Category Archives: German Royals

Karl Friedrich, Grand Duke of Saxe-Weimar-Eisenach

by Scott Mehl  © Unofficial Royalty 2017

Grand Duchy of Saxe-Weimar-Eisenach: The Duchy of Saxe-Weimar-Eisenach was created in 1809 when the Duchy of Saxe-Eisenach and the Duchy of Saxe-Weimar merged. The Congress of Vienna elevated Saxe-Weimar-Eisenach to a Grand Duchy in 1815.  As the German Empire was crumbling at the end of World War I, Wilhelm Ernst, the last Grand Duke of Saxe-Weimar-Eisenach was forced to abdicate on November 9, 1918. He was stripped of his throne and his properties and forced into exile. With his family, he took up residence at Schloss Heinrichau, the family’s estate in Heinrichau, Silesia, now Henryków, Poland. Today the territory that encompassed the Grand Duchy of Saxe-Weimar-Eisenach is located in the German state of Thuringia.

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Karl Friedrich, Grand Duke of Saxe-Weimar-Eisenach source: Wikipedia

Karl Friedrich was Grand Duke of Saxe-Weimar-Eisenach from 1828 until 1853. He was born in Weimar in the Duchy of Saxe-Weimar, now in Thuringia, Germany on February 2, 1783, the eldest son of Karl August, Grand Duke of Saxe-Weimar-Eisenach and Luise Auguste of Hesse-Darmstadt.

He had three siblings who lived past birth:

Grand Duchess Maria Pavlovna of Russia. source: Wikipedia

After finishing his education, Karl Friedrich embarked on a Grand Tour of Europe. While visiting St. Petersburg in July 1803, Karl Friedrich met his future wife Grand Duchess Maria Pavlovna of Russia. She was the daughter of Paul I, Emperor of All Russia and his second wife Sophia Dorothea of Württemberg. They married at the Grand Church of the Winter Palace in St. Petersburg, Russia on August 3, 1804, and had four children:

As Grand Duke, Karl Friedrich instituted the first savings bank in the Grand Duchy and promoted many charitable and welfare organizations. He also promoted trade, joined the German Customs Union, and was instrumental in building the Thuringian Railway in collaboration with the Kingdom of Prussia and the Duchy of Saxe-Coburg and Gotha. During his reign, he was forced to issue a more liberal constitution and introduce many new reforms, including freedom of the press.

Grand Duke Karl Friedrich – source: Wikipedia

Grand Duke Karl Friedrich died at Schloss Belvedere in Weimar in the Duchy of Saxe-Weimar, now in Thuringia, Germany on July 8, 1853. He is buried in the Weimarer Fürstengruft in the Historical Cemetery in Weimar.

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

by Scott Mehl
© Unofficial Royalty 2017

Luise of Hesse-Darmstadt, Grand Duchess of Saxe-Weimar-Eisenach – 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 without love. 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 and 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 fighting in the war. She would take it upon herself to stand up to Napoleon 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.

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Saxe-Weimar-Eisenach Resources at Unofficial Royalty

Karl August, Grand Duke of Saxe-Weimar-Eisenach

by Scott Mehl  © Unofficial Royalty 2021

Grand Duchy of Saxe-Weimar-Eisenach: The Duchy of Saxe-Weimar-Eisenach was created in 1809 when the Duchy of Saxe-Eisenach and the Duchy of Saxe-Weimar merged. The Congress of Vienna elevated Saxe-Weimar-Eisenach to a Grand Duchy in 1815.  As the German Empire was crumbling at the end of World War I, Wilhelm Ernst, the last Grand Duke of Saxe-Weimar-Eisenach was forced to abdicate on November 9, 1918. He was stripped of his throne and his properties and forced into exile. With his family, he took up residence at Schloss Heinrichau, the family’s estate in Heinrichau, Silesia, now Henryków, Poland. Today the territory that encompassed the Grand Duchy of Saxe-Weimar-Eisenach is located in the German state of Thuringia.

