Julius Eduard Prince of Anhalt, usually referred to as Prince Eduard, is the head of the House of Ascania, the family which ruled the Duchy of Anhalt until 1918.
Background
Eduard was born at Schloss Ballenstedt in Ballenstedt, in what is now the German state of Saxony-Anhalt, the youngest of the five children of the last reigning Duke of Anhalt, Joachim Ernst, and of his second wife Editha Marwitz (von Stephani, by adoption), natural daughter of Wilhelm Horn by Irmgard Marwitz.
Career
On 9 October 1963, Eduard"s older brother Friedrich died childless in a car crash, and Eduard succeeded him as head of the house of Ascania. He uses the title Prince of Anhalt, but is referred to by others as Duke of Anhalt. The death without male issue in 1980 of Prince Eugen left Prince Eduard as the sole claimant to the headship of the house.
Eduard lived in the United States for several years before returning to Germany in 1967.
He has been a journalist and columnist for numerous German magazines. He has also hosted a television programme Adel verpflichet (Noblesse oblige) for RTL Television.
Subsequently, Anhalt became a frequent German television commentator for royal events. In 1978, Eduard wrote a book about his family"s traditions, Askanische Sagen Über die Entstehung der Deutschen (English: Ascanian Legends and the Origins of the Germans).
A revised and expanded edition of the book with the title Sagenhaftes Askanien: Geschichten und Legenden (English: Incredible Ascania, Stories and Legends) was published in 2004.
In 1990, Eduard launched a lawsuit to regain ownership of his family property Schloss Ballenstedt, which had been confiscated by the Communist authorities in East Germany after World World War World War II Although the British Royal family denied Eduard"s claim with one source stating "This gentleman does not know what he is talking about,” Prince William"s wedding was indeed announced a few months later as Anhalt had suggested. On 21 July 1980, in Munich, Eduard married Corinna Krönlein (born 19 August 1961) in a civil ceremony. Julia Felicitas ine Friederike Franziska (born 14 May 1993, Munich).