Prince Friedrich of Saxe-Meiningen

Prince Friedrich
Born (1861-10-12)12 October 1861
Meiningen
Died 23 August 1914(1914-08-23) (aged 52)
Tarcienne (Walcourt)
Spouse Countess Adelaide of Lippe-Biesterfeld
Issue Feodora, Grand Duchess of Saxe-Weimar-Eisenach
Adelaide, Princess Adalbert of Prussia
Georg, Prince of Saxe-Meiningen
Prince Ernst Leopold
Princess Luise Marie
Bernhard, Prince of Saxe-Meiningen
Full name
Friedrich Johann Bernhard Hermann Heinrich Moritz
House Saxe-Meiningen
Father Georg II, Duke of Saxe-Meiningen
Mother Princess Feodora of Hohenlohe-Langenburg

Prince Friedrich of Saxe-Meiningen, Duke of Saxony (Full given names: Friedrich Johann Bernhard Hermann Heinrich Moritz; 12 October 1861 - 23 August 1914) was a German soldier and member of the Ducal House of Saxe-Meiningen.

Birth and university

Prince Friedrich was born in Meiningen the second son of Georg II, Duke of Saxe-Meiningen and his second wife Princess Feodora of Hohenlohe-Langenburg, a descendant of Diego Velázquez.

Prince Friedrich attended the University of Bonn where unusually for a royal prince he refused to accept an adjutant or maintain a horse and carriage. At university due to his royal status he was a member of the exclusive "Borussia" student dueling corps. Although the future William II, German Emperor was a prominent member, Prince Friedrich was not active in the group, rarely attending meetings, instead preferring to shun social life in favour of concentrating on his studies. He narrowly escaped serious injury at Bonn when a retort blew up near him during a chemical experiment.[1]

Army and death

After finishing his studies Prince Friedrich entered into the army. Just as he had at university while a lieutenant in Strassbourg he was not an active member of society focusing on the study of artillery. He was promoted to colonel in 1902, brigadier general in 1907 and major general in 1910 before retiring from the army in 1913.[1]

With the outbreak of the First World War in 1914, Prince Friedrich, despite suffering a broken arm a short while before hand, returned to active service. Prince Friedrich met his death fighting in Tarcienne during the invasion of Belgium. His son Prince Georg travelled to meet his father's regiment to discover his father's fate. He discovered his father had been struck by shrapnel or machine gun bullets when he left a house he was using as an observation post.[1]

His body was brought to the College of the Sacred Heart of Charleroi where he was embalmed.[2] His body was returned to Meiningen for burial.

Marriage and issue

Prince Friedrich married Countess Adelaide of Lippe-Biesterfeld (later Princess of Lippe), daughter of Count Ernst of Lippe-Biesterfeld, in Neudorf on 24 April 1889. The dynastic status of the marriage of Friedrich and Adelaide was questioned during the Lippe succession dispute when it was argued that if Adelaide's brother, Leopold, was excluded from the Lippe succession on the grounds that their great-grandmother, Modeste von Unruh, was not of equal birth, then the children of Friedrich and Adelaide should be excluded from the Saxe-Meiningen succession on the same grounds.[3]

Prince Friedrich and Princess Adelaide had six children who were full members of the Ducal House of Saxe-Meiningen:

Ancestry

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
16. Anton Ulrich, Duke of Saxe-Meiningen
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
8. Georg I, Duke of Saxe-Meiningen
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
17. Charlotte Amalie of Hesse-Philippsthal
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
4. Bernhard II, Duke of Saxe-Meiningen
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
18. Christian Albert, Prince of Hohenlohe-Langenburg
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
9. Princess Luise Eleonore of Hohenlohe-Langenburg
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
19. Princess Caroline of Stolberg-Gedern
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
2. Georg II, Duke of Saxe-Meiningen
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
20. William I, Elector of Hesse
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
10. William II, Elector of Hesse
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
21. Princess Wilhelmina Caroline of Denmark and Norway
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
5. Princess Marie Frederica of Hesse-Kassel
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
22. Frederick William II of Prussia
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
11. Princess Augusta of Prussia
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
23. Frederika Louisa of Hesse-Darmstadt
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
1. Prince Friedrich of Saxe-Meiningen
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
24. Christian Albert, Prince of Hohenlohe-Langenburg (= 18)
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
12. Charles Louis, Prince of Hohenlohe-Langenburg
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
25. Princess Caroline of Stolberg-Gedern (= 19)
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
6. Ernst I, Prince of Hohenlohe-Langenburg
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
26. John Christian II, Count of Solms-Baruth
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
13. Countess Amalie Henriette of Solms-Baruth
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
27. Countess Friederike Louise Reuss of Köstritz
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
3. Princess Feodora of Hohenlohe-Langenburg
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
28. Carl, Prince of Leiningen
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
14. Emich Carl, 2nd Prince of Leiningen
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
29. Countess Christiane of Solms-Rödelheim und Assenheim
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
7. Princess Feodora of Leiningen
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
30. Francis, Duke of Saxe-Coburg-Saalfeld
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
15. Princess Victoria of Saxe-Coburg-Saalfeld
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
31. Countess Augusta Reuss of Ebersdorf
 
 
 
 
 
 

References

  1. 1 2 3 German Princes Who Have Fallen in the War. New York Times. 31 October 1915
  2. Lemaire 1929, p. 72-75
  3. Article 2 -- No Title, By The Associated Press. New York Times. 9 October 1904. Page 5

Bibliography

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