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Karl August, Grand Duke of Saxe-Weimar-Eisenach source: Wikipedia

Karl August was the first Grand Duke of Saxe-Weimar-Eisenach, reigning from 1815 until 1828. He was born in Weimar, Duchy of Saxe-Weimar, now in Thuringia, Germany on September 3, 1757, the eldest son of Ernst August II, Duke of Saxe-Weimar and Anna Amalia of Brunswick-Wolfenbüttel. He had one younger sibling:

When his father died in May 1758, Karl August became Duke of Saxe-Weimar and Duke of Saxe-Eisenach at just nine months old. His mother served as regent and is recognized for having built up the resources and strength of the duchies during her son’s youth. Meanwhile, Karl August was educated privately by several tutors and then made a grand tour of Europe along with his younger brother. It was on this trip that he met the great German writer Johann Wolfgang von Goethe, who would become a close friend, confidante, and advisor.

Luise of Hesse-Darmstadt. source: Wikipedia

Shortly after reaching his majority and taking control of the government of the two duchies, Karl August married Luise of Hesse-Darmstadt in Karlsruhe, Margraviate of Baden, now in the German state of Baden-Württemberg on October 3, 1775. Luise was the daughter of Ludwig IX, Landgrave of Hesse-Darmstadt and Caroline of Zweibrücken. They had seven children:

Karl August’s surviving children – Bernhard, Karoline Luise, and Karl Friedrich. source: Wikipedia

One of his first official acts was appointing the great German writer Johann Wolfgang von Goethe to his privy council. It is perhaps through Goethe’s influence and support that Karl August worked to promote education and the arts. He established the Weimar Princely Free Drawing School in 1776 and was instrumental in reforming the education system and promoting the University of Jena.

Johann Wolfgang von Goethe. source: Wikipedia

A firm supporter of a unified Germany, Karl August was one of the leading forces behind the establishment of the League of Princes in 1785. Two years later, he was offered the Hungarian crown but refused. He served with the Prussian Army as a major-general and led his regiment into several battles in 1792. After the disastrous Battle of Jena in 1806, Karl August was forced to join Napoleon’s Confederation of the Rhine, to avoid losing his territories.

In 1809, the two duchies were united and Karl August became Duke of Saxe-Weimar-Eisenach. Six years later, following the Congress of Vienna, Saxe-Weimar-Eisenach was elevated to a Grand Duchy with Karl August as its first Grand Duke. Much more liberal than many of his contemporaries, Karl August was the first German prince to grant a liberal constitution and to promote the freedom of the press.

Grand Duke Karl August died at Castle Graditz in Graditz, Kingdom of Prussia, now in Saxony, Germany on June 14, 1828, and is buried in the Weimarer Fürstengruft in the Historical Cemetery in Weimar, Grand Duchy of Saxe-Weimar-Eisenach, now in Thuringia, Germany.

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Saxe-Weimar-Eisenach Resources at Unofficial Royalty

Mathilde Karoline of Bavaria, Grand Duchess of Hesse and by Rhine

by Scott Mehl  © Unofficial Royalty 2017

Mathilde Karoline of Bavaria, Grand Duchess of Hesse and by Rhine; source: Wikipedia

Mathilde Caroline of Bavaria was Grand Duchess of Hesse and by Rhine, through her marriage to Grand Duke Ludwig III. She was born in Augsburg, Kingdom of Bavaria, now in the German state of Bavaria, on August 30, 1813, the eldest daughter of King Ludwig I of Bavaria and Therese of Saxe-Hildburghausen. Mathilde Karoline had eight siblings:

Grand Ludwig III of Hesse and by Rhine – Source: Wikipedia

On December 26, 1833, Mathilde Karoline married the future Grand Duke Ludwig II of Hesse and by Rhine. They had no children. She became Grand Duchess upon her husband’s accession in 1848.

