Friedrich Ferdinand, Duke of Schleswig-Holstein explained

Friedrich Ferdinand
Full Name:	Frederick Ferdinand George Christian Charles William German: Friedrich Ferdinand Georg Christian Karl Wilhelm
Duke of Schleswig-Holstein
Predecessor:	Friedrich
Successor:	Wilhelm Friedrich
Succession:	Head of the House of Schleswig-Holstein-Sonderburg-Glücksburg
House:	Glücksburg
Issue:	Victoria Adelaide, Duchess of Saxe-Coburg and Gotha Alexandra Victoria, Princess August Wilhelm of Prussia Helena, Princess Harald of Denmark Adelaide, Princess of Solms-Baruth Wilhelm Friedrich, Duke of Schleswig-Holstein Karoline Mathilde, Countess Hans of Solms-Baruth
Birth Date:	12 October 1855
Birth Place:	Kiel, Danish Holstein, Germany)
Death Place:	Primkenau, Province of Silesia, Free State of Prussia, Nazi Germany^[1]
Father:	Friedrich, Duke of Schleswig-Holstein-Sonderburg-Glücksburg
Mother:	Princess Adelheid of Schaumburg-Lippe

Friedrich Ferdinand, Duke of Schleswig-Holstein-Sonderburg-Glücksburg, then Friedrich Ferdinand, Duke of Schleswig-Holstein (12 October 1855  - 21 January 1934), was the fourth Duke of Schleswig-Holstein-Sonderburg-Glücksburg and became the fifth Duke of Schleswig-Holstein in 1931 and the head of the House of Oldenburg.

Family and succession

Friedrich Ferdinand was born in Kiel, Duchy of Holstein, the eldest son of Friedrich, Duke of Schleswig-Holstein-Sonderburg-Glücksburg and Princess Adelheid of Schaumburg-Lippe and a nephew of Christian IX of Denmark. Friedrich Ferdinand succeeded to the headship of the House of Schleswig-Holstein-Sonderburg-Glücksburg and title duke upon the death of his father on 27 November 1885. When the Head of the House of Schleswig-Holstein-Sonderburg-Augustenburg Albert, Duke of Schleswig-Holstein died on 27 April 1931, Friedrich Ferdinand became the Head of the House of Oldenburg and inherited the title Duke of Schleswig-Holstein.

Marriage and issue

Friedrich Ferdinand married Princess Karoline Mathilde of Schleswig-Holstein-Sonderburg-Augustenburg, daughter of Frederick VIII, Duke of Schleswig-Holstein-Sonderburg-Augustenburg and his wife Princess Adelheid of Hohenlohe-Langenburg (and sister of Augusta Victoria, German Empress), on 19 March 1885 at Primkenau. Friedrich Ferdinand and Karoline Mathilde had six children:

• Princess Viktoria Adelheid Helene Luise Marie Friederike of Schleswig-Holstein-Sonderburg-Glücksburg (31 December 1885  - 3 October 1970)
• Princess Alexandra Viktoria Auguste Leopoldine Charlotte Amalie Wilhelmine of Schleswig-Holstein-Sonderburg-Glücksburg (21 April 1887  - 15 April 1957)
• Princess Helene Adelheid Viktoria Marie of Schleswig-Holstein-Sonderburg-Glücksburg (1 June 1888  - 30 June 1962)
• Princess Adelheid Luise of Schleswig-Holstein-Sonderburg-Glücksburg (19 October 1889  - 11 June 1964)
• Wilhelm Friedrich Christian Günther Albert Adolf Georg, Duke of Schleswig-Holstein (23 August 1891  - 10 February 1965)
• Princess Karoline Mathilde of Schleswig-Holstein-Sonderburg-Glücksburg (11 May 1894  - 28 January 1972)

Death

Friedrich Ferdinand died in 1934 at Hause Eckernförde close to Güby in Schleswig-Holstein, Germany, aged 78.

Honours

He received the following orders and decorations:^[2]

• Duchy of Anhalt: Grand Cross of Albert the Bear, 1886^[3]
• Denmark: Knight of the Elephant, 8 April 1876^[4]
• Ernestine duchies: Grand Cross of the Saxe-Ernestine House Order
• Kingdom of Greece: Grand Cross of the Redeemer
• : Grand Cross of the Order of Duke Peter Friedrich Ludwig, with Golden Crown and Collar
• Kingdom of Prussia:
  • Knight of the Red Eagle, 1st Class, 22 March 1886; Grand Cross, 7 September 1890
  • Knight of the Black Eagle, 24 December 1892; with Collar, 17 January 1893
• : Honorary Grand Cross of the Royal Victorian Order, 11 October 1905^[5]
• : Grand Cross of the Württemberg Crown, 1877^[6]

Notes and References

1. H. Sandner, in his biography of his son-in-law, Carl Eduard of Saxe-Coburg and Gotha, Hitlers Herzog (2010), states on p. 257 that Friedrich Ferdinand dies at Primkenau, Silesia (now Przemków, Poland).
2. Handbuch über den Königlich Preußischen Hof und Staat (1908), Herrenhaus p. 219
3. Hof- und Staats-Handbuch des Herzogtum Anhalt (1894) "Herzoglicher Haus-orden Albrecht des Bären" p. 17
4. Book: 1900 . 1st pub.:1801 . Bille-Hansen . A. C. . Holck . Harald . Statshaandbog for Kongeriget Danmark for Aaret 1900 . State Manual of the Kingdom of Denmark for the Year 1900 . Kongelig Dansk Hof- og Statskalender . da . Copenhagen . J.H. Schultz A.-S. Universitetsbogtrykkeri . 3–4 . 30 April 2020 . .
5. https://www.thegazette.co.uk/Edinburgh/issue/11771/page/1013 The Edinburgh Gazette
6. Hof- und Staats-Handbuch des Königreich Württemberg (1907), "Königliche Orden" p. 28