Princess Caroline Mathilde of Saxe-Coburg and Gotha

Princess Caroline Matilda of Saxe-Coburg and Gotha (Caroline Matilda Helen Louise Augusta Beatrice; 22 June 1912 – 5 September 1983) was a German princess, and a great-granddaughter of Queen Victoria.

Early life

Princess Caroline Matilda, known in the family as Calma, was born at Schloss Callenberg, near Coburg, on 22 June 1912, the fourth child and second daughter of Charles Edward, Duke of Saxe-Coburg and Gotha and Victoria Adelaide of Schleswig-Holstein.

Her paternal grandparents were Prince Leopold, Duke of Albany and Princess Helena, Duchess of Albany. Leopold was the fourth and last son of Queen Regnant Queen Victoria and Prince Albert.

Caroline Mathilde was a younger sister of Prince Johann Leopold of Saxe-Coburg-Gotha, Princess Sibylla of Saxe-Coburg and Gotha (mother of Carl XVI Gustaf of Sweden), and Prince Hubertus of Saxe-Coburg-Gotha. She was also an older sister of Prince Friedrich Josias of Saxe-Coburg and Gotha.

Marriages and issue

Princess Caroline married three times; firstly, on 14 December 1931, she married Friedrich Wolfgang Otto, Count of Castell-Rüdenhausen (27 June 1906 – 11 June 1940). She ultimately abandoned him, amid much controversy and scandal. On 2 May 1938 in Berlin, Caroline and Friedrich were divorced. He was killed in action during World War II, flying over England. They have three children, seven grandchildren, eleven great-grandchildren, and one great-great-grandchild:

• Count Bertram Friedrich of Castell-Rüdenhausen (12 July 1932) he married Felizitas von Auersperg on 10 October 1954 and they have two sons and one grandson;
  • Count Dominik of Castell-Rüdenhausen (20 July 1965) he has an illegitimate son with Yvette Galambos:
    • Lenz Galambos (29 December 1999)
  • Count Michael of Castell-Rüdenhausen (4 November 1967)
• Count Conradin Friedrich of Castell-Rüdenhausen (10 October 1933 – 1 October 2011) he married Marta Catharina Lonegren on 6 July 1961. They have two children and six grandchildren:
  • Countess Anne-Charlotte Catharina Victoria of Castell-Rüdenhausen (7 April 1962) she married Martti Rappu on 4 July 1986 and they have three sons. She has also an illegitimate son with Tommy Mikael Alér:
    • Henrik Michael Frederik of Castell-Rüdenhausen (23 December 1982) he married Malin Meinander in 2014 and had one son before their marriage:
      • Adrian of Castell-Rüdenhausen (2012)
    • Patrick Martin Conradin Rappu (3 September 1987)
    • Richard Valdemar Rappu (1 May 1989)
    • Fredrik Carl Anton Rappu (7 November 1990)
  • Count Carl-Eduard Friedrich Hubertus of Castell-Rüdenhausen (15 March 1964) he married Lisbeth Marie Raunig on 6 March 1999 and they have two children:
    • Countess Sarah Carolina Victoria of Castell-Rüdenhausen (19 September 1999)
    • Count Markus Wilhelm Friedrich of Castell-Rüdenhausen (10 April 2004)
• Countess Viktoria Adelheid of Castell-Rüdenhausen (26 February 1935) she married Lt.-Cdr. Sir John Miles Huntington-Whiteley, 4th Bt. on 20 June 1960 and they have three children and four grandchildren:
  • Alice Louise Esther Margot Huntington-Whiteley (22 July 1961) she married Charles Percy Sewell on 1 February 1985 and they have two sons:
    • Henry Alexander Sewell (4 May 1988)
    • Benjamin Leopold Sewell (15 July 1990)
  • Beatrice Helena Victoria Irene Huntington-Whiteley (6 September 1962) she married Andrew William Grant on 26 April 1995 and they have two sons:
    • Frederick Francis Thomas Augustus Grant (3 July 1999)
    • Ludovic William Hubertus Miles Grant (15 February 2002)
  • Leopold Maurice Huntington-Whiteley (15 July 1965)

Secondly, on 22 June 1938, she married Flight Captain Max Schnirring (20 May 1895 – 7 July 1944). He was also killed in a flying accident. They have three children, ten grandchildren, nine great-grandchildren and two great-great-grandchildren:

• Calma Barbara Schnirring (18 November 1938) married Richard Darrell Berger on 5 July 1961 and they have six children, seven grandchildren and two great-grandchildren. She remarries James Cook on 15 May 1976 and they adopted a daughter:
  • Sascha Nikolaus Hubertus Berger (22 September 1960) he married Gina Goodwin on 28 August 1979 He and Gina Goodwin and they divorced. He remarried Bonita Isabelle Oden on 19 November 1982 and divorced. He remarried Belinda Ellen Oden on 23 January 1996. With his second wife he has two children and two grandsons:
    • Tristan Lee Berger (20 November 1984) he married Heather Rose Davis
      • Fritz Berger (2008)
      • Zane Berger (2010)
    • Nicole Calma Berger (20 November 1984)
  • Richard Darrel Berger (3 July 1962) he married Gypsy Diana Wheeler on 9 August 1982 and they were divorced. They have one son. He remarried Ronda Rae Ross on 9 July 1990. They have two children:
    • Richard Jonathan Ross Wheeler Berger (11 June 1985)
    • Rachel Kathryn Faye Berger (2 January 2000)
    • Riley Emily Erin Berger (25 July 2001)
  • Victor Dean Berger (28 September 1964) he married Sylvia Diane McKinney on 15 August 1986. They have one daughter:
    • Mary Katherine Berger (11 June 1985) married Donald Jacobs Jr in 2010
  • Samuel Clinton Berger (28 May 1965)
  • Wesley Berger (11 October 1967) he married Kristine Alicia Okamoto on 14 February 1994 and they have one son:
    • Maximilian Elias Berger (22 August 2001)
  • David Charles (Berger) Cook (25 September 1968) he married Constance Mueller on 29 September 1990.
  • Joi Cook (5 February 1981)
• Dagmar Schnirring (22 November 1940) she married Heinrich Walz on 26 February 1964 and divorced in 1989. She then married Eberhard Schäl. With her first husband, she has two daughters and two granddaughters:
  • Valesca Walz (14 Aug 1965)
  • Larissa Walz (16 Sep 1967) she married Takis Panajotakulos on 23 July 1991 and they were divorced. She remarried George Evangellatos in September 1997. They have two daughters:
    • Alexandria Evagellatos (14 July 1999 – 15 October 1999)
    • Amilia Sophia Evagellatos (4 March 2002)
• Peter Michael Schnirring (4 January 1943 – 10 February 1966)

Thirdly, on 23 December 1946, she married Karl Otto Andree (10 February 1912 – 1984). They divorced on 10 October 1949.

Titles, styles, honours and arms

Titles and styles

• 22 June 1912 – 28 March 1919: Her Royal Highness Princess Caroline Mathilde of Saxe-Coburg and Gotha, Princess of United Kingdom
• 28 March 1919 – 14 December 1931: Her Highness Princess Caroline Mathilde of Saxe-Coburg and Gotha
• 14 December 1931 – 2 May 1938: Her Highness Princess Caroline Mathilde, Countess of Castell-Rüdenhausen
• 2 May 1938 – 5 September 1983: Her Highness Princess Caroline Mathilde of Saxe-Coburg and Gotha

Ancestry