Nikolaus, Hereditary Grand Duke of Oldenburg

Nikolaus
Hereditary Grand Duke of Oldenburg

Spouse	Princess Helena of Waldeck and Pyrmont Anne-Marie von Schutzbar gennant Milchling
Issue
Anton-Günther, Duke of Oldenburg Duchess Rixa Duke Peter Duchess Eilika, Dowager Princess of Leiningen Duke Eigilmar Duke Friedrich August Duchess Altburg, Baroness of Erffa Duke Huno Duke Johann
Full name
German: Nikolaus Friedrich Wilhelm
House	House of Holstein-Gottorp
Father	Frederick Augustus II, Grand Duke of Oldenburg
Mother	Duchess Elisabeth Alexandrine of Mecklenburg-Schwerin
Born	10 August 1897(1897-08-10) Oldenburg, Grand Duchy of Oldenburg
Died	3 April 1970(1970-04-03) (aged 72) Rastede, West Germany
Religion	Lutheranism

Nikolaus, Hereditary Grand Duke of Oldenburg (German: Nikolaus Friedrich Wilhelm von Holstein-Gottorp, Erbgroßherzog von Oldenburg; 10 August 1897 – 3 April 1970) was the eldest son of Frederick Augustus II, Grand Duke of Oldenburg, last ruling Grand Duke of Oldenburg. He was the titular pretender from 1931 until his death.

1 Early life
2 Marriage
3 Titles and styles
4 Ancestry
5 Notes and sources

Early life

Nikolaus was born at Oldenburg, Grand Duchy of Oldenburg, the third child and first son of Frederick Augustus II, Grand Duke of Oldenburg (1852–1931), (son of Peter II, Grand Duke of Oldenburg and Princess Elisabeth of Saxe-Altenburg) and his wife, Duchess Elisabeth Alexandrine of Mecklenburg-Schwerin (1869–1955), (daughter of Frederick Francis II, Grand Duke of Mecklenburg-Schwerin and Princess Marie of Schwarzburg-Rudolstadt). He was a first cousin of Queen Juliana of the Netherlands.

Marriage

Nikolaus married on 26 October 1921 in Arolsen to Princess Helena of Waldeck and Pyrmont (1899–1948), only daughter of Friedrich, Prince of Waldeck and Pyrmont and his wife, Princess Bathildis of Schaumburg-Lippe.^[1]

They had nine children:

Anton-Günther, Duke of Oldenburg (b. 16 January 1923); married Princess Ameli of Löwenstein-Wertheim-Freudenberg
Duchess Rixa of Oldenburg (28 March 1924 – 1 April 1939)
Duke Peter of Oldenburg (b. 7 August 1926)
Duchess Eilika of Oldenburg (b. 2 February 1928) married Emich, 7th Prince of Leiningen, eldest son of Grand Duchess Maria Kirillovna of Russia
Duke Egilmar of Oldenburg (b. 14 October 1934)
Duke Friedrich August of Oldenburg (b. 11 January 1936); married Princess Marie Cécile of Prussia
Duchess Altburg of Oldenburg (b. 14 October 1938)
Duke Huno of Oldenburg (b. 3 January 1940)
Duke Johann of Oldenburg (b. 3 January 1940); married Ilka Gräfin zu Ortenburg, his daughter Eilika married Archduke Georg of Austria

His wife had died in 1948, he married secondly on 20 September 1950 in Güldenstein to Anne-Marie von Schutzbar gennant Milchling (1903–1991), daughter of Rudolf von Schutzbar gen. Milchling and Rose Marston.^[1] They had no children.

Titles and styles

10 August 1897 – 13 June 1900: His Highness Duke Nikolaus of Oldenburg
13 June 1900 – 3 April 1970: His Royal Highness The Hereditary Grand Duke of Oldenburg
- Title in pretence: 24 February 1931 – 3 April 1970: His Royal Highness The Grand Duke of Oldenburg

