Bernhard III, Duke of Saxe-Meiningen

Bernhard III (; 1 April 1851 – 16 January 1928), was the last reigning duke of Saxe-Meiningen from 1914 to 1918.

Biography Bernhard was born on 1 April 1851 at Meiningen in what was then the German Confederation, as the eldest son of Georg II, Duke of Saxe-Meiningen and his first wife Princess Charlotte of Prussia. He had one full sister, Princess Marie Elisabeth, and several half-brothers by his father's second marriage.

From 1860 Bernhard was schooled by a Prof. Rossmann before he went to study at Heidelberg University in 1869. For the war against France he interrupted his studies and served as Ordonnanz-Offizier. After the war ended he resumed his studies at Leipzig. From 1873 he again served in the military and rose into the highest echelons: By 1905 he was Generaloberst and inspector general of the 2nd Army Inspection (Central Germany). In 1909, he became Generaloberst im Range eines Generalfeldmarschalls and retired from active service in 1912.

Reign Bernhard assumed the Duchy of Saxe-Meiningen after the death of his father in 1914. With the start of World War I Bernhard hoped to be assigned command over an army but was disappointed. In reaction he also withdrew from his role in the Duchy's government. Joint Grand Master, 25 June 1914 Kingdom of Prussia: Iron Cross (1870), 2nd Class Grand Commander's Cross of the Royal House Order of Hohenzollern, 2 April 1877 Knight of the Order of the Black Eagle, 23 April 1877; with Collar, 1878 Grand Cross of the Grand Ducal Hessian Order of Ludwig, 18 February 1878 Grand Cordon of the Order of Leopold (military division), 25 February 1878 Grand Cross of the House and Merit Order of Duke Peter Friedrich Ludwig, with Crown in Gold, 18 February 1878 Knight of the House Order of Fidelity, 1881 Knight of the Order of Berthold the First, 1881 Knight of the Order of the Rue Crown, 1885 Austria-Hungary: Grand Cross of the Royal Hungarian Order of St. Stephen, 1887 Honorary Knight Grand Cross of the Most Honourable Order of the Bath (civil division), 21 June 1887 Grand Cordon of the Supreme Order of the Chrysanthemum, 5 February 1896 Knight of the Imperial Order of St. Alexander Nevsky, 1896