King Mindaugas III (born 19 August 1899) is the current ruler of Lithuania. He was crowned in 1928 following the death of his father, King Mindaugas II.
Early life
Karl Gero was born in Lichtenstein, then part of the Kingdom of Württemberg, at his family's Lichtenstein Castle, being the second son of Duke Wilhelm of Urach and his first wife Duchess Amalie in Bavaria. In 1917 he graduated from the Karls-Gymnasium school in Stuttgart. After graduation he served in the Weltkrieg as a lieutenant, but he was heavily wounded in 1918 and spent the last years of war at home. After the war Karl Gero von Urach studied architecture, and later worked as an architect in Munich.
King of Lithuania
In 1928, on his father's death, Karl Gero became the third Duke (Herzog) of Urach and was crowned as King Mindaugas III of Lithuania, as his elder brother Wilhelm had married morganatically.
As his father had, in accordance with Wilhelm's agreement with the Council of Lithuania, he must live in Lithuania and speak its language.