Wilhelm, Landgrave of Hesse-Philippsthal-Barchfeld

Wilhelm Chlodwig Friedrich Ernst Hermann Paul Philipp Heinrich, Prince and Landgrave of Hesse (In German: Wilhelm Prinz und Landgraf von Hessen; born 14 August 1933) is the Landgrave (His Highness) and current head of one of the two remaining branches of the House of Hesse, that of Hesse-Philippsthal-Barchfeld, a noble title dating to the late Holy Roman Empire.

Early life and family
Wilhelm was born at Herleshausen, Hesse-Nassau, Germany, eldest child of Prince Wilhelm of Hesse-Philippsthal-Barchfeld (1905–1942), (son of Chlodwig, Landgrave of Hesse-Philippsthal-Barchfeld and Princess Caroline of Solms-Hohensolms-Lich) and his wife, Princess Marianne of Prussia (1913–1983), (daughter of Prince Friedrich Wilhelm of Prussia and Princess Agatha of Hohenlohe-Schillingsfürst). Through his mother he is descended from King Frederick William III of Prussia and King William I of the Netherlands.

Wilhelm descends from the House of Hesse branch of Hesse-Philippsthal, which was created from the branch of Hesse-Kassel at the death of William VI, Landgrave of Hesse-Kassel in 1663, when his younger son Philip was created Landgrave of Hesse-Philippsthal. At the death of Landgrave Philip, the branch of Hesse-Philippsthal was again divided, his younger son William becoming the Landgrave of Hesse-Philippsthal-Barchfeld. The residence of Hesse-Philippsthal was Schloss Philippsthal, with the secondary seat Schloss Augustenau in Herleshausen, the residence of Hesse-Philippsthal-Barchfeld was Schloss Wilhelmsburg in Barchfeld.

These two landgraviates, both paréages of the Electorate of Hesse-Kassel, were annexed by Prussia] in 1866, together with Hesse-Kassel. As a compensation for the loss of their semi-sovereignty the Philippsthal branch was granted Schloss Schönfeld in Kassel in 1880 and the Barchfeld branch the Landgrave's palace in Rotenburg an der Fulda (sold in 1906). The main branch (Hesse-Philippsthal) became extinct in the male line with the death of Ernest, Landgrave of Hesse-Philippsthal in 1925, thus making the Barchfeld branch the only surviving one of the Hesse-Philippsthal line. The estates of the Philippsthal branch were inherited by the Barchfeld branch. Thereafter the family sold the castles of Philippsthal and Barchfeld in the 1930s and moved to Augustenau Castle in Herleshausen, presently the seat of the Landgrave's nephew Prince Alexis of Hesse-Philippsthal-Barchfeld (b. 1977).

Marriage
Wilhelm was married on 5 August 1961 at Friedrichshausen, Frankenberg, Hesse, to Oda-Mathilde von Garmissen (12 February 1935 – 3 June 2017), daughter of Hilmar von Garmissen and his wife Baroness Oda von Houwald.

They had two sons:
 * Prince Wilhelm of Hesse-Philippsthal-Barchfeld (b. 1 January 1963) married Susanne von Kaufmann (b. 22 Apr 1971) on 6 September 2002. They have three children.
 * Prince Otto of Hesse-Philippsthal-Barchfeld (19 January 1965 – 17 May 2020).

Notes and sources

 * The Royal House of Stuart, London, 1969, 1971, 1976, Addington, A. C., Reference: 299
 * Genealogisches Handbuch des Adels, Fürstliche Häuser, Reference: 1971 408