Quick Facts
Biography
Princess Adelaide "Adi" of Saxe-Meiningen (Adelaide Erna Caroline Marie Elisabeth; later Princess Adalbert of Prussia; 16 August 1891 – 25 April 1971) was a daughter of Prince Frederick John of Saxe-Meiningen and his wife Countess Adelaide of Lippe-Biesterfeld.
Family
Adelaide (original German: Adelheid)'s father Prince Frederick was a younger son of George II of Saxe-Meiningen by his second wife Feodora of Hohenlohe-Langenburg. She had five siblings, including Prince George, a prisoner of war killed during World War II, and Prince Bernard.
Adelaide's mother, also named Adelaide, was the eldest child of Ernst, Count of Lippe-Biesterfeld, who was the Regent of the principality of Lippe for seven years (1897–1904).
Marriage
On 3 August 1914, at the beginning of World War I, Adelaide married Prince Adalbert of Prussia at Wilhelmshaven, Schleswig-Holstein, Germany. He was the third son of Kaiser William II of Germany. Adelaide's father would die within a month, on 23 August 1914. Less than a month after their marriage, Prince Adalbert was reported to have been killed in battle in Brussels. This was only a rumor however, and the prince had been unharmed. In March 1915, he was promoted to Captain in the navy and Major in the army.
She and Prince Adalbert had three children:
| Name | Birth | Death | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Princess Victoria Marina | 4 September 1915 | 4 September 1915 | stillborn daughter |
| Princess Victoria Marina | 11 September 1917 | 21 January 1981 | who married an American lawyer and had issue. |
| Prince Wilhelm Victor | 15 February 1919 | 7 February 1989 | who married at Donaueschingen 20 July 1944 Countess Marie Antoinette Hoyos (27 June 1920 – 1 March 2004) had issue |
Their first daughter Victoria Marina died soon after birth, although Adelaide was reported to have been in "satisfactory condition".
Later life
After William II abdicated in 1918 at the end of World War I, Prince Adalbert sought refuge on his yacht, which had been maintained by a loyal crew. Princess Adelaide and their children soon attempted to follow, travelling by train from Kiel. They were delayed however, and eventually came to be staying in southern Bavaria with Prince Henry of Bavaria (a grandson of Ludwig III of Bavaria) and his wife. She and Prince Adalbert were later reunited.
Princess Adelaide died on 25 April 1971 in La Tour-de-Peilz, Switzerland. Her husband had died 23 years earlier, on 22 September 1948, at the same location.
Titles, styles, honours and arms
Titles and styles
- 16 August 1891 – 3 August 1914: Her Serene Highness Princess Adelaide of Saxe-Meiningen
- 3 August 1914 – 25 April 1971: Her Royal Highness Princess Adalbert of Prussia
Ancestry
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