Gustav Adolf, Cardinal Prince of Hohenlohe-Schillingfürst, was a member of the Hohenlohe family of Germany, claiming descent from Eberhard, one of the early dukes of Franconia. He became a cardinal of the Catholic Church.

The House of Hohenlohe is a German princely dynasty. It formerly ruled an immediate territory within the Holy Roman Empire, which was divided between several branches. In 1806, the area of Hohenlohe was 1,760 km² and its estimated population was 108,000. The motto of the house is Ex flammis orior. The Lords of Hohenlohe were elevated to the rank of Imperial Counts in 1450, and from 1744, the territory and its rulers were princely. In 1825, the German Confederation recognized the right of all members of the house to be styled as Serene Highness, with the title of Fürst for the heads of its branches, and the title of prince/princess for the other members. From 1861, the Hohenlohe-Öhringen branch was also of ducal status as dukes of Ujest.