Category Archives: Hessian Royals

Georg Donatus, Hereditary Grand Duke of Hesse and by Rhine

by Scott Mehl © Unofficial Royalty 2019

Credit – Wikipedia

Georg Donatus, Hereditary Grand Duke of Hesse and by Rhine

Georg Donatus, Hereditary Grand Duke of Hesse and by Rhine was the elder son of the last reigning Grand Duke, Ernst Ludwig, and his second wife, Princess Eleonore of Solms-Hohensolms-Lich. He was born in Darmstadt, Grand Duchy of Hesse and by Rhine, now in the German state of Hesse, on November 8, 1906, and had one younger brother:

Georg Donatus also had a half-sister, Elisabeth, from his father’s first marriage to Princess Victoria Melita of Saxe-Coburg and Gotha. Princess Elisabeth was born in 1895 and died of typhoid fever in 1903, three years before Georg Donatus was born.

At his christening on December 4, 1906, he was given the names Wilhelm Nikolaus Eduard Heinrich Karl in honor of his godparents – Wilhelm II, German Emperor, Nicholas II, Emperor o All of Russia, King Edward VII of the United Kingdom, Prince Heinrich of Prussia and Prince Karl of Solms-Hohensolms-Lich. Within the family, he was known by the name ‘Don’.

Georg Donatus and his brother Ludwig, c1911. source: Wikipedia

Don and his brother – known as ‘Lu’ – were raised at the family’s various homes in Hesse – the Neue Palais in Darmstadt (link in German), Schloss Wolfsgarten and Schloss Romrod (link in German). They were raised by English nannies, until the outbreak of World War I. By that time, Don was receiving private lessons in German and literature from Anna Textor, who ran a private school for English girls in Darmstadt, and had been the teacher of the future Empress Alexandra of Russia. After the fall of the German Empire, their father was deposed in 1918. The family continued to live at the Neues Palais in Darmstadt, where Don continued his studies privately, before attending the Realgymnasium, graduating in 1926. He then studied economics at the University of Giessen, the University of Lausanne and the University of Munich, earning his Ph.D. from Geissen in 1933.

Cecilie and Georg Donatus on their wedding day; Credit – Wikipedia

On February 2, 1931, Don married Princess Cecilie of Greece and Denmark. She was the daughter of Prince Andreas of Greece and Denmark and Princess Alice of Battenberg. Through her mother, Cecilie and Don were first cousins once removed. They married both in a Greek Orthodox ceremony at the Neues Palais Palace and a Lutheran ceremony held at the castle church. Following their honeymoon, they took up residence in a newly purchased home in Darmstadt, and had three children:

  • Prince Ludwig of Hesse and by Rhine (1931-1937) – died in a plane crash with his parents
  • Prince Alexander of Hesse and by Rhine (1933-1937) – died in a plane crash with his parents
  • Princess Johanna of Hesse and by Rhine (1936-1939) – died from meningitis

Don became head of the family upon his father’s death on October 9, 1937. However, as the throne no longer existed, he did not assume the title of Grand Duke. Despite the formal mourning, it was decided that  Don’s brother Lu would marry The Honorable Margaret Geddes in England as scheduled for the following month. On November 16, 1937, Don, his wife Cecilie, their two sons Ludwig and Alexander, and his mother, Grand Duchess Eleonore, boarded a flight for London to attend Lu’s wedding. Tragically, the plane crashed in Belgium, and all aboard were killed.

Lu’s wedding took place immediately, and then he and his new wife flew to Belgium to accompany the remains of the family back to Darmstadt. Following their funeral which was held a few days later, Hereditary Grand Duke Georg Donatus and his family were buried in the Rosenhöhe in Darmstadt, Hesse Germany. Don’s daughter Johanna, who had not been on the plane, was adopted by his brother Lu. Sadly, she died in June 1939 after contracting meningitis.

This article is the intellectual property of Unofficial Royalty and is NOT TO BE COPIED, EDITED, OR POSTED IN ANY FORM ON ANOTHER WEBSITE under any circumstances. It is permissible to use a link that directs to Unofficial Royalty.