Grand Duchess Mathilde Karoline died of cancer at the age of 48 in Darmstadt, Grand Duchy of Hesse and by Rhine, now in the German state of Hesse, on May 25, 1862. Because she had remained Catholic after her marriage – the Grand Ducal family was Lutheran – Mathilde Karoline is buried at St. Ludwig’s Catholic Church (link in German) in Darmstadt.

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Hesse and by Rhine Resources at Unofficial Royalty

Ludwig III, Grand Duke of Hesse and by Rhine

by Scott Mehl  © Unofficial Royalty 2017

Grand Duchy of Hesse and by Rhine: The House of Hesse-Darmstadt was one of several branches of the House of Hesse. After the fall of the Holy Roman Empire in 1806, the Landgraviate of Hesse-Darmstadt was raised to the Grand Duchy of Hesse, and Ludwig X, Landgrave of Hesse-Darmstadt became the first Grand Duke, Ludwig I.  Several years later, at the Congress of Vienna, Ludwig was forced to cede his Westphalian territories but in return was given the Rheinhessen region and the Grand Duchy of Hesse became the Grand Duchy of Hesse and by Rhine. Ernst Ludwig, a grandson of Queen Victoria, was the last Grand Duke of Hesse and by Rhine. With the fall of the German states, Ernst Ludwig refused to abdicate but still lost his throne on November 9, 1918. Today the territory that encompassed the Grand Duchy of Hesse and by Rhine is in the German state of Hesse.

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Ludwig III, Grand Duke of Hesse and by Rhine – source: Wikipedia

Ludwig III was born in Darmstadt, Grand Duchy of Hesse and by Rhine, now in Hesse, Germany on June 9, 1806, the eldest son of Ludwig II, Grand Duke of Hesse and by Rhine and Princess Wilhelmine of Baden. He had four siblings:

Ludwig studied at Leipzig University as well as receiving military training.

Mathilde Karoline of Bavaria. source: Wikipedia

On December 26, 1833, in Munich, Kingdom of Bavaria now in the German state of Bavaria, Ludwig married Princess Mathilde Caroline of Bavaria, the eldest daughter of King Ludwig I of Bavaria and Princess Therese of Saxe-Hildburghausen. They had no children.

Ludwig became Grand Duke on March 5, 1848, when his father abdicated during the March Revolution.

Anna Magdalena Appel. source: Wikipedia

In June 1868, six years after the death of his first wife, Ludwig married a second time to Anna Magdalena Appel. The marriage was morganatic, so she did not become Grand Duchess. Instead, she was created Baroness of Hochstätten. After his second marriage, Ludwig III retired from public life, and his eventual successor his nephew, the future Ludwig IV, largely took over the tasks and business of the Grand Duchy of Hesse and by Rhine. Ludwig III and his second wife lived very quietly at Schloss Braunshardt in Weiterstadt for the remainder of his life.

Grand Duke Ludwig III died in Seeheim, Grand Duchy of Hesse and by Rhine, now in Hesse, Germany, on June 13, 1877. He was initially buried in the Landgrave’s Crypt in the Stadtkirche Darmstadt in Darmstadt, Grand Duchy of Hesse and by Rhine, now in Hesse, Germany. In 1910, his coffin was transferred to the Altes Mausoleum in the Rosenhöhe Park in Darmstadt,  He was succeeded by his nephew, Ludwig IV. The Baroness of Hochstätten moved to Wiesbaden where she lived until her death in December 1917. She is buried in the Old Cemetery in Darmstadt.

