Friedrich Wilhelm, Prince of Hohenzollern

Friedrich Wilhelm, Prince of Hohenzollern^[1][2] (German: Friedrich Wilhelm Ferdinand Joseph Maria Manuel Georg Meinrad Fidelis Benedikt Michael Hubert Fürst von Hohenzollern^[1][2]) (3 February 1924^[1][2]– 16 September 2010) was the head of the Princely House of Hohenzollern-Sigmaringen.

Biography

Friedrich Wilhelm was born in Schloss Umkirch.^[1][2] He was the eldest son^[1][2] of Friedrich, Prince of Hohenzollern (1891–1965) and his wife, Princess Margarete Karola of Saxony (1900–1962), the daughter of the last King of Saxony Frederick Augustus III.^[1][2] He became the head of the House of Hohenzollern-Sigmaringen on the 6 February 1965 following the death of his father Prince Friedrich, and remained so until his death on 16 September 2010.

According to the Romanian succession laws of the kingdom's last democratic Constitution of 1923, upon the demise of King Michael, provided he dies without any male children as is now likely, Friedrich Wilhelm's descendants will likely inherit the rights of succession to the Romanian throne, although his grandfather's renunciation of right to the Romanian throne in favour of his brother, King Ferdinand of Romania may be seen to deprive Friedrich Wilhelm's lineage of any such right (see "Line of succession to the Romanian throne").

Marriage and issue

Friedrich Wilhelm married Princess Margarita of Leiningen (1932–1996) on 3 February 1951. She was a child of Karl, 6th Prince of Leiningen and his wife Grand Duchess Maria Kirillovna of Russia.

They had three children:^[1][2]

• Prince Karl Friedrich of Hohenzollern (born 1952), who succeeded Friedrich Wilhelm as head of the House of Hohenzollern;
• Prince Albrecht of Hohenzollern (born 1954);
• Prince Ferdinand of Hohenzollern (born 1960).

Titles and styles

• 3 February 1924 – 22 October 1927: His Serene Highness Prince Friedrich Wilhelm of Hohenzollern
• 22 October 1927 – 6 February 1965: His Serene Highness The Hereditary Prince of Hohenzollern
• 6 February 1965 – 16 September 2010: His Highness The Prince of Hohenzollern

Ancestry

See also

• Line of succession to the Romanian throne

References

Obituary of His Highness Prince Friedrich Wilhelm, The Daily Telegraph, 13 October 2010

External links

• Hohenzollern website
• Hohenzollern genealogy