▁the ▁Ehren burg ▁in ▁Goth ic ▁rev ival ▁style . ▁ ▁In ▁the ▁mid - 1 9 th ▁century , ▁Duke ▁Ernest ▁II ▁supported ▁national ▁and ▁liberal ▁ideas ▁and ▁Cob urg ▁hosted ▁the ▁first ▁meeting ▁of ▁the ▁German ▁National ▁Association , ▁the ▁found ing ▁of ▁the ▁ ▁and ▁the ▁first ▁ ▁( n ational ▁sports ▁festival ). ▁ ▁During ▁the ▁ 1 9 th ▁century , ▁d yn astic ▁mar ri ages ▁created ▁t ies ▁with ▁the ▁royal ▁families ▁of ▁Belg ium , ▁Bulg aria , ▁Portugal ▁and ▁Britain . ▁This ▁turned ▁the ▁du cal ▁family ▁from ▁the ▁r ul ers ▁of ▁a ▁fairly ▁obsc ure ▁back water ▁du chy ▁into ▁one ▁playing ▁an ▁influ ential ▁role ▁in ▁European ▁politics . ▁The ▁era ▁of ▁political ▁influence ▁pe aked ▁with ▁Leopold ▁Frederick ; ▁born ▁Prince ▁of ▁Sax e - C ob urg - Sa alf eld , ▁becoming ▁the ▁King ▁of ▁Belg ium ▁in ▁ 1 8 3 1 ▁and ▁Prince ▁Albert ▁of ▁Sax e - C ob urg ▁and ▁Goth a , ▁born ▁in ▁Schloss ▁Rosen au , ▁marry ing ▁his ▁first ▁cousin , ▁Queen ▁Victoria ▁in ▁ 1 8 4 0 . ▁The ▁marriage ▁between ▁Albert ▁and ▁Victoria ▁established ▁the ▁present ▁British ▁royal ▁house , ▁which ▁renamed ▁itself ▁W inds or ▁during ▁World ▁War ▁I . ▁This ▁marriage ▁in ▁turn ▁led ▁to ▁a ▁union ▁with ▁Germany ' s ▁r uling ▁dynast y , ▁the ▁H oh enz oll ern s , ▁when ▁the ▁couple ' s ▁el dest ▁child , ▁Victoria ,