Christian Duke of Oldenburg

Christian, Duke of Oldenburg (; born 1 February 1955) is the head of the Grand Ducal Family of Oldenburg.

Family and life Christian was born in Rastede, Lower Saxony, the only son of Duke Anton-Günther of Oldenburg and his wife Princess Ameli of Löwenstein-Wertheim-Freudenberg (b. 1923). Christian has an elder sister, Duchess Helene (b. 1953) who is unmarried. Christian has a diploma in Business.

Christian is a great-grandson of the last Grand Duke of Oldenburg to reign, Frederick Augustus II and through his mother he is related to the Princes of Löwenstein-Wertheim-Freudenberg, who belong to a morganatic branch of the House of Wittelsbach descending from Frederick I, Elector Palatine.

Christian became heir to the headship of the Grand Ducal family on 3 April 1970 when his grandfather Hereditary Grand Duke Nikolaus died. According to his father's obituary issued by the family his ancestral titles (however not all part of his official German surname) are: HRH The Duke of Oldenburg, Heir in Norway, Duke of Schleswig, Holstein, Stormarn, Dithmarschen and Oldenburg, Prince of Lübeck and Birkenfeld, Lord of Jever and Knyphausen.

The ancestral home of the House of Oldenburg is Oldenburg castle, nowadays a museum owned by the state. Present seats of the Duke of Oldenburg are Rastede Palace near Oldenburg and Güldenstein Manor, Harmsdorf, in Schleswig-Holstein. Eutin Castle in Schleswig-Holstein is a museum owned by a family foundation set up by his father.

Marriage and children Christian married on 26 September 1987 at Pronstorf Countess Caroline zu Rantzau (b. 1962), daughter of Count Christian Karl zu Rantzau (1924–2002) and his wife Heloise von Lettow-Vorbeck (b. 1923). They have four children: Duke Alexander of Oldenburg (b. 17 March 1990, in Lübeck) Duke Philipp of Oldenburg (b. 28 December 1991, in Lübeck), married in a civil ceremony on 15 August 2025, and in a religious ceremony on 16 August 2025 to Countess Fiona Khuen-Lützow, daughter of Count Conradin Khuen von Belasi-Lützow and Martina von Veyder-Malberg, at St. Ulrich’s Church in Rastede near Oldenburg. Duke Anton of Oldenburg (b. 9 January 1993, in Lübeck) Duchess Katharina of Oldenburg (b. 20 February 1997, in Lübeck), married in a religious ceremony on 13 July 2024 to Count Clemens Moy de Sans, son of Count Guy Moys de Sans and Verena von Stein zu Lausnitz, at St. Ulrich’s Church in Rastede near Oldenburg.

Ancestry