William Ernest (Wilhelm Ernst Karl Alexander Friedrich Heinrich Bernhard Albert Georg Hermann, English: William Ernest Charles Alexander Frederick Henry Bernard Albert George Herman; 10 June 1876 – 24 April 1923) was the last grand duke of Saxe-Weimar-Eisenach.
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According to the Dutch constitution, Wilhelm Ernst was in the line for the throne of the Netherlands (as the grandson of Princess Sophie of the Netherlands) after Queen Wilhelmina. At the beginning of the 20th century, the Dutch feared the possibility of German influence or even annexation of the Netherlands. In order to prevent this, some lawyers tried to change the constitution to exclude Wilhelm Ernst from the succession. Another proposal, however, was this: if Wilhelmina would die childless, then he or his offspring would have to choose between the Dutch and the Weimar throne. The birth of Wilhelmina's daughter Juliana in 1909 lessened the chance for any member of the House of Wettin (Saxe-Weimar-Eisenach branch) to inherit the Dutch throne. With the amendment to the constitution of 1922, which restricted the right of succession to the offspring of Wilhelmina, the possibility disappeared entirely.
On 9 November 1918, Grand Duke Wilhelm Ernst - along with the rest of the German monarchs following the defeat of Germany in World War I - was forced to abdicate. His throne and all his lands were relinquished and he fled with his family to the family estate in Silesia, where he died five years later.
Despite all his work for Weimar during his government, Wilhelm Ernst was a hated ruler. This was for his private life, where he was known to be a sadist; the day of his abdication, he was called the "most unpopular prince in all Germany".[1]
He died in Heinrichau in Silesia.
He received the following orders and decorations:[3]
- Saxe-Weimar-Eisenach: Grand Cross of the White Falcon, 1894;[4] Grand Master, 5 January 1901
- Ernestine duchies: Grand Cross of the Saxe-Ernestine House Order
- Kingdom of Saxony: Knight of the Rue Crown, 1898[5]
- Duchy of Anhalt: Grand Cross of the Order of Albert the Bear
- Baden: Knight of the House Order of Fidelity, 1901[6]
- Kingdom of Bavaria: Knight of St. Hubert, 1901[7]
- Brunswick: Grand Cross of the Order of Henry the Lion, 1902[8]
- Grand Duchy of Hesse: Grand Cross of the Ludwig Order, 20 February 1902[9]
- Principality of Lippe: Cross of Honour of the House Order of Lippe, 1st Class
- Mecklenburg: Grand Cross of the Wendish Crown
- Oldenburg: Grand Cross of the Order of Duke Peter Friedrich Ludwig, with Collar
- Kingdom of Prussia:
- Reuss: Cross of Honour, 1st Class with Crown
- Württemberg: Grand Cross of the Württemberg Crown, 1895[11]
- Austria-Hungary: Grand Cross of the Royal Hungarian Order of St. Stephen, 1901[12]
- Principality of Bulgaria: Grand Cross of St. Alexander
- Netherlands:
- Russian Empire:
- Sweden-Norway: Knight of the Seraphim, 18 September 1897[13]
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"The Most Unpopular Prince in Germany': Grand Duke Wilhelm Ernst of Saxe-Weimar-Eisenach", European Royal History Journal (XIV): 24–26, December 1999
"Son Born to Grand Duchess", The Washington Post, Eisenach, Germany, 29 July 1912
Staatshandbuch für das Großherzogtum Sachsen / Sachsen-Weimar-Eisenach (1913), "Genealogie" pp. 1-2 Staatshandbuch ... Sachsen / Sachsen-Weimar-Eisenach (1900), "Großherzoglicher Hausorden" p. 15 Sachsen (1901). "Königlich Orden". Staatshandbuch für den Königreich Sachsen: 1901. Dresden: Heinrich. p. 5 – via hathitrust.org. Hof- und Staats-Handbuch des Großherzogtum Baden (1910), "Großherzogliche Orden" p. 41 Hof- und Staats-Handbuch des Königreich Bayern (1906), "Königliche Orden" p. 8 Hof- und Staatshandbuch des Herzogtums Braunschweig für 1905. Braunschweig 1905. Meyer. p. 11
"Ludewigs-orden", Großherzoglich Hessische Ordensliste (in German), Darmstadt: Staatsverlag, 1914, p. 6 – via hathitrust.org
Hof- und Staats-Handbuch des Königreich Württemberg (1896), "Königliche Orden" p. 29
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