Prince Friedrich Karl of Prussia
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Prince Friedrich Karl Nicholas of Prussia (March 20, 1828-June 15, 1885) was the son of Prince Karl of Prussia (1801-1883) and his wife Marie Louise of Saxe-Weimar (1808-1877). Prince Friedrich Karl was a grandson of King Friedrich Wilhelm III of Prussia. He was born at Schloß Klein in Berlin.
From 1842 to 1846, Friedrich Karl was under the military tutelage of then major Alfred von Roon, who accompagnied the Prince to the University of Bonn in 1846. After his studies, the Prince served as a captain on Wrangel's staff during the Schleswig campaign of 1848. Promoted to major on the general staff, he partook in a campaign in Baden during which he was wounded. During the following peace years he was promoted to colonel in 1852, major general in 1854 and lieutenant general in 1856. In 1860, the Prince published a military book, titled, "Eine militärische Denkschrift von P. F. K.". Promoted to General der Kavallerie, the Prince took part in the Second war of Schleswig of 1864 against Denmark, where he held command over the Prussian troops in the Austro-Prussian expeditionary force.
Her served with distinction in the Austro-Prussian War, where he commanded the First Army; consisting of 2nd, 3rd and 4th corps. Arriving first at Königgrätz, he held the numerically superior Austrians at bay until his cousin Crown Prince Friedrich and his Second army came up and attacked the Austrians in the flank.
At the outbreak of the Franco-Prussian War, the Prince was given command of the Second Army, with which he distinguished himself at the Battle of Spicheren and the battles of Vionville-Mars le Tour and Gravelotte-St.Privat and the following Siege of Metz. After the fall of Metz, his army was sent to the Loire to clear the area around Orléans, where French troops, first under Aurelle de Paladines, then under Chanzy, were trying to march north to relieve Paris. He won battles at Orleans and Le Mans. For his services he was promoted to the rank of Generalfeldmarschall. After the war, the Prince was made Inspector-General and was given the rank of Field Marshal by Alexander II of Russia.
He died at Jagdschloß Klein at Glienicke.
Family and Children
On 29 November 1854 at Dessau he married Maria Anna of Anhalt (1837-1906), daughter of Leopold IV of Anhalt-Dessau. They had five children amongst which:
- Princess Marie Elisabeth Luise Friederike of Prussia (1855-1888)
- Princess Elisabeth Anna of Prussia (1857-1895)
- Anne Viktoria Charlotte Auguste Adelheid of Prussia (b. 1858)
- Princess Luise Margarete Alexandra Viktoria Agnes of Prussia (1860-1917)
- Prince Joachim Karl Wilhelm Friedrich Leopold of Prussia (1865-1931)
After the birth of their fourth daughter, Luise Margarete, Prince Friedrich Karl is reportedly said to have boxed his wife's ears for not producing a son.de:Friedrich Karl von Preußen no:Fredrik Karl av Preussen