Joseph, Duke of Saxe-Altenburg

Joseph (Joseph Georg Friedrich Ernst Karl; 27 August 1789 – 25 November 1868) was Duke of Saxe-Altenburg from 1834 to 1848.

Biography
Joseph was the second but first surviving son of Frederick, Duke of Saxe-Hildburghausen (of Saxe-Altenburg from 1826) and Duchess Charlotte Georgine of Mecklenburg-Strelitz. Joseph succeeded his father as Duke of Saxe-Altenburg after his death in 1834.

In 1814, Joseph and his brother George fought with the allies against France in the Napoleonic Wars. Later, he held the rank of General Major in Saxon services.

Joseph implemented several buildings in Altenburg, but his government was considered conservative and resistant to reform; for this, he was forced to abdicate during the civil revolution of 1848.

Marriage and issue
In Kirchheim unter Teck on 24 April 1817, Joseph married Amelia of Württemberg, a daughter of Duke Louis of Württemberg. They had six daughters:
 * Marie (b. Hildburghausen, 14 April 1818 – d. Gmunden, 9 January 1907), married on 18 February 1843 to King George V of Hanover.
 * Pauline (b. Kirchheim unter Teck, 24 November 1819 – d. Hildburghausen, 11 January 1825).
 * Therese (b. Hildburghausen, 9 October 1823 – d. Altenburg, 3 April 1915).
 * Elisabeth (b. Hildburghausen, 26 March 1826 – d. Oldenburg, 2 February 1896), married on 10 February 1852 to Peter II, Grand Duke of Oldenburg.
 * Alexandra (upon her marriage, she took the name Alexandra Iosifovna in a Russian Orthodox baptism) (b. Altenburg, 8 July 1830 – d. St. Petersburg, 6 July 1911), married on 11 September 1848 to Grand Duke Konstantin Nikolayevich of Russia.
 * Luise (b. Altenburg, 4 June 1832 – d. Hummelshain, 29 August 1833).

Honours
He received the following orders and decorations: •   Ernestine duchies: Grand Cross of the Saxe-Ernestine House Order, December 1833; Joint Grand Master, 29 September 1834

•  Ascanian duchies: Grand Cross of Albert the Bear, 24 March 1843

•  Baden:

• * Grand Cross of the House Order of Fidelity, 1832

• * Grand Cross of the Zähringer Lion, 1832

•  Kingdom of Bavaria: Knight of St. Hubert, 1810

• 🇧🇪 Belgium: Grand Cordon of the Order of Leopold, 30 November 1840

• 🇬🇷 Kingdom of Greece: Grand Cross of the Redeemer

•  Kingdom of Hanover: Knight of St. George, 1843

•  Hohenzollern: Cross of Honour of the Princely House Order of Hohenzollern, 1st Class

•  Oldenburg: Grand Cross of the Order of Duke Peter Friedrich Ludwig, with Golden Crown, 29 May 1847

•  Kingdom of Prussia: Knight of the Black Eagle, November 1849

•  Russian Empire:

• * Knight of St. Andrew

• * Knight of St. Alexander Nevsky

• * Knight of the White Eagle

• * Knight of St. Anna, 1st Class

•  Saxe-Weimar-Eisenach: Grand Cross of the White Falcon, 10 October 1834

•  Kingdom of Saxony: Knight of the Rue Crown, 1832

•  Württemberg: Grand Cross of the Württemberg Crown, 1825