Frederick William, Margrave of Brandenburg-Schwedt

Frederick William, Margrave of Brandenburg-Schwedt
Spouse(s)	Princess Sophia Dorothea of Prussia
Noble family	House of Hohenzollern
Father	Philip William, Margrave of Brandenburg-Schwedt
Mother	Princess Johanna Charlotte of Anhalt-Dessau
Born	17 November 1700(1700-11-17) castle of Oranienbaum
Died	4 March 1771 Wildenbruch Castle

Frederick William of Brandenburg-Schwedt was born 17 November 1700, Oranienbaum Castle (modern day Oranienbaum-Wörlitz, Wittenberg) near Dessau – and died 4 March 1771, Wildenbruch Castle. He was Margrave of Brandenburg-Schwedt from 1711 to 1771 and a knight of the Order of the Black Eagle. His parents were Philip William, Margrave of Brandenburg-Schwedt, and his wife Johanna Charlotte of Anhalt-Dessau. He was the nephew of King Frederick I of Prussia.

Frederick William of Brandenburg-Schwedt

Life

Frederick William was known as a brutal man because of his short temper, severity and coarse manners. He was educated and raised by his uncle King Frederick I, and then by his cousin King Frederick William I, his character closely resembled that of his second royal guardian. Like him he hated idleness, and was a terror to all loungers. The clergy were especial objects of his ridicule and persecution. His cane was as much feared as that of his royal namesake. His application of justice was needlessly harsh, so much so that King Frederick II (Frederick The Great) eventually found himself under the necessity of interfering and taking the exercise of justice entirely out of his hands.

In a highly militaristic society the margrave was notably unenthusiastic about military matters, and he chafed at his enforced service in the army and the wealth he was forced to expend in maintaining a cavalry-horse stud.

He was 19 years older than his wife Sophia Dorothea of Prussia, who was his first cousin once removed. The marriage was at the express wish of King Frederick William, against the wishes of his daughter; the bride was given away by her brother the future Frederick II, as the king was unwell. The relationship of the couple was not happy. Sophia often fled to the protection of her brother King Frederick. The latter did not stop at friendly admonitions, but sent General Meir to Schwedt with unlimited authority to protect the margravine from insult. Eventually they lived in separate places: Sophia lived in the castle Montplaisir, and the Margrave lived in the castle of Schwedt. Apparently they were only reconciled when the margravine was in her terminal illness; she died in her husband's arms.^[1]

The Margrave acknowledged one illegitimate son, the only one of his male offspring to survive infancy. Due to his lack of surviving legitimate male issue, his lands and title were inherited by his younger brother Frederick Henry (ruled 1771–1788).

Issue

In 1734, the Margrave married Sophia Dorothea of Prussia and they had five children.

• Sophia Dorothea (18 December 1736 - 9 March 1798); married Frederick II Eugene, Duke of Württemberg
• Elisabeth Louise (22 April 1738 - 10 February 1820); married her uncle Prince Augustus Ferdinand of Prussia
• George Philip (10 September 1741 - 28 April 1742)
• Philippine (10 October 1745 - 1 May 1800); married Frederick II, Landgrave of Hesse-Kassel (or Hesse-Cassel)
• George Frederick (3 May 1749 - 13 August 1751)

He also fathered an illigimate son named Georg Wilhelm von Jägersfeld (1725–1797).

Genealogy

Frederick William belonged to a junior branch of the House of Hohenzollern; the senior branch were the Counts of Hohenzollern-Sigmaringen. The junior line produced electors of Brandenburg and kings and emperors of Prussia and Germany. Frederick William was a descendent of Burkhard I, Count of Zollern. Through his daughter Sophia Dorothea he is an ancestor of Mary of Teck (Queen Mary), the wife of George V of England, and therefore an ancestor of the present British royal family.

Ancestry

Notes

1. ^ Campbell, pp. 203-205 (for all of the above)

References

Campbell, Thomas (Ed.) (1842) Frederick the Great and His Times. Vol. II. Philadelphia.

See also

• Frederick William, Elector of Brandenburg