Princess Sophie of Saxe-Weimar-Eisenach (1911-1988)
Encyclopedia
Princess Sophie Louise of Saxe-Weimar-Eisenach (20 March 1911 – 21 November 1988) was a princess of the House of Saxe-Weimar-Eisenach.
She was born in Weimar
, the eldest child and only daughter of William Ernest, Grand Duke of Saxe-Weimar-Eisenach
by his second wife Princess Feodora of Saxe-Meiningen
.
As a relative of Wilhelmina of the Netherlands
, Sophie was invited to the 1937 wedding of her daughter Crown Princess Juliana
as a bridesmaid. She became entangled in a diplomatic scandal however after the passports of Sophie and two other German princesses were withheld by the Nazi government. Though they were later released, Sophie opted out of attending at the last moment.
The following year she married Friedrich Günther, Prince of Schwarzburg
, but the couple were divorced by the end of the year.
's only child Crown Princess Juliana
to the German Prince Bernhard of Lippe-Biesterfeld
were under way in 1937 when a small diplomatic scandal occurred.
The affair was the result of Wilhelmina's opinion that the wedding be a family affair; consequently, she did not invite foreign royalty unless she was personally familiar with them. As a result, Juliana’s chosen bridesmaids were either her relatives or family friends. These included Sophie herself (her and Bernhard's second cousin), Duchess Thyra of Mecklenburg-Schwerin (her second cousin), Grand Duchess Kira Kirillovna of Russia
(her first cousin once removed), Duchess Woizlawa of Mecklenburg
(her cousin), and two of Bernhard’s sisters, among others.
), the Nazi government regarded his statement as "insufficient". The passports were not released until Prince Bernhard sent a personal letter to German Chancellor Adolf Hitler
.
Though the passports were released, Sophie for unknown reasons revoked her acceptance and stated she could no longer attend the wedding at the last moment. Plans for the ceremony continued regardless, with Juliana getting married on 7 January 1937. Princess Sophie was replaced as bridemaid by Baroness von Heeckeren van Kall, one of Juliana's ladies-in-waiting.
. He had held that title since the death of his father Sizzo, Prince of Schwarzburg
on 24 March 1926.
The marriage would prove short lived and less than a year later on November 1, 1938 they were divorced. Friedrich Günther never remarried nor produced legitimate issue. Consequently, his sister Marie Antoinette controversially succeeded him as Princess of Schwarzburg.
Sophie died on 21 November 1988 in Hamburg
.
She was born in Weimar
Weimar
Weimar is a city in Germany famous for its cultural heritage. It is located in the federal state of Thuringia , north of the Thüringer Wald, east of Erfurt, and southwest of Halle and Leipzig. Its current population is approximately 65,000. The oldest record of the city dates from the year 899...
, the eldest child and only daughter of William Ernest, Grand Duke of Saxe-Weimar-Eisenach
William Ernest, Grand Duke of Saxe-Weimar-Eisenach
Wilhelm Ernst Karl Alexander Friedrich Heinrich Bernhard Albert Georg Hermann was the last Grand Duke of Saxe-Weimar-Eisenach.-Biography:...
by his second wife Princess Feodora of Saxe-Meiningen
Princess Feodora of Saxe-Meiningen (1890-1972)
Princess Feodora of Saxe-Meiningen was the eldest child of Prince Friedrich Johann of Saxe-Meiningen, a younger son of Georg II, Duke of Saxe-Meiningen, and Countess Adelaide of Lippe-Biesterfeld, a daughter of Ernst, Count of Lippe-Biesterfeld...
.
As a relative of Wilhelmina of the Netherlands
Wilhelmina of the Netherlands
Wilhelmina was Queen regnant of the Kingdom of the Netherlands from 1890 to 1948. She ruled the Netherlands for fifty-eight years, longer than any other Dutch monarch. Her reign saw World War I and World War II, the economic crisis of 1933, and the decline of the Netherlands as a major colonial...
, Sophie was invited to the 1937 wedding of her daughter Crown Princess Juliana
Juliana of the Netherlands
Juliana was the Queen regnant of the Kingdom of the Netherlands between 1948 and 1980. She was the only child of Queen Wilhelmina and Prince Henry...
as a bridesmaid. She became entangled in a diplomatic scandal however after the passports of Sophie and two other German princesses were withheld by the Nazi government. Though they were later released, Sophie opted out of attending at the last moment.
The following year she married Friedrich Günther, Prince of Schwarzburg
Friedrich Günther, Prince of Schwarzburg
Friedrich Günther, Prince of Schwarzburg was the final head of the House of Schwarzburg and heir to the principalities of Schwarzburg-Rudolstadt and Schwarzburg-Sondershausen.-Early life:...
, but the couple were divorced by the end of the year.
Invitation
Preparations for the wedding of Queen Wilhelmina of the NetherlandsWilhelmina of the Netherlands
Wilhelmina was Queen regnant of the Kingdom of the Netherlands from 1890 to 1948. She ruled the Netherlands for fifty-eight years, longer than any other Dutch monarch. Her reign saw World War I and World War II, the economic crisis of 1933, and the decline of the Netherlands as a major colonial...
