Princess Friederike of Brandenburg-Schwedt
Friederike of Brandenburg-Schwedt was Duchess of Württemberg by marriage to Frederick II Eugene, Duke of Württemberg. She is an ancestor to many European royals of the 19th and 20th century.Biography
Friederike was a daughter of Margrave Frederick William of Brandenburg-Schwedt and 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.
On 2 November 1753, she married Frederick Eugen of Württemberg. He would succeed his brother in 1795, making her Duchess consort of Württemberg.
Friederike was described as witty and charming. She belonged to the reformed faith, while her husband was Catholic; however, 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. In 1792, she abandoned Montbéliard because of the French Revolution. Her husband inherited the Dukedom of Württemberg in 1795–1797.Issue
She had twelve children:
- Duke Frederick Wilhelm Karl of Württemberg ; succeeded his father as Duke of Württemberg; would later become the first King of Württemberg.
- Duke Louis Frederick Alexander of Württemberg, of whom Queen Elizabeth II of the United Kingdom is a direct descendant.
- Duke Eugene Frederick Henry of Württemberg.
- Duchess Sophie Marie Dorothea of Württemberg, of whom Prince Philip, Duke of Edinburgh and Queen Sofia of Spain are direct descendants.
- Duke William Frederick Philip of Württemberg ; father of Wilhelm, 1st Duke of Urach.
- Duke Ferdinand Augustus Frederick of Württemberg.
- Duchess Friederike Elisabeth Amalie of Württemberg, married to Peter, Duke of Oldenburg.
- Duchess Elisabeth Wilhelmine Luise of Württemberg, married to Francis I, Emperor of Austria.
- Duchess Friederike Wilhelmine Katharina of Württemberg.
- Duke Charles Frederick Henry of Württemberg.
- Duke Alexander Frederick Charles of Württemberg, 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.
Ancestry
