Page:Statesman's Year-Book 1871.djvu/192



(Grossherzogthum Hessen.)

Reigning Sovereign and Family.

Grand-duke of Hesse, born June 9, 1806, the son of Grand-duke Ludwig II. and of Princess Wilhelmine of Baden. Appointed co-Regent of Hesse, in consequence of an attempt at insurrection, March 5, 1848; succeeded to the throne at the death of his father, June 16, 1848. Married, Dec. 26, 1833, to Princess Mathilde, daughter of King Ludwig of Bavaria; widower, May 25, 1862.

Brothers and Sisters of the Grand-duke.—1. Prince Karl, born April 23, 1809; married, Oct. 22, 1836, to Princess Elisabeth of Prussia, born June 18, 1815. Offspring of the union are—(1) Prince Ludwig, born Sept. 12, 1837; married, July 1, 1862, to Princess Alice of Great Britain; issue, three daughters and two sons, Victoria, born April 5, 1863, Elizabeth, born Nov. 1, 1864, Irene, born July 11, 1866, Ludwig, born Nov. 25, 1868, and Karl, born Oct. 7, 1870. (2) Prince Heinrich, born Nov. 28, 1838. (3) Prince Wilhelm, born Nov. 16, 1845.—2. Prince Alexander, born July 15, 1823; field-marshal lieutenant in the service of Austria; married, Oct. 16, 1851, to Countess Julia von Hanke, born Nov. 12, 1825, on whom the title of Princess of Battenberg has been conferred. Offspring of the union are four sons and one daughter, called Princes and Princess of Battenberg. 3. Princess Maria, born Aug. 8, 1824; married, April 28, 1841, to Grand-duke Alexander of Russia, now Czar Alexander II.

The former Landgraves of Hesse had the title of Grand-duke given them by Napoleon I., in 1806, together with a considerable increase of territory. At the congress of Vienna this grant was confirmed, after some negotiations. The reigning family are not possessed of much private property, and dependent almost entirely upon the grant of the civil list. The late grand-duke, Ludwig II., found his allowance of 581,000 florins, or 48,417 ₤, quite insufficient for his wants, and for many years there was a struggle between the Government and the representatives of the country about the payment of the grand-ducal debts. These were ultimately discharged out of the public funds; but, in 1855, the civil list was found to be in debt again to the amount of 1,100,000 florins, or 91,666 ₤. The Chambers refused to pay this new debt; but after long debates it was agreed on ultimately to discharge the amount provisionally, deducting it gradually from the grants of the civil list. The latter was raised, at the same time, to 625,000 florins, or 52,083 ₤, besides allowances to the princes and the grand-ducal court, amounting altogether to 751,800 florins, or 62,650 ₤.