Frederick IV, Elector Palatine
Frederick IV, Elector Palatine of the Rhine, only surviving son of Louis VI, Elector Palatine and Elisabeth of Hesse, called "Frederick the Righteous".
Life
Born in Amberg, his father died in October 1583 and Frederick came under the guardianship of his uncle, John Casimir, an ardent Calvinist, who ruled as regent until his death. The Calvinist mathematician and astronomer Bartholemaeus Pitiscus served as Frederick's tutor and later became court preacher.In January 1592, John Casimir died and the 17 year old Frederick assumed control of the government of the Electorate of the Palatinate. Frederick continued John Casimir's anti-Catholic measures and in 1608 became the head of the Protestant military alliance known as the Protestant Union. Thus, he supported Protestant interests in the War of the Julich Succession. He soon fell prey to alcoholism, leaving state matters largely to his chief minister Christian of Anhalt. Frederick IV died in 1610 in Heidelberg.
Family and children
In 1593, Frederick married Louise Juliana of Nassau, the daughter of William I of Orange and Charlotte de Bourbon-Monpensier. They had eight children:- Luise Juliane of the Palatinate, married in 1612 to Pfalzgraf John II, Count Palatine of Zweibrücken.
- Katharina Sofie of the Palatinate.
- Frederick V, Elector Palatine ; married in 1613 Princess Elizabeth of Scotland and England.
- Elisabeth Charlotte of the Palatinate ; married in 1616 to Elector George William of Brandenburg
- Anna Eleonore of the Palatinate.
- Louis William of the Palatinate.
- Maurice Christian of the Palatinate.
- Louis Philip, Count Palatine of Simmern-Kaiserslautern.