the other members of this line. Just three days after upgrading the titles of members of the Lippe-Weissenfeld line, and following the German Empire's defeat in World War I and the subsequent revolution, Leopold was forced to renounce the throne on 12 November 1918. Following the end of his rule, the Principality of Lippe was transformed into a Free state in the new Weimar Republic. Post abdication After the rise of Nazism in Germany all three of his sons by his first wife became members of the party. His eldest son the Hereditary Prince Ernst is reported to have been the first German prince to join the party when he signed up in May 1928. In addition to being pro Nazis both Hereditary Prince Ernst and Prince Chlodwig had contracted unequal marriages. So in 1947 when Leopold wrote his will, Armin, his youngest son and only child with his second wife, would succeed him as head of the House of Lippe and also become administrator of the princely family's properties such as Schloss Detmold. Thus when Leopold died in Detmold his three eldest sons were all disinherited and his youngest son Armin became head of the princely house. Marriages and children Leopold was married to Princess Bertha of Hesse-Philippsthal-Barchfeld (1874–1919) on 16 August 1901 in Rotenburg. They had five children. Ernst, Hereditary Prince of Lippe (1902–1987) married first (1924) Charlotte Ricken (1900–1974). After divorcing in 1934 he married secondly (1937) Herta-Elise Weiland (1911–1970) Prince Leopold Bernhard of Lippe (1904–1965) Princess Karoline of Lippe (1905–2001) married (1932) Count Hans von Kanitz (1893–1968) Prince Chlodwig of Lippe (1909–2000) married (1940) Veronika Holl (1915–2007) Princess Sieglinde of Lippe (1915–2008) married (1942) Friedrich Carl Heldman (1904–1977) He was married secondly to Princess Anna of Ysenburg and Büdingen (1886–1980) on 26 April 1922 at Büdingen. From this marriage he had one son. Armin, Prince of Lippe (1924–2015) married Traute Becker in 1953. Their only son is: Stephan, Prince of Lippe, born 1959, married Countess Maria of Solms-Laubach in 1994 Ancestry References 1871 births 1949 deaths Nobility from Düsseldorf Regents of Germany House of Lippe Princes of Lippe Counts of Lippe-Biesterfeld German hunters