Alfred Saxe-Coburg (1844-1900) - Find a Grave Memorial

British Royalty. He was the Duke of Edinburgh and the Duke of Saxe-Coburg and Gotha. Born Prince Alfred Ernest Albert, he was the fourth child and second son of Queen Victoria and Prince Albert. He was called Affie by his family. As were his wishes, he joined the Royal Navy in 1856, and rose to the rank of Admiral. He was created a Knight of the Garter in 1863, given the title Duke of Edinburgh in 1866, and took his seat in the House of Lords. When King Otto of Greece abdicated his throne in 1862, Prince Alfred was chosen by Greece to succeed him, but political conventions prevented his doing so. Alfred married Grand Duchess Marie Alexandrovna of Russia on January 23, 1874 at the Winter Palace in St. Petersburg. The new princess was not widely liked by the British, and their marriage was not a particularly happy one, but they had six children together. Alfred devoted himself to his Naval career until 1893, when he inherited the duchy of Saxe-Coburg & Gotha from his uncle. He surrendered his British allowance, gave up his seat in the House of Lords, and spent the majority of his time in Coburg. He died at the ducal estate of Schloss Rosenau of throat cancer at the age of 55.

Bio by: Kristen Conrad