He married 1865 in Berlin Josephine von Bülow (1842–1911), daughter of Friedrich von Bülow (1789–1853).
The couple had seven sons and two daughters, among them:
Wilhelm (1867–1931), Prussian Major general 8 Elisabeth von Schlieffen (born 1869), daughter of Field Marshal Alfred von Schlieffen, and Adolf (3 July 1873 – 6 July 1936), jurist.In 1888 he was appointed Chief of the German Imperial Military Cabinet.