Frederick William, Prince of Solms-Braunfels

Frederick William, Prince of Solms-Braunfels

Monogram of Frederick William in the Evengelical Reformed Church in Wölfersheim
Spouse(s) Magdalena Henrietta of Nassau-Weilburg
Sophia Magdalena Benigna of Solms-Laubach-Utphe
Charlotte Catherine of Birkenfeld-Gelnhausen
Noble family House of Solms-Braunfels
Father William Maurice of Solms-Braunfels
Mother Magdalene Sophie of Hesse-Homburg
Born (1696-01-11)11 January 1696
Braunfels
Died 24 February 1761(1761-02-24) (aged 65)
Braunfels

Prince Frederick William of Solms-Braunfels (11 January 1696 in Braunfels – 24 February 1761, Braunfels) was the first Prince of Solms-Braunfels. He was the son of Count William Maurice of Solms-Braunfels (1651–1724) and his wife Magdalene Sophie of Hesse-Homburg (1660–1720).

Life

Frederick William received an aristocratic education . When his father died on 18 February 1724, he became Count of Solms-Braunfeld, Greifenstein and Hungen, Tecklenburg, Kriechingen and Lingen, Lord of Münzenberg, Wildenfels, Sonnewalde, Püttlingen, Dortweiler and Beaucourt. However, because of his poor health, he did not rule much personally. He did, however, succeed in his marriage policy, which allowed his children to marry into powerful families around the country.

Financial difficulties forced him to sell the city of Butzbach, which his family had owned since 1478, to Hesse-Darmstadt on 17 March 1741. On 22 May 1742, Emperor Charles VII raised the House of Solms-Braunfels to the rank of Imperial Prince.

When Frederick William died in 1761, he was succeeded by his son Ferdinand William Ernest.

Marriage and issue

He was married three times. His first wife was Princess Magdalena Henrietta of Nassau-Weilburg (1691-1725), the daughter of John Ernst of Nassau-Weilburg. They had the following children:

On 9 May 1726 he married his second wife, Countess Sophia Magdalena Benigna of Solms-Laubach-Utphe, the daughter of Charles Otto of Solms-Laubach-Utphe and Tecklenburg. They had the following children

His third wife was the Countess Palatine Charlotte Catherine of Birkenfeld-Gelnhausen (1699–1785), the daughter of John Charles, Count Palatine of Gelnhausen. This marriage remained childless.

References

External links

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