⭐ 🔴 Adieu à une doyenne du Gotha : la duchesse Marie-Alix de Schleswig-Holstein (1923-2021)

La duchesse Marie-Alix de Schleswig-Holstein à l'occasion de son 95e anniversaire. Photo gracieuseté de Fürst Alexander zu Schaumburg-Lippe / Stiftung Louisenlund.

Le lundi 1er novembre 2021, la duchesse douairière Marie-Alix de Schleswig-Holstein est décédée paisiblement dans sa maison de Gut Bienebek dans le Holstein. Elle avait 98 ans. Les quatre enfants de la duchesse étaient à ses côtés lorsqu'elle est décédée dans son sommeil. Après son décès, la famille a publié un bref communiqué : « C'est dans une profonde tristesse et plein d'amour que nous disons au revoir à notre mère, grand-mère et arrière-grand-mère et que nous nous souvenons de sa vie mouvementée et épanouissante avec respect et immense gratitude. »

Le mariage du prince Stéphane de Schaumburg-Lippe et de la duchesse Ingeborg d'Oldenbourg, 1921.

Le prince Stéphane et la princesse Ingeborg avec la princesse Marie-Alix et le jeune prince Georg-Moritz. Photo (c) David McIntosh.

Née le 2 avril 1923 à Bückeburg, la princesse Marie-Alix de Schaumbourg-Lippe était la première enfant et la seule fille du prince Stéphane de Schaumbourg-Lippe (1891-1965) et de la duchesse Ingeborg d'Oldenbourg (1901-1996), qui se sont mariés en 1921. Marie-Alix eut un frère cadet, le prince Georg-Moritz de Schaumbourg-Lippe (1924-1970), qui mourut malheureusement dans un accident de voiture à l'âge de quarante-six ans. Son père Stéphane étant un diplomate allemand, Marie-Alix vécut avec sa famille à Sofia, en Bulgarie, à Rome, en Italie, à Rio de Janeiro, au Brésil, à Buenos Aires, en Argentine, et à Santiago, au Chili. Après la fin de la Seconde Guerre mondiale, Marie-Alix passa du temps avec ses parents maternels d'Oldenbourg à Lensahn, Ostholstein.

Fürst Georg zu Schaumburg-Lippe.

Fürstin Marie zu Schaumburg-Lippe.

Grand-Duc Frédéric Auguste II d'Oldenbourg.

Grande-Duchesse Elisabeth d'Oldenbourg.

Les grands-parents paternels de Marie-Alix étaient Fürst Georg de Schaumburg-Lippe (1846-1911) et son épouse la princesse Marie de Saxe-Altenbourg (1864-1918). Ses grands-parents maternels étaient le grand-duc Frédéric-Auguste II d'Oldenbourg (1851-1932) et sa seconde épouse, la duchesse Elisabeth de Mecklembourg-Schwerin (1869-1955). Marie-Alix était la cousine germaine du duc Anton-Günther d'Oldenbourg, Fürstin Eilika de Leiningen, Fürst Wittekind de Waldeck et Pyrmont, Fürstin Guda de Wied et Fürst Philipp-Ernst de Schaumburg-Lippe.

Duc Pierre de Schleswig-Holstein. Photo (c) David McIntosh.

Prince Friedrich Ferdinand zu Schaumburg-Lippe and Princess Marie Melita zu Hohenlohe-Langenburg on their wedding day.

Left to right: Duke Friedrich Ferdinand, Prince Peter, and Princess Marie-Alix. Photo (c) David McIntosh.

On 9 October 1947 at Glücksburg, Princess Marie-Alix married Prince Friedrich Ernst Peter of Schleswig-Holstein (1922-1980). Peter was the third child and son of Duke Friedrich Ferdinand of Schleswig-Holstein (1891-1965) and his wife Princess Marie Melita of Hohenlohe-Langenburg (1899-1967). Peter and Marie-Alix were third cousins; they were both descendants of Fürst Georg of Schaumburg-Lippe (1784-1860) and his wife Princess Ida of Waldeck and Pyrmont (1796-1869). Peter and Marie-Alix made their home at Gut Bienebek, Rendsburg-Eckernförde. Aged fifty-seven, Marie-Alix became a widow in 1980 when her husband Peter died at the rather young age of fifty-eight. The duchess remained devoted to Schleswig-Holstein from her marriage until her last breath.

Left to right: Princess Marita, Prince Alexander, Duke Christoph, and Princess Ingeborg. Photo (c) David McIntosh.

Princess Barbara with her mother-in-law Duchess Marie-Alix at the wedding of Hereditary Prince Bernhard of Baden, 2001. Photo (c) Seeger-Presse.

Duchess Marie-Alix together with her son Duke Christoph and daughter-in-law Duchess Elisabeth attend the funeral of Fürst Philipp-Ernst zu Schaumburg-Lippe, 2003.

Duke Peter and Duchess Marie-Alix of Schleswig-Holstein had four children, two girls and two boys: Princess Marita (b.1948; married in 1975 to Baron Wilfried von Plotho), Duke Christoph (b.1949; married in 1981 to Princess Elisabeth zur Lippe-Weissenfeld), Prince Alexander (b.1953; married in 1994 to Barbara Beata Fertsch), and Princess Ingeborg (b.1956; married in 1991 to Nikolaus Broschek).

Birthday cheers! Duchess Marie-Alix celebrates her 95th birthday surrounded by students of Louisenlund while her daughter Princess Ingeborg happily looks at her much loved mother. Photo (c) Stiftung Louisenlund.

Duchess Marie-Alix of Schleswig-Holstein was a co-founder of the Louisenlund Foundation in 1949. This institution was envisioned by her father-in-law Duke Friedrich Ferdinand, and its mission was made a reality by continued support from her husband Duke Peter, her son Duke Christoph, and her daughter Princess Ingeborg. According to its website, Louisenlund “has created a school system with learning and teaching methods which prepare students for the future. To be equipped for the future students must develop social awareness and a strong personality. Since the very beginning, the private foundation, Louisenlund has strived to achieve a holistic education for its students. Moreover, Louisenlund is embedded in a network of international contacts and partner schools. Around 440 students benefit from an education in a global environment whilst enjoying, at the same time the familiar atmosphere of the campus.” Princess Ingeborg, the youngest child of the duchess, is the current chairperson of the foundation’s Board of Governors as well as of the Board of Trustees. The original uniform of Louisenlund students was created from a blue sweater out of Duke Friedrich Ferdinand’s wardrobe and a red sock from his daughter-in-law Duchess Marie-Alix’s closet which served as the collar.

Fürst Friedrich Wilhelm of Hohenzollern and Duchess Marie-Alix at the wedding of Hereditary Prince Bernhard of Baden, 2001.

Duchess Marie-Alix with her children Princess Ingeborg and Duke Christoph attend the memorial service for Fürst Kraft zu Hohenlohe-Langenburg, 2004.

Princess Marianne of Baden and Duchess Marie-Alix attend the funeral of Prince Georg Wilhelm of Hannover, 2006. Photo (c) Seeger-Presse.

For many decades, Duchess Marie-Alix of Schleswig-Holstein was the Vice-President of the regional branch of the German Red Cross in Holstein. As shown by her dedication to the Louisenlund Foundation, the duchess was particularly keen on the betterment of young people and youth development.