He was born in Rudolstadt the second son of the reigning prince of Schwarzburg-Rudolstadt, Louis Frederick II and his wife Landgravine Caroline of Hesse-Homburg (1771–1854).

His grandfather Friedrich Karl had died seven months before his birth and so he was born as heir apparent and Hereditary Prince.

His father died on 28 April 1807 when he was thirteen so his mother acted as regent until he turned twenty one on 6 November 1814 when he assumed control of the principality.

[1] When he ascended the throne in 1807, Schwarzburg-Rudolstadt was a member of the Confederation of the Rhine which was dissolved in 1813 with the Treaty of Paris on 30 May 1814 declaring the independence of the former Confederation states with Prince Friedrich Günther becoming the ruler of an independent principality.

She was a daughter of Prince George Bernhard of Anhalt-Dessau in his second morganatic marriage, but she was adopted by her paternal uncle William on 1 April 1855 and assumed the title of "Princess of Anhalt"; however, this marriage was considered morganatic under the House Laws of the Schwarzburg family, and their children were created Prince and Princess of Leutenberg.