Princess Herzeleide of Prussia


Princess Herzeleide Ina-Marie Sophie Charlotte Else of Prussia was a member of the deposed House of Hohenzollern. She was the only daughter of Prince Oskar of Prussia and his initially morganatic wife, Countess Ina Marie von Bassewitz. She is the mother of Ernst-Johann Biron, Prince of Courland, the current head of the House of Biron.

Biography

Family and early life

Countess Herzeleide-Ina-Marie von Ruppin was born in Bristow, Mecklenburg, on 25 December 1918, shortly after the defeat of the German Empire and the collapse of the monarchy. She was consequently given the name Herzeleide, meaning "heart's sorrow". She had three brothers: Oscar, Burchard, and Wilhelm-Karl. Herzeleide and her brothers became Princess/Prince of Prussia on 21 June 1920 when their parents' morganatic marriage was recognised as dynastic by the deposed Emperor Wilhelm II.
In early 1938, Herzeleide was one of three bridesmaids at the wedding of the future King Paul of Greece to Frederica of Hanover, her first cousin.

Marriage and issue

On 15 August 1938 in Potsdam Garrison Church, Herzeleide married Prince Karl Biron von Courland. Karl was the eldest son and heir of Prince Gustav Biron of Courland and Françoise Lévisse de Montigny, daughter of Marquis de Jaucourt. He was a direct descendant of Ernst Johann von Biron who obtained sovereignty of the Baltic Duchy of Courland and Semigallia in the 18th century. Along with the bride and groom's parents, in attendance were the former German Crown Prince Wilhelm and Emperor Wilhelm's consort, Empress Hermine. All male guests wore uniforms of the former German army. The couple's honeymoon plans included a visit to Doorn to pay respects to Emperor Wilhelm in exile, the bride's paternal grandfather. Subsequently, they took up residence in Munich.
They had three children:
  • Princess Viktoria-Benigna Ina-Marie Cecilie Friederike-Luise Helene Biron von Courland married Johannes, Baron von Twickel on 3 May 1968, and had issue:
  • * Nikolaus Maximilian Ludwig Karl Ernst-Johann Maria von Twickel married to Georgia Marianne Fischer, and has issue:
  • **Constantin Philipp Ludwig Friedrich von Twickel
  • **Benedikta Elisabeth Ann Lucia von Twickel
  • **Georg von Twickel
  • **Kyril von Twickel
  • * Tassilo Heinrich Alexander von Twickel married to Janine Schniewind, and has issue:
  • **Antonius von Twickel
  • **Matilda Valentina Helga Benigna von Twickel
  • Ernst-Johann, Prince Biron von Courland married to Countess Elisabeth Victoria Raimonda of Isenburg-Philippseich
  • Prince Michael Karl August Wilhelm Biron von Courland married to Kristin von Oertzen on 1 July 1969, and has issue:
  • *Princess Veronika Biron von Courland married to Christoph Carl on 7 October 2006
  • *Prince Alexander Biron von Courland married to Countess Michaela Strachwitz von Groß-Zauche und Camminetz on 16 August 2003
  • *Princess Stephanie Biron von Courland married to Georg Güber on 13 September 2008