Frederick I, Duke of Württemberg

Frederick I, Duke of Württemberg

Frederick I, Duke of Württemberg
Spouse(s) Sibylla of Anhalt
Noble family House of Württemberg
Father George I of Württemberg-Mömpelgard
Mother Barbara of Hesse
Born (1557-08-19)19 August 1557
Mömpelgard, today's Montbéliard
Died 29 January 1608(1608-01-29) (aged 50)
Stuttgart
Engraving of Frederick I

Friedrich I of Württemberg (19 August 1557, in Montbéliard 29 January 1608, in Stuttgart) was the son of George of Mömpelgard and his wife Barbara of Hesse, daughter of Philip I, Landgrave of Hesse.

Several references are made to him in Shakespeare's The Merry Wives of Windsor, in which a series of anti-German jokes start with a horse theft, several references are made to German travellers in England and to a German duke who is not expected to come to Windsor.

Arms of Frederick I, Duke of Württemberg, KG

Frederick of Mömpelgard was heir apparent to the dukedom of Württemberg when he visited Windsor and other English cities in 1592. He developed a desire to be made a Knight of the Garter and solicited Queen Elizabeth for the honor repeatedly. After he had inherited the dukedom and become more prominent in affairs, she admitted him to the order. In a calculated slight, he was not informed of his admission in time to attend the investiture in spring 1597, the ceremony for which The Merry Wives of Windsor was written. Thus references to Mömpelgard's earlier visit and his not being in Windsor were jokes intended for the play's first audience, and appear in the First Folio edition of the play, taken from the first private performance, but not in the 1602 Quarto derived from public theatrical production.

In 1599, Frederick I issued an order that a new town should be established at the northern extremity of the Black Forest by the name of Freudenstadt. The aim was for the town to become the new residence of the Duchy of Württemberg as it was closer to Mömpelgard than the Württemberg capital Stuttgart. However, Frederick I died in 1608 and his plans never came to fruition.

The sons of Frederick I established the ducal house of Württemberg-Neuenstadt, a branch line of the House of Württemberg after a Fürstbrüderlicher Vergleich a mutual agreement made between ducal brothers on 7 June 1617. The eldest son, Johann Friedrich, assumed barony over the Duchy of Württemberg, while the second youngest son, Frederick Achilles, was bequeathed Neuenstadt Castle and an annual endowment of 10,000 guilder.

Children

Duke Frederick I of Württemberg and Sibylla of Anhalt (centre), with their 5 sons: Johann Frederick, Ludwig Frederick, Julius Frederick, Frederick Achilles and Magnus (top left downwards), and 5 daughters: Sibylla Elisabeth, Eva Christina, Agnes, Barbara and Anna (top right downwards)

Frederick and his spouse Sibylla of Anhalt (1564–1614), daughter of Joachim Ernst, Prince of Anhalt, had:

Ancestors

Further information

References

Frederick I, Duke of Württemberg
Born: 19 August 1557 Died: 29 January 1608
Regnal titles
Preceded by
Louis I
Duke of Württemberg
1593-1608
Succeeded by
John Frederick
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