Frederick VI (30 July 1769 – 2 April 1829) reigned as
Landgrave of Hesse-Homburg from 1820 until his death in 1829.
Biography
Born in Homburg,
Hesse
Hesse or Hessen ( ), officially the State of Hesse (), is a States of Germany, state in Germany. Its capital city is Wiesbaden, and the largest urban area is Frankfurt, which is also the country's principal financial centre. Two other major hist ...
, on 30 July 1769, Friedrich Joseph Ludwig Carl August
was the eldest son of the incumbent
Landgrave of
Hesse-Homburg,
Frederick V, and his wife
Caroline of Hesse-Darmstadt, the eldest child of the then Landgrave of
Hesse-Darmstadt,
Louis IX.
Frederick was appointed a captain of the Russian cavalry in 1783 and was made an Austrian general during the
Great French War.
For his services in that conflict, he was created a Commander of the Austrian
Military Order of Maria Theresa.
Despite the vocal objections of her mother,
Charlotte of Mecklenburg-Strelitz
Charlotte of Mecklenburg-Strelitz (Sophia Charlotte; 19 May 1744 – 17 November 1818) was List of British royal consorts, Queen of Great Britain and Ireland as the wife of King George III from their marriage on 8 September 1761 until her ...
, Frederick married
Princess Elizabeth of the United Kingdom, the third daughter of King
George III
George III (George William Frederick; 4 June 173829 January 1820) was King of Great Britain and King of Ireland, Ireland from 25 October 1760 until his death in 1820. The Acts of Union 1800 unified Kingdom of Great Britain, Great Britain and ...
, in the Queen's House in the Mall (now integrated into
Buckingham Palace
Buckingham Palace () is a royal official residence, residence in London, and the administrative headquarters of the monarch of the United Kingdom. Located in the City of Westminster, the palace is often at the centre of state occasions and r ...
) on 7 April 1818. It was no love match: Elizabeth longed to be free from her domineering mother at any cost, while Frederick needed her sizeable dowry to improve the
Landgraviate's strained finances. However, by all accounts Frederick treated his bride kindly and affectionately, and the princess reported herself to be quite happy. As Elizabeth was over the age of 48 at the time of their marriage, this union produced no offspring.
Landgrave Frederick V died on 20 January 1820; Frederick succeeded him as monarch of the principality. The new Landgrave struggled to repay his father's exorbitant debts. Nine years into his reign, the Landgrave died of complications from a pre-existing leg wound.
[Fraser, p 351] He was succeeded by his brother,
Louis William.
Ancestry
References
*Fraser, Flora: ''Princesses: The Six Daughters of George III'', John Murray, 2004, London,
*Hadlow, Janice: ''A Royal Experiment''. Picador, 2014, New York, NY
Citations
External links
*
{{DEFAULTSORT:Hesse-Homburg, Frederick VI Landgrave Of
1769 births
1829 deaths
Frederick VI
Austrian generals
Austrian Empire commanders of the Napoleonic Wars
Commanders Cross of the Military Order of Maria Theresa