Friedrich was born in 1164 in Pavia as the oldest son of Friedrich Barbarossa and Beatrix von Burgund.[1] His birth may have been premature following a letter by Thomas Becket's nuntius dated 1164: imperatrix in puerperio fecit aborsum[2] (aborsus not only meaning abortion but also prematurity[3]). If correct lingering health issues may explain why his younger brother Heinrich was chosen by Friedrich Barbarossa as his successor and not his first-born male. Never-the-less, he was betrothed to Eleanor of England in 1165.[4] He was still alive on 29 Sep 1168 when Friedrich Barbarossa refers to him as Herzog von Schwaben in a document.[5] Erwin Assmann argues that as his younger brother Konrad was later renamed Friedrich his, Friedrich V's, death must have happened before the birth of Otto in 1170 since it would have been simpler to just name this next boy Friedrich.[6]
This week's featured connections are Redheads: Friedrich V is 10 degrees from Catherine of Aragón, 25 degrees from Clara Bow, 33 degrees from Julia Gillard, 22 degrees from Nancy Hart, 23 degrees from Rutherford Hayes, 25 degrees from Rita Hayworth, 28 degrees from Leonard Kelly, 24 degrees from Rose Leslie, 27 degrees from Damian Lewis, 27 degrees from Maureen O'Hara, 31 degrees from Jopie Schaft and 15 degrees from Eirik Thorvaldsson on our single family tree. Login to see how you relate to 33 million family members.
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