Princess Marie Elisabeth of Saxe-Meiningen
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Potsdam, Province of Brandenburg, Kingdom of Prussia
Obersendling, Free State of Bavaria, Weimar Republic
| Princess Marie Elisabeth of Saxe-Meiningen | |
|---|---|
 Marie Elisabeth, mid 1870s. | |
| Born | 23 September 1853 Potsdam, Province of Brandenburg, Kingdom of Prussia |
| Died | 22 February 1923 (aged 69) Obersendling, Free State of Bavaria, Weimar Republic |
| House | Saxe-Meiningen |
| Father | Georg II, Duke of Saxe-Meiningen |
| Mother | Princess Charlotte of Prussia |
Princess Marie Elisabeth of Saxe-Meiningen (23 September 1853 – 22 February 1923) was the only daughter of George II, Duke of Saxe-Meiningen, by his first wife, Princess Charlotte of Prussia.[1] She was notable as a musician and composer. One of her most famous works is Romanze in F major for clarinet and piano.
Princess Marie Elisabeth was born on 23 September 1853 in Potsdam. She was the third child and only daughter of Georg, Hereditary Prince of Saxe-Meiningen, by his first wife, Princess Charlotte of Prussia, and had one surviving brother, Hereditary Prince Bernhard.[2] Her parents' marriage was very happy, as it was the rare instance of a love match rather than a marriage of state.[3] In 1855, tragedy struck with the death of their younger infant brother; Charlotte died three months later of complications after childbirth of a baby son, two months earlier. This youngest brother died, one day old.[4] Georg was inconsolable, but remarried several years later to Princess Feodora of Hohenlohe-Langenburg in order to provide a mother for his remaining young children.[5] Marie Elisabeth's father succeeded as Duke Georg II of Saxe-Meiningen in 1866. His second marriage was unhappy; it produced three younger brothers (Ernst, Friedrich, and Viktor) for Marie Elisabeth before Feodora's death in 1872.[6]
Marie Elisabeth's father participated in the Franco-Prussian War, where he fought in nearly every battle.[2] After the war, Georg II devoted himself to the stage, and his court became famous for its brilliance and culture.[2] A year after Feodora's death, Georg II married for a third and last time to Ellen Franz, a stage actress.[2] A happy marriage, together they founded the Meiningen Ensemble, which became the centre for dramatic art in Germany.[2]
