Heinrich VII, Prince Reuss of Köstritz

{{Infobox royalty

| name = Heinrich VII, Prince Reuss of Köstritz

| image = Heinrich VII Reuss.jpg

| father = Heinrich LXIII, Prince Reuss of Köstritz

| mother = Countess Eleonore of Stolberg-Wernigerode

| spouse = Princess Marie Alexandrine of Saxe-Weimar-Eisenach

| issue =Prince Heinrich XXXII
Prince Heinrich XXXIII
Princess Johanna
Sophie Renate, Princess Heinrich XXXIV Reuss of Köstritz
Prince Heinrich XXXV

| birth_date = {{birth date|1825|7|14|df=yes}}

| birth_place = Klipphausen

| death_date = {{death date and age|1906|5|2|1825|7|14|df=yes}}

| death_place = Trzebiechów

}}

Heinrich VII, Prince Reuss of Köstritz ({{langx|de|Heinrich VII. Reuß zu Köstritz}}; 14 July 1825 – 2 May 1906) was a German diplomat.

Early life

Prince Heinrich VII Reuss of Köstritz was born at Klipphausen on 14 July 1825. He was the fifth child and third son of Prince Heinrich LXIII, Prince Reuss of Köstritz and his first wife, Countess Eleonore of Stolberg-Wernigerode (1801-1827).

Career

File:William Pape - Ohne Titel (Prinz Reuß früherer Botschafter jetzt Herrenhausmitglied, Schwarzer Adler-Orden) - BG-M 12008^12 - Berlinische Galerie.jpg, 1900]]

From 1845 to 1848 he studied law at Ruprecht Karls University of Heidelberg and Humboldt University of Berlin. He then joined the 8th Lancers Regiment. From 1853, he pursued a diplomatic career.

From 1854 to 1863 he worked as a diplomat (Legationsrat) in the Prussian embassy in Paris. Then he was sent as Prussian royal ambassador to Kassel, and later to Munich. On 5 February 1868 he was posted as envoy extraordinary and minister plenipotentiary of the North German Confederation to the Russian court at St. Petersburg by William I, who was still King of Prussia at that time. On 26 April 1871 he was designated the first ambassador of the German Empire by William, who had been crowned Emperor a few months earlier.

From 1873 to 1876 he served Emperor William I as adjutant general, and was eventually promoted to General of the Cavalry.Handbuch über den Königlich Preußischen Hof und Staat fur das jahr 1906, [https://archive.org/details/handbuchberdenp00unkngoog/page/n86/mode/2up p. 42] In 1876 he married Princess Marie Alexandrine of Saxe-Weimar-Eisenach. In that same year, the prince became a member of the Prussian House of Lords. In 1877, he was the first imperial ambassador to Constantinople, where he opened the magnificent Embassy building, which he was allowed to set up to his own taste. Just one year later he went as German ambassador to Vienna; this was his last foreign assignment.

In 1894, he retired to his castle in Trzebiechów ({{langx|de| Trebschen}}).

Family and issue

On 6 February 1876, Heinrich VII married Princess Marie Alexandrine of Saxe-Weimar-Eisenach, daughter of Grand Duke Charles Alexander of Saxe-Weimar-Eisenach.

From this marriage, he had the following children:

Unnamed son (1877–1877)
Heinrich XXXII (1878–1935)

: married in 1920 (divorced 1921) Princess Marie Adelaide of Lippe (1895–1993)

Heinrich XXXIII (1879–1942)

: married firstly in 1913 (divorced 1922) Princess Victoria Margaret of Prussia (1890–1923)

: married secondly in 1929 (divorced 1935) Allene Tew (1876–1955)

Johanna (1882–1883)
Sophie Renate (1884–1968)

: married in 1909 Prince Heinrich XXXIV Reuss (1887–1956)

Heinrich XXXV (1887–1936). He married firstly, Princess Marie of Saxe-Altenburg (1888–1947) on 20 April 1911 in Altenburg. They had one daughter before divorcing in 1921. He married secondly in 1921 (divorced 1923) Princess Marie Adelaide of Lippe (1895–1993)
Marie Helene Reuss of Köstritz (b. 23 February 1912, Silesia - d. 1 August 1933, Korfantow)

Prince Heinrich VII died at Trebschen Castle on 2 May 1906.

