Bernhard chose the town of Meiningen as his residence and became the first Duke of Saxe-Meiningen as the result of the various succession agreements among the seven sons of Duke Ernest the Pious of Saxe-Gotha. On his death in 1675, each of his sons inherited part of his holdings, and were expected to rule under the leadership of his oldest son.
Bernhard received the town of Meiningen as well as several other holdings and the former Franconian lands of the House of Henneberg. Before the Reformation territory of the Duchy of Saxe-Meiningen belonged to the Diocese of Würzburg.
Later agreements increased the territory of the duchy. Following the extinction of the Saxe-Gotha-Altenburg in 1825, Duke Bernhard II of Saxe-Meiningen received the lands of the former Duchy of Saxe-Hildburghausen as well as the Saalfeld territory of the former Saxe-Coburg-Saalfeld duchy. Bernhard was a younger brother of Queen Adelaide of the United Kingdom and Ida, Princess Bernhard of Saxe-Weimar-Eisenach.