). He believed that such a match flew in the face of German interests. Albert replied angrily: "What has that got to do with you?... Vicky has racked her brains to help us to find someone, but in vain...We have no [other reasonable] choice". Albert agreed there were going to be problems with

3713-577: The marriage with Princess Alix". Despite Ernest's disapproval, Bertie was duly married to Alexandra on 10 March 1863. His close relationship with the English court gave him a position of great influence, and the marriage of his niece, Princess Victoria, to Prince Frederick William further strengthened his ties to Prussia, and in 1862 he offered to make his troops available to the King of Prussia in case of war. But his liberalism caused increased suspicion in Germany of

3792-420: The match, but as he could find no alternative bride, he wrote to Ernest that keeping the affair a private matter (and outside the realm of government) was "the only way to prevent a break with Prussia and the only way to keep the game in our own hands, impose the conditions that we think necessary, and as far as we can, take off its political edge". Albert also warned his son of Ernest's endeavors to interfere with

3871-569: The match, commenting, "Your uncle...will try his hand at this work. Your best defence will be not to enter on the subject, should he broach it". Soon after writing these letters, Prince Albert died on 14 December 1861. His death helped Ernest repair his relationship with his sister-in-law, as Victoria had been becoming increasingly angry over Ernest's objections to the Danish match. The two brothers had always been close, whatever their disagreements, and Albert's death left Ernest "wretched", noted Victoria in

3950-493: The personal union of the two duchies into a real union; the duchies were now inseparable, with a common set of institutions. During the political turmoil, timely concessions and Ernest's popular habit of mingling with "the people in their pleasures" were instrumental in keeping him from losing his throne. Furthermore, various contemporary sources state that Ernest was an able, just and very popular ruler, which may have also helped keep him in power. From 1848 to 1864, Denmark and

4029-520: The piano. One of his operas, Diana von Solange (1858), prompted Franz Liszt the following year to write an orchestral Festmarsch nach Motiven von E. H. z. S.-C.-G. , S.116 (E. H. z. S.-C.-G. was short for Ernst Herzog zu Sachsen-Coburg-Gotha). However, its production at the Metropolitan Opera in New York City in 1890 inspired dismal reviews, with one spectator commenting that its "music

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4108-460: The possibility of a personal union between his duchies and the United Kingdom became real, a reality that was deemed undesirable. Special arrangements were made by a combination of constitutional clauses and renunciations to pass Ernest's throne to a son of Albert while preventing a personal union. Consequently, Prince Alfred, Duke of Edinburgh , his brother's second eldest son, was designated

4187-404: The princes of his house to succeed him as King of Greece. To solve this problem, Ernest suggested to Palmerston that he simply take the title Regent of Greece and hold the kingdom in trust for his chosen heir. He also stipulated that if he accepted the throne, it should be subject to certain guarantees by the other powers. The apparent deal-breaker, though, was the fact that Ernest wanted to acquire

4266-474: The separation and divorce of their parents as well as the eventual death of their mother. Their relationship experienced phases of closeness as well as minor arguments as they grew older. After Albert's death in 1861, Ernest published anonymous pamphlets against various members of the British royal family. However, he accepted Albert's second son, Prince Alfred, Duke of Edinburgh , as his heir-presumptive . Upon Ernest's death at Reinhardsbrunn , Alfred succeeded to

4345-433: The territories their family had recently acquired. Ernest consequently succeeded to the duchies of Saxe-Coburg and Gotha as Ernest II. Extravagant to a great degree, Ernest had many money troubles throughout his reign. In January 1848, Ernest visited his brother in the midst of political unrest in Germany. Upon his return, he also discovered unrest in Coburg. One of the many concerns related to finances. Although Ernest had

4424-492: The time, and the Duchess was twelve years older than him. Ernest I, Duke of Saxe-Coburg and Gotha Ernest was born on 2 January 1784. He was the eldest son of Francis, Duke of Saxe-Coburg-Saalfeld , and Countess Augusta of Reuss-Ebersdorf . His youngest brother, Leopold , was later elected the first king of Belgium . On 10 May 1803, aged 19, Ernest was proclaimed an adult because his father had become gravely ill, and he

4503-423: The two boys would have no other legitimate siblings. In 1826, their father succeeded as Ernest I, Duke of Saxe-Coburg and Gotha through an exchange of territories after the death of the duke's uncle, Frederick IV, Duke of Saxe-Gotha-Altenburg . There are various accounts of Ernest's childhood. When he was fourteen months old, a servant commented that Ernest "runs around like a weasel. He is teething and as cross as

