- Frederick William, Margrave of Brandenburg-Schwedt
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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
castle of OranienbaumDied 4 March 1771
Wildenbruch CastleFrederick 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.
Contents
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
Ancestors of Frederick William, Margrave of Brandenburg-Schwedt 16. John Sigismund, Elector of Brandenburg 8. George William, Elector of Brandenburg 17. Anna of Prussia 4. Frederick William I, Elector of Brandenburg 18. Frederick IV, Elector Palatine 9. Elizabeth Charlotte of the Palatinate 19. Louise Juliana of Nassau 2. Philip William, Margrave of Brandenburg-Schwedt 20. John II, Duke of Schleswig-Holstein-Sonderburg 10. Philip, Duke of Schleswig-Holstein-Sonderburg-Glücksburg 21. Elisabeth of Brunswick-Grubenhagen 5. Sophia Dorothea of Schleswig-Holstein-Sonderburg-Glücksburg 22. Francis II, Duke of Saxe-Lauenburg 11. Sophia Hedwig of Saxe-Lauenburg 23. Maria of Brunswick-Lüneburg 1. Frederick William, Margrave of Brandenburg-Schwedt 24. John George I, Prince of Anhalt-Dessau 12. John Casimir, Prince of Anhalt-Dessau 25. Dorothea of the Palatinate-Simmern 6. John George II, Prince of Anhalt-Dessau 26. Maurice, Landgrave of Hesse-Kassel 13. Agnes of Hesse-Kassel 27. Countess Juliane of Nassau-Dillenburg 3. Princess Johanna Charlotte of Anhalt-Dessau 28. William the Silent 14. Frederick Henry, Prince of Orange 29. Louise de Coligny 7. Henriette Catherine of Nassau 30. John Albert I, Count of Solms-Braunfels 15. Amalia of Solms-Braunfels 31. Agnes of Sayn-Wittgenstein Notes
- ^ 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
Categories:- 1700 births
- 1771 deaths
- People from Oranienbaum, Saxony-Anhalt
- Margraves of Brandenburg-Schwedt
- House of Hohenzollern
- German nobility
- 18th-century German people
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