Marie Friederike of Hesse-Kassel, Duchess of Saxe-Meiningen

by Scott Mehl  © Unofficial Royalty 2018

Marie Friederike of Hesse-Kassel, Duchess of Saxe-Meiningen

Princess Marie Friederike of Hesse-Kassel was the wife of Bernhard II, Duke of Saxe-Meiningen. She was born in Kassel, Electorate of Hesse, now in Hesse, Germany, on September 6, 1804, to Wilhelm II, Elector of Hesse and Princess Auguste of Prussia, and had five siblings:

  • Prince Wilhelm (1798-1780) – died in childhood
  • Princess Karoline (1799-1854) – unmarried
  • Princess Luise (1801-1803) – died in childhood
  • Friedrich Wilhelm, Elector of Hesse (1802-1888) – married Gertrude Falkenstein, had issue
  • Prince Ferdinand (born and died1806) – died in infancy

Marie Friederike also had eight half-siblings from her father’s second morganatic marriage in 1841 to his longtime mistress Emilie Ortlöpp, Countess von Reichenbach-Lessonitz, who were all born before the marriage and styled Count/Countess von Reichenbach-Lessonitz:

  • Countess Luise (1813-1883) – married Karl, Count von Bose
  • Count Julius (1815-1822) – died in childhood
  • Countess Amalie (1816) – married (1) Wilhelm, Count von Lückner; (2) Karl, Baron von Watzdorf; (3) Wilhelm, Count von Lückner
  • Count Gustav Karl (1818-1861) – married Clementine Richter
  • Countess Emilie (1820-1891) – married Felix, Count Zichy-Ferraris
  • Countess Friederike (1821-1891) – married Wilhelm, Baron von Dungern
  • Count Wilhelm (1824-1866) – married Amelie, Baroness Goeler von Ravensburg
  • Countess Helene (1825-1898) – married Oswald, Baron von Fabrice

Bernhard II, Duke of Saxe-Meiningen

Although she had been considered as a potential bride for King Oscar I of Sweden several years earlier, Marie Friederike married Bernhard II, Duke of Saxe-Meiningen on March 23, 1825. He was the son of Georg I, Duke of Saxe-Meiningen and Princess Luise Eleonore of Hohenlohe-Langenburg. Marie Friederike and Bernhard had two children, born over seventeen years apart:

Marie Friederike was Duchess of Saxe-Meiningen from her marriage until her husband was forced to abdicate in favor of his son, in 1866 following the defeat of Austria, who he supported, in the Austro-Prussian War. The couple took up residence at the Great Palace (link in German) in Meiningen, where they would live out the rest of their lives.

The Dowager Duchess died in Meiningen, Duchy of Saxe-Meiningen, now in Thuringia, Germany on January 1, 1888, having survived her husband for more than five years. She was buried in the Ducal Crypt Chapel (link in German) in the Meiningen municipal cemetery until 1977 when her remains were removed from the chapel, cremated, and buried elsewhere in the cemetery.

This article is the intellectual property of Unofficial Royalty and is NOT TO BE COPIED, EDITED, OR POSTED IN ANY FORM ON ANOTHER WEBSITE under any circumstances. It is permissible to use a link that directs to Unofficial Royalty.

Maria Hedwig of Hesse-Darmstadt, Duchess of Saxe-Meiningen

by Scott Mehl  © Unofficial Royalty 2018

Maria Hedwig of Hesse-Darmstadt, Duchess of Saxe-Meiningen; Credit – Wikipedia

Maria Hedwig of Hesse-Darmstadt was the first wife of Bernhard I, Duke of Saxe-Meiningen, and therefore the first Duchess of Saxe-Meiningen. She was born in Giessen on November 26, 1647, the youngest child of Georg II, Landgrave of Hesse-Darmstadt and Princess Sophie Eleonore of Saxony. Marie Hedwig had 13 siblings:

