George was born on 4 February 1761 in Frankfurt as the fourth but second surviving son of Anton Ulrich, Duke of Saxe-Meiningen and Charlotte Amalie of Hesse-Philippsthal.

[1] George succeeded his older and childless brother, Karl Wilhelm in the Duchy of Saxe-Meiningen in 1782.

George I also opened the ducal library to the public, reformed the (Protestant) church practices in his princedom and initiated new social policies.

As a result, many of his fellow princes considered him a model ruler and his duchy as the German state where enlightened absolutism reached its apogee.

After ten years they began to have children, finally having four: George I died of a fever on 24 December 1803 at Meiningen.