Interesting article.
Freddy was something, that's for sure. He did NOT, as unfairly quoted in Amadeus complain that Mozart's music had "too many notes", that was one of his ministers. Freddy had professional licks on flute and wouldn't have blanched at the sight of a black page (like I do - dammit, there are too many notes).
I'm trying to verify the story, but the legend is that he thought so little of the Hessian mercenaries that the Brits hired to send to America that he charged them passage through Prussia at cattle rates.
Great stuff, the book's on the way.