Wednesday, June 8, 2011

Prince Leopold of Hohenzollern has died

June 8, 1905

Leopold, the Prince of Hohenzollern died suddenly tonight from apoplexy, reports the New York Times. He came to Berlin to attend the wedding of Crown Prince Wilhelm and Duchess Cecilie of Mecklenburg-Schwerin. 

He will be "remembered in history as the candidate of the Spanish Cortes for the throne of Spain.  He also was "unwittingly the cause of the Franco-Prussian War."

Prince Leopold Stephan Karl Anton Gustav Eduard Tassilo was born on September 22, 1835 at Krauchenweis, the eldest son of Karl Anton, Prince of Hohenzollern, and Princess Josephine of Baden.  He was the older brother of King Carol I of Roumania, and father of Carol's heir, Crown Prince Ferdinand.   Carol succeeded to the throne in 1866, and Leopold renounced his rights to the Romanian throne in favor of his sons in 1880.

In 1861, Leopold married Infanta Antonia of Portugal, daughter of Queen Maria II and King Ferdinand II.  He is survived by his widow, and their three sons, Hereditary Prince Wilhelm, who succeeds his father as Prince,  Crown Prince Ferdinand of Romania, and Prince Karl Anton of Hohenzollern, grandchildren Princess Augusta Victoria, Hereditary Prince Friedrich Viktor, Prince Franz Joseph of Hohenzollern, Prince Carol, Princess Elisabeth, Princess Marie and Prince Nicholas of Romania, Princess Stephanie, Princess Maria Antonia and Prince Albrecht of Hohenzollern.

Prince Leopold lived at Schloss Sigmaringen, the seat of the princely family of Hohenzollern.

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