Wilhelm Christian Karl, 3rd Prince of Solms Braunfels (9 January 1759, in

Braunfels Braunfels () is a town in the Lahn-Dill-Kreis in Hesse, Germany. It is located on the German Timber-Frame Road. Geography Location The climatic spa of Braunfels lies at a height of some 100 m above the Lahn valley. It is 9 km southwes ...

– 20 March 1837, in Braunfels) was by succession an immediate

Prince A prince is a male ruler (ranked below a king, grand prince, and grand duke) or a male member of a monarch's or former monarch's family. ''Prince'' is also a title of nobility (often highest), often hereditary, in some European states. ...

, then a nobleman and head of the Princely House of Solms-Braunfels, a Prussian major general and Hessian deputy.

Life

Family

William was a member of the Princely House of Solms-Braunfels. His grandfather Frederick William (1696–1761) was the first Prince of

Solms-Braunfels Solms-Braunfels was a County and later Principality with Imperial immediacy in what is today the federal Land of Hesse in Germany. Solms-Braunfels was a partition of Solms, ruled by the House of Solms, and was raised to a Principality of t ...

. His parents were the

imperial Imperial is that which relates to an empire, emperor, or imperialism. Imperial or The Imperial may also refer to: Places United States * Imperial, California * Imperial, Missouri * Imperial, Nebraska * Imperial, Pennsylvania * Imperial, Texas ...

colonel Colonel (abbreviated as Col., Col or COL) is a senior military officer rank used in many countries. It is also used in some police forces and paramilitary organizations. In the 17th, 18th and 19th centuries, a colonel was typically in charge ...

and

lieutenant general Lieutenant general (Lt Gen, LTG and similar) is a three-star military rank (NATO code OF-8) used in many countries. The rank traces its origins to the Middle Ages, where the title of lieutenant general was held by the second-in-command on th ...

of the United Provinces Ferdinand Wilhelm Ernst (1721–1783) and Countess Sophie Christine Wilhelmine of Solms-Laubach. first daughter and second child of Christian August, Count of Solms-Laubach. Prussian

Major General Major general (abbreviated MG, maj. gen. and similar) is a military rank used in many countries. It is derived from the older rank of sergeant major general. The disappearance of the "sergeant" in the title explains the apparent confusion of ...

Frederick William (1770–1814) was one of his younger brothers. On 6 October 1792, he married Wild- und Rheingräfin Auguste of

Salm-Grumbach Salm is the name of several historic countships and principalities in present Germany, Belgium, Luxembourg and France. History Origins The County of Salm arose in the tenth century in Vielsalm, in the Ardennes region of present Belgium. It was ...

(1771–1810) half-sister of Friedrich, Prince of Salm-Horstmar. They had four children: * Wilhelmine (1793–1865) ∞ Alexius, Prince of Bentheim and Steinfurt (1781–1866) and had issue * Sophie Auguste (1796–1855) ∞ Johann August Karl, Prince of Wied (1779–1836) and had issue; they were the paternal grandparents of

Queen Elisabeth of Romania Pauline Elisabeth Ottilie Luise of Wied (29 December 18432 March 1916) was the first queen of Romania as the wife of King Carol I from 15 March 1881 to 27 September 1914. She had been the princess consort of Romania since her marriage to then ...

* Ferdinand, 4th Prince of Solms-Braunfels (1797–1873) ∞ Countess Ottilie of Solms-Laubach (1807–1884), without issue * Karl Wilhelm Bernhard (1800–1868), General of Cavalry By his maitresse Anna Elisabeth Becker (1779–1852), whom he married morganatically once widower, he had three children who received

patronymic A patronymic, or patronym, is a component of a personal name based on the given name of one's father, grandfather (avonymic), or an earlier male ancestor. Patronymics are still in use, including mandatory use, in many countries worldwide, alt ...

''Wilhelmi''Familie Wagner - Dillkreis,
Anna Elisabeth Becker
' (retrieved 2 August 2015)

Ancestry

Footnotes

{{DEFAULTSORT:William, Prince of Solms-Braunfels 1759 births 1837 deaths People from Braunfels People from Solms-Braunfels House of Solms-Braunfels German princes Major generals of Prussia Military personnel from Hesse