George of Saxony
Encyclopedia
George was a King
of Saxony
of the House of Wettin.
. He was the second son of King John of Saxony (1801–1873) and his wife Princess Amelia of Bavaria (1801–1877), daughter of King Maximilian I Joseph of Bavaria (1756–1825).
On 11 May 1859 at Belém Palace
, Lisbon
, George married the Infanta Maria Anna of Portugal
(1843–1884), the eldest surviving daughter of Queen Maria II of Portugal (1819–1853) and her consort, King Ferdinand II
(1816–1885). Ferdinand was born as the Prince of Saxe-Coburg-Gotha-Kohary
, and as such was a Catholic
Saxon kinsman of George.
George served under his brother Albert's command during the Austro-Prussian War
of 1866 and in the Franco-German War. In the re-organisation of the army which accompanied the march towards Paris, his brother the Crown Prince gained a separate command over the 4th army (Army of the Meuse) consisting of the Saxon XII corps, the Prussian Guard corps, and the IV (Prussian Saxony) corps and George succeeded him in command of the XII corps.
Prince George was a Generalfeldmarschall
before his ascension. It gradually became clear that George's older brother Albert I
(1828–1902) and his wife Queen Carola
(1833–1907) would not have any children, thereby making George the heir presumptive
to the throne. He succeeded Albert I as King of Saxony on 19 June 1902, albeit for just a brief two-year reign. He died in Pillnitz
and was succeeded by his eldest son Frederick Augustus III
(1865–1932), who was deposed in 1918.
King George was a controversial figure. He divorced by royal decree his eldest son from his daughter-in-law, Crown Princess Luise. Luise's flight from Dresden was due to her father-in-law threatening to have her interned in Sonnestein Mental Asylum for life. Her brother supported her in her wish to escape Saxony. Emperor Franz-Josef of Austria-Hungary did not recognise the divorce.
Monarch
A monarch is the person who heads a monarchy. This is a form of government in which a state or polity is ruled or controlled by an individual who typically inherits the throne by birth and occasionally rules for life or until abdication...
of Saxony
Kingdom of Saxony
The Kingdom of Saxony , lasting between 1806 and 1918, was an independent member of a number of historical confederacies in Napoleonic through post-Napoleonic Germany. From 1871 it was part of the German Empire. It became a Free state in the era of Weimar Republic in 1918 after the end of World War...
of the House of Wettin.
Life
George was born in the Saxon capital DresdenDresden
Dresden is the capital city of the Free State of Saxony in Germany. It is situated in a valley on the River Elbe, near the Czech border. The Dresden conurbation is part of the Saxon Triangle metropolitan area....
. He was the second son of King John of Saxony (1801–1873) and his wife Princess Amelia of Bavaria (1801–1877), daughter of King Maximilian I Joseph of Bavaria (1756–1825).
On 11 May 1859 at Belém Palace
Belém Palace
The Belém National Palace, or alternately National Palace of Belém, has, overtime, been the official residence of Portuguese monarchs and, after the installation of the First Republic, the Presidents of the Portuguese Republic...
, Lisbon
Lisbon
Lisbon is the capital city and largest city of Portugal with a population of 545,245 within its administrative limits on a land area of . The urban area of Lisbon extends beyond the administrative city limits with a population of 3 million on an area of , making it the 9th most populous urban...
, George married the Infanta Maria Anna of Portugal
Maria Anna of Portugal
Infanta Maria Ana of Portugal was a Portuguese infanta , the eldest surviving daughter of Queen Maria II of Portugal and her...
(1843–1884), the eldest surviving daughter of Queen Maria II of Portugal (1819–1853) and her consort, King Ferdinand II
Ferdinand II of Portugal
Ferdinand of Saxe-Coburg and Gotha , named Prince Ferdinand Augustus Francis Anthony of Saxe-Coburg-Gotha-Koháry, was King of Portugal as husband of Queen Maria II of Portugal from the birth of their son in 1837 to her death in 1853.In keeping with Portuguese law, only after the birth of his son in...
(1816–1885). Ferdinand was born as the Prince of Saxe-Coburg-Gotha-Kohary
Kohary
Koháry was an ancient Hungarian noble family with seats at Csábrág and Szitnya, now Čabraď and Sitno Castle within Slovakia. The Kohárys belonged among the magnates of Hungary.-Prince Koháry:...
, and as such was a Catholic
Roman Catholic Church
The Catholic Church, also known as the Roman Catholic Church, is the world's largest Christian church, with over a billion members. Led by the Pope, it defines its mission as spreading the gospel of Jesus Christ, administering the sacraments and exercising charity...
Saxon kinsman of George.
George served under his brother Albert's command during the Austro-Prussian War
Austro-Prussian War
The Austro-Prussian War was a war fought in 1866 between the German Confederation under the leadership of the Austrian Empire and its German allies on one side and the Kingdom of Prussia with its German allies and Italy on the...
of 1866 and in the Franco-German War. In the re-organisation of the army which accompanied the march towards Paris, his brother the Crown Prince gained a separate command over the 4th army (Army of the Meuse) consisting of the Saxon XII corps, the Prussian Guard corps, and the IV (Prussian Saxony) corps and George succeeded him in command of the XII corps.
Prince George was a Generalfeldmarschall
Generalfeldmarschall
Field Marshal or Generalfeldmarschall in German, was a rank in the armies of several German states and the Holy Roman Empire; in the Austrian Empire, the rank Feldmarschall was used...
before his ascension. It gradually became clear that George's older brother Albert I
Albert I of Saxony
Albert was a King of Saxony and a member of the House of Wettin.He was the eldest son of Prince John, Albert (full name: Frederick Augustus Albert Anton Ferdinand Joseph Karl Maria Baptist Nepomuk Wilhelm Xaver Georg Fidelis) (Dresden, 23 April 1828 – Schloss Sibyllenort (Szczodre), 19 June...
