In 1949, he moved to New Orleans in the United States, where he spent his childhood with his mother and her second husband, Richard Whitten.

[1] Prince Andreas became heir apparent to the headship of the ducal house on 6 March 1954, when his father became the head.

From the age of 16, Andreas made regular visits to Germany in preparation for his future role as head of the ducal house, permanently returning in 1965.

He completed his military service between 1966 and 1968 in the Armoured Reconnaissance Battalion 6 based in Eutin, Schleswig-Holstein.

[4] In Hamburg civilly on 18 June and religiously on 31 July 1971, Prince Andreas married Carin Dabelstein (b. Hamburg, 16 July 1946, d. Coburg, 11 November 2023),[5] daughter of Adolf Wilhelm Martin Dabelstein, manufacturer and merchant, and wife Irma Maria Margarete Callsen.