Bernhard II, Duke of Saxe-Meiningen

Bernhard II
Duke of Saxe-Meiningen
Duke of Saxe-Meiningen
Reign	1803–1866
Predecessor	Georg I
Successor	Georg II
Regent	The Dowager Duchess
Born	(1800-12-17)17 December 1800 Meiningen
Died	Meiningen
Spouse	Marie Fredericka of Hesse-Kassel
Issue	Georg II Augusta, Princess Moritz of Saxe-Altenburg
Full name Bernhard II Erich Freund
House	Saxe-Meiningen
Father	Georg I, Duke of Saxe-Meiningen
Mother	Luise Eleonore of Hohenlohe-Langenburg
Religion	Lutheranism

Bernhard II Erich Freund, Duke of Saxe-Meiningen (17 December 1800, in Meiningen – 3 December 1882, in Meiningen) was a Duke of Saxe-Meiningen.

Family

He was the only son of Georg I Frederick Karl, Duke of Saxe-Meiningen and Luise Eleonore of Hohenlohe-Langenburg. Bernhard was a younger brother of Queen Adelaide of the United Kingdom and Ida, Princess Bernhard of Saxe-Weimar-Eisenach.

Bernhard succeeded his father when he was only three years old (1803); because of this, his mother, the Dowager Duchess Luise Eleonore, acted as regent on behalf of her son until he reached adulthood, in 1821.

Marriage

In Kassel on 23 March 1825, Bernhard II married Princess Marie Frederica of Hesse-Kassel (or Hesse-Cassel). They had two children:

Name	Birth	Death	Notes
Georg II, Duke of Saxe-Meiningen	2 April 1826	25 June 1914	married (1) Princess Charlotte Frederica of Prussia; had issue (2) Princess Feodora of Hohenlohe-Langenburg; had issue (3) Ellen Franz; no issue
Augusta Luise Adelaide Karoline Ida	6 August 1843	11 November 1919	married Prince Moritz of Saxe-Altenburg

On 12 November 1826, after the redistribution of all the family territories after the death of the last Duke of Saxe-Gotha-Altenburg, Bernhard II received Hildburghausen and Saalfeld.

A very kind family man and proud of his House, Bernhard was a thoughtful husband and father, as long as they obeyed him. In the Austro-Prussian War, he made a decision to side with the Habsburgs. When the Habsburgs lost the War, it cost Bernhard the Duchy. On 20 September 1866, Bernhard was forced to abdicate all his territories to his only son, Georg. He spent the rest of his days as a private citizen.

Ancestry

Family of Bernhard II, Duke of Saxe-Meiningen

16. Ernest I, Duke of Saxe-Gotha               8. Bernhard I, Duke of Saxe-Meiningen                       17. Princess Elisabeth Sophie of Saxe-Altenburg               4. Anton Ulrich, Duke of Saxe-Meiningen                             18. Anton Ulrich, Duke of Brunswick-Wolfenbüttel               9. Duchess Elisabeth Eleonore of Brunswick-Wolfenbüttel                       19. Princess Elisabeth Juliane of Schleswig-Holstein-Sonderborg-Norburg               2. Georg I, Duke of Saxe-Meiningen                                   20. Philip, Landgrave of Hesse-Philippsthal               10. Charles I, Landgrave of Hesse-Philippsthal                       21. Catharine Amalie of Solms-Laubach               5. Landgravine Charlotte Amalie of Hesse-Philippsthal                             22. John William III, Duke of Saxe-Eisenach               11. Princess Catherine Christine of Saxe-Eisenach                       23. Christine Juliane of Baden-Durlach               1. Bernhard II, Duke of Saxe-Meiningen                                         24. Albert Wolfgang, Count of Hohenlohe-Langenburg               12. Louis, Prince of Hohenlohe-Langenburg                       25. Countess Sophie Amalie of Nassau-Saarbrücken               6. Christian Albert, Prince of Hohenlohe-Langenburg                             26. Louis Crato, Count of Nassau-Saarbrücken               13. Princess Eleonore of Nassau-Saarbrücken                       27. Princess Philippine Henriette of Hohenlohe-Langenburg               3. Princess Luise Eleonore of Hohenlohe-Langenburg                                   28. Louis Christian, Prince of Stolberg-Gedern               14. Frederick Charles, Prince of Stolberg-Gedern                       29. Duchess Christine of Mecklenburg-Güstrow               7. Princess Karoline of Stolberg-Gedern                             30. Louis Crato, Count of Nassau-Saarbrücken (= 26)               15. Countess Louise Henriette of Nassau-Saarbrücken                       31. Princess Philippine Henriette of Hohenlohe-Langenburg (= 27)

See also

• Schloss and park Altenstein

External links

Bernhard II, Duke of Saxe-Meiningen House of Saxe-Meiningen Cadet branch of the House of Wettin Born: 17 December 1800 Died: 3 December 1882
Regnal titles
Preceded by Georg I	Duke of Saxe-Meiningen 1803–1866	Succeeded by Georg II