Carl Friedrich Wilhelm, 1st Prince of Leiningen

Carl Friedrich Wilhelm, Prince of Leiningen (German: Fürst zu Leiningen) (14 August 1724 – 9 January 1807) was a German nobleman. (See Fürst for the difference between it and the other princely title, Prinz.)

He was the eldest son of Friedrich Magnus, Count of Leiningen-Dagsburg-Hartenburg and his wife Countess Anna Christine Eleonore von Wurmbrand-Stuppach, and succeeded his father on the latter's death, 28 October 1756.

On 3 July 1779, he was made a Prince of the Holy Roman Empire, becoming the first Prince of Leiningen.

On 24 June 1749, he married his first cousin Christiane Wilhelmine Luise, daughter of Wilhelm Carl Ludwig, Count of Solms-Rödelheim and Assenheim, by his wife Countess Maria Margareta Leopolda von Wurmbrand-Stuppach. She died on 6 January 1803, having borne him a son and three daughters:

• Elisabeth Christiane Marianne, born 27 October 1753, married 17 May 1768 to Count Karl Ludwig of Salm, died 16 February 1792.
• Charlotte Luise Polyxena, born 27 May 1755, married 1 September 1776 to Count Franz of Erbach-Erbach, died 13 January 1785.
• Karoline Sophie Wilhelmine, born 4 April 1757, married 21 September 1773 Count Friedrich Magnus of Solms-Wildenfels, died 18 March 1832.
• Emich Carl, born 27 September 1763, succeeded his father as second Prince of Leiningen.

In 1801, he was deprived of his lands on the left bank of the Rhine, namely Hardenburg, Dagsburg and Durkheim, by France, but in 1803 received the secularized Amorbach Abbey as an ample compensation for these losses. Hitherto his titles were: Imperial Prince of Leiningen, Count palatine of Mosbach, Count of Düren, Lord of Miltenberg, Amorbach, Bischofsheim, Boxberg, Schüpf and Lauda.

A few years later, the short-lived Principality of Leiningen at Amorbach was mediatized.

Sources

Sources include:

• Marek, Miroslav. "leiningen/leiningen6.html". Genealogy.EU.