Frederick III, Duke of Saxe-Gotha-Altenburg

Frederick III
Duke of Saxe-Gotha-Altenburg
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Duke of Saxe-Gotha-Altenburg
Reign	1732–1772
Predecessor	Frederick II
Successor	Ernst II
Born	(1699-04-14)14 April 1699 Gotha
Died	Gotha
Spouse	Luise Dorothea of Saxe-Meiningen
Issue	Frederick, Hereditary Prince of Saxe-Gotha-Altenburg Prince Ludwig Princess Fredericka Luise Ernst II Princess Sophie Prince August
House	House of Saxe-Gotha-Altenburg
Father	Frederick II, Duke of Saxe-Gotha-Altenburg
Mother	Magdalene Augusta of Anhalt-Zerbst

Frederick III, Duke of Saxe-Gotha-Altenburg (Gotha, 14 April 1699 – Gotha, 10 March 1772), was a duke of Saxe-Gotha-Altenburg.

Biography

He was the eldest son of Frederick II, Duke of Saxe-Gotha-Altenburg and Magdalene Augusta of Anhalt-Zerbst.

After the death of his father, in 1732, Frederick III assumed the duchy of Saxe-Gotha-Altenburg.

In 1734 he began a flourishing soldier trade with the Emperor, to the Prince of Waldeck and to the King of Prussia, which put him into the position to create a tax in his own duchy. The duchy had to suffer for Frederick with difficulty in the Seven Years' War and he forced the duchy into a war with his neighbour, duke Anton Ulrich of Saxe-Meiningen (The "Wasunger War").

Issue

In Gotha on 17 September 1729, Frederick married Luise Dorothea of Saxe-Meiningen, his first cousin. They had nine children:

1. Frederick Louis, Hereditary Prince of Saxe-Gotha-Altenburg (b. Gotha, 20 January 1735 – d. Gotha, 9 June 1756).
2. Louis (b. Gotha, 25 October 1735 – d. Gotha, 26 October 1735).
3. stillborn son (Gotha, 25 October 1735), twin of Louis.
4. stillborn twin sons (1739).
5. Fredericka Louise (b. Gotha, 30 January 1741 – d. Gotha, 5 February 1776).
6. Ernest II, Duke of Saxe-Gotha-Altenburg (b. Gotha, 30 January 1745 – d. Gotha, 20 April 1804).
7. Sophie (b. Gotha, 9 March 1746 – d. Gotha, 30 March 1746).
8. August (b. Gotha, 14 August 1747 – d. Gotha, 28 September 1806).

From 1748 to 1755 he was regent of the duchy of Saxe-Weimar-Eisenach on behalf of Ernst August II Konstantin. From 1750, he acted as regent alongside his kinsmen Franz Josias, Duke of Saxe-Coburg-Saalfeld.

Ancestors

Family of Frederick III, Duke of Saxe-Gotha-Altenburg

16. John II, Duke of Saxe-Weimar               8. Ernest I, Duke of Saxe-Gotha                       17. Dorothea Maria of Anhalt               4. Frederick I, Duke of Saxe-Gotha-Altenburg                             18. Johann Philipp, Duke of Saxe-Altenburg               9. Princess Elisabeth Sophie of Saxe-Altenburg                       19. Elisabeth of Brunswick-Wolfenbüttel               2. Frederick II, Duke of Saxe-Gotha-Altenburg                                   20. Johann Georg I, Elector of Saxony               10. August, Duke of Saxe-Weissenfels                       21. Magdalene Sibylle of Prussia               5. Magdalena Sibylle of Saxe-Weissenfels                             22. Adolf Frederick I, Duke of Mecklenburg               11. Anna Maria of Mecklenburg-Schwerin                       23. Anna Maria of Ostfriesland               1. Frederick III, Duke of Saxe-Gotha-Altenburg                                         24. Rudolph, Prince of Anhalt-Zerbst               12. John VI, Prince of Anhalt-Zerbst                       25. Magdalene of Oldenburg               6. Prince Charles of Anhalt-Zerbst                             26. Frederick III, Duke of Holstein-Gottorp               13. Sophie Augusta of Holstein-Gottorp                       27. Maria Elisabeth of Saxony               3. Princess Magdalena Augusta of Anhalt-Zerbst                                   28. Johann Georg I, Elector of Saxony (= 20)               14. August, Duke of Saxe-Weissenfels (= 10)                       29. Magdalene Sibylle of Prussia (= 21)               7. Sophie of Saxe-Weissenfels                             30. Adolf Frederick I, Duke of Mecklenburg (= 22)               15. Anna Maria of Mecklenburg-Schwerin (= 11)                       31. Anna Maria of Ostfriesland (= 23)

References

• August Beck: Friedrich II., Herzog von Sachsen-Gotha und Altenburg. In: Allgemeine Deutsche Biographie (ADB). Band 8, Duncker & Humblot, Leipzig 1878, S. 3–5.
• Christian Ferdinand Schulze, Leben des Herzogs von Sachsen-Gotha und Altenburg Friedrich II., Digitaliat

External links

Frederick III, Duke of Saxe-Gotha-Altenburg House of Wettin Born: 14 April 1699 Died: 10 March 1772
Preceded by Frederick II	Duke of Saxe-Gotha-Altenburg 1732–1772	Succeeded by Ernst II