Richard, 6th Prince of Sayn-Wittgenstein-Berleburg

Richard Casimir Karl August Robert Konstantin, 6th Prince of Sayn-Wittgenstein-Berleburg (born 29 October 1934 in Gießen, Germany) is the Prince and Head of the House of Sayn-Wittgenstein-Berleburg. He is the son of Gustav Albrecht, 5th Prince of Sayn-Wittgenstein-Berleburg and Margareta Fouché d'Otrante. In German he is known Richard, Fürst zu Sayn-Wittgenstein-Berleburg.

Biography

Richard, 6th Prince of Sayn-Wittegenstein-Berleberg, is the eldest son of Gustav Albrecht, 5th Prince of Sayn-Wittgenstein-Berleburg, who was a senior Nazi army general declared missing in 1944 and dead in 1969. Richard was raised in Sweden with his maternal grandfather, the Duke of Otrante, at Elghammar Castle. He attended the boarding schools Viggbyholm and Sigtuna. Having studied forest science at the University of Göttingen in Hann.-Münden and at Munich University, Prince Richard obtained his forestry diploma at Hann.-Münden and took his post- graduate training as Forstrferendar in North Rhine Westphalia. He obtained a degree as Assessor des Forstdienstes after passing the second forestry examination taken by the North Rhine Westphalian State Forestry Service.^[1]

In July 2003, Prince Richard underwent surgery for treatment of prostate cancer; previously, he had undergone treatment for skin cancer.^[2]

Marriage

Richard was married on 3 February 1968 at Fredensborg Palace Church to Princess Benedikte of Denmark, born 29 April 1944. She is the second daughter of King Frederick IX of Denmark (1899–1972) and Queen Ingrid (born Princess of Sweden) (1910–2000).^[1]

Children and grandchildren

• Gustav Frederik Philip Richard, Hereditary Prince of Sayn-Wittgenstein-Berleburg, born 12 January 1969
• Princess Alexandra Rosemarie Ingrid Benedikte, born 20 November 1970. She was married on 6 June 1998 at Gråsten Palace to Count Jefferson von Pfeil und Klein-Ellguth born 12 July 1967. They have two children:
  • Count Friedrich Richard Oscar Jefferson von Pfeil und Klein-Ellguth, born 14 September 1999
  • Countess Ingrid Alexandra Irma Astrid Benedikte von Pfeil und Klein-Ellguth, born 16 August 2003.
• Princess Nathalie Xenia Margarete Benedikte, born 2 May 1975. She married on May 27, 2010 to Alexander Johannsmann. They have one child:
  • Konstantin Gustav Heinrich Richard Johannsmann, 24 July 2010

References

External links

• Princely House of Sayn-Wittgenstein-Berleburg
• Royal House of Denmark