Leopold of Saxe-Coburg-Kohary

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Leopold Franz Julius of Saxe-Coburg-Kohary (b. Vienna, 31 January 1824 - d. Vienna, 20 May 1884), was a German prince of the house of Saxe-Coburg-Gotha.

Born Prince Leopold Franz Julius of Saxe-Coburg-Saalfeld, Duke in Saxony, he was the third son of Ferdinand Georg of Saxe-Coburg-Saalfeld (of Saxe-Coburg-Gotha from 1826) and Maria Antonia Koháry de Csábrág.

Because he was the youngest son of his family and clearly he never inherited any state or title (except the titles who was born), Leopold entered in the Army; he was General Major to the service of the Austrian Empire.

Later, he met Constanze Geiger, a common woman. She bore him a son, called Franz in Vienna on October 12, 1860. Leopold and Constanze married six months later, on 23 April 1861. Immediately, he recognized his son, who was created Freiherr von Ruttenstein on 24 July 1862. The same day, Constanze was created Freifrau von Ruttenstein by his own right. Because the marriage of his parents was unequall, Franz was barren of the succession of Kohary and Saxe-Coburg-Gotha. Nevertheless, he died childless and unmarried on 29 August 1899.