Karl Adolf Andreas Prinz von Hessen (sometimes called Prince Karl Adolf Andreas of Hesse-Kassel in English; 26 March 1937 – 23 March 2022) was a member of the defunct German noble House of Hesse-Kassel. He was a first cousin of King Charles III of the United Kingdom through his uncle Prince Philip.
| Karl Prinz von Hessen | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
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| Born | 26 March 1937 Berlin, Nazi Germany | ||||
| Died | 23 March 2022 (aged 84) Munich, Germany | ||||
| Spouse | Countess Yvonne Szapáry | ||||
| Issue |
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| House | Hesse-Kassel | ||||
| Father | Prince Christoph of Hesse | ||||
| Mother | Princess Sophie of Greece and Denmark | ||||
Biography
editKarl was born the eldest son of Prince Christoph of Hesse and his wife Princess Sophie of Greece and Denmark, Prince Karl was born on 26 March 1937, in Berlin.[1] At the time of his birth, his parents had close ties with the Nazi regime and the child was given Adolf among his first names in honor of Adolf Hitler.[2]
The outbreak of the Second World War deprived Karl of his father, who enlisted in the German army in the first months of the conflict[3] and who disappeared in an air accident in 1943.[4] Orphaned by his father, Karl was adopted by one of his paternal uncles, Prince Wolfgang of Hesse, in 1952.[5]
Related to most European dynasties, Karl participated in the major events of the gotha. In 1954, he and his family were invited to take part in the Cruise of the Kings, organized by King Paul of Greece and his wife Queen Frederica. In 1960, Karl was invited to Stockholm on the occasion of a grand ball organized in honor of the granddaughters of King Gustaf VI Adolf of Sweden.[5]
In 1966, Karl married Countess Yvonne Szapáry von Muraszombath. Two children were born from this marriage:
- Christopher of Hesse-Kassel (1969), prince of Hesse-Kassel, single;
- Irina of Hesse-Kassel (1971), princess of Hesse-Cassel, who married, in 1999, Alexander, Count of Schönburg-Glauchau (1969). The couple had three children: Maria-Letitia (2001), Maximus (2003) and Valentin (2005)[citation needed]
While he was established in Munich with his wife, Karl was known for his interest in oriental philosophies and alternative medicines.[6]
Karl briefly discussed his mother's childhood and her ties to the Nazi regime in a documentary in 2015 about his uncle, Prince Philip: The Plot to Make a King (2015).[7]
Karl of Hesse died in Munich, at the age of 84 years, on March 23, 2022.[citation needed]
Ancestry
edit| Ancestors of Karl Prinz von Hessen[8] |
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References
edit- ^ Mateos Sainz de Medrano 2004, p. 440.
- ^ Petropoulos 2006, p. 221.
- ^ Petropoulos 2006, p. 119.
- ^ Petropoulos 2006, p. 308-309.
- ^ a b Mateos Sainz de Medrano 2004, p. 442.
- ^ Mateos Sainz de Medrano 2004, p. 443.
- ^ Brooks-Pollock, Tom (20 July 2015). "Queen Nazi salute film: Documentary will show Prince Philip's sister calling Hitler 'charming and modest'". The Independent.
- ^ Genealogisches Handbuch des Adels, Fürstliche Häuser XVIIII. "Haus Hessen" (in German). C.A. Starke Verlag. 2007. pp. 34–35. ISBN 978-3-7980-0841-0.
- Holland: Royal Wedding In The Hague -- Charles Von Hessen Marries Countess Yvonne Margit Valerie Szapary 1966. Pathé News.
- Mateos Sainz de Medrano, Ricardo (2004). "El príncipe Carlos de Hesse". La Familia de la Reina Sofía: La Dinastía griega, la Casa de Hannover y los reales primos de Europa (in Spanish). Madrid: La Esfera de los Libros. pp. 440–443. ISBN 978-84-9734-195-0.
- Petropoulos, Jonathan (2006). Royals and the Reich: The Princes von Hessen in Nazi Germany. Oxford University Press. p. 524. ISBN 978-0-19-533927-7.
- Genealogisches Handbuch des Adels 110 (1996), p. 275 (Richthofen).
- Nederland's Adelsboek 97 (2012), p. 40-41 (De Vos van Steenwijk).
- Genealogisches Handbuch des Adels 155 (2014), p. 37-38 (Hessen).