Alexander, Margrave of Brandenburg-Ansbach
The last Franconian margrave, a charming eccentric who traded his principalities for a life of lavish exile in England.
1736–1806 (age 70)·Margrave of Brandenburg-Ansbach and Brandenburg-Bayreuth·Birthday: February 24
Biography
Margrave Alexander of Brandenburg-Ansbach and Bayreuth presided over the end of an era. Inheriting two small, debt-ridden German states, he proved less interested in governance than in the pleasures of the hunt, the theater, and the company of his long-time companion, Lady Elizabeth Craven. A member of the House of Hohenzollern, he shocked his Prussian relatives by living far beyond his means. To settle his enormous debts and secure his freedom, he executed a coldly pragmatic deal in 1791: he sold his ancestral lands of Ansbach and Bayreuth to his cousin, King Frederick William II of Prussia. With a vast pension, he retired to England, where he married Lady Craven and was known for his extravagant hospitality. His sale consolidated Prussian power in Franconia, erasing the map's last independent Hohenzollern territories south of Berlin, all to fund a life of genteel exile.
#1 When Alexander, Was Born
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Alexander,'s Life & Times
The world at every milestone
1736Born
1741Started school
1749Became a teenager
1752Could drive
1754Could vote
1757Turned 21
1766Turned 30
1776Turned 40
1786Turned 50
1796Turned 60
1806Turned 70
Key Achievements
- Sold the sovereign principalities of Brandenburg-Ansbach and Brandenburg-Bayreuth to the Kingdom of Prussia in 1791, ending their independent existence.
- Ruled as the last margrave of both Franconian territories from 1769 until their sale.
- Maintained a famously lavish court, particularly in Ansbach, which became a cultural center under his rule.
- As Prince of Bayreuth, he was the brother-in-law of Frederick the Great of Prussia.
Did You Know?
He was a passionate patron of the arts and theater, building the Margravial Opera House in Bayreuth (a UNESCO World Heritage Site).
He married the English writer and adventurer Lady Elizabeth Craven after both their spouses died.
He served as a Colonel in the British Army during the American Revolutionary War, though he saw no action.
His sale treaty with Prussia included a massive lifetime annuity, making him one of the wealthiest men in England.
“The hunt and the theater are the only courts that interest me now.”
