| Gustav | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
.jpg) Prince Gustav in 2015 | |||||
| Prince of Sayn-Wittgenstein-Berleburg | |||||
| Reign | 13 March 2017 - present | ||||
| Predecessor | Prince Richard | ||||
| Heir apparent | Prince Gustav Albrecht | ||||
| Born | (1969-01-12)12 January 1969 (age 56) Frankfurt am Main,West Germany | ||||
| Spouse | |||||
| Issue | Prince Gustav Albrecht Princess Mafalda | ||||
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| House | Sayn-Wittgenstein-Berleburg | ||||
| Father | Richard, 6th Prince of Sayn-Wittgenstein-Berleburg | ||||
| Mother | Princess Benedikte of Denmark | ||||
Gustav, 7th Prince of Sayn-Wittgenstein-Berleburg[1] (Gustav Frederik Philip Richard; born 12 January 1969), is the eldest child and only son ofPrincess Benedikte of Denmark andRichard, 6th Prince of Sayn-Wittgenstein-Berleburg. His first cousin isKing Frederik X of Denmark.[2]
Prince Gustav is the head of theHouse of Sayn-Wittgenstein-Berleburg, the senior branch of the formerlyprincely house ofSayn-Wittgenstein.[3] He resides atSchloss Berleburg-Wittgenstein in the town ofBad Berleburg, inNorth Rhine-Westphalia, Germany. He is the son ofPrince Richard of Sayn-Wittgenstein-Berleburg andPrincess Benedikte of Denmark and has two sisters,Princess Alexandra of Sayn-Wittgenstein-Berleburg andPrincess Nathalie of Sayn-Wittgenstein-Berleburg.
The principality and princely title of Sayn-Wittgenstein-Berleburg descended, historically, according tosemi-Salicprimogeniture.[3] If Gustav were to die without legitimate issue, the family heritage would devolve upon his father's younger brother, Prince Robin zu Sayn-Wittgenstein-Berleburg.[1]
Gustav was formerly engaged to be married to Elvire Pasté de Rochefort (granddaughter of French Ambassador AndréRodocanachi and wife Nada Diplarakou, herself sister ofAliki Diplarakou and grand-aunt of Princess Sibilla of Luxembourg); the engagement was announced on 16 August 2000 and the wedding planned for 12 May 2001 in Paris. However the wedding did not take place, reportedly due to financial issues with the bride's family, and it was announced on 16 July 2001 that they had separated. For many years, he resided with his partner,Carina Axelsson, although they were unable to marry due to a clause in Gustav's grandfather's will preventing him from inheriting family property if he marries someone not of Protestant, noble and Aryan descent. However, on 27 April 2022, the Danish court confirmed that Gustav could marry Axelsson on 3 June 2022, civilly and on 4 June 2022, religiously inBad Berleburg.[4]
The couple's son, Prince Gustav Albrecht, was born on 26 May 2023 in theUnited States via surrogacy.[5] On 26 April 2024, the couple welcomed their second child, a girl, Princess Mafalda, also via surrogacy.[6][7]
He is the godfather of Count Richard von Pfeil und Klein-Ellguth, son of his sisterAlexandra; Konstantin Johannsmann, son of his second sisterNathalie; andPrince Vincent of Denmark, son of his first cousin,Frederik X.
| Ancestors of Gustav, 7th Prince of Sayn-Wittgenstein-Berleburg | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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| German nobility | ||
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| Preceded by | — TITULAR — Prince of Sayn-Wittgenstein-Berleburg 2017–present Reason for succession failure: German Revolution of 1918–1919 | Incumbent Heir: Gustav Albrecht |