Bernhard of Saxe-Meiningen; Credit – Wikipedia

Marie Hedwig married Bernhard at Schloss Friedenstein in Gotha, Duchy of Saxe-Gotha, now in the German state of Thuringia, on November 20, 1671. The couple had seven children:

Coat of Arms of the Principality of Henneberg. photo: By Kooij – Own work, CC BY-SA 3.0, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=3665880

Several years after their marriage, the couple took up residence in Ichtershausen, at a castle Bernhard had built and named Marienburg in honor of his wife. When Bernhard and his brothers formally divided their territories, he became Duke of Saxe-Meiningen and made plans to move the family to the city of Meiningen. The new duchy also included the former principality of Henneberg, which caused stress to Marie Hedwig. The principalities coat of arms featured a black hen, which was seen at the time as a symbol of magic and witchcraft. Marie Hedwig made it clear that she would not move to the “land of the black hen”.

Nine weeks before the planned move, Marie Hedwig died in Ichtershausen, Duchy of Anhalt, now in Saxony-Anhalt, Germany on April 19, 1680. She had given birth to her youngest child just a few weeks earlier. She was first buried in the crypt of the city church in Meiningen, Duchy of Anhalt, now in Saxony-Anhalt, Germany, before being moved to the castle church at Elisabethenburg Palace in Meiningen.

This article is the intellectual property of Unofficial Royalty and is NOT TO BE COPIED, EDITED, OR POSTED IN ANY FORM ON ANOTHER WEBSITE under any circumstances. It is permissible to use a link that directs to Unofficial Royalty.

Saxe-Meiningen Resources at Unofficial Royalty

Wilhelmine Luise of Hesse-Darmstadt, Grand Duchess Natalia Alexeievna, Tsarevna of Russia

by Susan Flantzer  © Unofficial Royalty 2018

by Alexander Roslin, 1775; Credit – Wikipedia

Her destiny to be Empress of Russia was to remain unfulfilled. Princess Wilhelmine Luise of Hesse-Darmstadt began her life on June 25, 1755, in Prenzlau in the Kingdom of Prussia, now in Brandenburg, Germany, where her father was stationed with the Prussian army. She was the fifth of the eight children and fourth of the five daughters of Louis IX, Landgrave of Hesse-Darmstadt and Countess Karoline of the Palatinate-Zweibrücken.

Wilhelmine had seven siblings:

Wilhelmine was brought up under the strict supervision of her mother Karoline, Landgravine of Hesse-Darmstadt, nicknamed “The Great Landgravine”. Karoline maintained friendly relationships with many scholars of the time including philosopher Johann Gottfried Herder, poet and writer Christoph Martin Wieland, and Johann Wolfgang von Goethe, perhaps the greatest German writer and poet. In addition, Karoline was in contact with Friedrich II (the Great), King of Prussia, and was one of the few women he respected. Karoline assembled a significant library as reading was one of her favorite pastimes. Brought up in this intellectually stimulating atmosphere, Wilhelmine was considered to have an outstanding intellect, a strong character, and a passionate temperament.

Catherine II (the Great) by Alexander Roslin, 1776; Credit – Wikipedia

In 1772, Catherine II (the Great), Empress of All Russia was searching for a bride for her 18-year-old son and heir Grand Duke Paul Petrovich (the future Paul I, Emperor of All Russia). Catherine the Great asked Friedrich II of Prussia for recommendations and his thoughts immediately turned to the three unmarried daughters of Karoline, Landgravine of Hesse-Darmstadt: Amalie, Wilhelmine, and Luise. Empress Catherine invited Landgravine Karoline and her three daughters to St. Petersburg. Four Russian ships were sent to take them to Russia. Andrei Razumovsky, Grand Duke Paul’s good friend, commanded the ship that transported Karoline and her three daughters. He was immediately charmed by the three sisters, particularly Wilhelmine who felt similar feelings towards Andrei.

Once the three sisters were in St. Petersburg, it did not take Paul long to make his choice. Just like his friend Andrei Razumovsky, Paul was charmed by Wilhelmine but she was not as enthusiastic about Paul. However, the wheels of diplomacy and protocol kept turning and preparations for the wedding began. Wilhelmine converted to Russian Orthodoxy on August 15, 1773, taking the name Natalia Alexeievna. The next day she was officially betrothed to Paul and was created a Grand Duchess of Russia.

