Hans Heinrich XV
| Hans Heinrich XV | |
|---|---|
 |
|
| Prince of Pless | |
| Reign | 1907–1938 |
| Predecessor | Hans Heinrich XI |
| Successor | Hans Heinrich XVII |
| Born |
23 April 1861 Pless, Silesia (now Pszczyna, Poland) |
| Died | 31 January 1938 (aged 76) Paris, France |
| Spouse |
Mary Theresa Olivia Cornwallis-West m. 1891 – div. 1922 Clotilde de Silva y Gonzales de Candamo m. 1925 – div. 1934 |
| Issue | Hans Heinrich XVII Alexander Bolko Beatrice Conrad |
| House | |
| Father | Hans Heinrich XI |
| Mother | Maria von Kleist |
Hans Heinrich XV von Hochberg (Polish: Jan Henryk XV, 23 April 1861 – 31 January 1938) was Prince of Pless (Pszczyna), Count von Hochberg and Baron of Fürstenstein (Książ). He was the husband (1891–1923) of Mary Theresa Olivia Hochberg von Pless, also known as Princess Daisy.
A member of one of the wealthiest European noble families, he was the owner of large estates and coal mines in Silesia (Poland) which brought him enormous fortune and his extravagant lifestyle coupled with disastrous events and political and family scandals were tasty morsels for the international press.
He was born on April 23, 1861, in Pless, now known as Pszczyna in Poland. He was the son of Hans Heinrich XI and Maria von Kleist. In 1879 he graduated from the exclusive St. Mary Magdalene high school in Breslau. He then studied economics at the universities of Berlin, Geneva and Bonn. Later the studies prepared him to manage the wealth of the Hochberg family in Silesia. At the age of 22 Hans Heinrich XV, the son of a duke (Herzog von Pless) received from Emperor Wilhelm I a lower princely title and officially became the Fürst von Pless (Prince of Pless). In the years 1881–1882 he served in the German Imperial Army, first as a volunteer in the Royal Hussar regiment and later the Guard Hussars. After two years he left the army as a lieutenant. Between 1882 and 1885 he participated in a long, eventful hunting trip around the world and visited, among others, India and North America. After his return, he joined the Ministry of Foreign Affairs in Berlin, Germany. There he met and became friend with the young heir to the throne William Hohenzollern (later Emperor Wilhelm II). In 1886, Hans Heinrich XV was moved to a diplomatic post in Brussels, and a year later he became an attaché at the embassy in Paris.
In 1890, Hans Heinrich XV was awarded the position of secretary at the German embassy in London. There he met and proposed to the younger Mary Theresa Olivia Cornwallis-West called Daisy. Since the Cornwallis-West family was impoverished, the Hochbergs were forced to pay and organise the wedding. The wedding ceremony took place at St. Margaret's in Westminster on 8 December 1891. Notable witnesses were Edward, Prince of Wales (later King Edward VII) and his wife Princess Alexandra, while Queen Victoria personally gave the couple her blessing. They began their married life by traveling throughout Europe, Africa, Asia and America. As a wedding gift from Hans Heinrich XI, the senior head of the house, the young couple received Schloss Fürstenstein near Waldenburg , where they hosted the finest European aristocracy throughout their entire marriage. The couple had four children:
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