's only child Crown Princess Juliana
Juliana of the Netherlands
Juliana was the Queen regnant of the Kingdom of the Netherlands between 1948 and 1980. She was the only child of Queen Wilhelmina and Prince Henry...
to the German Prince Bernhard of Lippe-Biesterfeld
Prince Bernhard of Lippe-Biesterfeld
Prince Bernhard of Lippe-Biesterfeld , later Prince Bernhard of the Netherlands, was prince consort of Queen Juliana of the Netherlands and father of six children, including the current monarch Queen Beatrix....
were under way in 1937 when a small diplomatic scandal occurred.
The affair was the result of Wilhelmina's opinion that the wedding be a family affair; consequently, she did not invite foreign royalty unless she was personally familiar with them. As a result, Juliana’s chosen bridesmaids were either her relatives or family friends. These included Sophie herself (her and Bernhard's second cousin), Duchess Thyra of Mecklenburg-Schwerin (her second cousin), Grand Duchess Kira Kirillovna of Russia
Grand Duchess Kira Kirillovna of Russia
Grand Duchess Kira Kirillovna of Russia was the second daughter of Grand Duke Kirill Vladimirovich of Russia and Grand Duchess Victoria Feodorovna...
(her first cousin once removed), Duchess Woizlawa of Mecklenburg
Duchess Woizlawa Feodora of Mecklenburg
Princess Woizlawa Feodora Reuss of Köstritz is a member of the House of Mecklenburg-Schwerin...
(her cousin), and two of Bernhard’s sisters, among others.
Diplomatic scandal
Sophie became entangled in the small diplomatic scandal as preparations for the Dutch wedding commenced. The German Nazi government, apparently outraged that their flag was not used in festivities related to the wedding, refused to release the passports of Sophie, along with those of Bernard's cousins princesses Sieglinde and Elizabeth of Lippe-Detmold. The German government stated that they were also protesting supposed anti-Nazi incidents in the Netherlands, and was angry that Juliana's German fiancé Prince Bernhard had not publicly defended the Nazi regime there. Wilhelmina and the Dutch government responded that because they believed the wedding to be a private, family affair, the use of the German flag would be inappropriate; they instead opted to fly the Dutch national flag alongside the flag of Bernhard's family. German displeasure also applied to their national anthem; Wilhelmina and the Dutch government saw no need in playing it at the wedding, as Bernhard was now a Dutch citizen, and thus no longer held German citizenship. A note of protest was sent to Berlin, declaring that the withholding of the necessary documents was “an insult to the Queen”. Though the Dutch minister to Berlin apologized for one of the incidents concerning the Nazi flag (in which it was taken from a German school in the HagueThe Hague
The Hague is the capital city of the province of South Holland in the Netherlands. With a population of 500,000 inhabitants , it is the third largest city of the Netherlands, after Amsterdam and Rotterdam...
), the Nazi government regarded his statement as "insufficient". The passports were not released until Prince Bernhard sent a personal letter to German Chancellor Adolf Hitler
Adolf Hitler
Adolf Hitler was an Austrian-born German politician and the leader of the National Socialist German Workers Party , commonly referred to as the Nazi Party). He was Chancellor of Germany from 1933 to 1945, and head of state from 1934 to 1945...
.
Though the passports were released, Sophie for unknown reasons revoked her acceptance and stated she could no longer attend the wedding at the last moment. Plans for the ceremony continued regardless, with Juliana getting married on 7 January 1937. Princess Sophie was replaced as bridemaid by Baroness von Heeckeren van Kall, one of Juliana's ladies-in-waiting.
Marriage
On 7 March 1938 at Heinrichau, Sophie married Friedrich Günther, Prince of SchwarzburgFriedrich Günther, Prince of Schwarzburg
Friedrich Günther, Prince of Schwarzburg was the final head of the House of Schwarzburg and heir to the principalities of Schwarzburg-Rudolstadt and Schwarzburg-Sondershausen.-Early life:...
. He had held that title since the death of his father Sizzo, Prince of Schwarzburg
Sizzo, Prince of Schwarzburg
Günther Sizzo, Prince of Schwarzburg was the head of the House of Schwarzburg and pretender to the principalities of Schwarzburg-Rudolstadt and Schwarzburg-Sondershausen.-Biography:...
on 24 March 1926.
The marriage would prove short lived and less than a year later on November 1, 1938 they were divorced. Friedrich Günther never remarried nor produced legitimate issue. Consequently, his sister Marie Antoinette controversially succeeded him as Princess of Schwarzburg.
Sophie died on 21 November 1988 in Hamburg
Hamburg
-History:The first historic name for the city was, according to Claudius Ptolemy's reports, Treva.But the city takes its modern name, Hamburg, from the first permanent building on the site, a castle whose construction was ordered by the Emperor Charlemagne in AD 808...
.
Titles and styles
- 20 March 1911 – 7 March 1938: Her Highness Princess Sophie of Saxe-Weimar-Eisenach, Duchess of Saxony
- 7 March 1938 – 1 November 1938: Her Highness The Princess of Schwarzburg
- 1 November 1938 - 21 November 1988: Her Highness Princess Sophie of Saxe-Weimar-Eisenach, Duchess of Saxony