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Christian, Duke of Oldenburg (German: Christian Nikolaus Udo Peter Herzog von Oldenburg; born 1 February 1955) is the head of the Grand Ducal Family of Oldenburg.

Family and life

Christian was born in Rastede, Lower Saxony, the only son of Duke Anton-Günther of Oldenburg and his wife Princess Ameli of Löwenstein-Wertheim-Freudenberg (b. 1923). Christian has an elder sister, Duchess Helene (b. 1953) who is unmarried. Christian has a diploma in Business.

Christian is a great-grandson of the last Grand Duke of Oldenburg to reign, Frederick Augustus II and through his mother he is related to the Princes of Löwenstein-Wertheim-Freudenberg, who belong to a morganatic branch of the House of Wittelsbach descending from Frederick I, Elector Palatine.

Christian became heir to the headship of the Grand Ducal family on 3 April 1970 when his grandfather Hereditary Grand Duke Nikolaus died. According to his father's obituary issued by the family his ancestral titles (however not all part of his official German surname) are: HRH The Duke of Oldenburg, Heir in Norway, Duke of Schleswig, Holstein, Stormarn, Dithmarschen and Oldenburg, Prince of Lübeck and Birkenfeld, Lord of Jever and Knyphausen.

The ancestral home of the House of Oldenburg is Oldenburg castle, nowadays a museum owned by the state. Present seats of the Duke of Oldenburg are Rastede Palace near Oldenburg and Güldenstein Manor, Harmsdorf, in Schleswig-Holstein. Eutin Castle in Schleswig-Holstein is a museum owned by a family foundation set up by his father.

• Schloss Oldenburg
• Rastede Palace
• Güldenstein Manor, Harmsdorf
• Eutin Castle

Marriage and children

Christian married on 26 September 1987 at Pronstorf Countess Caroline zu Rantzau (b. 1962), daughter of Count Christian Karl zu Rantzau (1924-2002) and his wife Heloise von Lettow-Vorbeck (b. 1923). They have four children.

Ancestry

Notes

1. Regarding personal names: Herzog was a title before 1919, but now is regarded as part of the surname. It is translated as Duke. Before the August 1919 abolition of nobility as a legal class, titles preceded the full name when given (Graf Helmuth James von Moltke). Since 1919, these titles, along with any nobiliary prefix (von, zu, etc.), can be used, but are regarded as a dependent part of the surname, and thus come after any given names (Helmuth James Graf von Moltke). Titles and all dependent parts of surnames are ignored in alphabetical sorting. The feminine form is Herzogin.

References

1. ^ Genealogisches Handbuch des Adels, Fürstliche Häuser [Genealogical Handbook of the Nobility, Princely Houses] (in German). Vol. XVII. Oldenburg: C.A. Starke Verlag. 2004. pp. 61–63. ISBN 9783798008335.
2. McIntosh, David. The Grand Dukes of Oldenburg. Rosvall Royal Books, 2007, Elanders, Sweden. pp. 14, 67, 71–72. ISBN 91-975671-3-2.

External links

• Marek, Miroslav. "Genealogy.euweb". Genealogy.EU.
• Website of the Herzoglich Oldenburgische Verwaltung (Ducal Oldenburgian Administration) at Güldenstein (with image of Duke Christian)

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