Bernhard, Prince of Saxe-Meiningen
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Bernhard Friedrich Julius Heinrich of Saxe-Meiningen (b. Köln, 30 June 1901 - d. Bad Krozingen, 4 October 1984) was the head of the house of Saxe-Meiningen.
Bernhard was the third son of the Prince Frederick Johann (second son of Georg II, Duke of Saxe-Meiningen) and Adelaide of Lippe-Biesterfeld.
After the death of his older brother Duke Georg and the renouncement of his nephew Frederick Alfred's rights in 1946, Berhnard assumed the headship of the house of Saxe-Meiningen and the nominal title of Duke of Saxe-Meiningen (as Bernhard IV).
Bernhard married firstly and morganatically in Eichenhof im Riesenget on 25 April 1931 to Margot Grössler; this union ended in divorce in 1947. They had two children, both of whom had no succession rights:
- Feodora Adelaide Marie Luise (b. Schloß Pitselstettin, 27 April 1932), married on 8 August 1967 to Burkhard Kippenberg.
- Frederick (b. Meiningen, 21 January 1935 - d. Meiningen, 13 July 2004), married firstly on 3 March 1962 to Ehrengard of Massow, but the marriage was dissolved in 1973; secondly, he married on 12 June 1977 with Princess Beatrice of Saxe-Coburg and Gotha. From his second marriage, he has a son and a daughter.
Bernhard married secondly in Ziegenberg über Bad Nauheim on 11 August 1948 to Baroness Vera Schäffer of Bernstein. They had three children, all with full rights to the succession to the house of Saxe-Meiningen:
- Marie Eleonore Adelaide Feodora Sophie Helene Gisela Edelgarde (b. Ziegenberg, 9 November 1950), married on 21 May 1983 to Peter Eric Rosden.
- Johann Frederick Konrad Carl Eduard Horst Arnold Matthias (b. Ziegenberg, 14 April 1952).
- Almut Huberta Anna Victoria (b. Bützbach, 25 September 1959), married on 16 October 1993 to Eberhard of Brünswick.
| Preceded by Prince Georg |
Head of the Ducal House of Saxe-Meiningen 1946-1984 |
Succeeded by Prince Frederick Konrad |
