However, they were both still minors, so a month after the death of their father, King Ferdinand of Bohemia promised to protect them against the Reuss family.
In preparation for his marriage on 9 April 1564 at Fallersleben to Princess Catherine of Brunswick-Lüneburg-Gifhorn (born: 1548 in Gifhorn; died: 10 December 1565 in Schleiz) he pledged the district of Pausa to a citizen in Leipzig, who sold the claims in 1569 to Elector August of Saxony.
On 27 August 1566 Henry married again, this time with Anna of Pomerania-Stettin (born: 5 February 1531 in Stettin; died 13 October 1592 in Rosenburg).
His property passed to the Reuss family who contested control of the Lordship of Schleiz with Saalburg and Burgk with his widow for the next twenty years.
Anna of Pomerania refused to leave her Wittum, which Henry had given her with the Emperor's confirmation, but without the consent of the Reuss family.
The dispute was settled in 1590: Anna handed Schleiz over to the Reuss family, in exchange for a cash payment of 42250 guilders.