Grand Duke Paul, the future Emperor Paul I by Alexander Roslin; Credit – Wikipedia

18-year-old Natalia and 19-year-old Paul were married on September 29, 1773, at the Church of the Nativity of the Blessed Virgin Mary in St. Petersburg which stood on the site where the Cathedral of Our Lady of Kazan now stands. The wedding was followed by ten days of celebration for the nobility and the common people. Paul was very happy with his new life and Natalia consoled herself with the knowledge that Andrei Razumovsky was always close at hand.

Andrei Razumovsky by Alexander Roslin; Credit – Wikipedia

Paul had been taken at birth by his great-aunt Elizabeth I, Empress of All Russia, and raised under her supervision. Even after the death of Empress Elizabeth, Paul’s relationship with Catherine hardly improved. Paul’s early isolation from his mother created a distance between them which later events would reinforce. At first, Natalia was very close to her mother-in-law Catherine II. Catherine had been in a similar situation – a German princess coming to Russia to marry the heir to the throne – so perhaps she had some sympathy for Natalia’s situation. Despite her misgivings about her marriage, Natalia did attempt to reconcile Catherine and her son who maintained a distant relationship and Catherine commented, “I am indebted to the Grand Duchess for returning my son to me.”

The happiness did not last long. After an initial settling-in, Natalia, after observing the Russian court, decided that she saw little good for herself there.  She had been raised in an educated and liberal court and adhered to liberal ideas such as freeing the serfs and became involved in palace intrigues. This clearly did not please Empress Catherine. In addition, Natalia’s extravagance and her refusal to learn Russian annoyed Catherine. Catherine also heard rumors about Natalia’s relationship with Andrei Razumovsky. It does appear that the two had an affair and that Paul was ignorant of their relationship.

Natalia Alexeievna by Alexander Roslin, 1776; Credit – Wikipedia

All these issues were forgotten when, after two-plus years of marriage, Natalia became pregnant. Catherine did not care whether the child was Paul’s or Razumovsky’s. She just wanted an heir to the throne. On the morning of Sunday, April 10, 1776, Paul awakened his mother with the news that Natalia had been in labor since midnight. By noon, Natalia was in such pain that it seemed the birth would happen very soon. The afternoon and evening passed without a birth and Natalia was either in terrible pain or exhausted sleep. Monday passed and there was still no birth. On Tuesday, the doctors and midwives agreed that the child was probably dead. On Wednesday, the doctors all but gave up hope of saving Natalia and she was given the last rites. At six in the evening of Friday, April 15, 1776, 20-year-old Natalia died after six days of agony. Neither Catherine nor Paul had left her side. Catherine was furthered saddened that her dead grandchild had been a perfectly formed boy who had been too large to pass through the birth canal.

Despite her exhaustion and sadness, Catherine remained in control. She had to because Paul’s grief was so severe that he was refusing to allow Natalia’s body to be removed. Natalia was buried in the Annunciation Church at the Alexander Nevsky Monastery in St. Petersburg, Russia. Grief-stricken Paul did not attend the funeral but Catherine II did.

Tombstone of Grand Duchess Natalia Alexeievna; Photo Credit – Wikipedia

This article is the intellectual property of Unofficial Royalty and is NOT TO BE COPIED, EDITED, OR POSTED IN ANY FORM ON ANOTHER WEBSITE under any circumstances. It is permissible to use a link that directs to Unofficial Royalty.

