| Prince Ferdinand | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
 19th-century portrait of Ferdinand | |||||
| Head of theHouse of Saxe-Coburg and Gotha-Koháry | |||||
| Tenure | 27 June 1826 – 27 August 1851 | ||||
| Successor | Prince August | ||||
| Born | Prince Ferdinand of Saxe-Coburg-Saalfeld (1785-03-28)28 March 1785 Coburg | ||||
| Died | 27 August 1851(1851-08-27) (aged 66) Vienna | ||||
| Burial | Mausoleum atFriedhof am Glockenberg [de], Coburg | ||||
| Spouse | |||||
| Issue | |||||
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| House |
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| Father | Francis, Duke of Saxe-Coburg-Saalfeld | ||||
| Mother | Countess Augusta Reuss of Ebersdorf | ||||
| Religion | Catholicism prev.Lutheranism | ||||
| Military career | |||||
| Branch | Army of the Holy Roman Empire | ||||
| Service years | 1791–1828 | ||||
| Rank | General of the cavalry | ||||
| Commands | Inhaber of the Husaren-Regiment Nr. 8. | ||||
| Conflicts | War of the Fifth Coalition War of the Sixth Coalition | ||||
Prince Ferdinand Georg August of Saxe-Coburg and Gotha (28 March 1785 – 27 August 1851) was a German prince of theHouse of Saxe-Coburg and Gotha and a general of cavalry in the AustrianImperial and Royal Army during the Napoleonic Wars. Initially remaining a Lutheran until 1818, by marriage he established theCatholic branch of the family, which eventually gained the thrones of Portugal (1837) and Bulgaria (1887).[1]: 107
_-_Prince_Ferdinand_of_Saxe-Coburg-Saalfeld_(1785-1851)_-_RCIN_406211_-_Royal_Collection.jpg)
Ferdinand was born atCoburg asPrince Ferdinand Georg August of Saxe-Coburg-Saalfeld, the second son ofFrancis Frederick Anthony, Duke of Saxe-Coburg-Saalfeld by his second wife,Countess Augusta Caroline Sophie Reuss of Ebersdorf. In 1826 his title changed fromPrince of Saxe-Coburg-Saalfeld toPrince of Saxe-Coburg and Gotha, when his brotherDuke Ernst I made a territorial exchange with other members of the family.
Ferdinand's nephews and nieces included QueenVictoria of the United Kingdom and her husbandPrince Albert, as well asEmpress Carlota of Mexico and her brother KingLeopold II of Belgium.
On 10 December 1791 Ferdinand was commissioned asUnterleutnant in the Dragoon-Regiment Coburg Nr. 6. He was promoted toOberleutnant on 1 March 1796 and to Second-Rittmeister on 18 November 1798.
On 1 February 1802 he transferred to the Austrian Army serving in theChevauxleger-Regiment Fürst Rosenberg in which he was promoted to major on 29 September 1804. On 1 January 1805 he transferred to theHusaren-Regiment Graf Blankenstein Nr. 6 in which he was promoted toOberstleutnant on 6 August 1805.
On 15 September 1808 Ferdinand becameOberst in theHusaren-Regiment Erzherzog Ferdinand d'Este Nr. 3. It was in this regiment that he served in theWar of the Fifth Coalition under Field Marshal Prince Hohenzollern. He received the knight's cross of theMilitary Order of Maria Theresa. For his services in theBattle of Wagram he was praised by his corps commanderFürst Liechtenstein. On 15 April 1811 he was named Generalmajor.
During theWar of the Sixth Coalition, Ferdinand fought at the battles ofKulm andLeipzig.
On 8 May 1822 Ferdinand becameInhaber (proprietor) of thek.u.k. Ulanenregiment „Fürst zu Schwarzenberg“ Nr. 2 On 22 November 1828 he becameInhaber of theHusaren-Regiment Nr. 8 [de]. Shortly thereafter, he was promoted to the rank ofGeneral der Kavallerie.
InVienna on 30 November 1815, Ferdinand marriedPrincess Maria Antonia Koháry de Csábrág et Szitnya, daughter and sole heiress ofFerenc József, Prince Koháry de Csábrág et Szitnya, converting toRoman Catholicism in 1818.[2] When Antonia's father died in 1826, she inherited his estates inHungary, and Ferdinand took the title ofDuke of Saxe-Coburg and Gotha-Koháry.[3][4]
Ferdinand and Antonia had four children, all of whom were raised Catholic:
Ferdinand died at Vienna on 27 August 1851 at the age of 66. He is buried in the ducal mausoleum atFriedhof am Glockenberg [de] in Coburg.[1]: 47
He received the following awards:[5]
Russian Empire:[6]
Austrian Empire: Knight of theMilitary Order of Maria Theresa,1809;[7] Commander,1815[8]
Kingdom of Saxony:Knight of the Rue Crown,1815[9]
Kingdom of Hanover: Grand Cross of theRoyal Guelphic Order,1818[10]
Ernestine duchies: Grand Cross of theSaxe-Ernestine House Order,December 1833[11]
Belgium: Grand Cordon of theOrder of Leopold,15 July 1835[12]
Kingdom of Portugal:[13]
United Kingdom:Honorary Grand Cross of the Bath (military),12 June 1839[14]
Kingdom of France: Grand Cross of theLegion of Honour,May 1840[15]
Baden:[16]
Kingdom of Prussia:Knight of the Red Eagle, 1st Class| International | |
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| People | |