Honours

He received the following orders and decorations:

{{columns-list|colwidth=25em|

{{flagicon image|Flagge Fürstentum Reuß jüngere Linie.svg}} Principality of Reuss-Gera: Cross of Honour, 1st Class
{{flagicon image|Flag of the Kingdom of Prussia (1803-1892).svg}} Kingdom of Prussia:
Knight of Justice of the Johanniter Order, 8 April 1851{{citation|title=Königlich Preussische Ordensliste|journal=Preussische Ordens-Liste|volume=1|url=https://babel.hathitrust.org/cgi/pt?id=mdp.39015049878831&view=1up&seq=5&skin=2021|pages=[https://babel.hathitrust.org/cgi/pt?id=mdp.39015049878831&view=1up&seq=32&skin=2021 24], [https://babel.hathitrust.org/cgi/pt?id=mdp.39015049878831&view=1up&seq=1005&skin=2021 933], [https://babel.hathitrust.org/cgi/pt?id=mdp.39015049878831&view=1up&seq=1086&skin=2021 1014]|language=German|location=Berlin|year=1886|via=hathitrust.org}}
Commander's Cross of the Royal House Order of Hohenzollern, with Swords, 1866; Grand Commander's Cross with Swords on Ring, 1878; with Star, 11 June 1879
Grand Cross of the Red Eagle, with Oak Leaves, 6 February 1876
Knight of the Black Eagle, 1887; with Diamonds, 15 March 1894;{{citation|title=Königlich Preussische Ordensliste (supp.)|volume=1|chapter-url=https://babel.hathitrust.org/cgi/pt?id=mdp.39015049878823&view=1up&seq=7&skin=2021|chapter=Schwarzer Adler-orden|page=[https://babel.hathitrust.org/cgi/pt?id=mdp.39015049878823&view=1up&seq=631&skin=2021 5]|language=German|location=Berlin|year=1886|via=hathitrust.org}} with Collar
{{flagicon|Hesse}} Electorate of Hesse: Grand Cross of the Wilhelmsorden, 11 October 1864{{Cite book |url=https://archive.org/details/bub_gb_8vVSAAAAcAAJ |title=Kurfürstlich Hessisches Hof- und Staatshandbuch: 1866 |publisher=Waisenhaus |year=1866 |page=[https://archive.org/details/bub_gb_8vVSAAAAcAAJ/page/n39/mode/2up 22]}}
{{flag|Kingdom of Bavaria}}: Grand Cross of Merit of the Bavarian Crown, 1867{{citation|title=Hof- und – Staatshandbuch des Königreichs Bayern|year=1904|language=German|chapter=Königliche Orden|location=Munich|publisher=Druck and Verlag|page=25|via=hathitrust.org}}
{{flagicon image|Flag of France (1794–1815, 1830–1958).svg}} French Empire: Commander of the Legion of Honour
{{flag|Grand Duchy of Hesse}}: Grand Cross of the Ludwig Order, 18 May 1893{{citation|title=Großherzoglich Hessische Ordensliste|chapter=Ludewigs-orden|page=13|language=German|location=Darmstadt|year=1898|publisher=Staatsverlag|via=hathitrust.org}}
{{flag|Two Sicilies}}: Commander of the Constantinian Order of St. George
{{flag|Schaumburg-Lippe}}: Cross of Honour of the House Order of Lippe, 1st Class
{{Flagicon image|Flagge Großherzogtümer Mecklenburg.svg}} Mecklenburg: Grand Cross of the Wendish Crown, with Crown in Ore
{{flag|Netherlands}}: Grand Cross of the Netherlands Lion
{{flagicon|Austrian Empire}} {{flagicon|Kingdom of Hungary|1879}} Austria-Hungary: Grand Cross of the Royal Hungarian Order of St. Stephen, 1880; in Diamonds, 1894{{citation|chapter-url=https://alex.onb.ac.at/cgi-content/alex?aid=shb&datum=1906&size=45&page=352|chapter=Ritter-Orden: Königlich-ungarischer St. Stephans-orden|title=Hof- und Staatshandbuch der Österreichisch-Ungarischen Monarchie|date=1906|access-date=24 March 2021|page=[https://alex.onb.ac.at/cgi-content/alex?aid=shb&datum=1906&page=354&size=45 56]}}
{{flagicon image|Early 20th Century Qajar Flag.svg}} Persian Empire: Order of the August Portrait, in Diamonds
{{flag|Russian Empire}}:
Knight of St. Andrew, in Diamonds
Knight of St. Vladimir, 2nd Class
{{flag|Kingdom of Saxony}}: Knight of the Rue Crown, 1891{{cite book|author=Sachsen|title=Staatshandbuch für den Königreich Sachsen: 1901|year=1901|publisher=Heinrich|chapter=Königlich Orden|page=[https://babel.hathitrust.org/cgi/pt?id=mdp.39015030492006&view=1up&seq=45&skin=2021 5]|location=Dresden|via=hathitrust.org}}
{{flag|Saxe-Weimar-Eisenach}}: Grand Cross of the White Falcon, 1875Staatshandbuch für das Großherzogtum Sachsen / Sachsen-Weimar-Eisenach (1900), "Großherzogliche Hausorden" [https://zs.thulb.uni-jena.de/rsc/viewer/jportal_derivate_00285421/Staatshandbuch_Sachsen-Weimar-Eisenach_1900_0029.tif?logicalDiv=jportal_jpvolume_00097018 p. 15]
{{flagicon|Saxe-Coburg and Gotha}} {{flagicon|Saxe-Altenburg}} {{flagicon|Saxe-Meiningen}} Ernestine duchies: Grand Cross of the Saxe-Ernestine House Order, 1876Staatshandbücher für das Herzogtums Sachsen-Coburg und Gotha (1890), "Herzogliche Sachsen-Ernestinischer Hausorden" [https://zs.thulb.uni-jena.de/rsc/viewer/jportal_derivate_00243753/Sachsen_Coburg_Gotha_166999342_1890_0056.tif?logicalDiv=jportal_jparticle_00484309 p. 45]
{{flag|Ottoman Empire}}: Order of Osmanieh, 1st Class
{{flag|Württemberg}}:
Grand Cross of the Württemberg Crown, 1893Hof- und Staats-Handbuch des Königreich Württemberg (1896), "Königliche Orden" p. [https://archive.org/details/bub_gb_Pc5CAAAAYAAJ/page/n63/mode/2up 29]
Grand Cross of the Friedrich Order

