Frederick III
Duke of Saxe-Gotha-Altenburg
Duke of Saxe-Gotha-Altenburg
Reign	1732–1772
Predecessor	Frederick II
Successor	Ernst II
Spouse	Luise Dorothea of Saxe-Meiningen
Issue
Frederick, Hereditary Prince of Saxe-Gotha-Altenburg Prince Ludwig Princess Fredericka Luise Ernst II Princess Sophie Prince August
House	House of Saxe-Gotha-Altenburg
Father	Frederick II, Duke of Saxe-Gotha-Altenburg
Mother	Magdalene Augusta of Anhalt-Zerbst
Born	14 April 1699(1699-04-14) Gotha
Died	10 March 1772 (aged 72) Gotha

Frederick III, Duke of Saxe-Gotha-Altenburg (b. Gotha, 14 April 1699 – d. Gotha, 10 March 1772), was a duke of Saxe-Gotha-Altenburg.

He was the eldest son of Frederick II, Duke of Saxe-Gotha-Altenburg and Magdalene Augusta of Anhalt-Zerbst.

After the death of his father, in 1732, Frederick III assumed the duchy of Saxe-Gotha-Altenburg.

Since 1734 he sign a flourishing soldier trade with the Emperor, to the Prince of Waldeck and to the King of Prussia, which put him into the position to created a tax in his own duchy. The duchy had to suffer for Frederick with difficulty in the Seven Years War and force the duchy into a war with his neighbour, the duke Anton Ulrich of Saxe-Meiningen (The "Wasunger War").

[edit] Ancestors

Frederick's ancestors in three generations

Frederick III, Duke of Saxe-Gotha-Altenburg	Father: Frederick II, Duke of Saxe-Gotha-Altenburg	Paternal Grandfather: Frederick I, Duke of Saxe-Gotha-Altenburg	Paternal Great-grandfather: Ernest I, Duke of Saxe-Gotha
			Paternal Great-grandmother: Princess Elisabeth Sophie of Saxe-Altenburg
		Paternal Grandmother: Magdalena Sibylle of Saxe-Weissenfels	Paternal Great-grandfather: Auguste, Duke of Saxe-Weissenfels
			Paternal Great-grandmother: Anna Maria of Mecklenburg-Schwerin
	Mother: Magdalena Augusta of Anhalt-Zerbst	Maternal Grandfather: Karl of Anhalt-Zerbst	Maternal Great-grandfather: John VI, Prince of Anhalt-Zerbst
			Maternal Great-grandmother: Sophie Augusta, Princess of Holstein-Gottorp
		Maternal Grandmother: Sophia of Saxe-Weissenfels	Maternal Great-grandfather: Auguste, Duke of Saxe-Weissenfels
			Maternal Great-grandmother:

[edit] Issue

In Gotha on 17 September 1729, Frederick married with Luise Dorothea of Saxe-Meiningen, his cousin. They had nine children:

1. Frederick (b. Gotha, 20 January 1735 – d. Gotha, 9 June 1756).
2. Ludwig (b. Gotha, 25 October 1735 – d. Gotha, 26 October 1735).
3. stillborn son (Gotha, 25 October 1735), twin of Ludwig.
4. stillborn twin sons (1739).
5. Fredericka Luise (b. Gotha, 30 January 1741 – d. Gotha, 5 February 1776).
6. Ernst II, Duke of Saxe-Gotha-Altenburg (b. Gotha, 30 January 1745 – d. Gotha, 20 April 1804).
7. Sophie (b. Gotha, 9 March 1746 – d. Gotha, 30 March 1746).
8. August (b. Gotha, 14 August 1747 – d. Gotha, 28 September 1806).

From 1748 to 1755 he was regent of the duchy of Saxe-Weimar-Eisenach on behalf of Ernst August II Konstantin. From 1750, he acted as regent alongside with his kinsmen Franz Josias, Duke of Saxe-Coburg-Saalfeld.

Preceded by Frederick II

Duke of Saxe-Gotha-Altenburg 1732–1772

Succeeded by Ernst II