Friedrich Wilhelm, Prince of Wied


Friedrich Wilhelm, Prince of Wied was the son of Hereditary Prince Hermann of Wied and Countess Marie Antonia of Stolberg-Wernigerode; and grandson of William Frederick, 6th Prince of Wied. He was the titular Prince of Wied from 1945 until his death.

Marriage

Friedrich Wilhelm married on 9 September 1958 in Arolsen to Princess Guda of Waldeck and Pyrmont, youngest daughter of Josias, Hereditary Prince of Waldeck and Pyrmont and his wife, Duchess Altburg of Oldenburg, daughter of Frederick Augustus II, Grand Duke of Oldenburg. They divorced in 1962, having had children:
Friedrich Wilhelm married secondly on 15 July 1967 in Runkel to Princess Sophie Charlotte of Stolberg-Stolberg, youngest child of Wolff-Heinrich, Prince of Stolberg-Stolberg and Irma Erfert.
They had two children:
In 1945, at the age of 14, Friedrich Wilhelm succeeded as head of the House of Wied after the death of his grandfather; his father Hermann had previously died of wounds received in action during World War II in Rzeszów, Poland.
Via the "Arnold Georg AG" and the "AG für Steinindustrie" Friedrich Wilhelm invested successfully part of his inherited wealth in a diverse range of industries. Furthermore, he owned 5,500 hectares of forest and 2,000 hectares of farmland near his hometown of Neuwied, Germany. In addition he bought 25,000 hectares of forest in British Columbia, Canada. In 1974 he established the "Beaumont Timber Company" to manage his Canadian forest interests. It is now one of the largest private timberland owners in British Columbia.
At the death of Friedrich Wilhelm in 2000, the title and the family fortune was inherited by his second son Carl.

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