Frederick Augustus III of Saxony

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Frederick Augustus III (German: Friedrich August III.; 25 May 1865 – 18 February 1932) was the last King of Saxony (1904–1918) and a member of the House of Wettin.

Born in Dresden, Frederick Augustus was the son of King George of Saxony (1832-1904) and his wife Maria Anna, Infanta of Portugal (1843-1884).

He was an older brother of Princess Maria Josepha of Saxony. His maternal fist cousins included (among others) Carlos I of Portugal, Infante Afonso, Duke of Porto, Prince Wilhelm of Hohenzollern-Sigmaringen and Ferdinand I of Romania.

Frederick Augustus served as a Generalfeldmarschall. He abdicated as king on 13 November 1918, after the defeat of the German Empire in World War I. He died in Sibyllenort (Szczodre) in Lower Silesia and was buried in Dresden.

[edit] Family

Frederick Augustus married Archduchess Luise, Princess of Tuscany, in Vienna on 21 November 1891. They divorced in 1903.

Frederick Augustus III,
King of Saxony

They had seven children:

Friedrich August Georg, Crown Prince of Saxony (1893- 1943). After becoming a Jesuit priest, he renounced his rights in 1923.
Friedrich Christian, Margrave of Meissen, Duke of Saxony (1893-1968). Married Princess Elisabeth Helene of Thurn and Taxis (1903-1976) and had issue.
Ernst Heinrich, Prince of Saxony (1896 - 1971). Married first Princess Sophia of Luxembourg (1902-1941), daughter of Guillaume IV, Grand Duke of Luxembourg, in 1921 and second Virginia Dulon (1910-2002) in 1947 (morganatically). Had issue with Sophia.
Maria Alix Carola, stillborn 22 August 1898
Margarete Carola Wilhelmine (1900 - 1962). Married Friedrich, Prince of Hohenzollern (1891-1965).
Maria Alix Luitpolda (1901 - 1990). Married Franz Joseph, Prince of Hohenzollern-Emden (1891-1964).
Anna Pia Monika (1903 - 1976). Married firstly Joseph Franz, Archduke of Austria (1895-1957) and secondly Reginald Kazanjian (1905-1990). (Anna was most likely the daughter of André Giron, the children's tutor, but Frederick Augustus legitimized her and treated her as one of his own)

The birth of their two eldest sons was something rather unique among the courts of Europe. Their two eldest sons, Friedrich August and Friedrich Christian were born in the same year, 1893, but were not twins. Friedrich August was born in January, while Friedrich Christian was born in December.

[edit] Quotes

When standing in uniform on a station platform, a lady asked him to move her trunk. He is reported to have replied, "Madam, I am not a porter; I only look like one."[1]

When the German Republic was proclaimed in 1918, he was asked by telephone whether he would abdicate willingly. Said he: "Oh, well, I suppose I'd better." [2]

When cheered by a crowd in a railroad station, he stuck his head out of the train's window and shouted, "You're a fine lot of republicans, I'll say!" [3]

Preceded by George	King of Saxony 1904–1918	Succeeded by Became a republic
Preceded by –	Head of the House of Wettin 1918–1932	Succeeded by Frederick Christian, Margrave of Meissen