Maria Emanuel, Margrave of Meissen

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Pretender Maria Emanuel
Born	January 31, 1926 (1926-01-31) (age 82) Prüfenig, Germany
Title(s)	Margrave of Meissen
Throne(s) claimed	Saxony
Pretend from	9 August 1968
Monarchy abolished	1918
Last monarch	Frederick Augustus III
Connection with	Grandson
Royal House	Wettin
Father	Friedrich Christian
Mother	Princess Elisabeth of Thurn und Taxis
Spouse	Princess Anastasia of Anhalt
Predecessor	Friedrich Christian

Maria Emanuel, Margrave of Meissen (born January 31, 1926) is the head of the Royal House of Saxony.

Born in Prüfenig, Germany as son of Hereditary Prince Frederick Christian of Saxony, Margrave of Meissen and Princess Elisabeth Helen of Thurn and Taxis.

He married on the 31 January 1963 in Vevey, Switzerland to Princess Anastasia of Anhalt (Born 1940); they have no children.

[edit] Succession

Main article: Line of succession to the Saxon throne

As Maria Emanuel has no children he has acknowledged as his heir Prince Alexander of Gessaphe, the son of his eldest sister Princess Anna and her late husband Prince Robert of Gessaphe. Alexander is married to Princess Gisela of Bavaria. At the time it was said that the remaining male dynasts consented to the Margrave's decision, however the Margrave's brother Albert has recently stated that he does not accept the decision. The royal line of the House of Wettin utilises semi-salic law which allows for succession that passes through a female. If the Margrave or his brother Albert were the last male dynast then this would lead firstly to the children of their sisters Maria Josepha (unmarried), Maria Anna and Mathilde, however only Mathilde's marriage uncontestedly met equality requirements and her only son died in 1987. Therefore, if the Gessaphe marriage were non-dynastic, the succession would pass to the issue of the Margrave's paternal aunts, who are Margaret (1900-1962), Maria Alix (1901-1990) and Anna (1903-1976), all of these ladies left children. With Margaret being the eldest, the heir would be her son Friedrich Wilhelm, Prince of Hohenzollern-Sigmaringen (born 1924), head of the princely line of the House of Hohenzollern. The Margrave's brother Albert, however, supports discarding equality requirements to allow his cousin Timo's morganatic-born son Rüdiger (born 1953) to eventually succeed. Rüdiger has with his first wife Astrid Linke (1949-1989) three sons Daniel (Born 1975), Arne (Born 1977) and Nils (Born 1978).

It should be noted, however, that there are several extant lines of the House of Wettin who individually ruled the various Saxon Duchies and the Grand Duchy of Saxony (based at Weimar). Arguably, the male dynasts of the non-royal lines should be taken into account and can be included in the Saxon royal succession.

[edit] Ancestry

v • d • e Ancestors of Maria Emanuel, Margrave of Meissen

16. John of Saxony               8. George of Saxony                       17. Amalie Auguste of Bavaria               4. Frederick Augustus III of Saxony                             18. Maria II of Portugal               9. Maria Anna of Portugal                       19. Ferdinand II of Portugal               2. Friedrich Christian, Margrave of Meissen                                   20. Leopold II, Grand Duke of Tuscany               10. Ferdinand IV, Grand Duke of Tuscany                       21. Princess Maria Antonietta of the Two Sicilies               5. Archduchess Luise of Austria, Princess of Tuscany                             22. Charles III, Duke of Parma               11. Princess Alice of Parma                       23. Louise Marie Thérèse of France               1. Maria Emanuel, Margrave of Meissen                                         24. Maximilian Karl, Prince of Thurn and Taxis               12. Maximilian, Hereditary Prince of Thurn and Taxis                       25. Wilhelmine of Dörnberg               6. Albert I, Prince of Thurn and Taxis                             26. Maximilian Joseph, Duke in Bavaria               13. Duchess Helene in Bavaria                       27. Princess Ludovika of Bavaria               3. Princess Elisabeth Hélène of Thurn and Taxis                                   28. Archduke Joseph, Palatine of Hungary               14. Archduke Joseph Karl of Austria                       29. Duchess Maria Dorothea of Württemberg               7. Archduchess Margrethe of Austria                             30. August of Saxe-Coburg and Gotha, 5th Prince of Kohary               15. Princess Clotilde of Saxe-Coburg and Gotha                       31. Princess Clémentine of Orléans

[edit] External links

• House Laws of the Kingdom of Saxony (German)
• Website of his brother Prince Albert of Saxony (German)

Maria Emanuel, Margrave of Meissen House of Wettin Born: 31 January 1926
Titles in pretence
Preceded by Friedrich Christian	— TITULAR — King of Saxony 9 August 1968 – present Reason for succession failure: Kingdom abolished in 1918	Incumbent Designated heir: Prince Albert of Saxony