Romanov Resources at Unofficial Royalty

Works Cited

  • En.wikipedia.org. (2018). Natalia Alexeievna (Wilhelmina Louisa of Hesse-Darmstadt). [online] Available at: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Natalia_Alexeievna_(Wilhelmina_Louisa_of_Hesse-Darmstadt) [Accessed 23 Jan. 2018].
  • Lincoln, W. Bruce. (1981). The Romanovs: Autocrats of  All the Russias. New York, NY.: Doubleday
  • Massie, R. (2016). Catherine the Great. London: Head of Zeus.
  • Ru.wikipedia.org. (2018). Наталья Алексеевна (великая княгиня). [online] Available at: https://ru.wikipedia.org/wiki/%D0%9D%D0%B0%D1%82%D0%B0%D0%BB%D1%8C%D1%8F_%D0%90%D0%BB%D0%B5%D0%BA%D1%81%D0%B5%D0%B5%D0%B2%D0%BD%D0%B0_(%D0%B2%D0%B5%D0%BB%D0%B8%D0%BA%D0%B0%D1%8F_%D0%BA%D0%BD%D1%8F%D0%B3%D0%B8%D0%BD%D1%8F) [Accessed 23 Jan. 2018].

Marie Luise of Hesse-Kassel, Princess of Orange

by Susan Flantzer  © Unofficial Royalty 2018

Marie Luise of Hesse-Kassel, Princess of Orange; Credit – Wikipedia

Until September 8, 2022, Marie Luise of Hesse-Kassel and her husband Johan Willem Friso, Prince of Orange held the distinction of being the most recent common ancestors to all currently reigning European monarchs. Louis IX, Landgrave of Hesse-Darmstadt and his wife Countess Palatine Caroline of Zweibrücken became the most recent common ancestors of all current hereditary European monarchs on September 8, 2022 after Queen Elizabeth II of the United Kingdom, who was not a descendant, died and her son, Charles III, a descendant through his father, became king.

The second of the four daughters and ninth of the fourteen children of Karl I, Landgrave of Hesse-Kassel and his wife and cousin Maria Amalia of Courland, Marie Luise was born on February 7, 1688, in Kassel, Landgraviate of Hesse, now in Hesse, Germany.

Marie Luise had thirteen siblings:

Johan Willem Friso, Prince of Orange; Credit – Wikipedia

When she was 21-years-old, Marie Luise’s marriage was arranged by her future mother-in-law Henriëtte Amalia of Anhalt-Dessau who was concerned that her son Johan Willem Friso, Prince of Orange had been almost killed twice in battle and had no heir. She started searching for a bride and soon gave him a choice of two German princesses. Johan Willem Friso became engaged within a week to Marie Luise. They were married on April 26, 1709, in Kassel, Landgraviate of Hesse-Kassel, now in the German state of Hesse.

Marie Luise and Johan Willem Friso had two children:

Marie Luise and her children; Credit – Wikipedia

The couple made their home at the Stadhouderlijk Hof in Leeuwarden in Friesland one of the two of the seven provinces of the Dutch Republic where Johan Willem Friso was Stadtholder. However, Johan Willem Friso was often away at war. Sadly, their marriage lasted only two years. In July 1711, Johan Willem Friso traveled from the battlefields of the War of the Spanish Succession to The Hague to meet with King Friedrich I of Prussia. To cross the Hollands Diep, a wide river in the Netherlands, Johan Willem Friso and his carriage traveled on a ferry. The captain had trouble with the sails and suddenly a great gust of wind filled the sails, the ferry capsized and Johan Willem Friso drowned at the age of 23. His body was found floating in the river eight days later. At the time of her husband’s death, Marie Luise was pregnant with her second child. Six weeks later, she gave birth to a son who immediately became Willem IV, Prince of Orange.

Willem V succeeded his father as Stadtholder of Friesland and as Stadtholder of Groningen under the regency of his mother until he reached his majority in 1731. In 1722, he was elected Stadtholder of Guelders and Marie Luise also served as regent of Guelders. She put much effort into ensuring her children received a proper education. Marie Luise was loved and admired by the Dutch people who called her Marijke Meu (Aunt Mary). In 1731, Marie Luise’s role as regent was over. She purchased the Princessehof in Leeuwarden, moved in, and started a collection of ceramics. Today her former home is the Princessehof Ceramics Museum and her collection forms part of the museum’s collection.

