The death of his elder surviving brother the Hereditary Prince Christian in 1758 made Franz Adolph the
heir presumptive of Anhalt-Bernburg-Schaumburg-Hoym, preceded only by his other older brother and new heir,
Karl Louis. He retained his position as heir presumptive until the birth of Karl Louis's first son,
Victor Karl Frederick, in 1767.
Marriage and issue
In
Nieder-Kaufung on 19 October 1762 Franz Adolph married Maria Josepha (b. 13 September 1741 – d.
Halle, 2 December 1785), daughter of Count John Wolfgang of Hasslingen, from a Silesian noble family. She was raised to the rank of countess by the Emperor, which prompted Franz Adolph's brothers to ask the
Reichshofrat for a declaration that this elevation would not be to their disadvantage in any way (4 September 1766); they were rebuffed (9 January 1767). The union produced seven children, who were considered dynasts:[1]
Victor Frederick (b. Halle, 28 February 1764 – d. Halle, 17 October 1767).
Charlotte Louise (b. Halle, 20 April 1766 – d. Halle, 6 January 1776).
Frederick Franz Christoph (b. Halle, 1 May 1769 – d.
Genslack,
East Prussia, 19 November 1807); married in Waldau, Kr. Lauban on 22 June 1790 to Johanna Amalia Karoline Westarp (b. Brieg, 24 August 1773 – d. Brieg, 28 July 1818), a commoner, who was ennobled and created Countess of Westarp in 1798. The union was
morganatic. The couple had four children who were created with their mother Counts and Countesses of Westarp:[2][better source needed]
Count Louis Frederick Victor of Westarp (b.
Leipzig, 18 May 1791 – d.
Freiwaldau, 7 April 1850), married in
Potsdam on 10 February 1822 to Franziska von Lavergne-Peguilhen (b.
Plock, 2 February 1797 – d.
Wiesbaden, 25 November 1867). Their descendants in the male line continue to the present day.
[Count] Frederick Albert [of Westarp] (b.
Brieg, 17 October 1792 – d. Brieg, 25 October 1792).
Countess Marie Karoline Adelheid of Westarp (b. Wiesbaden, 16 January 1795 – d.
Gandau, 1 August 1811).
Count Karl Victor Adolph of Westarp (b.
Grebenstein, 6 April 1796 – d. Hamburg, 4 May 1850); married in Berlin on 23 June 1822 to Baroness Pauline of Müffling (b.
Erfurt, 17 November 1803 – d. Potsdam, 15 May 1886). Their descendants in the male line continue to the present day.