SaxeCoburgGotha

The House of Saxe-Coburg and Gotha is a European royal house. It originated in 1826 when Duke Ernest I of Saxe-Gotha and Altenburg separated his duchy from Saxe-Hildburghausen and inherited the duchy of Saxe-Coburg-Saalfeld. The senior line, Saxe-Coburg and Gotha, became extinct in 1918 with the abdication of Duke Charles Edward. The ducal title then passed to the cadet branch of Saxe-Coburg and Gotha-Koháry.

The royal house gained prominence through its connections to several European monarchies. Leopold I, the first King of the Belgians, was a member of the house, as was his niece, Victoria, Queen of the United Kingdom. Queen Victoria's marriage to Prince Albert of Saxe-Coburg and Gotha established the British royal family's connection to the house. Their son, Edward VII, and grandson, George V, all belonged to the Saxe-Coburg and Gotha line. In 1917, during World War I, George V changed the name of the British royal house to Windsor due to anti-German sentiment.

Other European royal families descended from or connected to the House of Saxe-Coburg and Gotha include those of Portugal, Bulgaria, and Sweden. The house's influence and presence across various European thrones reflect its historical significance in the continent's royal landscape. The name itself signifies the unification of two former duchies within the Ernestine line of the Wettin dynasty.