Georg Friedrich, Prince of Prussia

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Georg Friedrich
Prince of Prussia
Georg Friedrich Prinz von Preussen.jpg
The Prince of Prussia at Komische Oper Berlin in 2007.
Head of the Royal House of Hohenzollern
Period 26 September 1994 – present
Predecessor Louis Ferdinand (Sr.), The Prince of Prussia
Heir apparent Carl Friedrich, Prince of Prussia
Born (1976-06-10) 10 June 1976 (age 47)
Bremen, West Germany
Spouse Princess Sophie of Isenburg (m. 2011)
Issue Prince Carl Friedrich
Prince Louis Ferdinand
Princess Emma Marie
Full name
Georg Friedrich Ferdinand Prinz von Preußen
House House of Hohenzollern
Father Louis Ferdinand (Jr.), Prince of Prussia
Mother Countess Donata of Castell-Rüdenhausen
Coat of arms of the German Empire (1871-1918)
  • HI&RH The Prince
    HI&RH The Princess
    • HI&RH Prince Carl Friedrich
    • HRH Prince Louis Ferdinand
    • HRH Princess Emma Marie
  • HRH Princess Cornelie-Cecile

HRH Princess Marie Cécile
HRH Prince Christian-Sigismund
HRH Princess Christian-Sigismund

Georg Friedrich Ferdinand, Prince of Prussia [1][2][3][4][5] (German: Georg Friedrich Ferdinand Prinz von Preußen;[6] born 10 June 1976), is the current head of the Royal House of Hohenzollern,[7][8] the former ruling dynasty of the German Empire and of the Kingdom of Prussia. He is the great-great-grandson and historic heir of Wilhelm II, the last German Emperor and King of Prussia, who was deposed and went into exile upon Germany's defeat in World War I in 1918.

Education and career

Georg Friedrich is the only son of Prince Louis Ferdinand of Prussia (1944–1977) and Countess Donata of Castell-Rüdenhausen (1950-2015), (born a member of a mediatized princely family, she later was Duchess Donata of Oldenburg by her second marriage to her former sister-in-law's ex-husband, Duke Friedrich August of Oldenburg).

After the death of his father, Georg Friedrich spent much of his youth in the care and under the guidance of his paternal grandfather.[5] He attended grammar schools in Bremen and Oldenburg and completed his education at Glenalmond College near Perth, Scotland, where he passed his A-levels. He volunteered for a two-year stint in the Alpine troops of the German army, where he was known simply as "Preusse" ("Prussian"). Georg Friedrich took his degree in business economics at the Freiberg University of Mining and Technology.

Georg Friedrich works for a company specialising in helping universities bring their innovations to market.[9] He also administers the Princess Kira of Prussia-Foundation, founded by his grandmother in 1952.[10] He lives near Bremen and at Hohenzollern Castle.

Georg Friedrich claims compensation for expropriated land and palaces in Berlin. The procedure for compensation was started by his grandfather Prince Louis Ferdinand of Prussia under the Compensation Act (EALG) in March 1991.[11]

House of Hohenzollern

Georg Friedrich succeeded his grandfather, Prince Louis Ferdinand I of Prussia as Head of the Royal House of Prussia,[12] a branch of the House of Hohenzollern, on 26 September 1994. He learned to appreciate the history and responsibility of his heritage during time spent with his paternal grandfather, who often recounted to him anecdotes from the life in exile of his own grandfather, the last German Kaiser.[13]

His position as sole heir to the estate of his grandfather was challenged by his uncles, Friedrich Wilhelm and Michael who filed a lawsuit claiming that, despite their renunciations as dynasts at the time of their marriages, the loss of their inheritance rights based on their selection of spouse was discriminatory and unconstitutional.[14] His uncles were initially successful, the Regional Court of Hechingen and the higher Regional Court of Stuttgart ruling in their favour in 1997 on the grounds that the requirement to marry equally was "immoral".[15] However, the Federal Court of Justice of Germany overturned the original rulings in favour of Georg Friedrich's uncles, the case being remanded to the courts at Hechingen and Stuttgart. This time both courts ruled in favour of Georg Friedrich. His uncles then took their case to the Federal Constitutional Court of Germany which overruled the previous court rulings in Georg Friedrich's favour.[14] On 19 October 2005, a German regional court ruled that Georg Friedrich was indeed the principal heir of his grandfather, Louis Ferdinand (who was the primary beneficiary of the trust set up for the estate of Wilhelm II), but also concluded that each of the children of Louis Ferdinand was entitled to a portion of the Prussian inheritance.[16]

