Frederick III, Duke of Legnica ( pl, Fryderyk III Legnicki) (22 February 1520 – 15 December 1570) was a Duke of
Legnica during 1547–1551 and 1556–1559 (both times was deposed by
Habsburgs Emperors Charles V and Ferdinand I).
He was the eldest son of
Frederick II, Duke of
Legnica-
Brzeg
Brzeg (; Latin: ''Alta Ripa'', German: ''Brieg'', Silesian German: ''Brigg'', , ) is a town in southwestern Poland with 34,778 inhabitants (December 2021) and the capital of Brzeg County. It is situated in Silesia in the Opole Voivodeship on t ...
, by his second wife Sophie, daughter of
Frederick I, Margrave of Brandenburg-Ansbach
Frederick I of Ansbach and Bayreuth (also known as Frederick V; german: Friedrich V. von Brandenburg-Ansbach-Kulmbach or ; 8 May 1460 – 4 April 1536) was born at Ansbach as the eldest son of Albert III, Margrave of Brandenburg by his second wi ...
.
Life
After the death of his father in 1547, Frederick III succeeded him in Legnica. His younger brother George II (George II the Pious) took possession of Brzeg.
Since the beginning of his reign he sided against the rule of
Emperor Charles V, joined to the Coalition of Protestant rebel princes and made an alliance with the long-time enemy of the Habsburgs, King
Henry II of France
Henry II (french: Henri II; 31 March 1519 – 10 July 1559) was King of France from 31 March 1547 until his death in 1559. The second son of Francis I and Duchess Claude of Brittany, he became Dauphin of France upon the death of his elder bro ...
. This behavior motivated the invasion of Charles V to the Duchy of Legnica and the formal deposition of Frederick III in 1551. His eldest son Henry XI was made new Duke, but, still a minor, was cared under the regency of his uncle George II of Brzeg.
The abdication of Charles V in 1556 changed Frederick III's situation; the new Emperor, Ferdinand I, restored him in Legnica after his formal promise of obedience and loyalty to him.
Frederick III's conduct forced the Emperor to depose him for a second time (27 October 1559), this time for good. Henry XI was placed again as a Duke of Legnica and Frederick III was placed under house arrest until his death in Legnica eleven years later.
Marriage and issue
In
Legnica on 3 March 1538, Frederick III married Katharina (14 April 1518 – 17 November 1581), daughter of
Henry V, Duke of Mecklenburg-Schwerin. They had six children:
#
Henry XI (b. Schloss Liegnitz, 23 February 1539 – d. Kraków, 3 March 1588).
#Sophie (b. 15 April 1541 – d. 7 August 1542).
#Katharina (b. 7 February 1542 – d. 3 September 1569), married on 28 December 1563 to
Frederick Casimir of Cieszyn
Frederick Casimir of Cieszyn also known as of Fryštát ( pl, Fryderyk Kazimierz Cieszyński or Frysztacki; german: links=no, Friedrich Kasimir von Teschen-Freystadt; b. December 1541/January 1542 - d. 4 May 1571), was a Polish prince member of the ...
.
#Frederick (b. 29 August 1543 – d. bef. 1551).
#Helena (b. March 1545/47 – d. 16 September 1583), married in 1568 to
Siegmund II of Kurzbach-Militsch Sigmund or Siegmund may refer to:
People
* Sigmund (given name), list of people with the name Sigmund
* Sigmund Freud, a pioneer of psychoanalysis
Arts and entertainment
*''Sigmund and the Sea Monsters, American 1970s TV series
;Fictional chatact ...
, Baron of
Trachenberg.
#
Frederick IV (b. 20 April 1552 – d. 27 March 1596).
References
*
*
{{DEFAULTSORT:Frederick 03 of Legnica
1520 births
1570 deaths
Dukes of Legnica