Heinrich XXII, Prince Reuss of Greiz

Heinrich XXII, Prince Reuss of Greiz (28 March 1846 – 19 April 1902) was the reigning sovereign of Reuss-Greiz, a small principality of the German states, from 1859 until his death in 1902.

Reign Heinrich succeeded as reigning Prince Reuss of Greiz after the death of his father on 8 November 1859. Heinrich lost no opportunity to displease the Emperor, declining to permit the construction of any memorial to Emperor Wilhelm I, Wilhelm II's beloved grandfather but this was later forced upon him. At the end of his rule, Reuss contained fewer than 70,000 people, and comprised an area of 122 square miles. There was much debate however on which particular royal dynasty would become Emperor, as many Germans refused to back the Hohenzollern claim. This led Prince John of Saxony for instance to remark that "If the nine Electors of the old German Empire were restored, the Prince of Reuss-Greiz would have a better chance of being Emperor than the King of Prussia".

Marriage and issue Heinrich XXII with his wife Princess Ida and their children. On 8 October 1872, he married Princess Ida of Schaumburg-Lippe, daughter of Adolf I, Prince of Schaumburg-Lippe. His death meant his mentally and physically disabled only son Prince Heinrich became reigning prince of Reuss. As the prince was clearly unable to fulfill these duties, arrangements for a regency were made. A younger branch of the Reuss family was next-in-line to the title, but there was some concern that Heinrich might choose another for the regency, as he disliked them. In the end, Heinrich's distant cousin Prince Heinrich XXVII of Reuss zu Schleiz was chosen; his wife, Princess Elise of Hohenlohe-Langenburg was a cousin of both Kaiser and his wife Empress Augusta Viktoria, and the prince himself had served alongside Emperor Wilhelm in the regiment of the Hussars of the Guard, thus repairing relations between the houses of Hohenzollern and Reuss.

Ancestry