Saxe-Coburg and Gotha

Duchy of Saxe-Coburg and Gotha
*Herzogtum Sachsen-Coburg und Gotha* (German)
Duchy of Saxe-Coburg and Gotha Herzogtum Sachsen-Coburg und Gotha (German)
1826–1918
	Flag Coat of arms
	The Duchy of Saxe-Coburg and Gotha (red) within the German Empire
Capital	Gotha; (northern part); Coburg (southern part)
Common languages	German (Central Thuringian & East Franconian)
Government	Constitutional monarchy
Duke
• 1826–1844	Ernest I
• 1844–1893	Ernest II
• 1893–1900	Alfred
• 1900–1918	Charles Edward
History
• Established	1826
• German Revolution	18 November 1918
Currency	Conventionsthaler (to 1837); Saxon thaler (1837–57); Saxon Vereinsthaler (1841–76); German gold mark (1873–1914); Papiermark (1914–18);
Preceded by	Succeeded by
	Saxe-Coburg-Saalfeld
	Saxe-Gotha-Altenburg
Free State of Coburg
Free State of Saxe-Gotha
Free State of Gotha

Saxe-Coburg and Gotha (German: Sachsen-Coburg und Gotha), or Saxe-Coburg-Gotha (German: Sachsen-Coburg-Gotha [ˈzaksn̩ ˈkoːbʊʁk ˈɡoːtaː]), was an Ernestine duchy in Thuringia ruled by a branch of the House of Wettin, consisting of territories in the present-day states of Thuringia and Bavaria in Germany.^[1] It lasted from 1826 to 1918. In November 1918, Charles Edward, Duke of Saxe-Coburg and Gotha, was forced to abdicate. In 1920, the northern part of the duchy (since 1918 the Free State of Gotha; culturally and linguistically Thuringian) was merged with six other Thuringian free states to form the Free State of Thuringia: Saxe-Weimar-Eisenach (until 1918 a grand duchy), Saxe-Altenburg and Saxe-Meiningen (until 1918 duchies), Schwarzburg-Rudolstadt and Schwarzburg-Sondershausen (until 1918 principalities), as well as the People's State of Reuss (until 1918 the principalities of Reuss-Gera and Reuss-Greiz). The southern part of the duchy (since 1918 the Free State of Coburg; culturally and linguistically Franconian), as southernmost of the Thuringian states, was the only one which, after a referendum, became part of the Free State of Bavaria.^[2]

The name Saxe-Coburg-Gotha also refers to the family of the ruling House of Saxe-Coburg and Gotha, which played many varied roles in the dynastic and political history of Europe in the 19th and 20th centuries. In the early part of the 20th century, before the First World War, it was the family of the sovereigns of the United Kingdom, Belgium, Portugal, Bulgaria, and Saxe-Coburg-Gotha. In 1910, the Portuguese king was deposed, and the same thing occurred in Saxe-Coburg-Gotha in 1918 and in Bulgaria in 1946. As of 2024^[update], a branch of the family still reigns in Belgium. The former Tsar of Bulgaria, Simeon II (reigned 1943–46), kept his surname while serving as the Prime Minister of Bulgaria from 2001 to 2005.

^ See also Davies, Norman (2012). Vanished Kingdoms: The Rise and Fall of States and Nations. Penguin Books. pp. 539–573. ISBN 978-0-1431-2295-1.
^ Winterbottom, Derek (31 July 2016). The Grand Old Duke of York: A Life of Prince Frederick, Duke of York and Albany 1763 1827. Pen and Sword. p. 181. ISBN 978-1-4738-4580-0.

[1] See also Davies, Norman (2012). Vanished Kingdoms: The Rise and Fall of States and Nations. Penguin Books. pp. 539–573. ISBN 978-0-1431-2295-1.

[2] Winterbottom, Derek (31 July 2016). The Grand Old Duke of York: A Life of Prince Frederick, Duke of York and Albany 1763 1827. Pen and Sword. p. 181. ISBN 978-1-4738-4580-0.

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