}}

Ancestry

{{ahnentafel

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|boxstyle_2=background-color: #fb9;

|boxstyle_3=background-color: #ffc;

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|1= 1. Heinrich VII, Prince Reuss of Köstritz

|2= 2. Heinrich LXIII, Prince Reuss of Köstritz

|3= 3. Countess Eleonore of Stolberg-Wernigerode

|4= 4. Prince Heinrich XLIV Reuss of Köstritz

|5= 5. Baroness Wilhelmine von Geuder genannt Rabensteiner

|6= 6. Count Heinrich of Stolberg-Wernigerode

|7= 7. Princess Johanna of Schonburg-Waldenburg

|8= 8. Heinrich IX, Count Reuss of Köstritz

|9= 9. Countess Amalie von Wartensleben-Flodroff

|10= 10. Baron Friedrich Christian von Geuder genannt Rabensteiner

|11= 11. Johanna von Bredow

|12= 12. Count Christian Frederick of Stolberg-Wernigerode

|13= 13. Countess Auguste of Stolberg-Stolberg

|14= 14. Prince Otto Karl Friedrich of Schonburg-Waldenburg

|15= 15. Countess Henriette Eleonore Elisabeth Reuss-Köstritz

|16= 16. Heinrich XXIV, Count Reuss of Köstritz

|17= 17. Baroness Eleonore of Promnitz-Dittersbach

|18= 18. Count Karl von Wartensleben und Flodroff

|19= 19. Johanna Margaretha Huyssen van Kattendijke

|20= 20. Baron Johann von Geuder genannt Rabensteiner

|21= 22. Baroness Sophia von Lettmath

|22= 22. Johann von Bredow

|23= 23. Sophie von Borcke

|24= 24. Count Heinrich Ernst of Stolberg-Wernigerode

|25= 25. Princess Christiane of Anhalt-Köthen

|26= 26. Christoph Ludwig, Count of Stolberg-Stolberg

|27= 27. Countess Luise of Stolberg-Rossla

|28= 28. Count Albrecht of Schönburg-Waldenburg

|29= 29. Friederike von der Marwitz

|30= 30. Count Heinrich XXIII Reuss-Köstritz

|31= 31. Countess Ernestine of Schönburg-Wechselburg

}}

References

Literature

Kurt von Priesdorff: Soldatisches Führertum, vol. 9, Hanseatische Verlagsanstalt, Hamburg, 1941
{{NDB|8|387|388|Heinrich VII. Prinz Reuß-Köstritz|Heinrich Heffter}}

{{succession box

| title = German ambassador in Austria

| before = Otto zu Stolberg-Wernigerode

| years = 1878-1894

| after = Philipp zu Eulenburg

}}

Category:1825 births

Category:1906 deaths

Category:People from Klipphausen

Category:people from the Kingdom of Saxony

Category:Princes of Reuss

Category:Members of the Prussian House of Lords