Friedrich August II of Saxony (1699-1763)

Polish Monarch. He reigned as King of Poland and Elector of Saxony as August III. Born in Dresden as the only child of August II and Christiane Eberhardine von Brandenburg-Bayreuth, in 1721 he converted to Catholicism, but kept it secret from his protestant mother, because he didn't want to upset her. He was able to keep it a secret for five years. He succeeded his father as elector in 1733, and was elected King of Poland a year later, but had very little so say there. In 1754 he bought Raphael's "Sistine Madonna" from a convent in Piacenza for little money and brought her to Dresden. His very happy marriage to Maria Josepha of Habsburg resulted in 14 children. The Prussian invasion of Saxony started the Seven Years War in 1756 and Friedrich fled with his minister Heinrich von Brühl to the Fortress Königstein. Friedrich II of Prussia permitted him to travel to Kraków and allowed him to take everyone he wanted, except military personnel. His wife refused to go and stayed in Dresden. She died there without seeing him again. He returned home in 1763 and died in the same year.

Bio by: Lutetia