Frederick Charles Louis, Duke of Schleswig-Holstein-Sonderburg-Beck

Friedrich Karl Ludwig was born in Königsberg, East Prussia. He joined the Prussian Army in 1777 upon the request of King Frederick the Great. By 1781 he was a staff officer in the Regiment von Schlieben and by 1787 he commanded a grenadier battalion based in Königsberg.[1] He assisted in the suppression of the 1794 Kościuszko Uprising and was Governor of Kraków in 1795. He retired from Prussian service as a lieutenant general in 1797[1] and spent the rest of his life improving agriculture in Holstein. He died in Wellingsbüttel Manor, now part of Hamburg.

He was a recipient of the Order of the Elephant, Order of St. Alexander Nevsky, Order of the Red Eagle, and the Order of Saint Hubert.[2]

Friedrich married Countess Friederike of Schlieben (28 February 1757 – 17 December 1827) on 9 March 1780 in Königsberg. At the time, the marriage was not looked upon favorably because the Schlieben family was not an ancient noble family. Friedrich and Friederike had three children:

• Princess Friederike of Schleswig-Holstein-Sonderburg-Beck (13 December 1780 – 19 January 1862) ∞ 1800 Gottlob Samuel von Richthofen, Baron von Richthofen (1769–1808)
• Princess Luise of Schleswig-Holstein-Sonderburg-Beck (28 September 1783 – 24 November 1803) ∞ 1803 Frederick Ferdinand, Duke of Anhalt-Köthen
• Friedrich Wilhelm, Duke of Schleswig-Holstein-Sonderburg-Glücksburg (4 January 1785 – 27 February 1831)

Friedrich was succeeded as duke by his son, Friedrich Wilhelm, Duke of Schleswig-Holstein-Sonderburg-Glücksburg.