 Born "Prince August Viktor Ludwig of Saxe-Coburg-Saalfeld", he was the second son of Prince Ferdinand of Saxe-Coburg and Saalfeld.He was born in Vienna on 13 June 1818 and baptised at St. Stephan Cathedral on the 16th of that month.His godparents were his paternal grandmother, Countess Augusta Reuss of Ebersdorf, his aunts, Victoria, Duchess of Kent and Louise, Duchess of Saxe Coburg.