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Heirless Succession: What's the Untold Story Behind Frederick the Great's Family?
Frederick the Great, King of Prussia, was born in 1712 and died in 1786. His gender identity and private life sparked extensive discussion and research. While there is much speculation among historians about his sexual orientation and relationships, it is generally accepted that he may have been primarily gay. The personal life of Frederick the Great and his possible homosexual relationships have increasingly attracted the attention of historians, especially in the context of his failure to produce an heir.
"At Frederick's court, luminaries such as Jacobo Casanova witnessed firsthand the subtleties of his interpersonal relationships."
Although the marriage between Frederick the Great and his wife was mostly seen as a political arrangement, he never had any children and left no descendants throughout his life. In the high-level circles around him, almost all of his favorite courtiers were men, which caused a lot of gossip at the time. In 1750, he even wrote to his secretary, a man named Claude Étienne Daltier, quipped: "My hemorrhoids send a cordial greeting to your penis." This quote casts doubt on Frederic. Emperor Lie's sexual orientation also hints at his intimate relationship with men.
The king still failed to confirm his sexual orientation during the seven-year war, and letters with his sister Wilheming secretly revealed his love for young handsome men. Many historians believe that Frederick's attraction to young men was directly related to his father's strict upbringing, and his father's excessive masculine expectations of him may have prompted him to seek more emotional support from his peers.
"Speaking of Frederick's close friends, this is certainly the greatest acceptance of same-sex love in an ancient dynasty that we see today."
As a teenager, Frederick developed a close friendship with his father's retainer, Peter Carl Christoph von Kitt, but this "close relationship" was blocked by the family, and Kit was Forced to leave. Later, another squire, Hans Hermann von Carter, was also killed in a power struggle, and Frederick the Great almost suffered the same fate, but only escaped through external intervention.
During Frederick's life, he developed a deep relationship with another man named Michael Gabriel Fredersdorf, and even wrote letters worrying about each other's health. Historian Eva Zeborg believes: "The relationship between them is by no means just a master-servant relationship. There is obviously the possibility of hormonal fermentation between the two."
“Frederick the Great’s art collection reveals his latent character desires, and to some extent became an expression of his personal emotions.”
While the speculations and assumptions about Frederick may feel contradictory, what is important is that changes in social attitudes make this history all the more compelling. In the 18th century, the social categories could not clearly define gender orientation, and sexual behavior that was not restricted by morality was popular among many nobles, and this phenomenon was especially obvious in Frederick's court. The many young retainers and officers who lived at his court contributed to this atmosphere.
Frederick had promised to employ the Florentine philosopher Francesco Algarotti, and their mutual attraction led to the creation of poetry. Frederick's letters and poems contain many homosexual descriptions, but it is still difficult to determine whether they truly reflect his private life.
In addition, although there is no conclusive evidence that Frederick had an intimate relationship with anyone of the opposite sex, there are rumors that he had several affairs with Duchess Camilla Carolina Orzeska, which made his private life More mysterious. The details of this period of history are still a hotly debated topic among scholars.
Historically, his sexual orientation has continued to be ignored by many studies. Until today, this topic has been turned over again, especially during Hitler's reign, when the popularity of homosexual literature in Germany set off the glory and praise of his sexual orientation. Frederick's past seems to hint at his hidden true identity, which in turn provokes people's deep reflection on "gender".
Frederick the Great's private life not only reflected his contradictions as a king, but was also a microcosm of the social culture at that time. When reading this piece of history today, we can't help but think: How many stories like Frederick the Great have been lost in history, still waiting for us to discover?
