King Charles’ first cousin and nephew of Prince Philip dies aged 89

A first cousin to King Charles and a nephew to the late Prince Philip has died aged 89.

Maximillian, Margrave of Baden, passed away in the early hours of Thursday morning at Germany's Salem Castle, reports The Mirror.

Also known as Max Margraf von Baden, the son of Philip's older sister, Princess Theodora of Greece and Denmark, had been the head of the House of Baden for the past 59 years.

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Announcing his death, a statement read: "Max Margrave of Baden died in the early morning hours of December 29, 2022 in Salem Castle.

"Since 1963, Max Margrave of Baden was head of the house at the head of the formerly ruling Grand Ducal Baden Princely House, which from 1112 to 1918 provided the sovereigns in the Baden part of today's federal state of Baden-Württemberg.

"His successor as head of the House of Baden is Bernhard Margrave of Baden, the previous hereditary prince."

Two memorial services will be held for the businessman.

One will see friends and employees invited, while the other will be for family members, as well as political representatives.

Born in 1933, Max Markgraf von Baden grew up near Lake Constance in Germany.

He attended Gordonstoun boarding school in Scotland, similarly to King Charles and Prince Philip, after the end of the Second World War.

He became engaged to his first cousin, Princess Beatrix of Hohenlohe-Langenburg, in the early 1960s, but this was later called off in 1961.

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Several years later, in 1966, he married Archduchess Valerie of Austria.

The couple had four children and four grandchildren.

The aristocrat oversaw extensive renovations to wineries in the area where he grew up, and was a member of more than 60 clubs.

He had a particularly close association with the Red Cross.

Paying tribute to his work, the House of Baden wrote: "The Margrave led a modest and reclusive lifestyle. He was free from conceit and cultivated good contacts with the people of his homeland. He always had an open ear for people in need, for people who asked him for help."

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