King Charles III’s first cousin Maximilian, Margrave of Baden, has died at the age of 89.
The House of Baden issued a statement on its website announcing that the Margrave of Baden died in the early hours on 29 December at Salem Castle, Germany.
Also known as Max Markgraf von Baden, he was the son of Prince Philip’s older sister, Princess Theodora of Greece and Denmark, making him the nephew of the late royal.
The statement said: “Max Margrave of Baden died in the early morning hours of December 29, 2022 in Salem Castle.
“Since 1963, Max Margrave of Baden was head of the house at the head of the formerly ruling Grand Ducal Baden Princely House, which from 1112 to 1918 provided the sovereigns in the Baden part of today’s federal state of Baden-Württemberg.”
“His successor as head of the House of Baden is Bernhard Margrave of Baden, the previous hereditary prince.”
Max Markgraf von Baden was born in 1933 and grew up near the Lake Constance region in Germany, according to the House of Baden website.
He attended Gordonstoun boarding school in Scotland, where King Charles and Prince Philip were also students.
He married Archduchess Valerie of Austria Several in 1966. The couple had four children and four grandchildren.
After his active service in the Bundeswehr (the German armed forces), he continued to serve as a reserve officer until 1990 and was made a colonel.
In 1982, Max Markgraf von Baden founded the non-profit organisation, GermanAid-Baden, to provide support to refugees across the world.
According to House of Baden’s official website, there will be two funeral services held for Max Margrave of Baden.
There will be an open funeral for friends, acquaintances and employees, while a closed funeral service will be held for the family circle and political representatives. The dates of the funeral services are expected to be announced shortly.
