 He was nicknamed "Small Prince" because of his short height.Franciszek was born to Genowefa Olizar-Wołczkiewicz and Franciszek Drucki-Lubecki of the aristocratic family in Pohost Zahorodzki in Polesia (today's Pahost Zaharodski, a village in the Brest voblast of Belarus) on 4 January 1778.After graduation from an infantry cadet school he joined the Russian military in 1794 and remained in service until 1800.