Title: House of Wettin Content: The House of Wettin was a dynasty of German counts, dukes, prince-electors (Kurfürsten) and kings that ruled in what is known today as the German states of Saxony and Thuringia for more than 800 years. Members of the Wettin family were also kings of Poland, as well as forming the ruling houses of Great Britain, Portugal, Bulgaria, Poland, Saxony, and Belgium. Today only the British and Belgian lines still rule their countries, but the last Tsar of Bulgaria, Simeon II, was Prime Minister of Bulgaria between 2001 and 2005. Simeon Saxe-Coburg-Gotha is the only ex-king who has ever returned to his country as an elected leader. == Origins: Wettins of Saxony == The oldest known member of the House of Wettin was Thiedericus (died 982). Around 1000, as part of the German conquest of Slavic territory, the family got Wettin Castle and changed their name. It was usual for noblemen to change their name to the name of their territory. Wettin Castle is located in Wettin, Saxony- Anhalt in the Hosgau on the Saale River. Lexikon des Mittelalters, vol. IX, col. 50, Munich 1969-1999 == Branches of the House of Wettin == The House split into two main branches, the Ernestine and the Albertine. The descendants of Ernest often subdivided their land and ended up with a lot of small duchies, but one (Saxe-Coburg and Gotha) became very important. Ernest's younger brother was Albert. His descendants became Electors of Saxony, and in 1806, Kings of Saxony === The House of Saxe-Coburg and Gotha === Descendants of the Dukes of Saxe-Coburg and Gotha have become: * kings of Belgium (from 1831) and * Bulgaria (1908 - 1946) and also husbands of the queens of * Portugal (Ferdinand II of Portugal) and * the United Kingdom (Prince Albert, husband of Queen Victoria). The wife of the Emperor of Mexico (Carlota of Mexico) was also a member of the house of Saxe-Coburg and Gotha. As such, the British, Portuguese, and for a time, Mexican, thrones became a possession of persons who belonged to the House of Wettin. During World War I the British Royal Family changed the name as well as their personal surnames to Windsor by an Order-in-Council of King George V. The Kings of Belgiums now do not use the Saxe-Coburg and Gotha name, but have never officially changed it. === List of branches of the House of Wettin === * Margraves of Meissen * Dukes of Saxony, Landgraves of Thuringia * Electors of Saxony * Dukes of Saxe-Coburg * Dukes of Saxe-Altenburg (first line of Altenburg) * Dukes of Saxe-Weimar * Dukes of Saxe-Eisenach * Dukes of Saxe-Gotha * Dukes of Saxe-Gotha and Altenburg (second line of Altenburg) * Dukes of Saxe-Meiningen * Dukes of Saxe- Hildburghausen, then Dukes of Saxe-Altenburg (third line of Altenburg) * Dukes of Saxe-Coburg (Gotha later added) * Kings and Queen of the United Kingdom (House of Windsor) * Princes of Saxe-Coburg-Kohary * Kings of Portugal (Saxe- Coburg-Braganza, last reigning Royal House of Portugal) * Kings of Bulgaria (sometimes had been known as "Kohary" and as "Sakskoburggotski") * Kings of Belgium * Dukes of "Saxe-Dresden" * Electors of Saxony * Kings of Saxony, currently Prinz/ Prinzessin von Sachsen * Saxe-Zeitz * Saxe-Merseburg * Saxe- Weissenfels * Dukes of Saxony, Landgraves of Thuringia, Dukes of Luxembourg * Saxe-Landsberg * Saxe-Lauenberg ==Related pages== * Rulers of Saxony, a list containing many Wettins * Wettin, Saxony-Anhalt, the city from which the Wettin dynasty originated