(Abolished 14 November 1918)
Charles Edward, was the last reigning Duke of Saxe-Coburg and Gotha, and the head of the House of Saxe-Coburg and Gotha until his death in 1954.
A male-line grandson of Queen Victoria and Prince Albert, he was also until 1919 a Prince of the United Kingdom as the Duke of Albany.
The Duke was a controversial figure in the UK due to his status as Sovereign Duke of Saxe-Coburg and Gotha, part of the German Empire, during World War I. He was deprived of his British peerages, his title of Prince and Royal Highness and his British honours in 1919.
In 1918, he was forced to abdicate his ducal throne.
In World War I Charles Edward held a commission as a general in the German Army.
Consequently, George V ordered his name removed from the register of the Knights of the Garter in 1915.
In July 1917, he and his children had the Royal Arms insignia removed from their (Saxe-Coburg and Gotha) coats of arms, they also lost their titles of Prince and Princess of the United Kingdom and the styles Royal Highness and Highness.
He retained the style Highness of a sovereign ducal house in Germany, until 18 November 1918 when a Workers' and Soldiers' Council of Gotha deposed him.
On 23 November he signed a declaration relinquishing his rights to the throne.

In 1977, Ottfried Neubecker, Director of the German General Rolls of Arms and of the Board of the International Academy of Heraldry, with the cooperation of J.P. Brooke-Little from the College of Arms, published "A Little Brown Book," later reprinted in 1988/89/97 as " Heraldry.
Sources, Symbols and Meaning". (
ISBN: 0-316-64141-3).
On page 96, Neubecker stated that; "The reigning royal family in Great Britain goes back to Prince Albert of Saxe-Coburg, husband of Queen Victoria.
Our summary of the family tree covers all those descended in the male line from Queen Victoria.
As the princes of Saxe-Coburg and Gotha were excluded from the British royal family in 1893, the labels chosen independently by them were not recognized in England. (
Also), on 17 July 1917 the name of Saxe-Coburg was changed to Windsor."
By warrant of Sep. 12, 1917 and subsequent Order in Council of 1919, George V removed the inescutcheon of Saxony from the arms of all descendants of the Prince Consort.

Of George’s 29 first-cousins on his father's side, 19 were German, the rest half-German; while on his mother's side, of the 31 first-cousins, six were German and 25 half-German.

In 1919, most, if not all of these Saxe-Coburg Gotha princes lost their titles and royal status, in accordance with the Weimar Constitution, which abolished their German monarchy.
Although according to Neubecker; the princes of Saxe-Coburg and Gotha were excluded from the British royal family in 1893, the labels chosen independently by them were not recognized in England.
Following the successions to the British throne of two such (Saxe-Coburg and Gotha) princes; as king Edward VII, and king George V, the 1893 (Saxe-Coburg and Gotha) exclusions of the British branch were finally enacted in 1919, at the end of WWI, shortly prior to the Weimar exclusions.

In 1932, Charles Edward took part in the creation of the Harzburg Front, through which the German National People's Party became associated with the Nazi Party.
Charles Edward was a member of the (NSDAP), and formally joined the Nazi Party in 1935, becoming a member of the SA (Brownshirts), rising to rank of Obergruppenführer.
Obergruppenführer, was the highest commissioned SS rank, inferior only to Reichsführer-SS (Heinrich Himmler).
Charles Edward held the same SS rank as; Prince Josias of Waldeck and Pyrmont, Rudolf Hess, von Ribbentrop, Martin Bormann, and Reinhard Heydrich.
Charles Edward was also a member of the Reichstag representing the Nazi Party.
In 1936, Adolf Hitler sent Charles Edward to Britain as president of the Anglo-German Friendship Society.
His mission was to improve Anglo-German relations and to explore the possibility of a pact between the two countries.
He sent Hitler encouraging reports about the strength of pro-German sentiment among the British
(Abolished 14 November 1918)
Charles Edward, was the last reigning Duke of Saxe-Coburg and Gotha, and the head of the House of Saxe-Coburg and Gotha until his death in 1954. A male-line grandson of Queen Victoria and Prince Albert, he was also until 1919 a Prince of the United Kingdom as the Duke of Albany. The Duke was a controversial figure in the UK due to his status as Sovereign Duke of Saxe-Coburg and Gotha, part of the German Empire, during World War I. He was deprived of his British peerages, his title of Prince and Royal Highness and his British honours in 1919. In 1918, he was forced to abdicate his ducal throne. In World War I Charles Edward held a commission as a general in the German Army. Consequently, George V ordered his name removed from the register of the Knights of the Garter in 1915. In July 1917, he and his children had the Royal Arms insignia removed from their (Saxe-Coburg and Gotha) coats of arms, they also lost their titles of Prince and Princess of the United Kingdom and the styles Royal Highness and Highness. He retained the style Highness of a sovereign ducal house in Germany, until 18 November 1918 when a Workers' and Soldiers' Council of Gotha deposed him. On 23 November he signed a declaration relinquishing his rights to the throne. 
In 1977, Ottfried Neubecker, Director of the German General Rolls of Arms and of the Board of the International Academy of Heraldry, with the cooperation of J.P. Brooke-Little from the College of Arms, published "A Little Brown Book," later reprinted in 1988/89/97 as " Heraldry. Sources, Symbols and Meaning". (ISBN: 0-316-64141-3). On page 96, Neubecker stated that; "The reigning royal family in Great Britain goes back to Prince Albert of Saxe-Coburg, husband of Queen Victoria. Our summary of the family tree covers all those descended in the male line from Queen Victoria. As the princes of Saxe-Coburg and Gotha were excluded from the British royal family in 1893, the labels chosen independently by them were not recognized in England. (Also), on 17 July 1917 the name of Saxe-Coburg was changed to Windsor." By warrant of Sep. 12, 1917 and subsequent Order in Council of 1919, George V removed the inescutcheon of Saxony from the arms of all descendants of the Prince Consort. 
Of George’s 29 first-cousins on his father's side, 19 were German, the rest half-German; while on his mother's side, of the 31 first-cousins, six were German and 25 half-German.
In 1919, most, if not all of these Saxe-Coburg Gotha princes lost their titles and royal status, in accordance with the Weimar Constitution, which abolished their German monarchy. Although according to Neubecker; the princes of Saxe-Coburg and Gotha were excluded from the British royal family in 1893, the labels chosen independently by them were not recognized in England. Following the successions to the British throne of two such (Saxe-Coburg and Gotha) princes; as king Edward VII, and king George V, the 1893 (Saxe-Coburg and Gotha) exclusions of the British branch were finally enacted in 1919, at the end of WWI, shortly prior to the Weimar exclusions.
In 1932, Charles Edward took part in the creation of the Harzburg Front, through which the German National People's Party became associated with the Nazi Party. Charles Edward was a member of the (NSDAP), and formally joined the Nazi Party in 1935, becoming a member of the SA (Brownshirts), rising to rank of Obergruppenführer. Obergruppenführer, was the highest commissioned SS rank, inferior only to Reichsführer-SS (Heinrich Himmler). Charles Edward held the same SS rank as; Prince Josias of Waldeck and Pyrmont, Rudolf Hess, von Ribbentrop, Martin Bormann, and Reinhard Heydrich. Charles Edward was also a member of the Reichstag representing the Nazi Party. In 1936, Adolf Hitler sent Charles Edward to Britain as president of the Anglo-German Friendship Society. His mission was to improve Anglo-German relations and to explore the possibility of a pact between the two countries. He sent Hitler encouraging reports about the strength of pro-German sentiment among the British
Former German nobility in the Nazi Party