Anton Ulrich, Duke of Saxe-Meiningen

Anton Ulrich, Duke of Saxe-Meiningen (b. Meiningen, 22 October 1687 - d. Frankfurt, 27 January 1763), was a duke of Saxe-Meiningen.

He was the second but first surviving son (in order of birth was the eighth) of Bernhard I, Duke of Saxe-Meiningen and his second wife, Elisabeth Eleonore of Brünswick-Wolfenbüttel.

When his father died in 1706, according to his will, he inherited the duchy of Saxe-Meiningen with his two older half-brothers, Ernst Ludwig I and Frederick Wilhelm.

But, shortly after, Ernst Ludwig sign a contract between him and his brothers, and they were compeled to left all the control of the duchy in his hands. With any power in his duchy, Anton Ulrich decided to travel to the Netherlands.

In Holland on January 1711, Anton Ulrich married secretly with Philippine Elisabeth Caesar, the lady-in-waiting of his favourite sister, Elisabeth Ernestine. This marriage was unequal, but she was created Princess ("Fürstin") in 1727. They have ten children, all created Prince/Princess ("Fürst/Fürstin"):
# Philippine Antoinette (b.1 August 1712 - d. Meiningen, 21 January 1785).
# Philippine Elisabeth (b. 10 September 1713 - d. Meiningen, 18 March 1781).
# Philippine Luise (b. 10 October 1714 - d. Meiningen, 25 October 1771).
# Philippine Wilhelmine (b. 11 October 1715 - d. 1718).
# Bernhard Ernst (b. 14 December 1716 - d. Meiningen, 14 June 1778).
# Antonie Augusta (b. 29 December 1717 - d. Meiningen, 19 September 1768).
# Sophie Wilhelmine (b. 23 February 1719 - d. 24 November 1723).
# Karl Ludwig (b. 30 October 1721 - d. May 1727).
# Christine Fredericka (b. 13 December 1723 - d. young).
# Frederick Ferdinand (b. 12 March 1725 - d. 17 June 1725).

When Ernst Ludwig died (in 1724), Anton Ulrich and Frederick Wilhelm took again the government of the duchy as guardians of his nephews until 1733. During this time, Anton Ulrich was only nominal regent, because he decide to live apart with his morganatic family.

The deaths of his old half-brothers and nephews (1724-1743), make him the next in the line for the duchy of Saxe-Meiningen. His wife, Philippine, have died in 1744, only a few weeks before was published a declaration which his children were barren of the succession of the duchy of Saxe-Meiningen. In 10 March 1746, Anton Ulrich assumed the full control of the duchy after the death of his last surviving half-brother, Frederick Wilhelm.

In Homburg vor der Höhe on 26 September 1750, Anton Ulrich married with Charlotte Amalie of Hesse-Philippsthal, forty-three years younger. They have eight children:
# Marie Charlotte Amalie Ernestine Wilhelmine Philippine (b. Frankfurt, 11 September 1751 - d. Genoa, 25 April 1827), married on 21 March 1769 to Ernst II, Duke of Saxe-Gotha-Altenburg.
# Wilhelmine Luise Christiane (b. Frankfurt, 6 August 1752 - d. Kassel, 3 June 1805), married on 18 October 1781 to Adolf, Landgrave of Hesse-Philippsthal-Barchfeld.
# Elisabeth Sophie Wilhelmine Fredericka (b. Frankfurt, 11 September 1753 - d. Frankfurt, 3 February 1754).
# August Frederick Karl Wilhelm, Duke of Saxe-Meiningen (b. Frankfurt, 19 November 1754 - d. Sonneberg, 21 July 1782).
# Frederick Franz Ernst Ludwig (b. Frankfurt, 16 March 1756 - d. Frankfurt, 25 March 1761).
# Frederick Wilhelm (b. Frankfurt, 18 May 1757 - d. Frankfurt, 13 April 1758).
# Georg I Frederick Karl, Duke of Saxe-Meiningen (b. Frankfurt, 4 February 1761 - d. Meiningen, 24 December 1803).
# Amalie Auguste Caroline Luise (b. Frankfurt, 4 March 1762 - d. Carolath, 28 May 1798), married on 10 February 1783 to Heinrich Karl Erdmann of Carolath-Beuthen.Immediately after he inherited the duchy, Anton Ulrich left Meiningen and established his official residence at Frankfurt, where he lived until his death.