William IV, Grand Duke of Luxembourg

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William IV Grand Duke of Luxembourg Reign November 17, 1905 – February 25, 1912 Born April 22, 1852(1852-04-22) Birthplace Biebrich Palace, Wiesbaden Died February 25, 1912 (aged 59) Place of death Berg Castle, Colmar-Berg Buried Notre-Dame Cathedral, Luxembourg City Predecessor Adolphe Successor Marie-Adélaïde Consort Marie Anne of Portugal Issue Marie-Adélaïde, Charlotte, Hilda, Antoinette, Elisabeth, Sophie Royal House House of Nassau-Weilburg Father Adolphe Mother Adelheid-Marie of Anhalt-Dessau

Grand Ducal Family of Luxembourg Houses of Nassau and Bourbon Adolphe Children    William IV    Hilda, Grand Duchess of Baden William IV Children    Grand Duchess Marie-Adélaïde    Grand Duchess Charlotte    Hilda, Princess of Schwarzenberg    Antonia, Crown Princess of Bavaria    Princess Elisabeth    Princess Sophie Marie-Adélaïde Charlotte Children    Grand Duke Jean    Elisabeth, Duchess of Hohenberg    Princess Marie-Adélaïde    Princess Marie Gabrièle    Prince Charles    Alix, Princess of Ligne Grandchildren    Princess Charlotte    Prince Robert Jean Children    Princess Marie Astrid    Grand Duke Henri    Prince Jean    Princess Margaretha    Prince Guillaume Grandchildren    Princess Marie Gabrièle    Prince Constantin    Prince Wenceslas    Prince Carl Johann    Prince Paul-Louis    Prince Léopold    Princess Charlotte    Prince Jean Henri Children    Hereditary Grand Duke Guillaume    Prince Félix    Prince Louis    Princess Alexandra    Prince Sébastien

William IV, Grand Duke of Luxembourg (Guillaume Alexandre) (April 22, 1852 – February 25, 1912) was the eldest child of Adolphe, Grand Duke of Luxembourg. He became Grand Duke on the death of his father on November 17, 1905.

William IV was a Protestant, the religion of the House of Nassau. He married Marie Anne of Portugal, believing that a Roman Catholic country ought to have a Roman Catholic monarch. Thus since William IV all other Grand Dukes have been Catholic.

At the death of his uncle, Prince Nikolaus-Wilhelm in 1905, the only other legitimate male in the House of Nassau-Weilburg was Guillaume's cousin, Georg Nikolaus, Count of Merenberg, the product of a morganatic marriage. So in 1907, Guilliame declared the Counts of Merenberg non-dynastic, naming his own eldest daughter Marie-Adélaïde (1894–1924) as heir to the grand ducal throne. She became Luxembourg's first reigning female monarch upon her father's death in 1912, and upon her own abdication in 1919, was succeeded by her younger sister Charlotte (1896–1985). Charlotte's descendants have reigned until the present day.

[edit] Family

On June 21, 1893, he married Marie Anne of Portugal, daughter of the deposed king Miguel I of Portugal and Adelaide of Löwenstein-Wertheim-Rosenberg. The couple had six daughters, but no sons.

• Marie-Adélaïde (1894-1924) who remained unmarried and childless
• Charlotte (1896-1985) who married her first cousin Prince Felix of Bourbon-Parma, a son of Marie Anne's younger sister.
• Hilda (15 February 1897-8 September 1979), who married Adolf, Prince of Schwarzenberg
• Antoinette (1899-1954), who married Crown Prince Rupprecht of Bavaria as his second wife
• Elisabeth (7 March 1901-2 August 1950), who married Prince Ludwig Philipp of Thurn and Taxis (2 February 1901-22 April 1933), son of Albert I, Prince of Thurn and Taxis. Had issue.
  • Prince Anselm Albert of Thurn and Taxis (14 April 1924-25 February 1944); killed in action in Solotaia-Balka during WWII
  • Princess Iniga of Thurn and Taxis (born 25 August 1925); married Prince Eberhard of Urach (1907-1969), son of Mindaugas II of Lithuania
• Sophie Caroline (14 February 1902-24 May 1941), who married Ernst Heinrich, Prince of Saxony (9 December 1896-14 June 1971), youngest son of king Frederick Augustus III of Saxony. Had three sons.

[edit] Ancestry

Frederick William, Prince of Nassau-Weilburg

William, Duke of Nassau

Princess Louise Isabelle of Kirchberg

Adolphe, Grand Duke of Luxembourg

Frederick, Duke of Saxe-Altenburg

Princess Louise of Saxe-Altenburg

Charlotte Georgine of Mecklenburg-Strelitz

William IV, Grand Duke of Luxembourg

Friedrich, Hereditary Prince of Anhalt-Dessau

Friedrich August of Anhalt-Dessau

Landgravine Amalie of Hesse-Homburg

Adelheid-Marie of Anhalt-Dessau

Prince William of Hesse

Landgravine Marie of Hesse-Kassel

Princess Louise Charlotte of Denmark

Preceded by Adolphe

Grand Duke of Luxembourg 1905–1912

Succeeded by Marie-Adélaïde