Maurice, Landgrave of Hesse

Encyclopedia : M : MA : MAU : Maurice, Landgrave of Hesse

Maurice Frederick Charles Emmanuel Humbert, Prince and Landgrave of Hesse-Kassel (German: Moritz Friedrich Karl Emanuel Humbert Landgraf von Hessen-Kassel) (b. August 6, 1926) is the son of Prince Philip, Landgrave of Hesse and is the head of the House of Hesse.

During the Second World War, Moritz's father was arrested by the Gestapo and his mother, Princess Mafalda of Italy, was detained and imprisoned at and eventually died in Buchenwald concentration camp. Following his adoption by Prince Louis of Hesse and by Rhine the last head of the Hesse-Darmstadt line in 1961 he inherited the claim to the title of Grand Duke of Hesse and by Rhine[link]. He married Princess Tatjana of Sayn-Wittgenstein-Berleburg. Their marriage took place in the summer of 1964 in Giessen and ended in divorce in 1974. Moritz became the head of the Hesse-Kassel line on the death of his father Philip on October 25, 1980, thus becoming head of the entire House of Hesse. In 1989, his uncle Prince Wolfgang of Hesse died, whereby Maurice inherited his rights to the much earlier defuncted monarchy of Finland.

Tatiana and Maurice had four children:

• HH Princess Mafalda Margarethe of Hesse (b. 6 Jul, 1965) married 1st, Enrico dei Conti Marone Cinzano in 1989, no issue. Married 2nd, Carlo Galdo in 1991 and had two daughters. Married 3rd Ferdinando dei Conti Brachetti-Peretti in 2000 and had two sons.
• HRH Hereditary Prince Heinrich Donatus Philipp Umberto of Hesse (b. 17 Oct, 1966) married Countess Floria of Faber-Castell in 2003, no issue.
• HH Princess Elena Elisabeth Madeleine of Hesse (b. 8 Nov, 1967)
• HH Prince Philipp Robin of Hesse (b. 17 Sep, 1970)