Marriage

Prince Georg Friedrich at the annual meeting of the Order Pour le Mérite (2014)

On 21 January 2011, Georg Friedrich announced his engagement to Princess Sophie Johanna Maria of Isenburg (born 7 March 1978), who studied business administration in Freiburg and Berlin and works at a firm that offers consulting services for nonprofit business.[17] The civil wedding took place in Potsdam on 25 August 2011,[9] and the religious wedding took place at the Church of Peace in Potsdam on 27 August 2011, in commemoration of the 950th anniversary of the founding of the House of Hohenzollern.[18][19] The religious wedding was also broadcast live by local public television.[9] The dinner, which many members of German and European royal families attended, was held in the Orangery Palace at Sanssouci Park.

Princess Sophie's parents are Franz-Alexander, Prince of Isenburg and his wife, née Countess Christine von Saurma-Jeltsch.[20] The couple share descent (being sixth cousins once-removed) from Charles II, the first reigning Grand Duke of Mecklenburg-Strelitz and a brother of Charlotte of Mecklenburg, queen consort of George III of the United Kingdom. Princess Sophie's father is head of the senior branch of the mediatised princely House of Isenburg, known under the Holy Roman Empire and subsequent German Empire as the Büdingen-Birstein line. In 1913 Franz Alexander's grandfather, Franz Joseph, dropped the und Büdingen zu Birstein suffix from his title as Fürst von Isenburg.

The Princess has two brothers, Hereditary Prince Alexander and Prince Viktor, and two older sisters, respectively, Archduchess Katharina (born 1971), wife since 2004 of Archduke Martin of Austria-Este, and Princess Isabelle (born 1973), widow of Carl, Prince of Wied.

Issue

On 20 January 2013, Georg Friedrich's wife Sophie gave birth to twin sons in Bremen:

  • HI&RH Prince Carl Friedrich Franz Alexander of Prussia
  • HRH Prince Louis Ferdinand Christian Albrecht of Prussia

Carl Friedrich, the elder of the two, is the heir apparent.[21] The boys were baptized in the Chapel of St. Michael at Hohenzollern Castle on 24 June 2013.

Their third child, a daughter, was born on 2 April 2015.

  • HRH Princess Emma Marie Charlotte Sophie of Prussia.

Titles, styles and honours

Styles of
The Prince of Prussia
Wappen Deutsches Reich - Reichsadler 1889.svg
Reference style His Imperial and Royal Highness
Spoken style Your Imperial and Royal Highness
Alternative style Sir

Titles and styles

  • 10 June 1976 - 26 September 1994: His Royal Highness Prince Georg Friedrich of Prussia[4]
  • 26 September 1994 – present: His Imperial and Royal Highness The Prince of Prussia[2][3]
    • official in Germany: 10 June 1976 – present: Herr Georg Friedrich Prinz von Preußen[22]

Orders

Quotes

  • "I do not see any reason for the political system in Germany to be changed. And I am very happy — probably happier than many of my forebears."[24]
  • "I have as head of the House of Hohenzollern no political role — and neither do I aim at such."[25]
  • “The German people should think about bringing back the monarchy, I am sure it will happen.” [26]