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Hesse and by Rhine Resources at Unofficial Royalty

Wilhelmine of Baden, Grand Duchess of Hesse and by Rhine

by Scott Mehl  © Unofficial Royalty 2017

Wilhelmine of Baden, Grand Duchess of Hesse and by Rhine; source: Wikipedia

Wilhelmine of Baden was the second Grand Duchess of Hesse and by Rhine, as the wife of Grand Duke Ludwig II. She was born in Karlsruhe, Margraviate of Baden, now in Baden-Württemberg, Germany, on September 21, 1788, the youngest child of Karl Ludwig, Hereditary Prince of Baden and Amalie of Hesse-Darmstadt. Wilhelmine had seven siblings:

Ludwig II. source: Wikipedia

On June 19, 1804, in Karlsruhe, Wilhelmine married her first cousin, the future Grand Duke Ludwig II of Hesse and by Rhine. They had five children:

In 1810, Wilhelmine had a large garden, called the Rosenhöhe (link in German), built on a hill in Darmstadt. Soon, she added several buildings, including a summer residence and a tea house. When her daughter Elisabeth died in 1826, Wilhelmine decided to have a mausoleum built in the park instead of using the traditional grand-ducal tomb in the Darmstadt Stadtkirche. It is because of this that the Rosenhöhe has become the traditional burial site for the Grand Ducal Family.

Schloss Heiligenberg. photo: by Heidas – Own work, CC BY-SA 3.0, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=3645053

Wilhelmine’s marriage was never happy, and she separated from her husband after the birth of their first three children. In the 1820s, Wilhelmine purchased Schloss Heiligenberg in Jugenheim and expanded and designed the grounds just as she had done at Rosenhöhe. There she met her chamberlain Baron August von Searclens de Grancy, and began a longtime affair. Although Wilhelmine’s husband recognized their younger children as his own, it is believed they were fathered by de Grancy.

Despite her separation, Wilhelmine became Grand Duchess upon her husband’s accession in 1830. With the increased means now at her disposal, she set about expanding Heiligenberg and avoiding the court in Darmstadt as much as possible.

Grand Duchess Wilhelmine died in Darmstadt, Grand Duchy of Hesse and by Rhine, now in Hesse, Germany, on January 27, 1836, after contracting typhoid fever. She is buried in the Altes Mausoleum in the Rosenhöhe in Darmstadt.

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Hesse and by Rhine Resources at Unofficial Royalty

Ludwig II, Grand Duke of Hesse and by Rhine

by Scott Mehl  © Unofficial Royalty 2017

Grand Duchy of Hesse and by Rhine: The House of Hesse-Darmstadt was one of several branches of the House of Hesse. After the fall of the Holy Roman Empire in 1806, the Landgraviate of Hesse-Darmstadt was raised to the Grand Duchy of Hesse, and Ludwig X, Landgrave of Hesse-Darmstadt became the first Grand Duke, Ludwig I.  Several years later, at the Congress of Vienna, Ludwig was forced to cede his Westphalian territories but in return was given the Rheinhessen region and the Grand Duchy of Hesse became the Grand Duchy of Hesse and by Rhine. Ernst Ludwig, a grandson of Queen Victoria, was the last Grand Duke of Hesse and by Rhine. With the fall of the German states, Ernst Ludwig refused to abdicate but still lost his throne on November 9, 1918. Today the territory that encompassed the Grand Duchy of Hesse and by Rhine is in the German state of Hesse.

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Ludwig II, Grand Duke of Hesse and by Rhine; Credit – Wikipedia

Ludwig II was Grand Duke of Hesse and by Rhine from April 6, 1830 until his abdication in 1848. He was born in Darmstadt, Landgraviate of Hesse-Darmstadt, now in Hesse, Germany on December 26, 1777, the eldest son of Ludwig X, Landgrave of Hesse-Darmstadt (the future Grand Duke Ludwig I) and Luise of Hesse-Darmstadt. He had five siblings:

  • Princess Luise (1779-1811) – married Ludwig of Anhalt-Köthen, had issue
  • Prince Georg (1780-1856) – married Caroline Török de Szendrö, had issue
  • Prince Friedrich (1788-1867) – unmarried
  • Prince Emil (1790-1856) – unmarried
  • Prince Gustav (1791-1806) – unmarried

Ludwig became Hereditary Grand Duke in 1806 when the Grand Duchy of Hesse and by Rhine was established. He served in the First Chamber of the Hessian Parliament and was a member of the Council of State from 1823 to 1830. He also represented the Grand Duchy at the Congress of Erfurt in 1808 and the Congress of Vienna in 1814-1815.

