Karl I. von Braunschweig-Wolfenbüttel

## Karl II. von Braunschweig-Wolfenbüttel

### Burial

24th November 1806Christianskirche, Ottensen, Hamburg6th November 1819 Brunswick Cathedral

### Issue

Prinzessin AugustaKarl Georg August, Erbprinz von Braunschweig-Wolfenbüttel

Caroline, Königin des Vereinigten Königreichs

Prinz George William Christian

Prinz Augustus

Friedrich Wilhelm, Herzog von Braunschweig-Wolfenbüttel

Prinzessin Amelia

### Mother

Prinzessin Philippine Charlotte von Preußen

### Father

Karl I. Herzog von Braunschweig-Wolfenbüttel

**Charles William Ferdinand** (German: *Karl Wilhelm Ferdinand*; 9 October 1735 – 10 November 1806) had been the Ducal Prince of Brunswick and secondarily, was the Duke of the Brunswick-Lüneburg junior branch.

He succeeded his father's sovereign role as Prince of the Principality of Brunswick-Wolfenbüttel. Which was one of the of the *Princely States* of the Holy Roman Empire. He was recognized as a very socially cultured and affectionate figure and was known as the favorite of Frederick the Great. He was married to Great Britain's Princess Augusta, sister of King George III. He had also been well recognized by those in his court for his mastery of 18th century warfare and served as a Field Marshal in the Imperial Prussian Army. He died due to a mortal wound caused by a musket ball during the Napoleonic Wars.

## Early Life

### ***Birth***

Born on the ninth of October in 1735, assumed, in the Wolfenbüttel Castle in the town of Wolfenbüttel. He was the first-born son of Charles I, Duke of Brunswick-Wolfenbüttel and his wife Philippine Charlotte.

### ***Background Information***

His father, Charles I (German: *Karl I*) was the ruling sovereign of the small *Imperial State,* Brunswick-Wolfenbüttel, of the Holy Roman Empire. Ferdinand's mother and his father's consort, Princess Philippine Charlotte, was recognized as the favorite daughter of King Frederick William I of Prussia. And the sister of Frederick II of Prussia (*Frederick the Great*; German: *Friedrich II. Von Preußen*). As the heir apparent of a sovereign prince, Charles William Ferdinand received the title of Hereditary Prince (German: *Erbprinz*).

As a youth in time, his mother oversaw that Charles received an extensive and meticulous education that even seemed unusual to others and was well disciplined. When still young, he traveled to the Netherlands, France and various regions of Germany. Then, in 1735, his father moved the capital of his principality back to the the state's largest city of Brunswick (German: *Braunschweig*).The family then settled into the newly constructed Brunswick Palace.

## Early Military Career

### ***Enlistment***

Entering the military in 1756, Charles William Ferdinand would serve in various wars in serving under various nations including the *Seven Year's War*, the *War of the First Coalition*, and the *War of the Fourth Coalition.* He joined the allied north-German forces of the *Hanoverian Army of Observation,* whose task was to protect the *Hanover* and the surrounding states from attack and invasion by French forces. The force was originally under the command of the Ango-Hanoverian *Prince William.* But it was at the *Battle of Hastenbeck* (1757), that would earn him slight renown and recognition by those around him when he led a charge at the head of an infantry brigade.