Charles Gonthier, Prince of Schwarzburg-Sondershausen
January 01, 1970
Charles Gonthier, Prince of Schwarzburg-Sondershausen (German: Karl Günther, Fürst von Schwarzburg-Sondershausen; 7 August 1830 – 28 March 1909) was the ruler of the principality of Schwarzburg-Sondershausen, a constituent state of the German Empire, and head of the House of Schwarzburg from 17 July 1880 until his death.
Prince Charles Gonthier was born in Arnstadt, the third child of Hereditary Prince Gonthier Frederick Charles and his first wife, Princess Marie of Schwarzburg-Rudolstadt. The death of his elder brother Prince Gonthier in 1833 put Charles Gonthier in direct line for the throne. As such, upon the abdication of his grandfather, Prince Gonthier Frederick Charles I, on 19 August 1835, he became Hereditary Prince and heir apparent to his father, who became Prince Gonthier Frederick Charles II.
In 1850 Prince Charles Gonthier enrolled at the University of Bonn to begin his studies in law and literature. Also in 1850, he embarked upon a career in the Prussian Army, being appointed an Oberleutnant. Two years later he was promoted to the rank of Rittmeister before once gaining promotion to the rank Major in 1855.[1]
On 17 July 1880, following the abdication of his father due to an eye condition, Hereditary Prince Charles Gonthier succeeded him as ruling prince and head of the House of Schwarzburg.[2][3] During his reign, he made advancements to the education system of the principality, opening a state school and teacher-training facility.[1]
As the marriage of Prince Charles Gonthier was childless, the heir presumptive to the throne was his younger brother, Prince Leopold. In 1890 the two brothers caused a scandal in Germany when they came to blows after Prince Leopold, who desired to marry, took offence to his brother's suggestion that he marry a commoner if no royal woman would agree to marry him.[4][5]
As his brother remained unmarried and Charles Gonthier childless, the Schwarzburg-Sondershausen branch of the House of Schwarzburg was on the verge of extinction, with no other princes remaining. The princely house of Schwarzburg consisted of two branches, Sondershausen being the senior line and Schwarzburg-Rudolstadt the junior. According to a family pact from 7 September 1713, upon the extinction of one of the branches, the principality would pass to the surviving one. However, as the Rudolstadt branch was also threatened with extinction on 21 April 1896, Prince Charles Gonthier agreed with the remaining dynasts, his brother Prince Leopold and cousin Prince Günther Victor of Schwarzburg-Rudolstadt, that their morganatic relative Prince Sizzo of Leutenberg was to become a member of the princely house with full succession rights. Their decision became law on 1 June 1896.[6]
In 1906 Prince Charles Gonthier suffered a serious injury in a hunting accident. He spent the remaining years of his life confined to a hospital bed and died in a sanatorium in Dresden. As his brother and heir Prince Leopold had died in 1906, Prince Charles Gonthier was succeeded by his cousin, Prince Günther Victor, in whom both Schwarzburg principalities became vested in a personal union.
^"Schwarzer Adler-orden", Königlich Preussische Ordensliste (supp.) (in German), vol. 1, Berlin, 1886, p. 5 – via hathitrust.org{{citation}}: CS1 maint: location missing publisher (link)
^Hof- und Staatshandbuch des Großherzogtums Oldenburg: 1879. Schulze. 1879. p. 33.
^"Großherzogliche Orden und Ehrenzeichen". Hof- und Staatshandbuch des Großherzogtums Mecklenburg-Strelitz: 1907 (in German). Neustrelitz: Druck und Debit der Buchdruckerei von G. F. Spalding und Sohn. 1907. p. 14.
