House of Urach
| House of Urach | |
|---|---|
 |
|
| Country | Germany and Lithuania |
| Parent house | House of Württemberg |
| Titles |
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| Founded | 1867–Wilhelm, Duke of Urach, younger surviving son of Duke Wilhelm of Württemberg, younger brother of King Frederick I of Württemberg. Roots: 1024 (as Württemberg). |
| Final ruler |
Lithuania:
Mindaugas II (1918) |
The House of Urach is a morganatic cadet branch of the formerly royal House of Württemberg. Although the Württemberg dynasty was one of many reigning over small realms in Germany into the 20th century, and despite the fact that marital misalliance in these dynasties usually disinherited the descendants thereof, the Dukes of Urach unusually managed to elicit consideration for candidacy for the thrones of several European states, viz. the Kingdom of Württemberg, the Principality of Monaco, the abortive Kingdom of Lithuania and even the Principality of Albania. Although none of these prospects came to fruition, they reflected monarchical attempts to accommodate the rapid shifts in national allegiance, regime and international alliances that intensified throughout the 19th century, leading up to and following Europe's Great War of 1914-1918.
The Duchy of Württemberg in southwest Germany often found itself in the theatre of war as French and Austrian armies fought to extend the hegemony of the rival houses of Bourbon and Habsburg on the European continent. During the 17th and 18th centuries the duchy resisted repeated French invasions.
Although Württemberg's Duke Frederick III was nominally a subject of the Holy Roman Emperor Francis II, as an ally of Napoleon I he assumed the higher title of Elector in 1803, and when the Holy Roman Empire was abolished in 1806 leaving the Duchy of Württemberg without a suzerain, the Elector embraced complete independence, assuming the title King of Württemberg.
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Wikipedia