Reign 1746–1763 Successor Karl Wilhelm House Duchy of Saxe-Meiningen | Predecessor Friedrich Wilhelm Name Anton Duke | |
 | ||
Born 22 October 1687
Meiningen ( 1687-10-22 ) Issue Charlotte, Duchess of Saxe-Gotha-Altenburg
Louise, Landgravine of Hesse-Philippsthal-Barchfeld
Princess Elisabeth
Karl Wilhelm
Prince Friedrich Franz
Prince Friedrich Wilhelm
George I
Princess Amalie Father Bernhard I, Duke of Saxe-Meiningen Mother Elisabeth Eleonore of Brunswick-Wolfenbuttel Died January 27, 1763, Frankfurt, Germany Spouse Princess Charlotte Amalie of Hesse-Philippsthal (m. 1750–1763), Philippine Elisabeth Caesar (m. 1711–1744) Children Georg I, Duke of Saxe-Meiningen Parents Elisabeth Eleonore of Brunswick-Wolfenbuttel, Bernhard I, Duke of Saxe-Meiningen Grandchildren Adelaide of Saxe-Meiningen | ||
Anton Ulrich, Duke of Saxe-Meiningen (Meiningen, 22 October 1687 – Frankfurt, 27 January 1763), was Duke of Saxe-Meiningen from 1746 to 1763.
Contents
Life
Anton Ulrich was born on 22 October 1687 at Meiningen. He was the second but first surviving son (in order of birth he was the eighth) of Bernhard I, Duke of Saxe-Meiningen and his second wife, Elisabeth Eleonore of Brunswick-Wolfenbuttel.
When his father died in 1706, according to his will the duchy was not supposed to be divided amon his heirs. However, due to the lack of a primogeniture rule, his three sons had to govern jointly: Anton Ulrich and his two older half-brothers, Ernst Ludwig and Friedrich Wilhelm. This resulted in conflict between Ernst Ludwig I and Anton Ulrich until the former died in 1724. Chaos continued, though, as now Friedrich Wilhelm and Anton Ulrich issued conflicting decrees.
Anton Ulrich had secretly married morganatically in the Netherlands in 1711 and lived in Amsterdam for much of the time. Since Anton Ulrich's aunt on his mother's side was the wife of Emperor Karl VI he made some progress in his attempts to make his offspring entitled to inherit. After Karl IV died, under Charles VII Anton Ulrich's ten children were found to be disqualified to succeed in 1744. Earlier that year, Philippine Elisabeth Caesar, Anton Ulrich's wife, had died. In 1746, Friedrich Wilhelm died, and Anton Ulrich was now the only Duke of Saxe-Meiningen. Although his relatives at Weimar and Gotha were already discussing the division of Saxe-Meiningen after his death, Anton Ulrich married again and succeeded in fathering another eight children - all of them eligible for inheritance.
Immediately after he inherited the duchy, Anton Ulrich left Meiningen and established his official residence at Frankfurt, where he lived until his death on 27 January 1763.
Marriages
In January 1711, Anton Ulrich secretly married Philippine Elisabeth Caesar, the lady-in-waiting of his favourite sister, Elisabeth Ernestine. This marriage was unequal, but she was created Princess (German: Furstin) in 1727. They had ten children, all created Prince/Princess of Saxe-Meiningen (Furst/Furstin):
In Homburg vor der Hohe on 26 September 1750, Anton Ulrich married Charlotte Amalie of Hesse-Philippsthal, who was forty-three years his junior. They had eight children: