Royal houses: high nobility at a funeral service for Max Margrave of Baden

royalty
High nobility at the funeral service for Max Margrave of Baden

King Philippe of Belgium and Prince Albert II of Monaco (r) at the funeral service of Max Margrave of Baden. photo

© Bernd Weißbrod/dpa

Before his death, Max Margrave of Baden was associated with many castles in Europe. Many well-known faces of the European aristocracy therefore showed up at his funeral service. But an important royal house was missing.

Noble houses from Germany and Europe bid farewell to Max Margrave of Baden. In tranquil Salem on Lake Constance, police escorts took King Philip of Belgium to the cathedral on the grounds of the palace, where he and Prince Albert II of Monaco attended the memorial service. Caroline Princess of Monaco showed up with her son Pierre Casiraghi. And the guest list was impressive in other respects as well.

The most famous faces from the German houses included Georg Friedrich Prince of Prussia, Alexander Prince of Schaumburg-Lippe and Donatus Landgrave of Hesse. Baden-Württemberg’s Prime Minister Winfried Kretschmann also attended the private funeral service with his wife Gerlinde.

Max Margrave of Baden died on December 29 at the age of 89 at Salem Castle. He was considered down-to-earth and modest. His circle of relatives is world famous.

King Charles III is cousin of Max von Baden

He was born on July 3, 1933 at Salem Castle as the son of Margrave Berthold. His mother Theodora was Princess of Greece and Denmark and the sister of Prince Philip, who stood at the Queen’s side for decades. King Charles III is thus the cousin of Max von Baden.

However, the British royal family did not appear at the funeral service at Lake Constance. King Charles III was represented by the head of the House of Hesse, who is also related to both houses through one of Prince Philip’s sisters.

After school in Salem and Scotland, Max von Baden studied economics and forestry in Heidelberg and Munich. In 1966 he married Her Imperial and Royal Highness Valerie of Austria (81), who is the great-granddaughter of Empress Sisi. With her he has four children: Marie Louise Princess of Baden (53), Bernhard the new Margrave of Baden (52), Leopold Prince of Baden (51) and Michael Prince of Baden (46). He also leaves behind four grandchildren.

From 1112 to 1918, the formerly ruling Grand Ducal House of Baden provided the rulers in the Baden part of today’s federal state of Baden-Württemberg. “By the end of the monarchy in 1918, there were four kingdoms and six grand duchies in Germany,” explains nobility expert Jürgen Worlitz.

With the abolition of the nobility, all the privileges of the houses also fell away. “We no longer have aristocratic titles in Germany, they have become part of the name,” says the expert. “The margrave would have been the grand duke in the past and would only be one step below the king,” explains the 73-year-old.

German nobility retained some possessions

The German nobility lost a lot, but they kept some large possessions. “Today’s nobles are business people,” says Worlitz. With the income they maintain their real estate. After the death of his father on October 27, 1963, Max von Baden also inherited several castles, factories and more than 6000 hectares of forests, vineyards, fields and gravel pits.

But because the house of Baden was piling up debts, savings had to be made: Since 1994, companies have been sold, the traditional forestry department has been dissolved, numerous employees have been laid off and Schloss Kirchberg on Lake Constance, including the marina and campsites, have been sold. In 1995 the margravial collections in Baden-Baden were auctioned off and the castle there was then sold. The castle in Salem is now also owned by the state of Baden-Württemberg.

In many places, however, the members of the former high nobility in Germany have been able to maintain their position as a relevant figure in society through voluntary commitment. Max von Baden was also involved in many clubs and associations such as the German Red Cross and the volunteer fire brigade.

Companions and acquaintances had the opportunity to say goodbye to him with a service on Thursday. The aristocrat, who is considered to be modest, expressly did not want praise for himself, as the pastor said in his sermon on Thursday in Münster.

The House of Baden is related to many European noble houses. “If you come from a formerly ruling German house, then you are equal to the house of Belgium, Denmark or the Netherlands,” says Worlitz, an expert on nobility.

dpa

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