Ancestry

Ancestors of Nikolaus, Hereditary Grand Duke of Oldenburg

16. Peter I, Grand Duke of Oldenburg

8. Augustus, Grand Duke of Oldenburg

17. Duchess Frederica of Württemberg

4. Peter II, Grand Duke of Oldenburg

18. Victor II, Prince of Anhalt-Bernburg-Schaumburg-Hoym

9. Princess Ida of Anhalt-Bernburg-Schaumburg-Hoym

19. Princess Amalie of Nassau-Weilburg

2. Frederick Augustus II, Grand Duke of Oldenburg

20. Frederick, Duke of Saxe-Hildburghausen

10. Joseph, Duke of Saxe-Altenburg

21. Duchess Charlotte Georgine of Mecklenburg-Strelitz

5. Princess Elisabeth of Saxe-Altenburg

22. Duke Louis of Württemberg

11. Duchess Amelia of Württemberg

23. Princess Henriette of Nassau-Weilburg

1. Nikolaus, Hereditary Grand Duke of Oldenburg

24. Frederick Louis, Hereditary Grand Duke of Mecklenburg-Schwerin

12. Paul Frederick, Grand Duke of Mecklenburg-Schwerin

25. Grand Duchess Elena Pavlovna of Russia

6. Frederick Francis II, Grand Duke of Mecklenburg-Schwerin

26. Frederick William III of Prussia

13. Princess Alexandrine of Prussia

27. Duchess Louise of Mecklenburg-Strelitz

3. Duchess Elisabeth Alexandrine of Mecklenburg-Schwerin

28. Prince Charles of Schwarzburg-Rudolstadt

14. Prince Adolf of Schwarzburg-Rudolstadt

29. Landgravine Ulrike of Hesse-Homburg

7. Princess Marie of Schwarzburg-Rudolstadt

30. Otto Victor, Prince of Schönburg-Waldenburg

15. Princess Mathilde of Schönburg-Waldenburg

31. Princess Thekla of Schwarzburg-Rudolstadt

Notes and sources

^ ^a ^b C. Arnold McNaughton, The Book of Kings: A Royal Genealogy, in 3 volumes (London, U.K.: Garnstone Press, 1973), volume 1, page 206. Hereinafter cited as The Book of Kings.

thePeerage.com - Nikolaus Friedrich Wilhelm von Holstein-Gottorp, Hereditary Grand Duke of Oldenburg
Genealogics - Leo van de Pas - Nikolaus, Hereditary Grand Duke von Oldenburg
Genealogisches Handbuch des Adels, Fürstliche Häuser, Reference: 1971

Titles in pretence
Nikolaus, Hereditary Grand Duke of Oldenburg House of Holstein-Gottorp Cadet branch of the House of Oldenburg Born: 10 August 1897 Died: 3 April 1970
Preceded by Frederick Augustus II	— TITULAR — Grand Duke of Oldenburg 1931–1970 Reason for succession failure: Grand Duchy abolished in 1918	Succeeded by Anton-Günther

Dukes of Oldenburg

The generations are numbered from the ascension of Frederick August I as Duke of Oldenburg in 1774 and remain unchanged even when its ruler became Grand Dukes.

1st Generation	William I

2nd Generation	Augustus I · Duke George

3rd Generation	Duke Alexander Georgievich · Duke Peter Georgievich · Peter II · Duke Alexander · Duke August · Duke Elimar*

4th Generation	Duke Nikolaus Petrovich* · Duke Alexander Petrovich · Duke Georg Petrovich · Duke Konstantin Petrovich* · Frederick Augustus II · Duke Georg Ludwig

5th Generation	Duke Peter Alexandrovich · Nikolaus, Hereditary Grand Duke · Duke Friedrich August

6th Generation	Anton-Günther, Duke of Oldenburg · Duke Peter · Duke Egilmar · Duke Friedrich August · Duke Huno · Duke Johann

7th Generation	Duke Friedrich August · Duke Christian · Duke Nikolaus · Duke Georg Moritz · Duke Paul Wladimir · Duke Konstantin Nikolaus

8th Generation	Duke Christoph · Duke Georg · Duke Alexander · Duke Oscar · Duke Philipp · Duke Anton Friedrich · Duke Kirill · Duke Carlos · Duke Paul

all Dukes were also by right Princes of Holstein-Gottorp *may have lost his title due to an unequal marriage

Persondata
Name	Nikolaus, Hereditary Grand Duke Of Oldenburg
Alternative names
Short description
Date of birth	10 August 1897
Place of birth	Oldenburg, Grand Duchy of Oldenburg
Date of death	3 April 1970
Place of death	Rastede, West Germany