Frederick William, Elector of Hesse

Frederick William I, Elector of Hesse (August 20 1802 - January 6 1875) was between 1847 and 1866 the last Elector of Hesse-Kassel (or Hesse-Cassel).

Life

He was born at Hanau, the son of Prince William, later William II, Elector of Hesse, and Princess Augusta of Prussia, daughter of Frederick William II of Prussia.

During the French occupation of Hesse-Kassel (1806-1813) he stayed with his mother in Berlin. The relationship with his father was bad, because of his fathers affair with Emilie Ortlöpp.

Frederick became regent on September 30, 1831. Under influence of his minister Ludwig Hassenpflug he conduced a reactionary policy, which made him very impopular. He was forces to give in to the demands of the March Revolution, but reinstated Hassenpflug in 1850 after the revolution had been crushed.

In the Austro-Prussian War (1866) he chose the side of Austria. His capital Kassel was occupied by Prussia and he was transferred as a prisoner to Stettin on June 23. Hessen-Kassel was annexed by Prussia in the same year.

Frederick William never accepted the Prussian dominance over his territory. Even after the creation of the unified German Empire (1871), he tried to regain his throne. He died at Prague in 1875.

Children

Frederick William morganatically married on June 26 1831 to Gertrud Falkenstein, whom his father made "Her Illustrious Highness" Countess of Schaumburg in (1831), and whom he made Princess ("Fürstin") of Hanau in (1853). They had nine children, some born before marriage, who were also made princes ("Prinzen") of Hanau, and granted the style of "Serene Highness" in 1862."Almanach de Gotha" (Gotha: Justus Perthes, 1942), pages 431-432] Subsequently, the grand duke divorced Gertrud.

*Augusta Marie Gertrude (1829-1887), married 1849 Ferdinand Maximilian III Prince ("Fürst") zu Isenburg-Büdingen in Wächtersbach (1824-1903).
*Alexandrine (1830-1871), married 1851 Prince Felix zu Hohenlohe-Oehringen (1818-1900)
*Frederich Wilhelm (1832-1889), married morganatically twice: 1856 Auguste Birnbaum; and in 1875, Ludowika Gloede; their children were Counts von Schaumburg, but post-1918 descendants bear the title "Prince/ss von Hanau".
*Moritz (1834-1889), married morganatically 1875 Anne von Lossberg; no children
*Wilhelm (1836-1902), married 1stly 1868 (divorced 1870) Princess Elisabeth, daughter of George William, Prince of Schaumburg-Lippe; 2ndly 1890 Countess Elisabeth zur Lippe-Weissenfeld (1868-1952); no children
*Maria (1839-1917), married 1857 (divorced 1872) Prince Wilhelm of Hesse-Philippsthal-Barchfeld (1831-1890): she and her children were granted the titles HSH "Prince/ss of Ardeck" after her divorce.
*Karl (1840-1905), married 1882 Countess Hermine Grote; no children.
*Heinrich (1842-1917), married morganatically Martha Riegel
*Philipp (1844-1914), married morganatically Albertine Hubatschek-Stauber; countly descendants, but post-monarchy bear the princely "Hanau" title.

Notes and references

Ancestry

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1= Frederick William I, Elector of Hesse
2= William II, Elector of Hesse
3= Augusta of Prussia
4= William I, Elector of Hesse
5= Wilhelmina Caroline of Denmark and Norway
6= Frederick William II of Prussia
7= Frederika Louisa of Hesse-Darmstadt
8= Frederick II, Landgrave of Hesse-Kassel
9= Mary of Great Britain
10=Frederick V of Denmark
11=Louise of Great Britain
12=Prince Augustus William of Prussia
13=Louise Amalie of Brunswick-Wolfenbüttel
14=Louis IX, Landgrave of Hesse-Darmstadt
15=Caroline of Palatine-Zweibrücken

ource

* [http://genealogy.euweb.cz/brabant/brabant8.html#W1] - Genealogy of the Hesse-Kassel line.