Frederick William, Prince of Solms-Braunfels


Prince Frederick William of Solms-Braunfels was the first Prince of Solms-Braunfels. He was the son of Count Wilhelm Moritz of Solms-Braunfels and Princess Magdalene Sophie of Hesse-Homburg, daughter of William Christoph, Landgrave of Hesse-Homburg, and his first wife Princess Sophia Eleonore of Hesse-Darmstadt.

Life

Frederick William received an aristocratic education. When his father died on 18 February 1724, he became Count of Solms-Braunfels, Greifenstein and Hungen, Tecklenburg, Kriechingen and Lingen, Lord of Münzenberg, Wildenfels, Sonnewalde, Püttlingen, Dortweiler and Beaucourt. However, because of his poor health, he did not rule much personally. He did, however, succeed in his marriage policy, which allowed his children to marry into powerful families around the country.
Financial difficulties forced him to sell the city of Butzbach, which his family had owned since 1478, to Hesse-Darmstadt on 17 March 1741. On 22 May 1742, Emperor Charles VII raised the House of Solms-Braunfels to the rank of Imperial Prince.
When Friedrich Wilhelm died in 1761, he was succeeded by his son Ferdinand Wilhelm Ernst.

Marriage and issue

He was married three times. His first wife was Princess Magdalena Henrietta of Nassau-Weilburg, daughter of John Ernst of Nassau-Weilburg. They had three children:
On 9 May 1726, he married his second wife, Countess Sophia Magdalena Benigna of Solms-Utphe, daughter of Count Karl Otto of Solms-Laubach-Utphe-Tecklenburg and Countess Louise Albertine of Schönburg-Waldenburg. They had 11 children:
His third wife was the Countess Palatine Charlotte Catherine of Birkenfeld-Gelnhausen, daughter of John Charles, Count Palatine of Gelnhausen by his second wife, Esther Maria of Witzleben-Elgersburg. This marriage remained childless.