4582-410: The upbringing of his heir-presumptive, with a strong German element added to his education and (carefully chaperoned) visits to Coburg. Ernest appears in the 2016 ITV series Victoria , portrayed by David Oakes . He is inaccurately depicted as having an affair with Harriet Sutherland-Leveson-Gower, Duchess of Sutherland . In real life, Ernest likely never met the Duchess; he was already married at

4661-467: The uprising and beginning the First Schleswig War . Ernest sent 8,000 men initially, adding to the army sent by the German Confederation . He also desired to be given a military job during the war, but was refused, as it was "extremely difficult to offer me a position in the army of Schleswig-Holstein corresponding to my rank", according to his memoirs. He agreed to a smaller command, coming to lead

4740-496: Was Duke of Saxe-Coburg and Gotha from 29 January 1844 to his death in 1893. He was born in Coburg to Ernest III, Duke of Saxe-Coburg-Saalfeld , and Princess Louise of Saxe-Gotha-Altenburg . His father became Duke of Saxe-Coburg and Gotha (as Ernest I) in 1826 through an exchange of territories. In 1842, Ernest married Princess Alexandrine of Baden in what was to be a childless marriage. Two years later, he became Duke of Saxe-Coburg and Gotha when his father died. Ernest supported

4819-538: Was Albert's brother, she was displeased that Ernest was writing his memoirs, worrying about their contents mainly in regard to her dead husband. Despite their disputes, Ernest still met with Victoria and her family occasionally. In 1891, they met in France; Victoria's lady-in-waiting commented "the old Duke of Saxe-Coburg-Gotha has been here today with his wife. He is the Prince Consort's only brother and an awful looking man,

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4898-565: Was Foreign Minister, and no one foresaw that Ernest would immediately side with the better-equipped Prussians upon breakout of the war. His reasoning is usually understood as acting in the best interests of his duchies, and by extension, of himself. Some influence came from Bismarck, who explained his policy and tactics in a letter to Ernest. Regardless, it was seen as a betrayal of former friends; Queen Victoria commented that Ernest "might have agreed to neutrality—for that might be necessary, but to change colours I cannot think right". Ernest

4977-659: Was King Consort. Various candidates were put forward as a possible wife for Ernest. His father wanted him to look to a woman of high rank, such as a Russian grand duchess, for a wife. One possibility was Princess Clémentine of Orléans , a daughter of Louis Philippe I , whom he met while visiting the court at the Tuileries . However, such a marriage would have required his conversion from Lutheranism to Roman Catholicism , and consequently nothing came of it. She later married his cousin Prince August of Saxe-Coburg and Gotha . Ernest

5056-520: Was a great patron of the arts and sciences in Coburg, often giving awards and titles to members of the artistic and scientific world, such as Paul Kalisch , a German opera singer and the English chemist William Ernest Bush . Ernest composed songs, hymns , and cantatas , as well as musical pieces for opera and the stage, including Die Gräberinsel (1842), Tony, oder die Vergeltung (1849), Casilda (1851), Santa Chiara (1854), and Zaïre , which met with success in Germany. He could also draw and play

5135-475: Was allowed to ride at the head of his battalion during the victory parade. His eldest niece Prussian Crown Princess Victoria ("Vicky") was for one pleased with his Prussian support and commented "I am not accustomed to hearing so much praise of Coburg here. [Ernest] was not among the crushed and beaten foe, it is sad enough as it is to see so many of one's friends suffering from the effects of their miscalculations". Victoria's husband Crown Prince Frederick William

5214-539: Was also considered by Dowager Queen Maria Christina as a possible husband for her young daughter Isabella II of Spain , and by Queen Victoria for her cousin Princess Augusta of Cambridge . In Karlsruhe on 3 May 1842, Ernest married 21-year-old Princess Alexandrine of Baden . She was the eldest daughter of Leopold, Grand Duke of Baden , and Princess Sophie of Sweden , daughter of the deposed King Gustav IV Adolf of Sweden . Though he gave his consent, his father

5293-562: Was also pleased with Ernest's decision, writing in his journal 28 September 1871, that the duke's "society always affords me peculiar pleasure, especially...when his heart beats so warmly for Germany". Ernest's support of the Prussians in the Austro-Prussian War and later Franco Prussian War meant he was no longer the potential leader of a political movement; although it was true that he had been able to retain his duchies, it had come at

