Friedrich Ferdinand, Duke of Schleswig-Holstein

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.

Friedrich Ferdinand
Duke of Schleswig-Holstein
Head of the House of Schleswig-Holstein-Sonderburg-Glücksburg
Predecessor	Friedrich
Successor	Wilhelm Friedrich
Born	(1855-10-12)12 October 1855 Kiel, Danish Holstein, Germany)
Died	21 January 1934(1934-01-21) (aged 78) Primkenau, Province of Silesia, Free State of Prussia, Nazi Germany[1]
Spouse	Princess Karoline Mathilde of Schleswig-Holstein-Sonderburg-Augustenburg ​ ​ (m. 1885; died 1932)​
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
Names Frederick Ferdinand George Christian Charles William German: Friedrich Ferdinand Georg Christian Karl Wilhelm
House	Glücksburg
Father	Friedrich, Duke of Schleswig-Holstein-Sonderburg-Glücksburg
Mother	Princess Adelheid of Schaumburg-Lippe

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,^{[citation needed]} 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
•  Oldenburg: 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;^[5] Grand Cross, 7 September 1890^[6]
  • Knight of the Black Eagle, 24 December 1892; with Collar, 17 January 1893^[7]
•  United Kingdom: Honorary Grand Cross of the Royal Victorian Order, 11 October 1905^[8]
•  Württemberg: Grand Cross of the Württemberg Crown, 1877^[9]

Ancestry

Ancestors of Friedrich Ferdinand, Duke of Schleswig-Holstein

8. Friedrich Karl Ludwig, Duke of Schleswig-Holstein-Sonderburg-Beck 4. Friedrich Wilhelm, Duke of Schleswig-Holstein-Sonderburg-Glücksburg 9. Countess Friederike of Schlieben 2. Friedrich, Duke of Schleswig-Holstein-Sonderburg-Glücksburg 10. Prince Charles of Hesse-Kassel 5. Princess Louise Caroline of Hesse-Kassel 11. Princess Louise of Denmark 1. Friedrich Ferdinand, Duke of Schleswig-Holstein 12. Philip II, Count of Schaumburg-Lippe 6. George William, Prince of Schaumburg-Lippe 13. Princess Juliane of Hesse-Philippsthal 3. Princess Adelheid of Schaumburg-Lippe 14. Georg I, Prince of Waldeck and Pyrmont 7. Princess Ida of Waldeck and Pyrmont 15. Princess Augusta of Schwarzburg-Sondershausen