Gottfried, Prince of Hohenlohe Langenburg

Early life

Gottfried was born at Langenburg, Kingdom of Württemberg, the first child of Ernst II, Prince of Hohenlohe-Langenburg (1863–1950), (son of Hermann, Prince of Hohenlohe-Langenburg and Princess Leopoldine of Baden) and his wife, Princess Alexandra of Saxe-Coburg and Gotha (1878–1942), (daughter of Alfred, Duke of Saxe-Coburg and Gotha and Grand Duchess Maria Alexandrovna of Russia). Through his maternal grandparents, he was a great-grandson of Queen Victoria and of Tsar Alexander II.

After the fall of the Imperial German monarchy in 1918, Gottfried continued to serve as a leader of the European royalty. He served in the German army in World War II, becoming severely injured at the Russian front. He was dismissed from the army after the abortive attempt on Adolf Hitler's life on 20 July 1944.

Marriage and issue

Gottfried had a short engagement to Gloria Morgan Vanderbilt who was a widow in 1927-1928. Then on 3 December 1930 he became engaged to Princess Margarita of Greece and Denmark who was the daughter of Prince Andrew of Greece and Denmark and his wife, Princess Alice of Battenberg. Gottfried and Margarita are second cousins once removed through Queen Victoria and third cousin through Nicholas I of Russia. They have six children, six grandchildren and nine great-grandchildren:

Their four elder children were all born at Schwäbisch Hall, while the two youngest boys, twins, were born in Langenburg.

Prince of Hohenlohe-Langenburg

At the death of his father in 1950, Gottfried inherited the title of Prince of Hohenlohe-Langenburg.

Titles and styles