5372-541: Was deposed in a bloodless coup . The Greeks were eager to have someone close to Britain and Queen Victoria replace Otto; some desired to allow Prince Alfred, Duke of Edinburgh (her second son) to succeed as King of Greece. He was elected with 95% of the vote in the Greek head of state referendum of 1862. After his ineligibility was confirmed however, the Greeks began looking for other possible candidates, which included Duke Ernest at

5451-404: Was disappointed that his first son did not do more to advance the concerns of Coburg. The marriage did not produce any issue, though Ernest apparently fathered at least three illegitimate children in later years. Ernest had suffered from a venereal disease in his late teens and early twenties, most likely as the consequence of living a wild, promiscuous lifestyle. He had come to behave in such

5530-482: Was forthcoming for either brother however, and they returned home. Ernest entered military training later that year. In April 1837, Ernest and Albert and their household moved to the University of Bonn . Six weeks into their academic term, Victoria succeeded as Queen of the United Kingdom . As rumors of an impending marriage between her and Albert interfered with their studies, the two brothers left on 28 August 1837 at

5609-419: Was fortunate in his support of victorious Prussia; for his services he received the forest of Schmalkalden . Many other petty German dukes, princes, and kings who had supported Austria suffered immensely at Hohenzollern hands. Hanover , Hesse-Kassel , and Nassau for instance were all annexed to Prussia at the expense of their respective rulers. Though he had only recently changed his political views, Ernest

5688-612: Was his sister Antoinette 's daughter. Their stepmother was thus also their first cousin. The duke and his new duchess were not close, and would produce no children; while the boys formed a happy relationship with their stepmother, Marie had little to no input in her stepsons' lives. The separation and divorce of their parents, as well as the later death of their mother, left the boys scarred and in close companionship with each other. In 1836, Ernest and Albert visited their matrimonially eligible cousin Princess Victoria of Kent , spending

5767-473: Was not noted for the strictness of its morals; the Duke was a man of gallantry, and the Duchess followed her husband's example. There were scandals: one of the Court Chamberlains, a charming and cultivated man of Jewish extraction, was talked of; at last there was a separation, followed by a divorce." Ernest and Louise were separated in 1824 and were officially divorced on 31 March 1826. As heirs to Coburg,

5846-458: Was required to take part in the government of the duchy. When his father died in 1806, he succeeded in the duchy of Saxe-Coburg-Saalfeld as Ernest III. However, he could not immediately take over the formal government of his lands, because the duchy was occupied by Napoleonic troops and was under French administration. The following year, after the Peace of Tilsit (1807), the duchy of Saxe-Coburg-Saalfeld

5925-490: Was reunited (having previously been dissolved) and restored to Ernest. This occurred through Russian pressure, since his sister Juliane was married to the brother of the Russian Tsar. Ernest married Princess Louise of Saxe-Gotha-Altenburg in Gotha on 31 July 1817. They had two children: The marriage was unhappy because both husband and wife were promiscuous . As the biographer Lytton Strachey put it: "The ducal court

6004-652: Was simply rubbish". Ernest was also an avid hunter and sportsman; one contemporary remarked that he was "one of the foremost and keenest sportsman produced by the present century". In addition, Ernest was an enthusiastic patron of everything connected with natural history, for instance traveling to Abyssinia with the German zoologist Alfred Brehm in 1862. That journey was chronicled in a book, Reise des Herzogs Ernst von Sachsen-Koburg-Gotha nach Ägypten , published in 1862. He also published his memoirs in three volumes: Aus meinem Leben und aus meiner Zeit (1888–1890). Ernest II died at Reinhardsbrunn on 22 August 1893 after

6083-429: Was spared me, I always regarded as a piece of good fortune". Ernest, like his brother, was in favor of a unified but federal German state. In seeking to realize this goal, Ernest liked to dabble in whatever political system promised the most success. He subsequently watched the growth of liberalism in Germany with much interest and tried to build links with the movement's leaders. During Albert's lifetime, Ernest took

6162-543: Was that he would not give up his beloved duchies in favor of the Greek throne. A supporter of a unified Germany, Ernest watched the various political movements with great interest. While he initially was a great and outspoken proponent of German liberalism , he surprised many by switching sides and supporting the more conservative (and eventually victorious) Prussians during the Austro-Prussian and Franco-Prussian Wars and subsequent unification of Germany . His support of

6241-417: Was time for Alfred to leave the navy and enter a German university. By March of the following year, it was decided that Alfred would attend Bonn University but be left to consider his future, as he was having reservations over permanently residing outside England. The matter was eventually resolved; Alfred came to accept his inheritance, and Victoria understood and accepted that Ernest needed to be involved in

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