Alfred the Gorilla
Alfred died on 10 March 1948. The press at the time speculated that ‘his pet hate got him in the end’, linking Alfred's dislike of aeroplanes with the passage of one over the zoo shortly before his death. The actual cause of his demise was tuberculosis which he contracted a year before and despite his keepers best efforts, he had been unable to recover. His death was mourned by many of the regular visitors to the zoo, some of whom were even inspired to compose poems in his honour.
Friedenstein Palace
In 1899, his only son Alfred reportedly shot himself during his parents' 25th wedding anniversary celebrations at "Friedenstein". After being cared for in the castle for some days he was sent to a sanatorium near Meran, where he died on 6 February 1899. As Alfred's uncle, Prince Arthur, Duke of Connaught, and cousin, Prince Arthur of Connaught, both renounced their right of succession to the Duchy, the title passed to Charles Edward (Karl Eduard), the son of the Duke of Albany, fourth son of Victoria and Albert. Since Charles Edward was only 16 at the time, until his 21st birthday on 19 July 1905 a regency was installed. World War I caused a conflict of loyalties for Charles Edward/Karl Eduard, but he sided with Germany, leading the British government to strip him of his titles in the United Kingdom.