On March 25, 1734, Marie Luise’s son Willem IV, Prince of Orange married Anne, Princess Royal, the eldest daughter of King George II of Great Britain at the Chapel Royal in St. James’s Palace in London. It was the third time in less than 100 years that a British princess had married a Prince of Orange. Willem IV and Anne had two children including the future Willem V, Prince of Orange born in 1748. However, William IV died at age 40 from a stroke on October 22, 1751, and was succeeded by his three-year-old son as Willem V, Prince of Orange with his mother Anne serving as regent. Anne acted as regent until her death from dropsy in 1759 at age 49. As Willem V was still underage, his paternal grandmother 70-year-old Marie Luise became regent.

Marie Luise; Credit – Wikipedia

Marie Luise’s health had been deteriorating and she often had to travel from her home in Leeuwarden to The Hague for government business which exhausted her. She suffered a slight stroke that caused her to lose some functioning on the right side of her body. On Palm Sunday in 1765, Marie Luise was present at the Grote of Jacobijnerkerk in Leeuwarden greeting as many churchgoers as possible. The day before Easter, Marie Luise became ill and she was upset that her absence in church on Easter would disappoint the people. Two days after Easter, on April 9, 1765, Marie Luise died at the age of 77. She had survived her husband Johan Willem Friso by 54 years. Marie Luise was buried with her husband at the Grote of Jacobijnerkerk in Leeuwarden, Friesland now in the Netherlands, where sixteen members of Nassau-Diez family – six Stadtholders of Friesland, their spouses, and children – are buried.

Grote of Jacobijnerkerk; Photo Credit – Wikipedia

This article is the intellectual property of Unofficial Royalty and is NOT TO BE COPIED, EDITED, OR POSTED IN ANY FORM ON ANOTHER WEBSITE under any circumstances. It is permissible to use a link that directs to Unofficial Royalty.

Anna of Hesse and by Rhine, Grand Duchess of Mecklenburg-Schwerin

by Scott Mehl  © Unofficial Royalty 2018

Anna of Hesse and by Rhine, Grand Duchess of Mecklenburg-Schwerin; Credit -Wikipedia

Princess Anna of Hesse and by Rhine was the second wife of Grand Duke Friedrich Franz II of Mecklenburg-Schwerin. She was born Princess Maria Anna Wilhelmine Elisabeth Mathilde on May 25, 1843, in Bessungen, Hesse, the only daughter of Prince Karl of Hesse and by Rhine and Princess Elisabeth of Prussia. Anna had three brothers:

Friedrich Franz II of Mecklenburg-Schwerin; Credit – Wikipedia

Anna was considered as a possible wife for the future King Edward VII of the United Kingdom. However, she instead married Grand Duke Friedrich Franz II of Mecklenburg-Schwerin on July 4, 1864, in Darmstadt. His first wife had died two years earlier and Anna became stepmother to his four children. Anna and Friedrich Franz had one daughter:

  • Duchess Anna (1865-1882) – unmarried, died in her teens

On April 16, 1865, just a week after giving birth to her daughter, 21-year-old Grand Duchess Anna died of puerperal fever (childbed fever) in Schwerin, Grand Duchy of Mecklenburg-Schwerin, now in Mecklenburg-Vorpommern, Germany. She is buried in the Schwerin Cathedral.

This article is the intellectual property of Unofficial Royalty and is NOT TO BE COPIED, EDITED, OR POSTED IN ANY FORM ON ANOTHER WEBSITE under any circumstances. It is permissible to use a link that directs to Unofficial Royalty.

