Prince Ferdinand of Saxe-Coburg and Gotha

Ferdinand Georg August of Saxe- Coburg -Saalfeld (* March 28, 1785 in Coburg, † August 27, 1851 in Vienna) was a prince of Saxe- Coburg- Saalfeld, founder of the House of Saxe -Coburg -Gotha - Koháry and General of Cavalry in the Austrian service, where he was officially listed as Duke Ferdinand of Saxe- Coburg -Gotha or Duke of Saxe- Coburg -Gotha - Cohary. His eldest son Ferdinand became King of Portugal in 1837 and his grandson Ferdinand 1887 King of Bulgaria.

Life

Ferdinand was the second son of Duke Francis Frederick of Saxe- Coburg -Saalfeld (1750-1806), from his marriage to Auguste (1757-1831), daughter of Count Heinrich XXIV Reuss to Ebersdorf. His brother Leopold King of the Belgians in 1831, his sister Juliane was Russian Grand Duchess and his sister Victoire he was an uncle of Queen Victoria. His brother Ernst 1806 followed his father as Duke of Saxe- Coburg -Saalfeld.

He joined in 1791 as a second lieutenant in the Austrian military services. Seven years later, his great-uncle Friedrich Josias appointed him captain in his regiment of dragoons. Ferdinand fought in the battles of Eggmühl, Aspern and Wagram. He distinguished himself particularly at the Battle of Kulm, for which he was awarded the Maria Theresa Order. Here he was also severely wounded, which was a contributory cause of his death. On December 28, 1824 he was promoted to Field Marshal Lieutenant and on 11 June 1841 general of the cavalry and was from 1828 until his death holder of kk Hussar Regiment No. 8

On November 30, 1815, he married in Vienna the rich Princess Maria Antonia of Koháry Gabriele ( 1797-1862 ), daughter of the last prince of that name, and he received in 1827 the Hungarian Indigenat. In order to marry her, Ferdinand had converted to the Catholic faith, thus founding the Catholic branch of the House of Saxe-Coburg. To the ancestral seat of the Ferdinand made ​​the Palais Coburg in Vienna.

Ferdinand has in the ducal mausoleum on the Coburg Cemetery on Glockenberg his final resting place.

In 1863 in Vienna Inner City (1st district) was named the Coburgbastei after him (the second part of the street name refers to the former Braunbastei near the Palais Coburg ).

Children

From his marriage, Ferdinand had the following children:

  • Ferdinand II (1816-1885), King of Portugal
  • August (1818-1881)
  • Victoria (1822-1857)
  • Leopold (1824-1884)
General of the Cavalry (Germany) Fernando II of Portugal Ferdinand I of Bulgaria Leopold I of Belgium Prince Josias of Saxe-Coburg-Saalfeld Battle of Aspern-Essling Battle of Wagram Indygenat Catholicism Josef Kriehuber History of Portugal Maria II of Portugal Elise, Countess of Edla Allgemeine Deutsche Biographie Integrated Authority File
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