Francis, Duke Of Saxe-Coburg-Saalfeld

Franz Friedrich Anton, Duke of Saxe-Coburg-Saalfeld, was born on 15 July 1750 and died on 9 December 1806. He was a member of the House of Wettin and held the title of Duke of Saxe-Coburg-Saalfeld during his lifetime. His tenure as duke began in 1800 upon succeeding his father, Ernest Frederick. The duchy was located in what is now the Thuringian region of Germany.

He was the eldest son of Ernest Frederick, Duke of Saxe-Coburg-Saalfeld, and Duchess Sophie Antoinette of Brunswick-Wolfenbüttel. His early education was private, comprehensive, and meticulous, leading to an interest in arts and collecting. In 1775, he initiated a significant collection of books and illustrations for the duchy, which expanded over time to encompass approximately 300,000 copperplate engravings. This collection is currently housed at the Veste Coburg.

In 1793, during the French Revolutionary Wars, Francis was commissioned into allied forces that included Hanoverians, Hessians, and British troops, fighting against the French invasion of his territory.

He married twice. His first marriage was on 6 March 1776 in Hildburghausen to Princess Sophie of Saxe-Hildburghausen, daughter of Duke Ernst Friedrich III and Princess Ernestine of Saxe-Weimar-Eisenach. Sophie died on 28 October 1776, seven months after their marriage, and they had no children.

His second marriage took place on 13 June 1777 in Ebersdorf to Countess Augusta Reuss of Lobenstein-Ebersdorf. She was the daughter of Count Heinrich XXIV of Reuss and Countess Karoline Ernestine of Erbach-Schönberg. Together, they had ten children, of whom seven survived to adulthood.

His descendants played significant roles in European royal history. His son, Leopold, became King Leopold I of Belgium. A grandson, Ferdinand, reigned as King Ferdinand II of Portugal. Another grandson, Ferdinand, became the first modern king of Bulgaria. One granddaughter, Empress Carlota of Mexico, was consort to Emperor Maximilian I. Queen Victoria of the United Kingdom was also his granddaughter through his daughter Victoria, and her son, King Edward VII, ascended the throne in 1901. The House of Saxe-Coburg and Gotha, founded through his lineage, was the ruling house of the United Kingdom until the name was changed to Windsor in 1917 by King George V.

The duchy itself remained under the House of Saxe-Coburg and Gotha until 1918, even as his descendants held various thrones across Europe. Francis died in 1806, shortly after the dissolution of the Holy Roman Empire by Emperor Francis II.

His ancestry traced back through the Houses of Wettin and Brunswick-Wolfenbüttel, connecting him to prominent European noble families.