Wilhelmine of Baden, Grand Duchess of Hesse and by Rhine; Credit: Wikipedia

On June 19, 1804, in Karlsruhe, Ludwig married his first cousin, Princess Wilhelmine of Baden. She was the daughter of Karl Ludwig, Hereditary Prince of Baden and Amalie of Hesse-Darmstadt. Ludwig and Wilhelmine had five children:

Ludwig became Grand Duke upon his father’s death in March 1830 and continued his father’s policies. Soon after his accession, he demanded that the state assume his personal debts. This led to a growing dislike for Ludwig amongst the Hessian people. He also stood strongly against calls for a more liberal government. Following the beginning of the March Revolution, Grand Duke Ludwig II abdicated on March 5, 1848, in favor of his eldest son.

Grand Duke Ludwig II died three months later, on June 16, 1848. He is buried in the Altes Mausoleum in the Rosenhöhe in Darmstadt, Grand Duchy of Hesse and by Rhine, now in Hesse, Germany.

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Hesse and by Rhine Resources at Unofficial Royalty

Luise of Hesse-Darmstadt, Grand Duchess of Hesse and by Rhine

by Scott Mehl  © Unofficial Royalty 2017

Luise of Hesse-Darmstadt, Grand Duchess of Hesse and by Rhine; Credit – Wikipedia

Luise Henriette Karoline of Hesse-Darmstadt was the first Grand Duchess of Hesse and by Rhine through her marriage to Grand Duke Ludwig I. She was born in Darmstadt, Landgraviate of Hesse-Darmstadt, now in Hesse, Germany on February 15, 1761, the daughter of Prince Georg Wilhelm of Hesse-Darmstadt and Countess Maria Luise Albertine of Leiningen-Falkenburg-Dagsburg. Luise had eight siblings:

Ludwig I, Grand Duke of Hesse and by Rhine; Credit –  Wikipedia

On February 19, 1777, in Darmstadt, Luise married her first cousin, Ludwig of Hesse-Darmstadt (the future Grand Duke Ludwig I), the son of Ludwig IX, Landgrave of Hesse-Darmstadt and Caroline of Zweibrücken. Luise and Ludwig had eight children:

Luise’s husband Ludwig succeeded his father in April 1790 as Ludwig X, Landgrave of Hesse-Darmstadt. After the fall of the Holy Roman Empire, Hesse-Darmstadt was raised to the Grand Duchy of Hesse, with Ludwig becoming its first Grand Duke, Ludwig I. Some years later, at the Congress of Vienna, he was forced to cede his Westphalian territories, but in return was given the Rheinhessen region which included the city of Mainz. It was then, on July 7, 1816, that the Grand Duchy of Hesse became the Grand Duchy of Hesse and by Rhine.

Since the mid-1780s, Grand Duchess Luise had spent the summer months in Bensheim-Auerbach an der Bergstrasse, Grand Duchy of Hesse and by Rhine, now in Hesse, Germany, where the family had a summer residence in a large park known as the Fürstenlager (link in German). It was there that she died on October 24, 1829. She was buried in the Darmstadt Stadtkirche in Darmstadt, Grand Duchy of Hesse and by Rhine, now in Hesse, Germany until 1910 when her remains were moved to the Altes Mausoleum in the Rosenhöhe in Darmstadt.

