Leopold II, Prince of Lippe

For other uses, see Leopold II.

Leopold II of Lippe (Paul Alexander Leopold; 6 November 1796 – 1 January 1851) was the sovereign of the Principality of Lippe. He succeeded to the throne in 1802, and in 1820 he assumed control of the government from his mother, who had been acting as regent due to his youth at accession.

Leopold II
Portrait of Leopold II with his family
Prince of Lippe
Reign	5 November 1802 – 1 January 1851
Predecessor	Leopold I
Successor	Leopold III
Born	(1796-11-06)6 November 1796 Detmold
Died	1 January 1851(1851-01-01) (aged 54) Detmold
Spouse	Princess Emilie of Schwarzburg-Sondershausen ​ ​ (m. 1820)​
Issue	Leopold III, Prince of Lippe Princess Luise Woldemar, Prince of Lippe Princess Friederike Prince Friedrich Prince Hermann Alexander, Prince of Lippe Prince Karl Princess Pauline
House	Lippe
Father	Leopold I, Prince of Lippe
Mother	Pauline of Anhalt-Bernburg

Biography

Leopold II was born in Detmold, the eldest child of Leopold I, the reigning prince of Lippe and his consort Princess Pauline of Anhalt-Bernburg (1769–1820). He succeeded as Prince of Lippe on his father's death on 5 November 1802. As he was just six years old, his mother Princess Pauline acted as regent until 3 July 1820, when he assumed control of the government.^[1] During the regency, his mother had introduced a constitution in 1819 which created an assembly which at the time had more executive powers than any other assembly in Germany.^[2]

In 1825, he constructed a Court Theatre. Among those to perform at the theatre were Albert Lortzing and Ludwig Devrient, who were employed there from 1826 to 1833.^[3]

In the last years of his reign, the revolutions of 1848 broke out across all of Germany. Following his death in Detmold, he was succeeded on the throne by his eldest son Leopold III.^[4]

Marriage and children

Prince Leopold was married in Arnstadt on 23 April 1820 to Princess Emilie of Schwarzburg-Sondershausen (1800–1867), a daughter of Günther Friedrich Karl I, Prince of Schwarzburg-Sondershausen, and Princess Caroline of Schwarzburg-Rudolstadt. They had nine children:

• Leopold III, Prince of Lippe (1821–1875), married to princess Elisabeth of Schwarzburg-Rudolstadt (1833–1896) on 17 April 1852.
• Princess Luise of Lippe (1822–1887)
• Woldemar, Prince of Lippe (1824–1895), married to Princess Sophie of Baden (7 August 1834 – 6 April 1904) on 9 November 1858.
• Princess Friederike of Lippe (1825–1897)
• Prince Friedrich of Lippe (1827–1854)
• Prince Hermann of Lippe (1829–1884)
• Alexander, Prince of Lippe (1831–1905)
• Prince Karl of Lippe (1832–1834)
• Princess Pauline of Lippe (1834–1906)

Ancestry

Ancestors of Leopold II, Prince of Lippe

16. Frederick Adolphus, Count of Lippe-Detmold 8. Simon Henry Adolph, Count of Lippe-Detmold 17. Johanna Elisabeth of Nassau-Dillenburg 4. Simon August, Count of Lippe-Detmold 18. George August, Count of Nassau-Idstein 9. Countess Johanna Wilhelmina of Nassau-Idstein 19. Princess Henriette Dorothea of Oettingen 2. Leopold I, Prince of Lippe 20. Leopold I, Prince of Anhalt-Dessau 10. Leopold II, Prince of Anhalt-Dessau 21. Anna Louise Föhse 5. Maria Leopoldine of Anhalt-Dessau 22. Leopold, Prince of Anhalt-Köthen 11. Gisela Agnes of Anhalt-Köthen 23. Frederica Henriette of Anhalt-Bernburg 1. Leopold II, Prince of Lippe 24. Charles Frederick, Prince of Anhalt-Bernburg 12. Victor Frederick, Prince of Anhalt-Bernburg 25. Countess Sophie Albertine of Solms-Sonnenwalde 6. Frederick Albert, Prince of Anhalt-Bernburg 26. Albert Frederick, Margrave of Brandenburg-Schwedt 13. Albertine of Brandenburg-Schwedt 27. Princess Maria Dorothea of Courland 3. Pauline of Anhalt-Bernburg 28. Prince Christian Charles of Schleswig-Holstein-Sonderburg-Plön-Norburg 14. Frederick Charles, Duke of Schleswig-Holstein-Sonderburg-Plön 29. Dorothea Christina of Aichelberg 7. Louise Albertine of Schleswig-Holstein-Sonderburg-Plön 30. Christian Detlev, Count von Reventlow 15. Christine Armgard von Reventlow 31. Benedikta Margareta Brockdorff