^Hof- und Staats-Handbuch des Königreich Württemberg (1896), "Königliche Orden" p. 29
Charles Gonthier, Prince of Schwarzburg-Sondershausen
charles, gonthier, prince, schwarzburg, sondershausen, german, karl, günther, fürst, schwarzburg, sondershausen, august, 1830, march, 1909, ruler, principality, schwarzburg, sondershausen, constituent, state, german, empire, head, house, schwarzburg, from, jul. Charles Gonthier Prince of Schwarzburg Sondershausen German Karl Gunther Furst von Schwarzburg Sondershausen 7 August 1830 28 March 1909 was the ruler of the principality of Schwarzburg Sondershausen a constituent state of the German Empire and head of the House of Schwarzburg from 17 July 1880 until his death Charles GonthierPrince of Schwarzburg SondershausenReign17 July 1880 28 March 1909PredecessorGonthier Frederick Charles IISuccessorGunther VictorBorn 1830 08 07 7 August 1830ArnstadtDied28 March 1909 1909 03 28 aged 78 DresdenSpousePrincess Marie Gasparine of Saxe AltenburgHouseHouse of SchwarzburgFatherGonthier Frederick Charles II Prince of Schwarzburg SondershausenMotherPrincess Marie of Schwarzburg RudolstadtReligionChristianity Contents 1 Hereditary Prince 2 Ruling prince 3 Honours and awards 4 Ancestry 5 ReferencesHereditary Prince editPrince Charles Gonthier was born in Arnstadt the third child of Hereditary Prince Gonthier Frederick Charles and his first wife Princess Marie of Schwarzburg Rudolstadt The death of his elder brother Prince Gonthier in 1833 put Charles Gonthier in direct line for the throne As such upon the abdication of his grandfather Prince Gonthier Frederick Charles I on 19 August 1835 he became Hereditary Prince and heir apparent to his father who became Prince Gonthier Frederick Charles II In 1850 Prince Charles Gonthier enrolled at the University of Bonn to begin his studies in law and literature Also in 1850 he embarked upon a career in the Prussian Army being appointed an Oberleutnant Two years later he was promoted to the rank of Rittmeister before once gaining promotion to the rank Major in 1855 1 On 12 June 1869 Prince Charles Gonthier was married in Altenburg to Princess Marie Gasparine of Saxe Altenburg Duchess of Saxony the daughter of Prince Eduard of Saxe Altenburg Ruling prince editOn 17 July 1880 following the abdication of his father due to an eye condition Hereditary Prince Charles Gonthier succeeded him as ruling prince and head of the House of Schwarzburg 2 3 During his reign he made advancements to the education system of the principality opening a state school and teacher training facility 1 As the marriage of Prince Charles Gonthier was childless the heir presumptive to the throne was his younger brother Prince Leopold In 1890 the two brothers caused a scandal in Germany when they came to blows after Prince Leopold who desired to marry took offence to his brother s suggestion that he marry a commoner if no royal woman would agree to marry him 4 5 As his brother remained unmarried and Charles Gonthier childless the Schwarzburg Sondershausen branch of the House of Schwarzburg was on the verge of extinction with no other princes remaining The princely house of Schwarzburg consisted of two branches Sondershausen being the senior line and Schwarzburg Rudolstadt the junior According to a family pact from 7 September 1713 upon the extinction of one of the branches the principality would pass to the surviving one However as the Rudolstadt branch was also threatened with extinction on 21 April 1896 Prince Charles Gonthier agreed with the remaining dynasts his brother Prince Leopold and cousin Prince Gunther Victor of Schwarzburg Rudolstadt that their morganatic relative Prince Sizzo of Leutenberg was to become a member of the princely house with full succession rights Their decision became law on 1 June 1896 6 In 1906 Prince Charles Gonthier suffered a serious injury in a hunting accident