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Hesse and by Rhine Resources at Unofficial Royalty

Ludwig I, Grand Duke of Hesse and by Rhine

by Scott Mehl © Unofficial Royalty 2017

Grand Duchy of Hesse and by Rhine: The House of Hesse-Darmstadt was one of several branches of the House of Hesse. After the fall of the Holy Roman Empire in 1806, the Landgraviate of Hesse-Darmstadt was raised to the Grand Duchy of Hesse, and Ludwig X, Landgrave of Hesse-Darmstadt became the first Grand Duke, Ludwig I.  Several years later, at the Congress of Vienna, Ludwig was forced to cede his Westphalian territories but in return was given the Rheinhessen region and the Grand Duchy of Hesse became the Grand Duchy of Hesse and by Rhine. Ernst Ludwig, a grandson of Queen Victoria, was the last Grand Duke of Hesse and by Rhine. With the fall of the German states, Ernst Ludwig refused to abdicate but still lost his throne on November 9, 1918. Today the territory that encompassed the Grand Duchy of Hesse and by Rhine is in the German state of Hesse.

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Ludwig I, Grand Duke of Hesse and by Rhine.source: Wikipedia

Ludwig I was the first Grand Duke of Hesse and by Rhine, reigning from 1806-1830. He was born on June 14, 1753, in Prenzlau, Duchy of Zweibrücken, now in Brandenburg, Germany, the eldest son of Ludwig IX, Landgrave of Hesse-Darmstadt and Caroline of Zweibrücken. Ludwig had seven siblings:

Along with his siblings, Ludwig was raised primarily in Buchsweiler, now Bouxwiller, in France, by his mother, while his father was often away with his military career. Ludwig attended the University of Leiden and then traveled throughout Europe. After escorting his sister Wilhelmine to Russia for her wedding to the future Emperor Paul I in 1773, Ludwig remained in Moscow and served with the Russian military. With the rank of General, he fought in the Russo-Turkish War of 1774. In 1776, he was engaged to Sophia Dorothea of Württemberg. However, Catherine II  (the Great), Empress of All Russia, instead chose Sophia Dorothea as the second wife for her son, the future Paul I, Emperor of All Russia, after Ludwig’s sister Wilhelmine died in childbirth.

Luise of Hesse-Darmstadt; Credit – Wikipedia

The following year, on February 19, 1777, Ludwig married Luise of Hesse-Darmstadt, his first cousin. She was the daughter of Prince Georg Wilhelm of Hesse-Darmstadt and Maria Luise of Leiningen-Falkenburg-Dagsburg. Ludwig and Luise had six children:

Ludwig succeeded his father in April 1790 as Ludwig X, Landgrave of Hesse-Darmstadt. His reign saw the establishment of constitutional rule in Hesse-Darmstadt, with Catholics and Jews being given equal rights. Having lost significant territory to France, he soon saw the Landgraviate expand when he was given the former Duchy of Westphalia in 1803, as part of the German mediatization. After the fall of the Holy Roman Empire, Hesse-Darmstadt was raised to the Grand Duchy of Hesse, and Ludwig became its first Grand Duke, Ludwig I. Some years later, at the Congress of Vienna, he was forced to cede his Westphalian territories, but in return was given the Rheinhessen region, which included the city of Mainz. On July 7, 1816, the Grand Duchy of Hesse became the Grand Duchy of Hesse and by Rhine.

As Grand Duke, Ludwig granted the first constitution and worked to establish cultural institutions in the Grand Duchy. He established the court theater in Darmstadt and the court library and promoted the arts. He is also credited with creating the Botanical Garden in Darmstadt.

Grand Duke Ludwig I died in Darmstadt, Grand Duchy of Hesse and by Rhine, now in Hesse, Germany, on April 6, 1830, and was succeeded by his eldest son. He was buried in the Darmstadt Stadtkirche until 1910, when his remains were moved to the Altes Mausoleum in the Rosenhöhe in Darmstadt.

