Ernst I, Duke of Saxe-Altenburg

Ernst I, Duke of Saxe-Altenburg (German: Ernst I. Friedrich Paul Georg Nikolaus von Sachsen-Altenburg) (16 September 1826 in Hildburghausen – 7 February 1908 in Altenburg), was a duke of Saxe-Altenburg. He was the first son of Georg, Duke of Saxe-Altenburg and Marie Luise of Mecklenburg-Schwerin. In 1853 he succeeded his father as Duke of Saxe-Altenburg. He was of a retiring disposition and he took little active part in running the country. After a reign that lasted fifty five years, he died without a living direct male heir; because of this, he was succeeded by his nephew, Ernst.

Marriage
He was married in Dessau on 28 April 1853 to Agnes of Anhalt-Dessau (1824–1897). Agnes was a sister of Friedrich I, Duke of Anhalt.

They had two children:
 * Marie (b. Eisenberg, 2 August 1854 – d. Camenz, 8 October 1898), married on 19 April 1873 to Albrecht of Prussia.
 * Georg (b. Altenburg, 1 February 1856 – d. Altenburg, 29 February 1856).

Honours and decorations
•   Ernestine duchies:
 * German honours

• * Joint Grand Master of the Saxe-Ernestine House Order, 3 August 1853

• * Service Award Cross (25 years)

•  Saxe-Weimar-Eisenach: Grand Cross of the White Falcon, 24 February 1849

•  undefined: Knight of the Rue Crown, 1848

•  Ascanian duchies: Grand Cross of Albert the Bear, 3 January 1852; with Swords, 1872

•  Baden:

• * Knight of the House Order of Fidelity, 1881

• * Knight of the Order of Berthold the First, 1881

•  undefined: Knight of St. Hubert, 1853

•  Brunswick: Grand Cross of Henry the Lion, with Swords, 1876

•  undefined:

• * Knight of St. George, 1855

• * Grand Cross of the Royal Guelphic Order

• * Grand Cross of the Order of Ernst August

•  Schaumburg-Lippe:

• * Cross of Honour of the House Order of Lippe, 1st Class with Crown

• * Military Merit Medal

•  Mecklenburg:

• * Grand Cross of the Wendish Crown, with Collar

• * Military Merit Cross, 2nd Class (Schwerin)

•  Nassau Ducal Family: Knight of the Gold Lion of Nassau

•  Oldenburg: Grand Cross of the Order of Duke Peter Friedrich Ludwig, with Golden Crown and Collar, 9 February 1852

•  Kingdom of Prussia:

• * Knight of the Black Eagle, with Collar

• * Knight of the Red Eagle, 1st Class

• * Grand Commander of the Royal House Order of Hohenzollern

• * Knight of Honour of the Johanniter Order

• * Iron Cross, 2nd Class

•  Württemberg: Grand Cross of the Württemberg Crown, 1868
 * Foreign honours
 * Austrian Empire: Grand Cross of St. Stephen, 1859
 * 🇧🇪 Belgium: Grand Cordon of the Royal Order of Leopold
 * 🇩🇰 Denmark: Knight of the Elephant, 28 October 1882
 * 🇳🇱 Netherlands: Grand Cross of the Netherlands Lion
 * Ottoman Empire: Order of Osmanieh, 1st Class in Diamonds
 * Kingdom of Romania: Grand Cross of the Star of Romania
 * Russian Empire:
 * Knight of St. Andrew
 * Knight of St. George, 4th Class
 * Kingdom of Serbia: Grand Cross of the Cross of Takovo
 * 🇸🇪 🇳🇴 Sweden-Norway: Knight of the Seraphim, 24 February 1864
 * Grand Duchy of Tuscany: Grand Cross of the Military Order of St. Stephen