Christian Augustus of Holstein-Gottorp, Prince of Eutin


Christian Augustus of Holstein-Gottorp-Eutin was a cadet of the reigning ducal House of Holstein-Gottorp who became 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, 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. His elder brother, Frederick IV, succeeded their father as ruler of the duchy, Christian Augustus being given a small fiefdom in 1695, whereupon he took the title Duke of Holstein-Eutin. Additionally, he was appointed coadjutor of the Prince-Bishopric of Lübeck, a Lutheran Imperial state within the Holy Roman Empire centred in Eutin, 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 Augustus 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 Augustus became sole regent of Holstein-Gottorp, which duchy was severely ravaged by the violence of the Great Northern War.

Marriage and issue

Christian Augustus married his cousin Margravine Albertina Frederica of Baden-Durlach, on 2 September 1704, with whom he had ten children:
Christian Augustus was succeeded by his eldest son Charles Augustus, who died before taking up the office, and then by his second son, Adolf Frederick.