Richard, 6th Prince of Sayn-Wittgenstein-Berleburg

Richard Casimir Karl August Robert Konstantin was the eldest son and child of Gustav Albrecht, 5th Prince of Sayn-Wittgenstein-Berleburg, a highly decorated German army officer declared missing in 1944 yet only legally declared dead in 1969, and his wife, Margareta Fouché d'Otrante, a descendant of Napoleonic statesman Joseph Fouché, Duke d'Otrante.{{cite web | url=https://www.genealogics.org/pedigree.php?personID=I00024439&tree=LEO&parentset=0&display=standard&generations=7 | title=Pedigree Chart for Margareta Fouché d'Otrante: Genealogics }}

Richard was raised in Sweden with his maternal grandfather, the Duke of Otranto, at Elghammar Castle. He attended the boarding schools Viggbyholm and Sigtuna.

Having studied arboreal science at Munich University, Prince Richard obtained his forestry diploma at the University of Göttingen in Lower Saxony. He took post-graduate training as Forstreferendar, obtaining a degree as Assessor des Forstdienstes after passing the second-level examination at the North Rhine Westphalian State Forestry Service.{{cite web|url=http://www.fao.org/docrep/68738e/68738e0a.htm#news%20of%20the%20world |title=Unasylva - No. 88 - News of the world |publisher=Fao.org |date= |accessdate=2011-10-24}}

Richard married Princess Benedikte of Denmark at Fredensborg Palace Church on 3 February 1968. She is the second daughter of Frederik IX of Denmark and Ingrid of Sweden, younger sister of Margrethe II of Denmark and elder sister of Queen Anne-Marie of Greece. The couple lived at Berleburg Castle. Pursuant to the marriage contract, in Denmark Richard and his children by Princess Benedikte were to be attributed the style of Highness, rather than the unknown Durchlaucht ("Serene Highness") to which all Sayn-Wittgenstein princes were historically entitled in Germany.Eilers, Marlene. Queen Victoria's Descendants. Rosvall Royal Books, Falkoping, Sweden, 1997. pp.100, 158-159, 179. {{ISBN|91-630-5964-9}}

While the couple were raising their family Princess Benedikte reduced her royal engagements in Denmark, where she spent only about a quarter of her time.

• Gustav, 7th Prince of Sayn-Wittgenstein-Berleburg (born 12 January 1969). On 3 June 2022, he married Carina Axelsson (born 5 August 1968). They have a son and a daughter.
• Princess Alexandra of Sayn-Wittgenstein-Berleburg (born 20 November 1970). She was married on 6 June 1998 at Gråsten Palace to Count Jefferson von Pfeil und Klein-Ellguth (born 12 July 1967). The couple have two children and divorced in 2017. She remarried on 18 May 2019 Count Michael Ahlefeldt-Laurvig-Bille (born 26 February 1965).{{cite web | url=https://www.genealogics.org/getperson.php?personID=I00024441&tree=LEO | title=Alexandra, Prinzessin zu Sayn-Wittgenstein-Berleburg : Genealogics }}
• Princess Nathalie of Sayn-Wittgenstein-Berleburg (born 2 May 1975). On 27 May 2010, she married Alexander Johannsmann (born 6 December 1977). On 15 August 2022, the Danish court confirmed that Nathalie and Johannsmann had divorced.{{cite web | url=https://www.billedbladet.dk/kongelige/danmark/kongehuset-bekraefter-prinsesse-nathalie-er-blevet-skilt | title=Kongehuset bekræfter: Prinsesse Nathalie er blevet skilt | date=15 August 2022 }} They have two children.{{cite web | url=https://www.genealogics.org/getperson.php?personID=I00024443&tree=LEO | title=Nathalie, Prinzessin zu Sayn-Wittgenstein-Berleburg : Genealogics }}

Prince Richard engaged in several conservation programmes, while responsible for managing his family's extensive lands in Germany. He launched a project to re-introduce European bison to the native continent on part of his 32,000 acre estate in North Rhine-Westphalia, credited as a success by Rewilding Europe as part of a larger effort to restore depleted animals across Europe.{{cite web|url=http://www.kunc.org/post/german-prince-plans-put-bison-back-wild|title=German Prince Plans To Put Bison Back In The Wild | KUNC|date=April 2013|publisher=Kunc.org|accessdate=2015-09-05}}

File:Schloss Wittgenstein.jpg Castle]]

In July 2003, he underwent surgery for treatment of prostate cancer; previously, he had undergone treatment for skin cancer.{{cite web |url=http://www.ifrance.com/Archivesgotha/revue.htm |title=iEuropa – News > Infos concernant iEuropa |publisher=Ifrance.com |accessdate=2011-10-24 |url-status=dead |archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20050427101448/http://www.ifrance.com/archivesgotha/revue.htm |archivedate=27 April 2005 |df=dmy-all }}

Prince Richard died suddenly on 13 March 2017 at the castle of Berleburg in Germany.{{cite web|url=http://kongehuset.dk/en/news/his-highness-prince-richard-passes-away|title=His Highness Prince Richard passes away|date=14 March 2017|website=Kongehuset.dk|accessdate=14 March 2017}} He was 82.

