Bernhard II, Duke of Saxe-Meiningen

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Bernhard II Erich Freund, Duke of Saxe-Meiningen (b. Meiningen, 17 December 1800 - d. Meiningen, 3 December 1882), was a Duke of Saxe-Meiningen.

He was the only son of Georg I Frederick Karl, Duke of Saxe-Meiningen and Luise Eleonore of Hohenlohe-Langenburg.

Bernhard succeeded his father when he was only three years old (1803); because of this, his mother, the Dowager Duchess Luise Eleonore, acted as regent on behalf of her son until he reached adulthood, in 1821.

In Kassel on 23 March 1825, Bernhard II married Marie Fredericka of Hesse-Kassel. They had two children:

Georg II, Duke of Saxe-Meiningen (b. Meiningen, 2 April 1826 - d. Wildungen, 25 June 1914).
Augusta Luise Adelaide Karoline Ida (b. Meiningen, 6 August 1843 - d. Altenburg, 11 November 1919), married on 15 October 1862 to Moritz of Saxe-Altenburg.

In 12 November 1826, after the redistribution of all the family territories after the death of the last Duke of Saxe-Gotha-Altenburg, Bernhard II received Hildburghausen and Saalfeld.

A very kind family man and proud of his House, Bernhard was a thoughtful husband and father, as long as they obeyed him. In the Austro-Prussian War, he made a decision to side with the Habsburgs. When the Habsburgs lost the War, it cost Bernhard the Duchy. In 20 September 1866, Bernhard was forced to abdicate all his territories to his only son, Georg. He spent the rest of his days as a private citizen.