His five siblings all died young, of his seven step-siblings, only three sisters lived into adulthood: His Grand Tour under the supervision of the Lord Chamberlain in 1710 took him to the University of Utrecht and to the courts of England and France.

During the Austro-Turkish War of 1716–1718, he took part in the campaign of Prince Eugene of Savoy in Hungary and Belgrade, and later returned via Vienna to Detmold, where he took up government 1718.

A chronic shortage of money forced him to sell the Dutch lordships of Vianen and Ameide in 1725, and to pledge Sternberg Castle to the Electorate of Hanover in 1733.

Mayor Möller of Lippstadt voiced quite a different opinion on 1784, praising Simon Henry Adolph for improving the state of the principality's economy and eradicating the high debt, some of which were caused by the Thirty Years' War, and some by his charitable generosity, and some by his providing care and a suitable education to all branches of his family, not by taxation and oppression of his subjects, but by borrowing and selling off his Dutch possessions in 1725, and by mortgaging Sternberg in 1733.

According to Möller, Simon Henry Adolph brought balance to the state's financial situation with his frugal policies, and he used extraordinary care to ensure the welfare of his country, vigorously promoted religion, morality, justice and prosperity for all his subjects.