Franz Josias, Duke of Saxe-Coburg-Saalfeld
| Francis Josias | |
|---|---|
Portrait of Francis Josias
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| Duke of Saxe-Coburg-Saalfeld | |
| Reign | 4 September 1745 – 16 September 1764 |
| Predecessor | Christian Ernest |
| Successor | Ernest Frederick |
| Born |
25 September 1697 Saalfeld, Saxe-Saalfeld, Holy Roman Empire |
| Died | 16 September 1764 (aged 66) Rodach, Saxe-Coburg-Saalfeld, Holy Roman Empire |
| Spouse | Anna Sophie of Schwarzburg-Rudolstadt |
| Issue |
Ernest Frederick Prince Johann Wilhelm Princess Anna Sophie Prince Christian Franz Charlotte Sophie, Duchess of Mecklenburg-Schwerin Princess Fredericka Magdalene Princess Fredericka Caroline Prince Josias |
| House | Wettin |
| Father | John Ernest IV, Duke of Saxe-Coburg-Saalfeld |
| Mother | Charlotte Johanna of Waldeck-Wildungen |
| Religion | Lutheranism |
Francis Josias, Duke of Saxe-Coburg-Saalfeld (25 September 1697, in Saalfeld – 16 September 1764, in Rodach) was a duke of Saxe-Coburg-Saalfeld.
He was the fourth living son of Johann Ernest IV, Duke of Saxe-Coburg-Saalfeld, the third born by his father's second wife Charlotte Johanna of Waldeck-Wildungen.
During his youth, Francis Josias served in the Imperial Army.
The death of his two older brothers Wilhelm Frederick (28 July 1720) and Charles Ernest (30 December 1720) made him the second in line in the succession of the duchy of Saxe-Coburg-Saalfeld, preceded only by his older half-brother, Christian Ernest.
When Christian Ernest married unequally in 1724, Francis Josias claimed the sole inheritance of the duchy. His father's will (1729), however, compelled him rule jointly with his brother. In 1735, the support of the line of Saxe-Meiningen allowed him to effectively rule over Coburg on his own right, and Christian Ernest's death in 1745 made him the sole Duke. Already in 1733 he proclaimed primogeniture in the duchy, which however was confirmed by the Emperor only in 1747. From 1750 to 1755, he was regent of the duchy of Saxe-Weimar on behalf of Ernest Augustus II Konstantin.
In Rudolstadt on 2 January 1723 Franz Josias married Princess Anna Sophie of Schwarzburg-Rudolstadt. They had eight children:
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