George William, Prince of Schaumburg-Lippe

Georg Wilhelm, Prince of Schaumburg-Lippe (20 December 1784 – 21 November 1860) was a Count and later Prince of Schaumburg-Lippe.

Biography

He was born in Bückeburg the son of Philipp II, Count of Schaumburg-Lippe and his second wife Princess Juliane of Hesse-Philippsthal (1761–1799).

He succeeded his father as Count of Schaumburg-Lippe on 13 February 1787, but due to his age his mother Princess Juliane acted as regent. However Landgrave William IX of Hesse-Kassel (or Hesse-Cassel) occupied all of Schaumburg-Lippe except for Wilhelmstein, after invading it to enforce his claim to Schaumburg-Lippe based on Princess Juliane's supposed morganatic ancestry. The Imperial Court in Vienna however ruled in favour of Georg Wilhelm and ordered Landgrave William IX to withdraw, which he did after a two-month occupation.

Schaumburg-Lippe joined the Confederation of the Rhine on 15 December 1807 and was raised to a principality: Georg Wilhelm became the first Prince of Schaumburg-Lippe. In 1815 Schaumburg-Lippe joined the German Confederation. Georg Wilhelm died at Bückeburg and was succeeded as Prince by his son Adolf.

Marriage and children

Georg Wilhelm was married on 23 June 1816 at Arolsen to Princess Ida of Waldeck and Pyrmont (1796–1869); they had nine children:

• Prince Adolf I (1817–1893)
• Princess Mathilde (1818–1891); married Duke Eugen of Württemberg (1820–1875)
• Princess Adelheid, Duchess of Schleswig-Holstein-Sonderburg-Glücksburg (1821–1899)
• Prince Ernst (1822–1831)
• Princess Ida (1824–1894)
• Princess Emma (1827–1828)
• Prince William (1834–1906); married Princess Bathildis of Anhalt-Dessau.
• Prince Hermann (1839–1839)
• Princess Elisabeth (1841–1926); married Prince Wilhelm of Hanau and Horowitz, a morganatic son of Frederick William, Elector of Hesse.