August von Senarclens de Grancy
August Ludwig Freiherr von Senarclens-Grancy was the firstborn son of three sons and four daughters of César Auguste, Baron von Senarclens de Grancy, and his wife, Élisabeth Claudine Marie-Rose de Loriol. Senarclens de Grancy is reputed to have been the long-time lover of Wilhelmine of Baden, the Grand Duchess consort of Hesse, and the actual father by her of Empress Maria Alexandrovna of Russia and Prince Alexander of Hesse.
Life
Senarclens de Grancy became the stable master of Louis II, Grand Duke of Hesse, a major general and a knight in the Order of Malta. It is also alleged that he was the biological father of four of the children of his employer's wife and, therefore, a likely ancestor of Felipe VI of Spain and Charles III of the United Kingdom. Senarclens de Grancy may also be a direct ancestor of several royal pretenders: Alexander, Crown Prince of Yugoslavia, Margareta of Romania and Georg Friedrich, Prince of Prussia.Senarclens de Grancy died in Jugenheim on 3 October 1871.
Marriage and children
Allegedly with Wilhelmine of Baden
Louis II, Grand Duke of Hesse, bought the [Schloss Schloss Heiligenberg (Jugenheim)|Heiligenberg (Jugenheim)|Heiligenberg] estate near Jugenheim in 1820, where he installed Senarclens de Grancy as his chamberlain later that year. Louis II's wife, the Grand Duchess [Princess Princess Wilhelmine of Baden|Wilhelmine of Baden|Wilhelmine], began living at Heiligenberg during the summers, and wintered at other estates, rarely accompanying her husband from then on. The Grand Duchess gave birth to four more children between 1821 and 1824 after not bearing any children to Louis II for nine years. Senarclens-Grancy's paternity was strongly suspected, and was treated as an open secret by the Hessian court. Louis II did not deny paternity nor seek to disinherit the two children who lived to adulthood.Grand Duchess Wilhelmine's children born after 1820 were:
- Princess Amalia Elisabeth Luise Karoline Friederike Wilhelmine.
- Stillborn daughter.
- Prince Alexander Ludwig Georg Friedrich Emil, morganatically married to Countess Julie von Hauke, she and their children being elevated to the title of Princes of Battenberg.
- Princess Maximiliane Wilhelmine Auguste Sophie Marie ; the future Empress consort of Alexander II of Russia.
Marriage to Luise von Otting und Fünfstetten
On 15 November 1836, Senarclens de Grancy married Countess Luise Wilhelmine Camille von Otting und Fünfstetten, daughter of Count Friedrich von Otting und Fünfstetten, himself an illegitimate son of the Frederick Michael, Count Palatine of Zweibrücken, and his wife, Wilhelmine, Marquise de Montperny, herself a morganatic granddaughter of Prince William Louis of Baden-Durlach.- Baroness Wilhelmine Marie, unmarried.
- Baron Ludwig, on 27 October 1870 married Amalie Barbara Löw von und zu Steinfurth, daughter of Wilhelm Löw von und zu Steinfurth and Elisabeth Seipel.
- Baroness Marie Wilhelmine, on 26 September 1871 married Ludwig Heinrich von Hesse, sometimes written Hess, son of Andreas Wilhelm von Hesse.
- Baroness Katharine Karoline Maria Wilhelmine Louise
- Baron Heinrich Adolph Maximilian Ludwig, unmarried.
- Baron Albert Ludwig Friedrich, married Antoinette de Senarclens de Grancy, a cousin.
- Baroness Constance Marie Wilhelmine, married Karl von Oertzen.