Surprise! Yeah, Martin Luther's patron did have kids (that part almost everyone knows), but after Margarethe of Austria rebuffed Friedrich's suit for her hand, he decided to make himself happy (and screw the politics). He married (in secret, since it would've been morganatic) a lady at court, Anna Molsdorff, widow of one of Friedrich's courtiers, one Bernhard Watzler, hence Luther's referring to Anna as "der Watzlerinne" (the Watzler woman).
There were four children born of this marriage, three sons (Friedrich, born in 1506, died the following year; Sebastian, born in 1507 and was stabbed to death at Fünen in 1535; and Jerome, born in 1509, and who seems to disappear from the historical record after his dad's death (perhaps he died young?)) and a daughter (whose name we don't know, born around 1512 and survived her dad).
Wait, so how do we know that der Watzlerinne wasn't just a bit on the side? Well, contemporary documents speak of the children of Friedrich the Wise, but never make references to them being illegitimate. Not only that, but people who were at the contemporary Saxon court, like Martin Luther, Lucas Cranach the Elder and Elisabeth, Countess of Rochlitz, among others, make mention of the fact that Anna and Friedrich were married, although, Rochlitz notes, to prevent any hint of "impropriety", if Friedrich wished to see Anna, she was brought to see him at night. Everyone knew that Anna's kids were the elector's. Her two sons were received at court, and the thirteen year old daughter was remembered in Friedrich's will (with regards to a dowry) from what I can make out. Sort of like everyone "knew" about Louis XIV and Mme de Maintenon's secret marriage.
Now comes the WI. The marriage was both secret and morganatic (not necessarily the same thing. The secret part - Friedrich even denied a marriage when asked outright in 1506 - was because Friedrich's contemporaries would've looked down their noses at him for wedding the scullery maid. While the morganatic would've been insisted on to prevent Bastei (Sebastian) from pushing any claim to the Saxon electorate). And Friedrich's brother, Johann the Constant, married Sibylle of Cleves and the rest is history. But what if some situation occurs where Friedrich both acknowledges the marriage and declares "Bastei" (he was reportedly very attached to his children) to be the "erbprinz" of Saxony? I'm not sure how this would occur, @Dr. Waterhouse, or if it would even be a valid argument, but I thought it would be a fun thought exercise.
There were four children born of this marriage, three sons (Friedrich, born in 1506, died the following year; Sebastian, born in 1507 and was stabbed to death at Fünen in 1535; and Jerome, born in 1509, and who seems to disappear from the historical record after his dad's death (perhaps he died young?)) and a daughter (whose name we don't know, born around 1512 and survived her dad).
Wait, so how do we know that der Watzlerinne wasn't just a bit on the side? Well, contemporary documents speak of the children of Friedrich the Wise, but never make references to them being illegitimate. Not only that, but people who were at the contemporary Saxon court, like Martin Luther, Lucas Cranach the Elder and Elisabeth, Countess of Rochlitz, among others, make mention of the fact that Anna and Friedrich were married, although, Rochlitz notes, to prevent any hint of "impropriety", if Friedrich wished to see Anna, she was brought to see him at night. Everyone knew that Anna's kids were the elector's. Her two sons were received at court, and the thirteen year old daughter was remembered in Friedrich's will (with regards to a dowry) from what I can make out. Sort of like everyone "knew" about Louis XIV and Mme de Maintenon's secret marriage.
Now comes the WI. The marriage was both secret and morganatic (not necessarily the same thing. The secret part - Friedrich even denied a marriage when asked outright in 1506 - was because Friedrich's contemporaries would've looked down their noses at him for wedding the scullery maid. While the morganatic would've been insisted on to prevent Bastei (Sebastian) from pushing any claim to the Saxon electorate). And Friedrich's brother, Johann the Constant, married Sibylle of Cleves and the rest is history. But what if some situation occurs where Friedrich both acknowledges the marriage and declares "Bastei" (he was reportedly very attached to his children) to be the "erbprinz" of Saxony? I'm not sure how this would occur, @Dr. Waterhouse, or if it would even be a valid argument, but I thought it would be a fun thought exercise.