What was the fascinating story surrounding the resolution of the succession question when Germany’s Duke of Saxe-Coburg died childless in 1899?

Answer: Among the kings and queens of Europe in the 19th century, there was a belief that if they intermarried, this would reduce the chance of war, because the adversaries’ sovereigns were likely related. Nice theory.

When Germany’s Duke of Saxe-Coburg died childless in 1899, Britain’s Queen Victoria – ‘the grandmother of Europe’ – said an Englishman should have the job. Enter her fourteen-year-old grandson Prince Charles Edward. He was duly shipped off to become a senior German royal. Owner of 17 castles, thousands of acres of prime real estate, including a power station. Not that he needed the money. He was already rich in his own right.

So, a proper German he became. But in 1914 he found himself on the losing side when Germany fought Great Britain. Years later, he became a favourite of Adolf Hitler. Another losing side.

Meanwhile, his beloved Britain, the country of his birth, stripped him of his English royal titles and made his name mud. All this was terribly ironic. Back when he was a schoolboy at Eton, he initially refused the German dukedom. This was until an older royal cousin, who was also at Eton, took him aside one day and told him he would be ‘punched’ if he didn’t take the job.

Source: Modern World Encyclopedia

More at: History

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