Background
He was the son of Charles August of Nassau-Weilburg and Augusta Frederika Wilhelmina of Nassau-Idstein. He succeeded his father in 1753 and united his territories in 1783 with Nassau-Saarbrücken, Nassau-Usingen and Nassau-Dietz. He married on 5 March 1760 in The Hague Princess Carolina of Orange-Nassau (1743–1787), daughter of William IV, Prince of Orange and Anne, Princess Royal.