Mecklenburg-Schwerin Resources at Unofficial Royalty

Marie of Hesse-Kassel, Grand Duchess of Mecklenburg-Strelitz

by Scott Mehl
© Unofficial Royalty 2018

Marie of Hesse-Kassel, Grand Duchess of Mecklenburg-Strelitz

Princess Marie of Hesse-Kassel was the wife of Grand Duke Georg of Mecklenburg-Strelitz. She was born Princess Marie Wilhelmine Friederike on January 21, 1796, in Hanau, Landgraviate of Hesse-Kassel, now in Hesse, Germany. She was the second daughter of Prince Friedrich of Hesse-Kassel and Princess Karoline of Nassau-Usingen. Marie had seven siblings:

Georg of Mecklenburg-Strelitz

On August 12, 1817, Marie married Grand Duke Georg of Mecklenburg-Strelitz, in Kassel. They had four children:

Marie’s copy of Raphael’s ‘Christ Falling on the Way to Calvary’, painted in 1856, used on the altar at the town church in Neustrelitz. photo: Von Concord – Eigenes Werk, CC BY-SA 3.0, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=20264996

A talented painter, Marie often painted copies of famous paintings. Many were used as altarpieces in churches within Mecklenburg, including the town churches in Schönberg and Neustrelitz – both of which still exist. Another, which was used in the Johanniterkirche in Mirow, was destroyed when the church burned in 1945.

Marie in her later years. source: Wikipedia

Having survived her husband by just three months, the Dowager Grand Duchess Marie died in Neustrelitz, Grand Duchy of Mecklenburg-Strelitz, now in Střelice u Stoda, the Czech Republic on December 30, 1880. She is buried in the New Crypt at the Johanniterkirche in Mirow, Grand Duchy of Mecklenburg-Strelitz, now in Mecklenburg-Vorpommern, Germany.

This article is the intellectual property of Unofficial Royalty and is NOT TO BE COPIED, EDITED, OR POSTED IN ANY FORM ON ANOTHER WEBSITE under any circumstances. It is permissible to use a link that directs to Unofficial Royalty.

Mecklenburg-Strelitz Resources at Unofficial Royalty

Charlotte of Hesse-Darmstadt, Duchess of Mecklenburg-Strelitz

by Scott Mehl  © Unofficial Royalty 2018

source: Wikipedia

Charlotte of Hesse-Darmstadt, second wife of Grand Duke Karl II

Charlotte Wilhelmine Christiane Marie of Hesse-Darmstadt was the second wife of the future Grand Duke Carl II of Mecklenburg-Strelitz. She was born in Darmstadt, Landgravaite of Hesse-Darmstadt, now in Hesse, Germany, on November 5, 1755, the second daughter of Prince Georg Wilhelm of Hesse-Darmstadt and Countess Maria Luise Albertine of Leiningen-Falkenburg-Dagsburg. Charlotte had eight siblings:

Carl of Mecklenburg-Strelitz; Credit – Wikipedia

After a brief engagement to the future Duke Wilhelm of Oldenburg ended due to his mental illness, Charlotte married the future Grand Duke Carl II of Mecklenburg-Strelitz in Darmstadt on September 28, 1784. Carl had previously been married to her older sister, Friederike, who had died after giving birth to her tenth child two years earlier. Charlotte and Carl had one son:

  • Carl (1785 -1837) – unmarried

Twelve days after giving birth to her son, Charlotte died of complications from childbirth in Hanover, Electorate of Hanover, now in Lower Saxony, Germany. She was buried in the New Crypt of the Johanniterkirche in Mirow, Grand Duchy of Mecklenburg-Strelitz, now in Mecklenburg-Vorpommern, Germany

This article is the intellectual property of Unofficial Royalty and is NOT TO BE COPIED, EDITED, OR POSTED IN ANY FORM ON ANOTHER WEBSITE under any circumstances. It is permissible to use a link that directs to Unofficial Royalty.

Mecklenburg-Strelitz Resources at Unofficial Royalty

Friederike of Hesse-Darmstadt, Duchess of Mecklenburg-Strelitz

by Scott Mehl  © Unofficial Royalty 2018

Friederike of Hesse-Darmstadt, first wife of Grand Duke Carl II

Friederike Karoline Luise of Hesse-Darmstadt was the first wife of the future Grand Duke Carl II of Mecklenburg-Strelitz. She was born in Darmstadt, Landgravaite of Hesse-Darmstadt, now in Hesse, Gemany, on August 20, 1752, the eldest daughter of Prince Georg Wilhelm of Hesse-Darmstadt and Countess Maria Luise Albertine of Leiningen-Falkenburg-Dagsburg. Friederike had eight siblings:

