Charles of Solms-Hohensolms-Lich

Prince Charles Ferdinand William of Solms-Lich-Hohensolms was a German politician. He was president of the First Chamber of the Estates of the Grand Duchy of Hesse. His sister, Princess Eleonore of Solms-Hohensolms-Lich married Ernest Louis, Grand Duke of Hesse

Early life

Charles was the eldest son of Prince Hermann of Solms-Hohensolms-Lich and his wife Agnes, Countess of Stolberg-Wernigerode.

He married on 16 October 1894 in Wernigerode with Princess Emma of Stolberg-Wernigerode, his cousin and daughter of the prince Otto of Stolberg-Wernigerode. The marriage produced four children:

Philip Hermann, Hereditary Prince of Solms-Hohensolms-Lich; fell in battle at Kostiantynivka
Anne-Agnes, married in 1923 Prince Carl of Castell-Castell
Elizabeth, married in 1944 historian Otto Vossler
Johanna Marie, married in 1924 Count George Frederick of Solms-Laubach ; they had issue, among which:
* Countess Irene of Solms-Laubach, mother of Countess Donata of Castell-Rüdenhausen and grandmother of Georg Friedrich, Prince of Prussia
* Countess Monika of Solms-Laubach, wife of Prince Ernest Augustus of Hanover

As his only son Philip was killed in World War 1 in 1918, after Charles' death in 1920 his younger brother Reinhard Louis inherited the title of Fürst of Solms-Hohensolms-Lich.

When his father, Hermann, Prince of Solms-Hohensolms-Lich, died in 1899, Charles took over as sovereign. As a Hessian nobleman, he was a member of the First Chamber of the Estates of the Grand Duchy of Hesse under the 1899 constitution until the November Revolution of 1918. He was Vice President of the First Chamber from 1908 to 1914 and President from 1914 to 1918. From 1901 to 1918, he was also a member of the Prussian House of Lords.