Richard, 6th Prince of Sayn-Wittgenstein-Berleburg explained

Richard
Full Name:Richard Casimir Karl August Robert Konstantin
Succession:Prince of Sayn-Wittgenstein-Berleburg
Reign:1944 - 13 March 2017
Predecessor:Prince Gustav Albrecht
Successor:Prince Gustav
Birth Date:29 October 1934
Birth Place:Giessen, Hesse, Germany
Death Place:Berleburg, Siegen-Wittgenstein, North Rhine-Westphalia, Germany
Burial Date:21 March 2017
Place Of Burial:Forest Cemetery Sengelsberg, Berleburg
House:Sayn-Wittgenstein-Berleburg
Issue:Gustav, 7th Prince of Sayn-Wittgenstein-Berleburg
Princess Alexandra
Princess Nathalie
Father:Gustav Albrecht, 5th Prince of Sayn-Wittgenstein-Berleburg
Mother:Margareta Fouché d'Otrante

Richard, 6th Prince of Sayn-Wittgenstein-Berleburg (Richard Casimir Karl August Robert Konstantin; 29 October 1934 – 13 March 2017)[1] was the head of the House of Sayn-Wittgenstein-Berleburg and husband of Princess Benedikte of Denmark.

Early life

Richard Casimir Karl August Robert Konstantin was the eldest son and child of Gustav Albrecht, 5th Prince of Sayn-Wittgenstein-Berleburg, a highly decorated German army officer declared missing in 1944 yet only legally declared dead in 1969, and his wife, Margareta Fouché d'Otrante, a descendant of Napoleonic statesman Joseph Fouché, Duke d'Otrante.[2]

Education

Richard was raised in Sweden with his maternal grandfather, the Duke of Otranto, at Elghammar Castle. He attended the boarding schools Viggbyholm and Sigtuna.

Having studied arboreal science at Munich University, Prince Richard obtained his forestry diploma at the University of Göttingen in Lower Saxony. He took post-graduate training as Forstreferendar, obtaining a degree as Assessor des Forstdienstes after passing the second-level examination at the North Rhine Westphalian State Forestry Service.[3]

Marriage

Richard married Princess Benedikte of Denmark at Fredensborg Palace Church on 3 February 1968. She is the second daughter of Frederik IX of Denmark and Ingrid of Sweden, younger sister of Margrethe II of Denmark and elder sister of Queen Anne-Marie of Greece.[3] The couple lived at Berleburg Castle. Pursuant to the marriage contract, in Denmark Richard and his children by Princess Benedikte were to be attributed the style of Highness, rather than the unknown Durchlaucht ("Serene Highness") to which all Sayn-Wittgenstein princes were historically entitled in Germany.[4]

While the couple were raising their family Princess Benedikte reduced her royal engagements in Denmark, where she spent only about a quarter of her time.[4]

Children and grandchildren

Conservation

Prince Richard engaged in several conservation programmes, while responsible for managing his family's extensive lands in Germany.[4] He launched a project to re-introduce European bison to the native continent on part of his 32,000 acre estate in North Rhine-Westphalia, credited as a success by Rewilding Europe as part of a larger effort to restore depleted animals across Europe.[8]

Health issues and death

In July 2003, he underwent surgery for treatment of prostate cancer; previously, he had undergone treatment for skin cancer.[9]

Prince Richard died suddenly on 13 March 2017 at the castle of Berleburg in Germany.[10] He was 82.

Titles, styles and honours

Royal Name:Prince Richard, 6th Prince of Sayn-Wittgenstein-Berleburg
Dipstyle:His Highness
Offstyle:Your Highness

Titles

His Highness The Prince of Sayn-Wittgenstein-Berleburg

Honours

National honours

Foreign honours

References

Bibliography

External links

Notes and References

  1. Web site: Paulsen. Tommy M.. HH Prince Richard Has Died. kongehuset.dk. Royal Family of Denmark. 14 March 2017. Danish. 14 March 2017.
  2. https://www.genealogics.org/pedigree.php?personID=I00024439&tree=LEO&parentset=0&display=standard&generations=7
  3. Web site: Unasylva - No. 88 - News of the world . Fao.org . 2011-10-24.
  4. Eilers, Marlene. Queen Victoria's Descendants. Rosvall Royal Books, Falkoping, Sweden, 1997. pp.100, 158-159, 179.
  5. Web site: Alexandra, Prinzessin zu Sayn-Wittgenstein-Berleburg : Genealogics .
  6. Web site: Kongehuset bekræfter: Prinsesse Nathalie er blevet skilt . 15 August 2022 .
  7. Web site: Nathalie, Prinzessin zu Sayn-Wittgenstein-Berleburg : Genealogics .
  8. Web site: German Prince Plans To Put Bison Back In The Wild | KUNC. April 2013. Kunc.org. 2015-09-05.
  9. Web site: iEuropa – News > Infos concernant iEuropa . Ifrance.com . 2011-10-24 . dead . https://web.archive.org/web/20050427101448/http://www.ifrance.com/archivesgotha/revue.htm . 27 April 2005 . dmy-all .
  10. Web site: His Highness Prince Richard passes away. 14 March 2017. Kongehuset.dk. 14 March 2017.
  11. Web site: Image: Princess Benedikte and Prince Richard at the state banquet for Swedish royal couple in May 2007.. Getty Images.
  12. Web site: Boletín Oficial del Estado . Boe.es. 2015-09-05.
  13. Web site: Image: Princess Benedikte and Prince Richard at the state banquet for Dutch royal couple in 2015.. Getty Images.