Christian Friedrich, Baron Stockmar

Christian Friedrich Freiherr von Stockmar was a German medical doctor and statesman who lived from 1787 to 1863. Born in Coburg, he was educated as a physician and in 1816 became the personal physician of Prince Leopold of Saxe-Coburg-Gotha, at the time of Leopold's marriage to Princess Charlotte of the United Kingdom. After Charlotte died in childbirth Stockmar stayed in Leopold's service as private secretary, comptroller of the household and political adviser, and he continued to advise Leopold after he became King of the Belgians in 1831. From 1837 he advised Queen Victoria and later acted as an unofficial counsellor to Victoria and Prince Albert, including over the education of the future Edward VII. In 1848 he served as ambassador of Saxe-Coburg and Gotha to the German parliament, and he was raised to the rank of baron. His memoirs were published after his death. His place in medicine is as a court physician who left medicine for statecraft. This entry rests on the Wikipedia article about him.