Reign 1724–1745 Successor Ernest Frederick III | Predecessor Ernest Frederick I Name Ernst II, | |
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Born 17 December 1707
Hildburghausen ( 1707-12-17 ) Died 13 August 1745(1745-08-13) (aged 37)
Hildburghausen Spouse Caroline of Erbach-Furstenau Issue Ernest Frederick III
Prince Frederick August Albrecht
Prince Frederick Wilhelm Eugen
Princess Sophie Amalie Caroline | ||
Ernst Frederick II, Duke of Saxe-Hildburghausen (Hildburghausen, 17 December 1707 – Hildburghausen, 13 August 1745), was a duke of Saxe-Hildburghausen.
Contents
Young duke
He was the third but eldest surviving son of Ernst Frederick I, Duke of Saxe-Hildburghausen and Countess Sophia Albertine of Erbach-Erbach. At the age of 17, he succeeded his father as Duke of Saxe-Hildburghausen in 1724. As a result, his mother, the Dowager Duchess Sophia Albertine, acted as a regent on his behalf until he reached adulthood four years later.
Appointments
In 1743 he received an Infantry Regiment from Charles Theodore, Elector of Bavaria as a Lieutenant-General. Later, Charles VII, Holy Roman Emperor appointed him Quartermaster-General.
Always ailing in body and mind, he was helpless in the face of the problems of the duchy. In the meantime, the indebtedness of the duchy had become so high that total public revenues did not even cover the interest.
Family
In Furstenau on 19 June 1726 Ernst Frederick married Caroline of Erbach-Furstenau (d. July 1745). They had four children:
- Ernst Frederick III Karl, Duke of Saxe-Hildburghausen (b. Konigsberg, 10 June 1727 – d. Seidingstadt, 23 September 1780).
- Frederick August Albrecht (b. Hildburghausen, 8 August 1728 – d. Hildburghausen, 14 June 1735).
- Frederick Wilhelm Eugen (b. Hildburghausen, 8 October 1730 – d. Ohringen, 4 December 1795), married on 13 March 1778 to his niece Caroline of Saxe-Hildburghausen (daughter of Ernst Frederick III). Their marriage was childless.
- Sophie Amalie Caroline (b. Hildburghausen, 21 July 1732 – d. Ohringen, 19 June 1799), married in 1749 to Ludwig of Hohenlohe-Neuenstein-Ohringen.