Flight to Rettenbach

The Flight to Rettenbach was an infamous event during the co-reign of Queen Frederika and King Friedrich August VI, which involved the Queen fleeing from Dresden with the royal children and beginning a long trip which spanned three countries. The Queen reportedly fled due to fears for her safety, believing that her husband was bringing an army to depose her (after a misinterpretation of facts). After four days missing, the Queen's party was ambushed in the Bavarian village of Rettenbach by the King, Queen Dowager and the King's guard. Her trip abruptly halted, the Queen was forced to return to Saxony where she was held essentially as a glorified prisoner for some time afterward. The event has become famous as a testament to the true instability of the co-monarchy, as well as the still massively flaring feud between the Ernestine and Albertine Wettins.

In the aftermath of the flight, an assassination was attempted on the Queen. The attempted assassin was a palace guard, who fired at the Queen but struck a carriage window instead. The guard was quickly apprehended and put to death. In the immediate aftermath of the assassination attempt, the long-serving Chancellor of the Realm, the Grand Duke of Oldenburg, was dismissed by the King. This is purportedly due to the fact that the Grand Duke had suggested that the King himself may have been behind the assassination attempt - a statement which can be viewed as treasonous at the best of times. The Grand Duke, after 31 years in office, was replaced by the Duke of Brunswick-Lüneburg. This added more fuel to the fire when it came to the still ongoing feud.