{{Infobox hrhstyles|royal name=Prince Richard, 6th Prince of Sayn-Wittgenstein-Berleburg|image=80px|dipstyle=His Highness|offstyle=Your Highness}}

His Highness The Prince of Sayn-Wittgenstein-Berleburg

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• {{flag|Germany}}: Grand Cross of the Order of Merit of the Federal Republic of Germany, 1st Class
• {{flag|Denmark}}: Knight of the Order of the Elephant (R.E.)
• {{flag|Denmark}}: Recipient of the 50th Anniversary Medal of the Arrival of Queen Ingrid to Denmark
• {{flag|Denmark}}: Recipient of the 50th Birthday Medal of Queen Margrethe II
• {{flag|Denmark}}: Recipient of the Silver Anniversary Medal of Queen Margrethe II and Prince Henrik
• {{flag|Denmark}}: Recipient of the Silver Jubilee Medal of Queen Margrethe II
• {{flag|Denmark}}: Recipient of the 100th Anniversary Medal of the Birth of King Frederik IX
• {{flag|Denmark}}: Recipient of the Queen Ingrid Commemorative Medal
• {{flag|Denmark}}: Recipient of the 75th Birthday Medal of Prince Henrik
• {{flag|Denmark}}: Recipient of the 70th Birthday Medal of Queen Margrethe II
• {{flag|Denmark}}: Recipient of the Ruby Jubilee Medal of Queen Margrethe II

• {{Flag|Sweden}}: Commander Grand Cross of the Royal Order of the Polar Star{{cite web|url=https://media.gettyimages.com/id/74115326/photo/swedish-royals-visit-denmark-day-1.jpg?s=2048x2048&w=gi&k=20&c=x4inViNgeb2yx44fn_bHFtXifInc2E1leKnKZ1yu_jE=|title=Image: Princess Benedikte and Prince Richard at the state banquet for Swedish royal couple in May 2007.|website=Getty Images}}
• {{Flag|Spain}}: Knight Grand Cross of the Order of Isabella the Catholic{{cite web|url=http://www.boe.es/boe/dias/1980/04/24/pdfs/A08890-08890.pdf |title=Boletín Oficial del Estado |publisher=Boe.es|accessdate=2015-09-05}}
• {{Flag|Netherlands}}: Grand Cross of the Order of the Crown{{cite web|url=https://media.gettyimages.com/id/466679160/photo/queen-maxima-and-king-willem-alexander-of-the-netherlands-visit-denmark.jpg?s=2048x2048&w=gi&k=20&c=g0pqx7qR2tMrHvc3o2OzbyOPvcdR-VE2miQJiDsEARI=|title=Image: Princess Benedikte and Prince Richard at the state banquet for Dutch royal couple in 2015.|website=Getty Images}}

{{unreferenced section|date=November 2021}}

{{ahnentafel

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|boxstyle_2=background-color: #fb9;

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|1= 1. Richard, 6th Prince of Sayn-Wittgenstein-Berleburg

|2= 2. Gustav Albrecht, 5th Prince of Sayn-Wittgenstein-Berleburg

|3= 3. Margareta Fouché d'Otrante

|4= 4. Richard, 4th Prince of Sayn-Wittgenstein-Berleburg

|5= 5. Princess Madeleine of Löwenstein-Wertheim-Freudenberg

|6= 6. Charles Louis Fouché, 6th Duc d'Otrante

|7= 7. Countess Madeleine Douglas

|8= 8. Prince Gustav of Sayn-Wittgenstein-Berleburg

|9= 9. Baroness Marie von Gemmingen-Hornberg

|10= 10. Prince Alfred of Löwenstein-Wertheim-Freudenberg

|11= 11. Countess Pauline von Reichenbach-Lessonitz

|12= 12. Gustave Fouché, 5th Duc d'Otrante

|13= 13. Baroness Therese von Stedingk

|14= 14. Ludvig Douglas, 12th Count af Skenninge-Stjernorp

|15= 15. Countess Anna Ehrensvärd

}}

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• {{Cite book|last=Bramsen|first=Bo|year=1992|title=Huset Glücksborg. Europas svigerfader og hans efterslægt.|trans-title=The House of Glücksburg. The Father-in-law of Europe and his descendants|edition=2nd|publisher=Forlaget Forum|location=Copenhagen|isbn=87-553-1843-6|language=da}}
• {{Cite book|last1=Lerche|first1=Anna|last2=Mandal|first2=Marcus|year=2003|title=A royal family : the story of Christian IX and his European descendants|location=Copenhagen|publisher=Aschehoug|isbn=9788715109577}}

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• [http://en.rodovid.org/wk/Person:84021 Richard Sayn-Wittgenstein-Berleburg] on Rodovid

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{{S-hou|House of Sayn-Wittgenstein-Berleburg|29 October|1934||}}

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{{S-bef|before=Prince Gustav Albrecht}}

{{S-tul|title=Prince of Sayn-Wittgenstein-Berleburg|years=1969–2017|reason=German Revolution of 1918-19}}

{{S-aft|after=Prince Gustav}}

{{s-end}}

{{Use dmy dates|date=January 2017}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:Richard, 6th Prince Of Sayn-Wittgenstein-Berleburg}}

Category:1934 births

Category:2017 deaths

Category:People from Giessen

Category:Princes of Sayn-Wittgenstein-Berleburg

Category:House of Sayn-Wittgenstein

Category:University of Göttingen alumni

Category:Grand Crosses 1st class of the Order of Merit of the Federal Republic of Germany

Category:Commanders Grand Cross of the Order of the Polar Star

Category:Recipients of the Order of Isabella the Catholic

Category:Knights Grand Cross of the Order of Isabella the Catholic

Category:Recipients of the Order of the Crown (Netherlands)

Category:Grand Crosses of the Order of the Crown (Netherlands)

Category:Pretenders