Ancestry

Family of Georg Friedrich, Prince of Prussia
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
16. Wilhelm II, German Emperor
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
8. William, German Crown Prince
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
17. Princess Augusta Viktoria of Schleswig-Holstein-Sonderburg-Augustenburg
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
4. Louis Ferdinand, Prince of Prussia
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
18. Frederick Francis III, Grand Duke of Mecklenburg-Schwerin
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
9. Duchess Cecilie of Mecklenburg-Schwerin
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
19. Grand Duchess Anastasia Mikhailovna of Russia
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
2. Prince Louis Ferdinand of Prussia
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
20. Grand Duke Vladimir Alexandrovich of Russia
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
10. Cyril Vladimirovich, Grand Duke of Russia
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
21. Duchess Marie of Mecklenburg-Schwerin
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
5. Grand Duchess Kira Kirillovna of Russia
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
22. Alfred, Duke of Saxe-Coburg and Gotha
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
11. Princess Victoria Melita of Saxe-Coburg and Gotha
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
23. Grand Duchess Maria Alexandrovna of Russia
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
1. Georg Friedrich, Prince of Prussia
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
24. Wolfgang, Prince of Castell-Rüdenhausen
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
12. Casimir, Prince of Castell-Rüdenhausen
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
25. Princess Emma of Ysenburg and Büdingen in Büdingen
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
6. Siegfried, Prince of Castell-Rüdenhausen
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
26. Count William Charles Bentinck
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
13. Countess Mechtilde Bentinck
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
27. Maria Cornelia van Heeckeren van Wassenaer
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
3. Donata Countess of Castell-Rüdenhausen
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
28. Otto, Count of Solms-Laubach
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
14. George Frederick, Count of Solms-Laubach
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
29. Princess Emma of Ysenburg and Büdingen in Büdingen
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
7. Countess Irene of Solms-Laubach
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
30. Charles, Prince of Solms-Hohensolms-Lich
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
15. Princess Johanna of Solms-Hohensolms-Lich
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
31. Princess Emma Caroline of Stolberg-Wernigerode
 
 
 
 
 
 

References and notes

  1. In 1919 royalty and nobility were mandated to lose their privileges in Germany, hereditary titles were to be legally borne thereafter only as part of the surname, according to Article 109 of the Weimar Constitution. Styles such as majesty and highness were not retained.
  2. 2.0 2.1 Eilers, Marlene. Queen Victoria's Descendants. Rosvall Royal Books, Falkoping, Sweden, 1997. pp. 16-17, 123, 172. ISBN 91-630-5964-9
  3. 3.0 3.1 Willis, Daniel. The Descendants of King George I of Great Britain. Clearfield, Baltimore, US, 2002, pp. 688-689. ISBN 0-8063-5172-1
  4. 4.0 4.1 Genealogisches Handbuch des Adels, Fürstliche Häuser Band XIV. "Haus Preussen". C.A. Starke Verlag, 1991, p. 123, 146. ISBN 3-7980-0700-4
  5. 5.0 5.1 de Badts de Cugnac, Chantal. Coutant de Saisseval, Guy. Le Petit Gotha. Nouvelle Imprimerie Laballery, Paris 2002, pp. 77-79, 99, 106, 108-111. (French) ISBN 2-9507974-3-1
  6. Regarding personal names: Prinz was a title before 1919, but now is regarded as part of the surname. It is translated as Prince. Before the August 1919 abolition of nobility as a legal class, titles preceded the full name when given (Graf Helmuth James von Moltke). Since 1919, these titles, along with any nobiliary prefix (von, zu, etc.), can be used, but are regarded as a dependent part of the surname, and thus come after any given names (Helmuth James Graf von Moltke). Titles and all dependent parts of surnames are ignored in alphabetical sorting. The feminine form is Prinzessin.
  7. "George Frederick The Prince of Prussia" preussen.de
  8. Germany 1815-90; Vol II 1852-71
  9. 9.0 9.1 9.2 Heir to Prussian throne to get televised wedding
  10. Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  11. [1]
  12. Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  13. Majesty. Interview, March 2009.
  14. 14.0 14.1 The Hohenzollern Succession Dispute
  15. Andrew Gimson, "Kaiser's rule on marriage still applies to heirs", The Telegraph (18 December 1998).
  16. Royal news: October 2005
  17. Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  18. Verlobung im Haus Hohenzollern
  19. Prinz von Preußen heiratet in Potsdam
  20. Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.[self-published source][better source needed]
  21. Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  22. Official guidebook of the Federal Ministry of the Interior, chapter 3
  23. Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  24. Hannah Cleaver, "I don't envy Royal Family, says heir to German throne", The Telegraph (30 January 2013).
  25. Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  26. Vanity Fair magazine

External links

Media related to Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found. at Wikimedia Commons

Georg Friedrich, Prince of Prussia
Born: 10 June 1976
Titles in pretence
Preceded by — TITULAR —
German Emperor
King of Prussia

26 September 1994 – present
Reason for succession failure:
Empire and Kingdom abolished in 1918
Incumbent
Heir:
Prince Carl Friedrich