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Hesse and by Rhine Resources at Unofficial Royalty

Juliana Maria of Brunswick-Wolfenbüttel, Queen of Denmark and Norway

by Susan Flantzer  © Unofficial Royalty 2017

Juliana Maria of Brunswick-Wolfenbüttel, Queen of Denmark and Norway; Credit – Wikipedia

Born on September 4, 1729, Juliana Maria of Brunswick-Wolfenbüttel was the youngest of the six daughters and the eleventh of the thirteen children of Ferdinand Albert II, Duke of Brunswick-Wolfenbüttel and Antoinette of Brunswick-Wolfenbüttel. Juliana Maria and her siblings were first cousins of Archduchess Maria Theresa of Austria, Queen of Hungary and Bohemia and brothers-in-law/sisters-in-law of King Friedrich (the Great) II of Prussia.

Juliana Maria had twelve siblings:

Juliana Maria’s father died when she was six-years-old, having had only a six-month reign as Duke of Brunswick-Wolfenbüttel. The House of Brunswick-Wolfenbüttel was one of the smaller German princely families and Juliana Maria had a simple, strict upbringing.

Juliana Maria of Brunswick-Wolfenbüttel; Credit – Wikipedia

On December 19, 1751, Louisa of Great Britain, the wife of King Frederik V of Denmark and Norway died while pregnant with her sixth child. Despite having parents with very strict religious beliefs, Frederik V had a very sensual nature and loved wine and women. He spent so much time visiting Copenhagen’s taverns and brothels that his father King Christian VI considered disinheriting him from the throne. When Frederik’s marriage to the youngest daughter of King George II of Great Britain was proposed, the Danish government hoped (incorrectly) that marriage would put a damper on Frederik’s affairs and drunkenness.

However, that strategy did not work as during the early years of his marriage to Louisa, Frederik had an affair with Else Hansen, known as Madame Hansen and they had five children. After Frederik became king in 1746, he took part in the government by attending council meetings, but he was afflicted with alcoholism and most of his reign was dominated by very able ministers such as Count Adam Gottlob Moltke, Count Johann Hartwig Ernst von Bernstorff, and Heinrich Carl von Schimmelmann.

King Frederik V of Denmark; Credit – Wikipedia

Count Moltke thought it would be a good idea if Frederik married again as soon as possible in hopes of stabilizing his behavior. Frederik preferred another British wife, but there was no British princess at an appropriate age. Count Moltke drew Frederik’s attention to Juliana Maria. Her portrait was sent to Denmark and it pleased Frederik. 29-year-old Frederik and 22-year-old Juliana Maria were married at Frederiksborg Palace on July 8, 1752. However, many Danish people felt the marriage occurred too quickly after the death of the beloved Queen Louisa.

The couple had one child:

Hereditary Prince Frederik by Vigilius Eriksen, 1777; Credit – Wikipedia

Her marriage to Frederik V also brought Juliana Maria four stepchildren, but she had no influence in their upbringing:

Despite her efforts, Juliana Maria found it difficult to replace Queen Louisa in the hearts of the Danish people. While Louisa had learned Danish and had insisted that her children learn Danish, a rarity in an almost German-language Danish court, Juliana Maria never fully mastered the Danish language but she did try to speak and write it. She appointed Danish tutors for her son so that he could master Danish. King Frederik V continued his affairs and his drinking and as Louisa had done, Juliana Maria pretended not to notice the problems. Juliana Maria led a quiet life and had no influence in government affairs despite the expectation of her brother-in-law King Friedrich II (the Great) of Prussia that she act as his agent.

In 1760, King Frederik V broke his leg in a drunken accident, affecting his health for the rest of his life. Frederik V died on January 14, 1766, at Christiansborg Palace in Copenhagen, Denmark at the age of 42. He was buried at Roskilde Cathedral in the Frederik V Chapel.

Frederik V was succeeded by his 17-year-old son from his first marriage, King Christian VII. Christian had been only two-years-old when his mother died. He had a nervous disposition and had been poorly educated and terrorized by a brutal governor, Christian Ditlev Reventlow, Count of Reventlow.  A few months after he became king, Christian married his first cousin Princess Caroline Matilda of Wales, the daughter of Frederick, Prince of Wales (who predeceased his father King George II) and the sister of King George III.

