Born on 12 September 1652 at Stuttgart, Frederick Charles was the second son of Eberhard III, Duke of Württemberg and Anna Catharina of Salm-Kyrburg.

Out of recognition he received a large sum of money and was appointed Generalfeldmarschall by the Kaiser.

Frederick Charles fought against the French on the Rhine in the War of the Grand Alliance under Louis William, Margrave of Baden-Baden.

On 27 September 1692, an imperial army unit of 4,000 cavalry men under his command was attacked by surprise in their camp in Ötisheim near Mühlacker.

They withdrew hastily and lost several hundred men, either killed or captured by the French.