Duke Christian of Oldenburg
Encyclopedia
Duke Christian of Oldenburg is the heir apparent to the headship of Grand Ducal Family
House of Oldenburg
The House of Oldenburg is a North German dynasty and one of Europe's most influential Royal Houses with branches that rule or have ruled in Denmark, Russia, Greece, Norway, Schleswig, Holstein, Oldenburg and Sweden...
of Oldenburg
Oldenburg (state)
Oldenburg — named after its capital, the town of Oldenburg — was a state in the north of present-day Germany. Oldenburg survived from 1180 until 1918 as a county, duchy and grand duchy, and from 1918 until 1946 as a free state. It was located near the mouth of the River Weser...
, though not the senior extant line of the House of Oldenburg
House of Oldenburg
The House of Oldenburg is a North German dynasty and one of Europe's most influential Royal Houses with branches that rule or have ruled in Denmark, Russia, Greece, Norway, Schleswig, Holstein, Oldenburg and Sweden...
.
Family and life
Duke Christian was born in RastedeRastede
Rastede is a municipality in the Ammerland district, in Lower Saxony, Germany. It is situated approx. 12 km north of Oldenburg. It is the site of the Schloss Rastede.-References:...
, Lower Saxony, the only son of Duke Anton-Günther of Oldenburg
Anton-Günther, Duke of Oldenburg
Anton-Günther, Duke of Oldenburg is the head of the Grand Ducal Family of Oldenburg....
and his wife Princess Ameli of Löwenstein-Wertheim-Freudenberg (b. 1923). Duke Christian has an elder sister, Duchess Helene (b. 1953) who is unmarried. Duke Christian has a diplom
Diplom
A Diplom is an academic degree in the German-speaking countries Germany, Austria, and Switzerland and a similarly named degree in some other European countries including Belarus, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Croatia, Estonia, Finland , Greece, Hungary, Russia, Serbia, Macedonia, Slovenia, and Ukraine...
in Business.
Christian is a great-grandson of the last Grand Duke of Oldenburg
Oldenburg (state)
Oldenburg — named after its capital, the town of Oldenburg — was a state in the north of present-day Germany. Oldenburg survived from 1180 until 1918 as a county, duchy and grand duchy, and from 1918 until 1946 as a free state. It was located near the mouth of the River Weser...
, Frederick Augustus II
Frederick Augustus II, Grand Duke of Oldenburg
Frederick Augustus II was the last ruling grand duke of Oldenburg. He married Princess Elisabeth Anna of Prussia, daughter of Princess Maria Anna of Anhalt-Dessau and Prince Frederick Charles of Prussia...
and through his mother he is related to the Princes of Löwenstein-Wertheim-Freudenberg
Löwenstein-Wertheim
Löwenstein-Wertheim was a county of the Holy Roman Empire, part of the Franconian Circle. It was formed from the counties of Löwenstein and Wertheim ....
, who belong to a morganatic branch of the House of Wittelsbach descending from Frederick I, Elector Palatine
Frederick I, Elector Palatine
Frederick I, the Victorious was a Count Palatine of the Rhine and Elector Palatine from the House of Wittelsbach in 1451 - 1476....
.
Duke Christian became heir to the headship of the Grand Ducal family on 3 April 1970 when his grandfather Hereditary Grand Duke Nikolaus
Nikolaus, Hereditary Grand Duke of Oldenburg
Nikolaus, Hereditary Grand Duke of Oldenburg was the eldest son of Frederick Augustus II, Grand Duke of Oldenburg, last ruling Grand Duke of Oldenburg...
died. If the monarchy was still in existence he would bear the title of Hereditary Grand Duke of Oldenburg. Although under the monarchy only the Grand Duke and Hereditary Grand Duke and their wives were entitled to the style Royal Highness
Royal Highness
Royal Highness is a style ; plural Royal Highnesses...
, Duke Christian as heir, and his father as head of the family both use this style. If Christian succeeds his father, he would be the first Count or Duke of Oldenburg to be named Christian since 1492. He is also one of only two descendants of Peter I, Grand Duke of Oldenburg to bear that name, the other being his uncle, Duke Friedrich August Wilhelm Christian Ernst.
Marriage and children
Christian married Countess Caroline of Rantzau (b. 1962) at PronstorfPronstorf
Pronstorf is a municipality in the district of Segeberg, in Schleswig-Holstein, Germany.-Famous residents:* Major General Paul Emil von Lettow-Vorbeck, the commander of the Imperial German Army during the East African Campaign, was buried in Pronstorf upon his death in 1964....
on 26 September 1987. They have four children.
- HH Duke Alexander Paul Hans-Caspar Andreas Daniel Carl Philippe of Oldenburg (born 17 March 1990 in LübeckLübeckThe Hanseatic City of Lübeck is the second-largest city in Schleswig-Holstein, in northern Germany, and one of the major ports of Germany. It was for several centuries the "capital" of the Hanseatic League and, because of its Brick Gothic architectural heritage, is listed by UNESCO as a World...
) - HH Duke Philipp Konstantin Wittekind Raimund Clemens Hans-Heinrich of Oldenburg (born 28 December 1991 in LübeckLübeckThe Hanseatic City of Lübeck is the second-largest city in Schleswig-Holstein, in northern Germany, and one of the major ports of Germany. It was for several centuries the "capital" of the Hanseatic League and, because of its Brick Gothic architectural heritage, is listed by UNESCO as a World...
) - HH Duke Anton Friedrich Ludwig Jan Vincent of Oldenburg (born 9 January 1993 in LübeckLübeckThe Hanseatic City of Lübeck is the second-largest city in Schleswig-Holstein, in northern Germany, and one of the major ports of Germany. It was for several centuries the "capital" of the Hanseatic League and, because of its Brick Gothic architectural heritage, is listed by UNESCO as a World...
) - HH Duchess Katharina Bibiane Edwina Isabell of Oldenburg (born 20 February 1997 in LübeckLübeckThe Hanseatic City of Lübeck is the second-largest city in Schleswig-Holstein, in northern Germany, and one of the major ports of Germany. It was for several centuries the "capital" of the Hanseatic League and, because of its Brick Gothic architectural heritage, is listed by UNESCO as a World...
)
Titles and styles
- 1 February 1955 – 3 April 1970: His Highness Duke Christian of Oldenburg
- 3 April 1970 – present: His Royal Highness Duke Christian of Oldenburg