Ernest Frederick III, Duke of Saxe-Hildburghausen

Who was Ernest Frederick III, Duke of Saxe-Hildburghausen?

Ernst Frederick III Karl, Duke of Saxe-Hildburghausen, was a duke of Saxe-Hildburghausen.

He was the eldest son of Ernst Frederick II, Duke of Saxe-Hildburghausen and Caroline of Erbach-Fürstenau.

He succeeded his father as Duke of Saxe-Hildburghausen when he was only eighteen years old in 1745; as a result his mother, the Dowager Duchess Caroline, acted as a regent on his behalf until he reached adulthood, in 1748.

Ernst Frederick was considered to be intelligent, talented, and one of the most handsome princes of his time. He donated a library to the city, but finally his excessive prodigality in exaggerated yard and military splendor drew the attention of the highest places to the financial situation of his country.

The Emperor Joseph II created a debit commission under management of the Duchess Charlotte Amalie of Saxe-Meiningen and prince Joseph of Saxe-Hildburghausen, the granduncle of the duke, to investigate the demands of the creditors and adjust the incomes and expenditures to 1769. The financial situation of the country was so disastrous that 35 years duration of this commission could not repair conditions completely.