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Anton Ulrich
Duke of Saxe-Meiningen
Duke of Saxe-Meiningen
Reign	1746-1763
Predecessor	Frederick William
Successor	Charles William
Spouse	Charlotte Amalie of Hesse-Philippsthal Philippine Elisabeth Caesar
Issue
Charlotte, Duchess of Saxe-Gotha-Altenburg Louise, Landgravine of Hesse-Philippsthal-Barchfeld Princess Elisabeth Charles William Prince Frederick Franz Prince Frederick Wilhelm George I Princess Amalie
House	House of Saxe-Meiningen
Father	Bernhard I, Duke of Saxe-Meiningen
Mother	Elisabeth Eleonore of Brünswick-Wolfenbüttel
Born	22 October 1687(1687-10-22) Meiningen
Died	27 January 1763 (aged 75) Frankfurt

Anton Ulrich, Duke of Saxe-Meiningen (b. Meiningen, 22 October 1687 - d. Frankfurt, 27 January 1763), was a duke of Saxe-Meiningen.

He was the second but first surviving son (in order of birth he was the eighth) of Bernhard I, Duke of Saxe-Meiningen and his second wife, Elisabeth Eleonore of Brünswick-Wolfenbüttel.

When his father died in 1706, according to his will, he inherited the duchy of Saxe-Meiningen with his two older half-brothers, Ernst Ludwig I and Frederick Wilhelm.

But, shortly after, Ernst Ludwig signed a contract between him and his brothers, and they were compelled to leave all the control of the duchy in his hands. Without any power in his duchy, Anton Ulrich decided to travel to the Netherlands.

When Ernst Ludwig died (in 1724), Anton Ulrich and Frederick Wilhelm took over once again the government of the duchy as guardians of his nephews until 1733. During this time, Anton Ulrich was only nominal regent, because he decided to live apart with his morganatic family.

The deaths of his old half-brothers and nephews (1724-1743) made him the next in the line for the duchy of Saxe-Meiningen. His wife, Philippine, had died in 1744, only a few weeks before a declaration was published which deprived his children of the succession of the duchy of Saxe-Meiningen. In 10 March 1746, Anton Ulrich assumed full control of the duchy after the death of his last surviving half-brother, Frederick Wilhelm.

Immediately after he inherited the duchy, Anton Ulrich left Meiningen and established his official residence at Frankfurt, where he lived until his death.

[edit] Marriages

In Holland on January 1711, Anton Ulrich married secretly Philippine Elisabeth Caesar, the lady-in-waiting of his favourite sister, Elisabeth Ernestine. This marriage was unequal, but she was created Princess (Fürstin) in 1727. They had ten children, all created Prince/Princess (Fürst/Fürstin):

1. Philippine Antoinette (b.1 August 1712 - d. Meiningen, 21 January 1785).
2. Philippine Elisabeth (b. 10 September 1713 - d. Meiningen, 18 March 1781).
3. Philippine Luise (b. 10 October 1714 - d. Meiningen, 25 October 1771).
4. Philippine Wilhelmine (b. 11 October 1715 - d. 1718).
5. Bernhard Ernst (b. 14 December 1716 - d. Meiningen, 14 June 1778).
6. Antonie Augusta (b. 29 December 1717 - d. Meiningen, 19 September 1768).
7. Sophie Wilhelmine (b. 23 February 1719 - d. 24 November 1723).
8. Karl Ludwig (b. 30 October 1721 - d. May 1727).
9. Christine Fredericka (b. 13 December 1723 - d. young).
10. Frederick Ferdinand (b. 12 March 1725 - d. 17 June 1725).

In Homburg vor der Höhe on 26 September 1750, Anton Ulrich married with Charlotte Amalie of Hesse-Philippsthal, forty-three years younger. They had eight children:

1. Marie Charlotte Amalie Ernestine Wilhelmine Philippine (b. Frankfurt, 11 September 1751 - d. Genoa, 25 April 1827), married on 21 March 1769 to Ernst II, Duke of Saxe-Gotha-Altenburg.
2. Wilhelmine Luise Christiane (b. Frankfurt, 6 August 1752 - d. Kassel, 3 June 1805), married on 18 October 1781 to Adolf, Landgrave of Hesse-Philippsthal-Barchfeld.
3. Elisabeth Sophie Wilhelmine Fredericka (b. Frankfurt, 11 September 1753 - d. Frankfurt, 3 February 1754).
4. August Frederick Karl Wilhelm, Duke of Saxe-Meiningen (b. Frankfurt, 19 November 1754 - d. Sonneberg, 21 July 1782).
5. Frederick Franz Ernst Ludwig (b. Frankfurt, 16 March 1756 - d. Frankfurt, 25 March 1761).
6. Frederick Wilhelm (b. Frankfurt, 18 May 1757 - d. Frankfurt, 13 April 1758).
7. Georg I Frederick Karl, Duke of Saxe-Meiningen (b. Frankfurt, 4 February 1761 - d. Meiningen, 24 December 1803).
8. Amalie Auguste Caroline Luise (b. Frankfurt, 4 March 1762 - d. Carolath, 28 May 1798), married on 10 February 1783 to Heinrich Karl Erdmann of Carolath-Beuthen.