Frederick William, Prince of Solms-Braunfels

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Frederick William, Prince of Solms-Braunfels
House of Solms-Braunfels
FatherWilliam Maurice of Solms-Braunfels
MotherMagdalene Sophie of Hesse-Homburg

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 Wilhelm Moritz of Solms-Braunfels (1651–1724) and his wife Princess Magdalene Sophie of Hesse-Homburg (1660–1720), a daughter of William Christoph, Landgrave of Hesse-Homburg, and his first wife Princess Sophia Eleonore of Hesse-Darmstadt.

Life

Frederick William received an aristocratic education. When his father died on 18 February 1724, he became Count of Solms-Braunfels,

, 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

Imperial Prince
.

When Friedrich Wilhelm died in 1761, he was succeeded by his son Ferdinand Wilhelm Ernst.

Marriage and issue

He was married three times. His first wife was Princess Magdalena Henrietta of

John Ernst of Nassau-Weilburg
. They had the following children:

  • Ferdinand, Prince of Solms-Braunfels (8 February 1721 – 2 October 1783), married Countess Sophie Christine Wilhelmine of Solms-Laubach (1741-1772)
  • Magdalena Polyxena Maria Casimira (17 July 1722 – 17 November 1722)
  • Charlotte Henriette Magdalene Wilhelmine (15 August 1725 – 29 April 1785)

On 9 May 1726 he married his second wife, Countess Sophia Magdalena Benigna of Solms-Utphe, the daughter of Count Karl Otto of Solms-Laubach-Utphe-Tecklenburg and Countess Louise Albertine of Schönburg-Waldenburg. 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 and his second wife Esther Maria of Witzleben-Elgersburg. This marriage remained childless.

References

  • Geschichte des Grafen- und Fürstenhauses Solms, online

External links

  • Marek, Miroslav. "Genealogy of Solms-Braunfels". Genealogy.EU.
  • House of Solms