Second Marriage
In 1798 Frederica became pregnant. The father was Prince Frederick William of Solms-Braunfels (b. 22 October 1770). The Prince recognized his paternity and requested her hand in marriage, a proposal that was quickly granted in order to avoid scandal. On 10 December of that year, the couple was married in Berlin and immediately moved to Ansbach. Two months later, in February 1799, Frederica gave birth to a daughter who only lived eight months. The Prince of Solms-Braunfels, disappointed and embittered, resumed his old dissipated lifestyle and became an alcoholic. In 1805 he resigned his military posts for "health reasons", and thus lost his income. Frederica had to maintain her family with her own resources after her brother-in-law, King Frederick William III of Prussia, refused to restore her annual pension as a Dowager Princess of Prussia. Frederica's older brother-in-law and head of the family, Prince William Christian Karl of Solms-Braunfels, advised her to get a divorce, with his full approval. She and her husband nonetheless refused.
Read more about this topic: Frederica Of Mecklenburg-Strelitz
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