Predecessor Charles Edward Successor Andreas | Name Friedrich Prince | |
 | ||
Born 29 November 1918 ( 1918-11-29 ) Issue Prince Andreas
Princess Claudia
Beatrice Charlotte, Princess Friedrich of Saxe-Meiningen
Prince Adrian Father Charles Edward, Duke of Saxe-Coburg and Gotha Mother Princess Victoria Adelaide of Schleswig-Holstein-Sonderburg-Glucksburg Died January 23, 1998, Amstetten, Austria Spouse Countess Viktoria-Luise of Solms-Baruth (m. 1942–1946) House House of Saxe-Coburg and Gotha Children Andreas, Prince of Saxe-Coburg and Gotha Parents Charles Edward, Duke of Saxe-Coburg and Gotha, Princess Victoria Adelaide of Schleswig-Holstein Similar People Andreas - Prince of Saxe‑Co, Charles Edward - Duke of S, Prince Leopold - Duke of A, Princess Sibylla of Saxe‑Co, Ernest I - Duke of Saxe‑Co | ||
Friedrich Josias, Prince of Saxe-Coburg and Gotha (Friedrich Josias Carl Eduard Ernst Kyrill Harald; Callenberg Castle, 29 November 1918 – Amstetten, Austria, 23 January 1998) was the head of the Ducal Family of Saxe-Coburg and Gotha and titular Duke of Saxe-Coburg and Gotha from 1954 until his death.
Contents
Early life
Friedrich Josias was born to Charles Edward, Duke of Saxe-Coburg and Gotha and Princess Victoria Adelaide of Schleswig-Holstein-Sonderburg-Glücksburg. Charles Edward was forced to abdicate on 14 November 1918.
In 1938, he entered the Wehrmacht and participated in the occupation of Czechoslovakia, Poland and France. In 1941, he fought in Yugoslavia and the Soviet Union. He fell seriously ill in the winter of 1941. After his recovery, he fought as Oberleutnant in the Caucasus. In 1944, he was an Ordonnanzoffizier under Generalfeldmarschall Erwin Rommel on the French coast. He was stationed in June 1944 in Denmark under General von Hanneken, where he was captured by the British in May 1945 but released in autumn 1945.
The third of three sons, Friedrich Josias was not expected to succeed as head of the ducal family. However, his eldest brother, Johann Leopold, married unequally and renounced his rights in 1932, and Hubertus was killed in action in 1943, thus leaving Friedrich Josias as the heir-apparent. He succeeded to the headship on the death of his father on 6 March 1954.
Marriages
In Kassel on 25 January 1942, Friedrich Josias married his first cousin Countess Viktoria-Luise of Solms-Baruth (13 March 1921 – 1 March 2003). They had one son: Andreas Michael Armin Siegfried Friedrich Hans Hubertus (b. 21 March 1943). This marriage ended in divorce on 19 September 1946.
In San Francisco on 14 February 1948, Friedrich Josias married secondly Denyse Henrietta de Muralt (14 December 1923 – 25 April 2005). They had three children: Maria Claudia Sibylla (22 May 1949 – 5 February 2016) and Beatrice Charlotte (15 July 1951), and Adrian Vinzenz Eduard (18 October 1955 – 30 August 2011)
Friedrich Josias and Denyse were divorced on 17 September 1964.
In Hamburg on 30 October 1964 Friedrich Josias married thirdly to Katrin Bremme (22 April 1940 – 13 July 2011). This marriage was childless.