(1828–1902) and his wife Queen Carola
Carola of Vasa
Carola of Vasa was a titular princess of Sweden, and the queen consort of Saxony...
(1833–1907) would not have any children, thereby making George the heir presumptive
Heir Presumptive
An heir presumptive or heiress presumptive is the person provisionally scheduled to inherit a throne, peerage, or other hereditary honour, but whose position can be displaced by the birth of an heir or heiress apparent or of a new heir presumptive with a better claim to the position in question...
to the throne. He succeeded Albert I as King of Saxony on 19 June 1902, albeit for just a brief two-year reign. He died in Pillnitz
Pillnitz
Pillnitz is a city quarter in the east of Dresden, Germany. The quarter is situated in the east of Dresden. It can be reached by bus, ship, walking along the river or by bicycle...
and was succeeded by his eldest son Frederick Augustus III
Frederick Augustus III of Saxony
This article is about King Frederick Augustus III of Saxony. For the elector Frederick Augustus III, see Frederick Augustus I of Saxony.Frederick Augustus III was the last King of Saxony and a member of the House of Wettin.Born in Dresden, Frederick Augustus was the son of King George of Saxony...
(1865–1932), who was deposed in 1918.
King George was a controversial figure. He divorced by royal decree his eldest son from his daughter-in-law, Crown Princess Luise. Luise's flight from Dresden was due to her father-in-law threatening to have her interned in Sonnestein Mental Asylum for life. Her brother supported her in her wish to escape Saxony. Emperor Franz-Josef of Austria-Hungary did not recognise the divorce.
Children
| Name | Birth | Death | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Marie Johanna Amalie Ferdinande Antonie Luise Juliane | 19 June 1860 | died in childhood, no issue | |
| Elisabeth Albertine Karoline Sidonie Ferdinande Leopoldine Antonie Auguste Clementine | 14 February 1862 | died in childhood, no issue | |
| Mathilde Marie Auguste Viktorie Leopoldine Karoline Luise Franziska Josepha Princess Mathilde of Saxony (1863–1933) Princess Mathilde of Saxony, Duchess of Saxony was the third child and third-eldest daughter of George of Saxony and his wife, Maria Anna of Portugal... |
19 March 1863 | died unmarried, no issue | |
| Frederick Augustus Johann Ludwig Karl Gustav Gregor Philipp Frederick Augustus III of Saxony This article is about King Frederick Augustus III of Saxony. For the elector Frederick Augustus III, see Frederick Augustus I of Saxony.Frederick Augustus III was the last King of Saxony and a member of the House of Wettin.Born in Dresden, Frederick Augustus was the son of King George of Saxony... |
25 May 1865 | married Princess Louise of Tuscany Archduchess Luise, Princess of Tuscany Luise of Tuscany was a daughter of Ferdinand IV of Tuscany and his second wife, Alice of Bourbon-Parma, daughter of Duke Charles III and Louise... (1870–1947), later divorced, had issue |
|
| Maria Josepha Luise Philippine Elisabeth Pia Angelica Margarethe Princess Maria Josepha of Saxony Princess Maria Josepha of Saxony was the mother of Emperor Charles I of Austria and the fifth child of George of Saxony and Infanta Maria Anna of Portugal.-Early life:... |
31 May 1867 | married to her second cousin Archduke Otto Franz of Austria Archduke Otto Franz of Austria -Marriage and issue:On October 2, 1886, he married Princess Maria Josepha of Saxony, daughter of King George of Saxony. They had two sons:* Archduke Karl Franz of Austria , who became the last Emperor of Austria and had issue.... (1865–1906) , had issue |
|
| Johann Georg Pius Karl Leopold Maria Januarius Anacletus Prince Johann Georg of Saxony Prince Johann Georg Pius Karl Leopold Maria Januarius Anacletus of Saxony, Duke of Saxony was the sixth child and second-eldest son of George... |
10 July 1869 | married first Duchess Maria Isabella of Württemberg Duchess Maria Isabella of Württemberg Duchess Maria Isabella Philippine Theresia Mathilde Josephine of Württemberg was a member of the House of Württemberg and a Duchess of Württemberg by birth and a member of the House of Wettin and a Princess of Saxony through her marriage to Prince Johann Georg of... (1871–1904) and second Princess Maria Immaculata of Bourbon-Two Sicilies Princess Maria Immaculata of Bourbon-Two Sicilies (1874–1947) Princess Maria Immaculata Cristina Pia Isabella of Bourbon-Two Sicilies was the fourth child and eldest daughter of Prince Alfonso of Bourbon-Two Sicilies, Count of Caserta and his wife Princess Maria... (1874–1906), |
|
| Maximilian Wilhelm August Albert Karl Gregor Odo | 17 November 1870 | died unmarried, no issue | |
| Albert Karl Anton Ludwig Wilhelm Viktor | 25 February 1875 | died unmarried, no issue the result of injuries sustained in a carriage crash caused by Prince Miguel of Braganza Prince Miguel of Braganza Prince Miguel of Braganza, Duke of Viseu was a member of the exiled branch of the House of Braganza. The eldest son of the Miguelist pretender to the throne of Portugal he married an American heiress in 1909 and in 1920 renounced his rights to the throne... |
Ancestors
See also
- Rulers of SaxonyRulers of SaxonyThis article lists Dukes, Electors, and Kings ruling over different territories named Saxony from the beginning of the Saxon Duchy in the 9th century to the end of the Saxon Kingdom in 1918.-Dukes of Saxony:...