Princess Adelheid-Marie of Anhalt-Dessau (German: Adelheid-Marie; French: Adélaïde-Marie) (25 December 1833 – 24 November 1916) was a PrincessofAnhalt-Dessau and member of the House of Ascania. As the wife of Adolphe of Nassau, she was DuchessofNassau from 1851 until 1866 and Grand DuchessofLuxembourg from 1890 until 1905.
| Adelheid-Marie of Anhalt-Dessau | |
|---|---|
Adelheid-Marie in the late 1860s
| |
| Duchess consort of Nassau | |
| Tenure | 23 April 1851 – 20 September 1866 |
| Grand Duchess consort of Luxembourg | |
| Tenure | 23 November 1890 – 17 November 1905 |
| |
| Born | (1833-12-25)25 December 1833 Dessau, Duchy of Anhalt |
| Died | 24 November 1916(1916-11-24) (aged 82) Königstein im Taunus, German Empire |
| Burial |
Schlosskirche of Schloss Weilburg
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| Spouse |
(m. 1851; died 1905) |
| Issue | William IV, Grand Duke of Luxembourg Prince Friedrich Princess Marie Prince Francis Joseph William Hilda, Grand Duchess of Baden |
| House | Ascania |
| Father | Prince Frederick Augustus of Anhalt-Dessau |
| Mother | Princess Marie Luise Charlotte of Hesse-Kassel |
Adelheid Marie was born in Dessau in the DuchyofAnhalt-DessauonChristmas Day 1833 to Prince Frederick Augustus of Anhalt-Dessau and Princess Marie Luise Charlotte of Hesse-Kassel.
On 23 April 1851 in Dessau, as his second wife, she was married to Adolphe of Nassau, Duke of Nassau and later Grand Duke of Luxembourg. They had five children, of whom only two lived to the age of eighteen and to become prince and princess of Luxembourg:
Duke Adolph supported the Austrian Empire in the Austro-Prussian War of 1866. After Austria's defeat, Nassau was annexed to the Kingdom of Prussia and Adolph and Marie Adelheid lost their throne on 20 September 1866.
In 1890, King William III of the Netherlands died. His only daughter, Wilhelmina, succeeded on his death without surviving male issue to the Dutch throne, but was excluded from the succession to the Grand Duchy of Luxembourg by the House treaty between the two branches of the House of Nassau. The Grand Duchy, which had been linked to the Netherlands since 1815, passed to the Dutch royal family's distant relative – the dispossessed Duke Adolphe – on 23 November 1890, in accordance with the Nassau Family Pact. Marie Adelheid now became Grand Duchess of Luxembourg.[1]
Marie Adelheid died on 24 November 1916 in Königstein im Taunus, German Empire.
The Grand Dukes of Luxembourg are still descendants of Adolphe and Marie-Adelheid, although cognatically, since the very independence of the Grand-Duchy required an alteration of the succession laws at the absence of male heirs.
Princess Adelheid-Marie of Anhalt-Dessau Born: 25 December 1833 Died: 24 November 1916 | ||
| Royal titles | ||
|---|---|---|
| Vacant Title last held by Elizabeth Mikhailovna of Russia |
Duchess consort of Nassau 23 April 1851 – 20 September 1866 |
Duchy annexed by Prussia in 1866 |
| Preceded by | Grand Duchess consort of Luxembourg 23 November 1890 – 17 November 1905 |
Succeeded by |