| Prussian Royalty |
| House of Hohenzollern |
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| Descendants of Frederick William III |
Prince Albert of Prussia (German: Friedrich Wilhelm Nikolaus Albrecht; 8 May 1837 – 13 September 1906) was a Prussian general field marshal, Herrenmeister (Grand Master) of the Order of Saint John from 1883 until his death, and regent of the Duchy of Brunswick from 1885, also until his death.
Albert was born in Berlin on 8 May 1837, the son of Prince Albert of Prussia and Princess Marianne, daughter of King William I of the Netherlands. His father was the brother of King Frederick William IV of Prussia and William I, German Emperor.
Albrecht entered the Prussian army in 1847, serving in the First Schleswig War and participating in the battles of Skalitz, Schweinschädel and Königgrätz in the Austro-Prussian War in 1866. In the Franco-Prussian War in 1870, he commanded a guard cavalry brigade at Gravelotte and Sedan. After the fall of the Second Empire, he was subordinated to Edwin von Manteuffel in the fighting around Bapaume and St. Quentin. In 1874, he became commander of the X Corps stationed in Hannover. In 1883, he succeeded his uncle Prince Charles as Herrenmeister of the Order of Saint John (Bailiwick of Brandenburg). In 1885, Albert was chosen as Regent for the Duchy of Brunswick, as German Chancellor Otto von Bismarck had removed Ernest Augustus, Crown Prince of Hanover, from office.[1] In 1913, Ernst August's son, Ernest Augustus, became Duke of Brunswick who only reigned for 5 years and 6 days. After accepting the regency, Albert and Marie resided chiefly in Brunswick, Berlin, and Kamenz.[1]
Prince Albrecht died at Schloss Kamenz on 13 September 1906. He was buried in the Mausoleum auf dem Hutberge in the park of Schloss Kamenz. After World War II, the mausoleum was plundered and the bodies of Albert and his wife were reburied in the park.[citation needed]
Albert's parents had been unhappily married to each other and were later divorced. The unhappiness of that marriage had been a formative influence on Albert during his growing years. His decision to wait until he was 36 before marrying is thought to have been a reflection of his parents' marital situation.[2]
On 9 April 1873 in Berlin, he married Princess Marie of Saxe-Altenburg. They had three sons:
Prussia:
Hohenzollern: Cross of Honour of the Princely House Order of Hohenzollern, 1st Class with Swords
Ascanian duchies: Grand Cross of the Order of Albert the Bear, 29 November 1854; with Swords, 5 December 1864[8]
Baden:
Bavaria: Knight of St. Hubert, 1853[11]
Brunswick: Grand Cross of the Order of Henry the Lion, 1871;[12] Grand Master (as Regent), 1885-1906
Ernestine duchies: Grand Cross of the Saxe-Ernestine House Order, January 1855[13]
Hesse-Kassel: Knight of the Golden Lion, 16 April 1853[14]
Hesse-Darmstadt: Grand Cross of the Ludwig Order, 6 May 1870[15]
Lippe-Detmold: Grand Cross of the House Order of Lippe
Mecklenburg:
Oldenburg: Grand Cross of the Order of Duke Peter Friedrich Ludwig, with Golden Crown, 5 September 1850[16]
Saxe-Weimar-Eisenach: Grand Cross of the White Falcon, 1869[17]
Saxony: Knight of the Rue Crown, 1854[18]
Württemberg: Grand Cross of the Württemberg Crown, 1885[19]
Austrian Empire: Grand Cross of the Royal Hungarian Order of St. Stephen, 1852[20]
Belgium: Grand Cordon of the Order of Leopold (military), 25 April 1867[21]
Kingdom of Italy: Knight of the Annunciation, 1889[22]
Netherlands:
Kingdom of Portugal: Grand Cross of the Tower and Sword
Kingdom of Romania: Grand Cross of the Star of Romania
Russian Empire:
Spain:
Sweden-Norway: Grand Cross of St. Olav, 3 September 1856[26]
United Kingdom:
| Ancestors of Prince Albert of Prussia (1837–1906) |
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{{citation}}: CS1 maint: location missing publisher (link)
Media related to Prince Albert of Prussia (1837–1906) at Wikimedia Commons.
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