Bernhard, Margrave of Baden
Bernhard Prinz und Markgraf von Baden, styled Margrave of Baden and Duke of Zähringen, is the head of the House of Baden since 29 December 2022 following the death of his father, Maximilian. He is a first cousin once removed of King Charles III of the United Kingdom.
Bernhard and his wife in 2017
Bernhard, second from left, at the Kronimus race at the Iffezheim racecourse, 2005
The House of Zähringen was a dynasty of Swabian nobility. The family's name derived from Zähringen Castle near Freiburg im Breisgau. The Zähringer in the 12th century used the title of Duke of Zähringen, in compensation for having conceded the title of Duke of Swabia to the Staufer in 1098. The Zähringer were granted the special title of Rector of Burgundy in 1127, and they continued to use both titles until the extinction of the ducal line in 1218.
Seal of Berthold IV (r. 1152–1186)
Zähringen Castle, c. 1500
Berthold V, shown on the Zähringer monument in Bern, Switzerland
Zähringen attributed arms in a stained glass window by Hans Reichle (c. 1570–1642) in Freiburg town hall. There are two traditions of attributed arms, either or an eagle displayed gules (shown here) or gules a lion rampant or, based on the respective coats of arms used in the later medieval period by the counts of Freiburg who claimed the Zähringer inheritance (ancestors of the House of Fürstenberg).
