Alfred, Hereditary Prince Of Saxe-Coburg And Gotha

Alfred, Hereditary Prince of Saxe-Coburg and Gotha (Alfred Alexander William Ernest Albert), was born on 15 October 1874 in Buckingham Palace, London. He was the son of Prince Alfred, Duke of Edinburgh, and Grand Duchess Maria Alexandrovna of Russia. His paternal grandparents were Queen Victoria and Prince Albert, while his maternal grandparents were Emperor Alexander II of Russia and Princess Marie of Hesse and by Rhine.

He was baptized on 23 November 1874 in the Lower Bow Room of Buckingham Palace by Archibald Campbell Tait, the Archbishop of Canterbury. His godparents included Queen Victoria, the Emperor of Russia (represented by his son Tsesarevich Alexander), the German Emperor (represented by Prince Arthur, Duke of Connaught), the German Crown Princess (represented by Princess Christian of Schleswig-Holstein), the Duke of Saxe-Coburg and Gotha (represented by Prince Christian of Schleswig-Holstein), and the Prince of Wales.

In 1893, following the death of Ernest II, Duke of Saxe-Coburg and Gotha—who died without legitimate heirs—the succession to the duchy was determined under house law. The Prince of Wales had previously renounced his claim, making Alfred's father, then the Duke of Edinburgh, the heir apparent, and Alfred became the Hereditary Prince of Saxe-Coburg and Gotha.

During his early life, Alfred resided at Clarence House with his family. After his father succeeded as the Duke of Saxe-Coburg and Gotha, Alfred moved to Schloss Rosenau near Coburg.

On 23 January 1899, Alfred’s parents celebrated their 25th wedding anniversary at Schloss Friedenstein in Gotha. Alfred, reportedly gravely ill during the event, was absent. The circumstances of his death are not entirely clear; accounts vary, with some sources suggesting he "broke down," others indicating he had consumption, a tumor, or that he died by suicide, possibly by shooting himself with a revolver. The theory of suicide has been circulated in some narratives, including claims by Frank Bush of a secret marriage and resulting friction, but lacks conclusive evidence.

Alfred was cared for at Schloss Friedenstein for three days following his injury before being transferred to the Martinsbrunn Sanatorium in Gratsch near Meran, in Austria-Hungary (now Italy). He died there on 6 February 1899 at the age of 24 at 4:15 pm. He was buried in the ducal mausoleum at Friedhof am Glockenberg in Coburg.

Following his death, in July 1899, his uncle the Duke of Connaught and his son Prince Arthur of Connaught renounced their rights to succeed in Saxe-Coburg and Gotha. Consequently, his first cousin, Prince Charles Edward, Duke of Albany, became the heir presumptive.

Alfred held the title of His Royal Highness Prince Alfred of Edinburgh until 23 August 1893, after which he was styled as His Royal Highness The Hereditary Prince of Saxe-Coburg and Gotha until his death in 1899. He received various honors and decorations during his lifetime. As a male-line grandson of the British Sovereign, he bore the royal arms with specific differencing to signify his line of descent.

His ancestors include prominent members of European royal families, notably Queen Victoria, Prince Albert, and Russian Emperor Alexander II.

In popular culture, he was portrayed by Chad Connell as Albert in the episode "The Prince and the Rebel" (2008) of the Canadian television series "Murdoch Mysteries."