Carl of Mecklenburg-Strelitz; Credit – Wikipedia

On September 18, 1768, in Darmstadt, Friederike married Carl of Mecklenburg-Strelitz. At the time, he was heir-presumptive to his brother, the Duke of Mecklenburg-Strelitz. Friederike and Carl had ten children:

The New Crypt at the Johanniterkirche. photo: Von Peter Schmelzle – Eigenes Werk (Eigenes Foto), CC BY-SA 3.0, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=4816015

On May 22, 1782, three days after giving birth to her last child, Friederike died from complications of childbirth in the Electorate of Hanover, now in Lower Saxony, Germany. She is buried in the New Crypt at the Johanniterkirche in Mirow, Grand Duchy of Mecklenburg-Strelitz, now in the German state of Mecklenburg-Vorpommern, Germany. Two years later, her husband married her younger sister, Charlotte, who also died in childbirth. He later became the first Grand Duke of Mecklenburg-Strelitz in 1815.

This article is the intellectual property of Unofficial Royalty and is NOT TO BE COPIED, EDITED, OR POSTED IN ANY FORM ON ANOTHER WEBSITE under any circumstances. It is permissible to use a link that directs to Unofficial Royalty.

Mecklenburg-Strelitz Resources at Unofficial Royalty

Luise of Hesse-Darmstadt, Grand Duchess of Saxe-Weimar-Eisenach

by Scott Mehl
© Unofficial Royalty 2017

source: Wikipedia

Luise Auguste of Hesse-Darmstadt was the first Grand Duchess of Saxe-Weimar-Eisenach through her marriage to Grand Duke Karl August. She was born in Berlin, Kingdom of Prussia, now in Brandenburg, Germany on January 30, 1757, the daughter of Ludwig IX, Landgrave of Hesse-Darmstadt and Caroline of Zweibrücken. Luise had seven siblings:

Karl August of Saxe-Weimar-Eisenach. source: Wikipedia

In the early 1770s, Luise’s mother took Luise and two of her sisters to St. Petersburg to be presented to the Russian Empress Catherine the Great as potential brides for her son and heir Paul. Luise’s sister Wilhelmine was chosen, but on the journey home, Luise’s future would be arranged thanks to a chance meeting with Anna Amalia of Saxe-Weimar and Saxe-Eisenach, who was serving as Regent for her young son, Karl August. An engagement was soon arranged, and Luise and Karl August were married in Karlsruhe on October 3, 1775, just a month after he reached his majority. Luise became the Duchess of Saxe-Weimar and Duchess of Saxe-Eisenach upon her marriage, and the couple had four children:

The arranged marriage was purely dynastic and there was not much love between the two. Karl August had a long-term and very public affair with an actress and gave his wife little emotional support. Despite this, she was devoted to her husband’s position, as well as her new homeland. When French forces advanced on Weimar in 1806, Luise stood firm and remained there while most of the family fled or were off fighting in the war. She would take it upon herself to stand up to Napoleon himself and protect Weimar and its people from the fighting. Her efforts were successful, and Weimar remained mostly untouched. Several years later, at the Congress of Vienna in 1815, Luise’s efforts ensured that the duchy did not have to cede any territory, and was instead elevated to a Grand Duchy. Those efforts also earned her the love and complete devotion of the people.

Luise stepped away from public duties after being widowed in 1828. The Dowager Grand Duchess died nearly two years later, on February 14, 1830, at the age of 73. She is buried in the Weimarer Fürstengruft in the Historical Cemetery in Weimar, Grand Duchy of Saxe-Weimar-Eisenach, now in the German state of Thuringia.

This article is the intellectual property of Unofficial Royalty and is NOT TO BE COPIED, EDITED, OR POSTED IN ANY FORM ON ANOTHER WEBSITE under any circumstances. It is permissible to use a link that directs to Unofficial Royalty.

Saxe-Weimar-Eisenach Resources at Unofficial Royalty