He spent the remaining years of his life confined to a hospital bed and died in a sanatorium in Dresden As his brother and heir Prince Leopold had died in 1906 Prince Charles Gonthier was succeeded by his cousin Prince Gunther Victor in whom both Schwarzburg principalities became vested in a personal union Honours and awards editColonel in Chief of the Third Regiment of Thuringian Infantry nbsp Ascanian duchies Grand Cross of the Order of Albert the Bear 2 August 1850 7 nbsp Kingdom of Bavaria Knight of the Order of Saint Hubert 1850 8 nbsp Saxe Weimar Eisenach Grand Cross of the Order of the White Falcon 20 July 1861 9 nbsp Kingdom of Prussia Knight of the Royal Order of the Crown 1st Class 14 June 1864 10 Knight of the Order of the Red Eagle 3rd Class with Swords 1866 Grand Cross with Swords on Ring 5 April 1875 10 Member of Honour of the Johanniter Order 1884 10 Knight of Honour 24 September 1889 Knight of the Order of the Black Eagle 3 November 1892 11 nbsp Oldenburg Grand Cross of the House and Merit Order of Duke Peter Friedrich Ludwig with Golden Crown 9 June 1869 12 nbsp Mecklenburg Grand Cross of the House Order of the Wendish Crown with Crown in Ore 25 January 1882 13 nbsp Wurttemberg Grand Cross of the Order of the Wurttemberg Crown 1889 14 Ancestry editAncestors of Charles Gonthier Prince of Schwarzburg Sondershausen8 Christian Gunther III Prince of Schwarzburg Sondershausen4 Gunther Frederick Charles I Prince of Schwarzburg Sondershausen9 Princess Wilhelmine of Anhalt Bernburg2 Gunther Frederick Charles II Prince of Schwarzburg Sondershausen10 Frederick Charles Prince of Schwarzburg Rudolstadt5 Princess Caroline of Schwarzburg Rudolstadt11 Princess Frederica of Schwarzburg Rudolstadt1 Charles Gunther Prince of Schwarzburg Sondershausen12 Frederick Charles Prince of Schwarzburg Rudolstadt 10 6 Prince Charles Gunther of Schwarzburg Rudolstadt13 Princess Frederica of Schwarzburg Rudolstadt 11 3 Princess Marie of Schwarzburg Rudolstadt14 Frederick V Landgrave of Hesse Homburg7 Landgravine Louise Ulrica of Hesse Homburg15 Landgravine Caroline of Hesse DarmstadtReferences edit a b Karl Gunther Musik und Bergstadt Sondershausen Archived from the original on 19 July 2011 Retrieved 20 November 2010 Latest English News Poverty Bay Herald 25 September 1880 p 2 Almanach de Gotha 1909 p 94 A Princely Slugging Match The Omaha Excelsior 3 May 1890 p 6 Current Topics New Zealand Tablet 22 August 1890 p 1 Zeydel Edwin H 1919 Constitutions of the German Empire and German States P 411 Hof und Staats Handbuch des Herzogtum Anhalt 1867 Herzoglicher Haus orden Albrecht des Baren p 16 Hof und Staats Handbuch des Konigreich Bayern 1906 Konigliche Orden p 7 Staatshandbuch fur das Grossherzogtum Sachsen Sachsen Weimar Eisenach 1869 Grossherzogliche Hausorden p 12 a b c Koniglich Preussische Ordensliste Preussische Ordens Liste in German 1 Berlin 23 550 1010 1886 Schwarzer Adler orden Koniglich Preussische Ordensliste supp in German vol 1 Berlin 1886 p 5 via hathitrust org a href Template Citation html title Template Citation citation a CS1 maint location missing publisher link Hof und Staatshandbuch des Grossherzogtums Oldenburg 1879 Schulze 1879 p 33 Grossherzogliche Orden und Ehrenzeichen Hof und Staatshandbuch des Grossherzogtums Mecklenburg Strelitz 1907 in German Neustrelitz Druck und Debit der Buchdruckerei von G F Spalding und Sohn 1907 p 14 Hof und Staats Handbuch des Konigreich Wurttemberg 1896 Konigliche Orden p 29 Charles Gonthier Prince of Schwarzburg SondershausenHouse of SchwarzburgBorn 7 August 1830 Died 28 March 1909 Regnal titles Preceded byGonthier Frederick Charles II Prince of Schwarzburg Sondershausen17 July 1880 28 March 1909 Succeeded byGunther Victor Retrieved from https en wikipedia org w index php title Charles Gonthier Prince of Schwarzburg Sondershausen amp oldid 1197651038, wikipedia, wiki, book, books, library,
