Before his reign

He studied at Leipzig University. Thereafter, he lived mostly in Darmstadt. 1804 he represented his father at the coronation of Napoleon in Paris. He took part in the Congress of Erfurt and the Congress of Vienna and attended the coronation of Louis XVIII in Paris.

Based on the 1820 Constitution of the Grand Duchy of Hesse, he was a member of the First Chamber of Parliament until becoming sovereign in 1830. He was not really active in parliament apart from defending the constitution against any attempts to amend it.^{[1]: 80–81}

He was not really interested in governmental affairs, despite most cabinet ministers trying to include and brief him on current matters.^[1]: 28

Reign

He began his reign on April 6, 1830. He provoked a conflict with parliament as he demanded that his large personal debt be taken over by the state. Due to his reactionary positions, he was in conflict with parliament almost his entire reign.

Shortly after becoming sovereign, he had to deal with uprisings in Upper Hesse, which he left to his brother Prince Emil. Emil and Prime Minister Karl du Thil were the actual government of the Grand Duchy at the time.^[1]: 26

Resignation and death

The German revolutions of 1848–1849 showed his inability to govern. On March 5, 1848, he named his son Louis III as co-regent.

Following his death shortly afterwards, he was at first buried in the Stadtkirche Darmstadt, before his body was moved to the Old Mausoleum in Park Rosenhöhe in 1910.