Margravine Friederike of Brandenburg-Schwedt

Friederike of Brandenburg-Schwedt
Duchess of Württemberg
Consort	20 May 1795 – 23 December 1797
Born	18 December 1736 Schwedt
Died	9 March 1798 (aged 61) Stuttgart
Spouse	Frederick II Eugene, Duke of Württemberg
Issue	Frederick, King of Württemberg Duke Louis Sophia Dorothea, Empress of Russia Duke William Friederika, Princess of Holstein-Gottorp Elisabeth, Archduchess of Austria Duke Alexander
Full name Friederike Sophia Dorothea
House	Brandenburg-Schwedt
Father	Margrave Frederick William of Brandenburg-Schwedt
Mother	Princess Sophia Dorothea of Prussia

Friederike of Brandenburg-Schwedt (Friederike Sophia Dorothea; 18 December 1736 – 9 March 1798) was Duchess of Württemberg (now in Germany) and ancestor to many European royals of the 19th and 20th century.^[1]

Biography

Friederike was described as witty and charming. She belonged to the reformed faith, while her consort was Catholic, but she brought up her children as Lutheran upon agreement with the Lutheran council, from whom she received an allowance.

From 1769 she lived at Montbéliard, which was being managed by her husband, but which had to be abandoned in 1792 because of the French Revolution. Her husband inherited the Dukedom of Württemberg in 1795–97.

Family

Friederike was a daughter of Margrave Frederick William of Brandenburg-Schwedt and his wife Princess Sophia Dorothea of Prussia. Her mother was a sister of Frederick the Great. Her siblings included Elisabeth Louise, Princess Augustus Ferdinand of Prussia and Philippine, Landgravine of Hesse-Cassel.

Marriage and children

On 2 November 1753, she married Frederick Eugen of Württemberg. He would succeed his brother in 1795, making her Duchess consort of Württemberg. They had twelve children:

• Duke Frederick Wilhelm Karl of Württemberg (6 November 1754 – 30 October 1816); succeeded his father as Duke of Württemberg; would later become the first King of Württemberg.
• Duke Louis Frederick Alexander of Württemberg (30 August 1756 – 20 September 1817), of whom Queen Elizabeth II of the United Kingdom is a direct descendant.
• Duke Eugene Frederick Henry of Württemberg (21 November 1758 – 20 June 1822).
• Duchess Sophie Marie Dorothea of Württemberg (25 October 1759 – 5 November 1828), married to Paul I, Emperor of Russia), of whom Prince Philip, Duke of Edinburgh and Queen Sofia of Spain are direct descendants.
• Duke William Frederick Philip of Württemberg (27 December 1761 – 10 August 1830); father of Wilhelm, 1st Duke of Urach.
• Duke Ferdinand Augustus Frederick of Württemberg (22 October 1763 – 20 January 1834).
• Duchess Friederike Elisabeth Amalie of Württemberg (27 July 1765 – 24 November 1785), married to Peter, Duke of Oldenburg.
• Duchess Elisabeth Wilhelmine Luise of Württemberg (21 April 1767 – 18 February 1790), married to Francis I, Emperor of Austria.
• Duchess Friederike Wilhelmine Katharina of Württemberg (3 June 1768 – 22 October 1768).
• Duke Charles Frederick Henry of Württemberg (3 May 1770 – 22 August 1791).
• Duke Alexander Frederick Charles of Württemberg (24 April 1771 – 4 July 1833), the founder of the fifth branch of Württemberg, from which today's head of the House, Duke Carl Maria of Württemberg.
• Duke Charles Henry of Württemberg (3 July 1772 – 28 July 1833).

Royal descendants

• The current reigning monarchs Queen Elizabeth II of the United Kingdom, King Carl XVI Gustaf of Sweden, King Juan Carlos I of Spain, King Harald V of Norway, King Willem-Alexander I of the Netherlands, Queen Margrethe II of Denmark, King Albert II of Belgium and Grand Duke Henri of Luxembourg are all her direct-line descendants.

Ancestry

Ancestors of Margravine Friederike of Brandenburg-Schwedt

16. George William, Elector of Brandenburg               8. Frederick William I, Elector of Brandenburg                       17. Elizabeth Charlotte of the Palatinate               4. Philip William, Margrave of Brandenburg-Schwedt                             18. Philip, Duke of Schleswig-Holstein-Sonderburg-Glücksburg               9. Sophia Dorothea of Schleswig-Holstein-Sonderburg-Glücksburg                       19. Sophia Hedwig of Saxe-Lauenburg               2. Frederick William, Margrave of Brandenburg-Schwedt                                   20. John Casimir, Prince of Anhalt-Dessau               10. John George II, Prince of Anhalt-Dessau                       21. Agnes of Hesse-Kassel               5. Princess Johanna Charlotte of Anhalt-Dessau                             22. Frederick Henry, Prince of Orange               11. Henriette Catherine of Nassau                       23. Amalia of Solms-Braunfels               1. Friederike of Brandenburg-Schwedt                                         24. Frederick William, Elector of Brandenburg (= 8)               12. Frederick I of Prussia                       25. Louise Henriette of Orange-Nassau               6. Frederick William I of Prussia                             26. Ernest Augustus, Elector of Hanover               13. Sophia Charlotte of Hanover                       27. Sophia of the Palatinate               3. Sophia Dorothea of Prussia                                   28. Ernest Augustus, Elector of Hanover (= 26)               14. George I of Great Britain                       29. Sophia of the Palatinate (= 27)               7. Sophia Dorothea of Hanover                             30. George William, Duke of Brunswick-Lüneburg               15. Sophia Dorothea of Celle                       31. Eleonore d'Esmier d'Olbreuse

Titles, styles, honours and arms

Titles and styles

• 18 December 1736 – 2 November 1753 Her Serene Highness Margravine Friederike of Brandenburg-Schwedt
• 2 November 1753 – 20 May 1795 Her Serene Highness Duchess Friederike of Württemberg
• 20 May 1795 – 23 December 1797 Her Serene Highness The Duchess of Württemberg
• 23 December 1797 – 9 March 1798 Her Serene Highness The Dowager Duchess of Württemberg

Sources

Notes

1. Montgomery-Massingberd, Hugh (ed.) (1977). Burke's Royal Families of the World, 1st edition. London: Burke's Peerage. pp. 184–186. ISBN 0-85011-023-8.