Christian August of Holstein-Gottorp-Eutin (11 January 167324 April 1726) was a

cadet A cadet is a student or trainee within various organisations, primarily in military contexts where individuals undergo training to become commissioned officers. However, several civilian organisations, including civil aviation groups, maritime ...

of the reigning ducal House of Holstein-Gottorp who became prince of Eutin, prince-bishop of Lübeck and regent of the Duchy of Holstein- Gottorp. He was the father of Adolf Frederick, King of Sweden, and the maternal grandfather of

Catherine the Great Catherine II. (born Princess Sophie of Anhalt-Zerbst; 2 May 172917 November 1796), most commonly known as Catherine the Great, was the reigning empress of Russia from 1762 to 1796. She came to power after overthrowing her husband, Peter I ...

, Empress of Russia.

Biography

He was a younger son of Christian Albert, Duke of Holstein-Gottorp and Princess Frederica Amalia of Denmark, daughter of King

Frederick III of Denmark Frederick III (; 18 March 1609 – 9 February 1670) was King of Denmark and Norway from 1648 until his death in 1670. He also governed under the name Frederick II as diocesan administrator (colloquially referred to as prince-bishop) of the ...

. His elder brother, Frederick IV, succeeded their father as ruler of the duchy, Christian August being given the small fiefdom of

Eutin Eutin () is the district capital of Ostholstein, Eastern Holstein county located in the northern German state of Schleswig-Holstein. As of December 2022, the town had some 17,000 inhabitants. History The name Eutin (originally Utin) is of Slavic ...

in 1695, whereupon he took the title Duke of Holstein-Eutin. Additionally, he was appointed coadjutor of

Lübeck Lübeck (; or ; Latin: ), officially the Hanseatic League, Hanseatic City of Lübeck (), is a city in Northern Germany. With around 220,000 inhabitants, it is the second-largest city on the German Baltic Sea, Baltic coast and the second-larg ...

, a

Lutheran Lutheranism is a major branch of Protestantism that emerged under the work of Martin Luther, the 16th-century German friar and Protestant Reformers, reformer whose efforts to reform the theology and practices of the Catholic Church launched ...

Imperial state An Imperial Estate (; , plural: ') was an entity or an individual of the Holy Roman Empire with representation and the right to vote in the Imperial Diet (Holy Roman Empire), Imperial Diet ('). Rulers of these Estates were able to exercise signi ...

within the

Holy Roman Empire The Holy Roman Empire, also known as the Holy Roman Empire of the German Nation after 1512, was a polity in Central and Western Europe, usually headed by the Holy Roman Emperor. It developed in the Early Middle Ages, and lasted for a millennium ...

, in 1701, and his family managed to have him elected as the bishop on 26 April 1706. His eldest brother died in 1702, leaving only an underage son, Charles Frederick, Duke of Holstein-Gottorp, as his heir. From 1702 to 1708 Christian August was co-regent with his widowed sister-in-law, Hedvig Sophia of Sweden, for Charles Frederick, having been first installed as administrator under her authority. Upon her death in 1708, Christian August became sole regent of Holstein-Gottorp, which duchy was severely ravaged by the violence of the

Great Northern War In the Great Northern War (1700–1721) a coalition led by the Tsardom of Russia successfully contested the supremacy of the Swedish Empire in Northern Europe, Northern, Central Europe, Central and Eastern Europe. The initial leaders of the ant ...

Marriage and issue

Christian August married his cousin Margravine Albertina Frederica of Baden-Durlach (3 July 1682 – 26 December 1755), on 2 September 1704, with whom he had ten children: *Hedwig Sophie Auguste of Holstein-Gottorp (9 October 1705 – 4 October 1764), Abbess of Herford, 1750–1764 * Charles Augustus of Holstein-Gottorp (26 November 1706 – 31 May 1727), engaged to marry the future

Elizabeth of Russia Elizabeth or Elizaveta Petrovna (; ) was Empress of Russia from 1741 until her death in 1762. She remains one of the most popular List of Russian rulers, Russian monarchs because of her decision not to execute a single person during her reign, ...

, but died before the wedding *Frederica Amalia of Holstein-Gottorp (12 January 1708 – 19 January 1782), a nun at Quedlinburg *Anne of Holstein-Gottorp (3 February 1709 – 2 February 1758), wed Prince Wilhelm of Saxe-Gotha-Altenburg (1701-1771), no issue. He was a brother of Augusta of Saxe-Gotha * Adolf Frederick of Holstein-Gottorp,

King of Sweden The monarchy of Sweden is centred on the monarchical head of state of Sweden,See the #IOG, Instrument of Government, Chapter 1, Article 5. by law a constitutional monarchy, constitutional and hereditary monarchy with a parliamentary system.Parl ...

(14 May 1710 – 12 April 1771). He was named

crown prince A crown prince or hereditary prince is the heir apparent to the throne in a royal or imperial monarchy. The female form of the title, crown princess, is held by a woman who is heir apparent or is married to the heir apparent. ''Crown prince ...

of Sweden in 1743 and ascended the throne in 1751 as Adolf Frederick, King of Sweden. * Frederick August of Holstein-Gottorp, Duke of Oldenburg (20 September 1711 – 6 July 1785). He was initially bishop of Lübeck, and after his brother moved to Sweden, he inherited Eutin as well. In 1773, as part of a family agreement involving Denmark, Russia and

Holstein-Gottorp Holstein-Gottorp () is the historiographical name, as well as contemporary shorthand name, for the parts of the duchies of Schleswig and Holstein, also known as Ducal Holstein, that were ruled by the dukes of Schleswig-Holstein-Gottorp, a side ...

, he also received a new duchy, Oldenburg, consisting of the counties of Oldenburg and

Delmenhorst Delmenhorst (; Northern Low Saxon: ''Demost'') is an urban district (''List of German urban districts, Kreisfreie Stadt'') in Lower Saxony, Germany. It has a population of 74,500 and is located west of downtown Bremen (city), Bremen with which ...

. * Johanna Elisabeth (24 October 1712 – 30 May 1760), wed Christian August, Prince of Anhalt-Zerbst, and became the mother of

, Empress of Russia. *William Christian of Holstein-Gottorp (20 September 1716 – 26 June 1719), died in infancy *Frederick Conrad of Holstein-Gottorp (12 March 1718 – 1719), died in infancy * Georg Ludwig of Holstein-Gottorp (16 March 1719 – 7 September 1763). His son Peter inherited the Duchy of Oldenburg from his childless cousin, the son of Frederick August Christian August was succeeded by his eldest son Charles Augustus, who died before taking up the office, and then by his second son, Adolf Frederick.

Ancestry

Notes and references

{{DEFAULTSORT:Holstein-Gottorp, Christian August Of, Prince Of Eutin Christian Augustus Christian Augustus 18th-century regents Christian Augustus Christian Augustus Sons of dukes