Heinrich XX, Prince Reuss of Greiz

Heinrich XX
Prince Reuss of Greiz
220px Prince Heinrich XX in an old coin.
Born	(1794-06-29)29 June 1794 Offenbach, Landgraviate of Hesse-Darmstadt
Died	Greiz, Principality of Reuss-Greiz
Spouse	Princess Sophie of Löwenstein-Wertheim-Rosenberg Princess Caroline of Hesse-Homburg
Issue	Christiane, Princess Hugo of Schönburg-Waldenburg Prince Heinrich XXI Heinrich XXII, Prince Reuss of Greiz Prince Heinrich XXIII Marie, Countess Friedrich of Ysenburg and Büdingen in Meerholz
Full name German: Heinrich
House	House Reuss of Greiz
Father	Heinrich XIII, Prince Reuss of Greiz
Mother	Princess Wilhelmine Louise of Nassau-Weilburg

Heinrich XX, Prince Reuss of Greiz (German: Heinrich XX Fürst Reuß zu Greiz; 29 June 1794 – 8 November 1859) was Prince Reuss of Greiz from 1836 to 1859.

Early life

Heinrich XX was born at Offenbach, Landgraviate of Hesse-Darmstadt, younger surviving son of Heinrich XIII, Prince Reuss of Greiz (1747–1817), (son of Heinrich XI, Prince Reuss of Greiz and Countess Conradine Reuss of Köstritz) and his wife, Princess Wilhelmine Louise of Nassau-Weilburg (1765–1837), (daughter of Charles Christian, Prince of Nassau-Weilburg and Princess Carolina of Orange-Nassau).

Prince Reuss of Greiz

File:HendriKXXReussOL.jpg

Prince Heinrich XX in an old coin.

At the death of his elder brother on 31 October 1836, Heinrich XX succeeded as the Prince Reuss of Greiz because of the Salic law that applied in the German principalities, his brother had died with no male heir.

Heinrich XX kept the principality administration based on absolutist principles at least until 1848 when because of the Revolution, was forced to issue a constitution but never came into force. The Prince, however, distinguished himself in military service in favor of the Austrian Empire.

Marriage

Heinrich XX married on 25 November 1834 at Castle Haid in Haid to Princess Sophie of Löwenstein-Wertheim-Rosenberg (1809–1838), third daughter of Karl, Prince of Löwenstein-Wertheim-Rosenberg, and his wife, Countess Sophie Luise of Windisch-Graetz. They had no children.

He married secondly on 1 October 1839 in Homburg vor der Höhe to Princess Caroline Amalie of Hesse-Homburg, eldest daughter of Gustav, Landgrave of Hesse-Homburg, and his wife, Princess Louise of Anhalt-Dessau.

They had five children:

• Princess Hermine Reuss of Greiz (25 December 1840 – 4 January 1890), married in 1862 to Prince Hugo of Schönburg-Waldenburg, had issue.
• Prince Heinrich XXI Reuss of Greiz (11 February 1844 – 14 June 1844)
• Heinrich XXII, Prince Reuss of Greiz (28 March 1846 – 19 April 1902)
• Prince Heinrich XXIII Reuss of Greiz (27 June 1848 – 22 October 1861)
• Princess Marie Reuss of Greiz (19 March 1855 – 31 December 1909), married in 1875 to Count Friedrich of Ysenburg and Büdingen in Meerholz (grandson of Ernst Casimir II, 2nd Prince of Ysenburg and Büdingen), no issue.

Titles and styles

• 29 June 1794 – 31 October 1836: His Serene Highness Prince Heinrich XX Reuss of Greiz
• 31 October 1836 – 8 November 1859: His Serene Highness The Prince Reuss of Greiz

Ancestry

Family of Heinrich XX, Prince Reuss of Greiz

16. Heinrich VI, Count Reuss of Greiz               8. Count Heinrich II Reuss of Obergreiz                       17. Baroness Henriette Amalie of Friesen               4. Heinrich XI, Prince Reuss of Greiz                             18. Count Johann Kaspar of Bothmer               9. Countess Sophie Charlotte of Bothmer                       19. Gisela Erdmuth of Hoym               2. Heinrich XIII, Prince Reuss of Greiz                                   20. Heinrich I, Count Reuss of Schleiz               10. Heinrich XXIV, Count Reuss of Köstritz                       21. Countess Anna Elisabeth of Sinzendorf               5. Countess Conradine Reuss of Köstritz                             22. Baron Hans Christoph of Promnitz               11. Baroness Marie Eleonore Emma of Promnitz-Dittersbach                       23. Baroness Anna Elisabeth Saurma of Jeltsch               1. Heinrich XX, Prince Reuss of Greiz                                         24. John Ernst, Count of Nassau-Weilburg               12. Charles August, Prince of Nassau-Weilburg                       25. Countess Marie Polyxene of Leiningen-Dagsburg-Hartenburg               6. Charles Christian, Prince of Nassau-Weilburg                             26. George August Samuel, Prince of Nassau-Idstein               13. Princess Augusta of Nassau-Idstein                       27. Princess Henriëtte Dorothea of Oettingen-Oettingen               3. Princess Wilhelmine Louise of Nassau-Weilburg                                   28. John William Friso, Prince of Orange               14. William IV, Prince of Orange                       29. Landgravine Marie Louise of Hesse-Kassel               7. Princess Carolina of Orange-Nassau                             30. George II of Great Britain               15. Anne, Princess Royal                       31. Margravine Caroline of Brandenburg-Ansbach

Notes and sources

• Genealogics - Leo van de Pas - Heinrich XX, Fürst Reuss
• L'Allemagne dynastique, Huberty, Giraud, Magdelaine, Reference: I 333
• Gehrlein Thomas, The House of Reuss - Older and Younger line Börde Verlag 2006, ISBN 978-3-9810315-3-9

Heinrich XX, Prince Reuss of Greiz House Reuss of Greiz Cadet branch of the House of Reuss Born: 29 June 1794 Died: 8 November 1859
Regnal titles
Preceded by Heinrich XIX	Prince Reuss of Greiz 1836 – 1859	Succeeded by Heinrich XXII