It was soon clear that Christian VII was not quite normal. He publicly declared that he could not love Caroline Matilda because it was “unfashionable to love one’s wife”. His symptoms included paranoia, self-mutilation, and hallucinations. Christian wandered the streets of Copenhagen visiting the city’s taverns and brothels. It became clearer and clearer that Christian could not fulfill his role as king. During a trip that had been arranged because it was believed that new environments could change Christian’s behavior, Christian became acquainted with the physician Johann Friedrich Struensee. Struensee was the first person who understood that Christian was seriously ill. When Christian came home from the trip, Struensee accompanied him and was employed as Christian’s personal physician. Struensee could handle Christian’s instability, which was a great relief to the king’s advisers, and Christian developed confidence in him.

King Christian VII; Credit – Wikipedia

Because of Christian’s confidence in him, Struensee gained political power. In 1770, Struensee became Master of Requests and Minister of the Royal Cabinet. He also became the lover of the ill-treated Caroline Matilda, whose marriage was less than satisfactory. When Caroline Matilda gave birth to her daughter Louise, no one doubted that Struensee was the father of the princess. Eventually, Queen Dowager Juliana Maria maneuvered a coup that would bring about the fall of Struensee and discredit Caroline Matilda. Juliana Maria arranged for King Christian VII to sign the arrest warrant of Struensee after she had already made the arrest in the name of the king. In 1772, Struensee was executed and Caroline Matilda was exiled.

After the fall of Struensee, Juliana Maria and her son Christian VII’s half-brother Hereditary Prince Frederik took charge of the Council of State. Christian VII was only nominally king from 1772 onward. Between 1772 and 1784, Denmark was ruled by Queen Dowager Juliana Maria, Hereditary Prince Frederik, and Cabinet Secretary Ove Høegh-Guldberg. Juliana Maria was given the responsibility of the upbringing of Christian VII’s eldest son Crown Prince Frederik, the future King Frederik VI. From 1784, Crown Prince Frederik ruled permanently as a prince regent. Crown Prince Frederik had no intention of allowing Juliana Maria and her son Frederik to continue their rule. He somehow managed to get his insane father to sign an order dismissing the supporters of Juliana Maria from the council and declaring that no royal order was legal unless co-signed by the Crown Prince, thereby deposing Queen Dowager Juliana Maria and Hereditary Prince Frederik.

Juliana Maria showing the portrait of her only child Hereditary Prince Frederik by Johann Georg Ziesenis, 1766-1767; Credit – Wikipedia

Juliana Maria lived the rest of her life quietly at court. She survived her husband by 30 years, dying on October 10, 1796, at Fredensborg Palace at the age of 67 and was buried at Roskilde Cathedral in the Frederik V Chapel.

Tomb of Juliana Maria of Brunswick-Wolfenbüttel – Photo by Susan Flantzer

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Kingdom of Denmark Resources at Unofficial Royalty

Works Cited

  • Da.wikipedia.org. (2017). Juliane Marie af Braunschweig-Wolfenbüttel. [online] Available at: https://da.wikipedia.org/wiki/Juliane_Marie_af_Braunschweig-Wolfenb%C3%BCttel [Accessed 7 Aug. 2017].
  • En.wikipedia.org. (2017). Juliana Maria of Brunswick-Wolfenbüttel. [online] Available at: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Juliana_Maria_of_Brunswick-Wolfenb%C3%BCttel [Accessed 7 Aug. 2017].
  • Unofficial Royalty. (2017). King Christian VII of Denmark. [online] Available at: https://www.unofficialroyalty.com/king-christian-vii-of-denmark/ [Accessed 7 Aug. 2017].
  • Unofficial Royalty. (2017). King Frederik V of Denmark. [online] Available at: https://www.unofficialroyalty.com/king-frederik-v-of-denmark/ [Accessed 7 Aug. 2017].