Editing Frederick I of Württemberg (section)

===In Prussia===
[[File:Friedrich I - Jugendbildnis.jpg|thumb|left|Copy by Erhardt of an English portrait of Frederick as a young man]]

Born in Treptow an der Rega, today [[Trzebiatów]], [[Poland]], Frederick was the eldest son of [[Frederick II Eugene, Duke of Württemberg]], and [[Sophia Dorothea of Brandenburg-Schwedt]]. Frederick's father was the third son of [[Charles Alexander, Duke of Württemberg]], and Frederick was thus the nephew of the long-reigning Duke [[Charles Eugene, Duke of Württemberg|Charles Eugene]] ({{langx|de|link=no|Karl Eugen}}). Since neither Duke Charles Eugene nor his next brother, [[Louis Eugene, Duke of Württemberg|Louis Eugene]] ({{langx|de|link=no|Ludwig Eugen}}), had any sons, it was expected that Frederick's father (also named Frederick) would eventually succeed to the duchy, and would be succeeded in turn by Frederick.

That eventuality was, however, many years in the future, and the birth of a legitimate son to either of his uncles would preempt Frederick's hopes conclusively. Further, his uncle the Duke was not disposed to give any member of his family any role in affairs of government. Frederick therefore determined—like his father—on a military career at the court of [[Frederick the Great]]. This later drew Frederick and his family into the Prussian king's network of marriage alliances—in 1776 his sister [[Maria Feodorovna (Sophie Dorothea of Württemberg)|Sophie]] would marry to [[Paul I of Russia|Tsesarevich Paul of Russia]], future [[List of Russian monarchs|Emperor Paul I of Russia]] and son of Empress [[Catherine the Great|Catherine II]]. These family ties to [[Russian Empire|Russia]] had immediate consequences for Frederick and far-reaching ones for Württemberg during the reorganisation of Europe in the wake of the 1814 [[Congress of Vienna]].

[[Image:Auguste von Braunschweig-Wolfenbüttel.jpg|thumb|right|Augusta of Brunswick]]

In June 1774 he entered the [[Prussian Army]] as an [[oberst]] in the Kürassierregiment Lölhöffel, rising to a commander in the same unit in December 1776. He fought with it in the [[War of the Bavarian Succession]]. In 1780 he took over the 2nd Dragoon Regiment (Krockow). 

Frederick married [[Duchess Augusta of Brunswick-Wolfenbüttel]] (sixteen years old and thus ten years his junior) on 15 October 1780 at [[Braunschweig]]. She was the eldest daughter of [[Charles William Ferdinand, Duke of Brunswick]]-Luneburg and [[Princess Augusta of Great Britain]], and thus a niece of [[George III]] of Great Britain and sister to [[Caroline of Brunswick]], the future wife of [[George IV]]. The marriage was not a happy one—even during her first pregnancy in 1781 she wished to separate but was persuaded to stay with Frederick by her father. Though they had four children, Frederick was rumoured to be [[bisexual]], with a [[wikt:coterie|coterie]] of young noblemen.{{citation needed|date=September 2016}}

He had a good relationship with the King of Prussia and regularly took part in cabinet meetings, though this was clouded by his sister Elizabeth's 1788 marriage to [[Francis II, Holy Roman Emperor|Francis of Austria]], later the last [[Holy Roman Emperor]] and the first Emperor of Austria. Frederick the Great feared that Prussia would become isolated by a closer relationship between Russia and Austria, whose heirs were both married to Frederick of Württemberg's sisters and (probably wrongly) blamed him for Francis's marriage.