 After the death of his father in 1772, Frederick and his brothers were excluded from the government of Anhalt-Bernburg-Schaumburg-Hoym by their older brother, Prince Karl Louis, until his death in 1806.At the time of Karl Louis's death, Frederick was his only surviving brother and reclaimed the government from his nephew Prince Victor II.Frederick claimed that the primogeniture was never formally installed in Anhalt-Bernburg-Schaumburg-Hoym and, according to the traditional laws of the House of Ascania, he had the right to share the government with Victor II.