Ernest Frederick II, Duke of Saxe-Hildburghausen


Ernst Frederick II, Duke of Saxe-Hildburghausen, was a duke of Saxe-Hildburghausen.

Young duke

He was the third but eldest surviving son of Ernst Frederick I, Duke of Saxe-Hildburghausen and Countess Sophia Albertine of Erbach-Erbach. At the age of 16, he succeeded his father as Duke of Saxe-Hildburghausen in 1724. As a result, his mother, the Dowager Duchess Sophia Albertine, acted as a regent on his behalf until he reached adulthood five years later.

Appointments

In 1743 he received an Infantry Regiment from Charles Theodore, Elector of Bavaria as a Lieutenant-General. Later, Charles VII, Holy Roman Emperor appointed him Quartermaster-General.
Always ailing in body and mind, he was helpless in the face of the problems of the duchy. In the meantime, the indebtedness of the duchy had become so high that total public revenues did not even cover the interest.

Family

In Fürstenau on 19 June 1726 Ernst Frederick married Caroline of Erbach-Fürstenau. They had four children:
  1. Ernst Frederick III Karl, Duke of Saxe-Hildburghausen.
  2. Frederick August Albrecht.
  3. Frederick Wilhelm Eugen, married on 13 March 1778 to his niece Caroline of Saxe-Hildburghausen. Their marriage was childless.
  4. Sophie Amalie Caroline, married in 1749 to Ludwig of Hohenlohe-Neuenstein-Öhringen.

    Ancestors