Bernhard, was the head of the House of Saxe-Meiningen from 1946 until his death.
Background
Bernhard was born in Köln the third son of Prince Frederick Johann of Saxe-Meiningen and Countess Adelaide of Lippe-Biesterfeld. His father was the second son of Georg II, Duke of Saxe-Meiningen and his mother a daughter of Count Ernst of Lippe-Biesterfeld.
Career
Three weeks later he was arrested while trying to return to his castle of Pitzelstaetten
Bernhard was married morganatically to Margot Grössler (1911–1998), a merchant"s daughter from Breslau (today: Wrocław) in Eichenhof im Riesengebirge on 25 April 1931. This union ended in divorce on 10 June 1947. They had two children, both of whom had no succession rights:
Feodora Prinzessin von Sachsen-Meiningen (born Schloß Pitselstettin, 27 April 1932), married on 8 August 1967 to Burkhard Kippenberg.
Bernhard married secondly in Ziegenberg über Bad Nauheim on 11 August 1948 to Baroness Vera Schäffer of Bernstein (1914–1994).
They had three children, all with full rights to the succession to the house of Saxe-Meiningen:
Princess Eleonore Adelaide of Saxe-Meiningen (b Ziegenberg, 9 November 1950), married on 21 May 1983 to Peter Eric Rosden. Prince Frederick Konrad of Saxe-Meiningen (born Ziegenberg, 14 April 1952).
Princess Almut of Saxe-Meiningen (born Bützbach, 25 September 1959), married on 16 October 1993 to Eberhard von Braunschweig.