Princess Wilhelmina Caroline of Denmark and Norway
Encyclopedia
Wilhelmina Caroline of Denmark (, ) (10 July 1747 in Christiansborg Palace
, Copenhagen
– 14 January 1820 in Kassel
, was the Electress of Hesse-Kassel
.
(1723–1766), and his first wife Louise
(1724–1751), daughter of King George II of Great Britain
.
At Christiansborg Palace
on 1 September 1764 she married Prince William of Hesse
, Count of Hanau, one of the wealthiest rulers of the period. Wilhelmina and William had grown up together and played together as children, as William had been evacuated to the Danish court during the Seven years war (1755–63), and was early decided that they should marry when they became adults. The couple settled in Hanau.
William succeeded in 1785 as Landgrave William IX of Hesse and in 1803 was raised to the rank of Elector of Hesse-Kassel as William I. The marriage was unhappy: her spouse was unfaithful and had many lovers, notably Countess Schlotheim, whom he had appointed Countess of Hessenstien. Caroline herself was described as beautiful, distant, kind and sympathetic; in 1804, she still spoke Danish without accent and had a strong attachment to her birth country.
In 1806, Hesse was occupied by France. Her spouse and son fled to her brother-in-law Charles of Hesse in Schleswig, but she remained until a French governor was installed, after which she moved to her daughter Amalie in Gotha. She spent the duration of the Kingdom of Westphalia
(1806–13) in exile, among other places in Schleswig and in Prague. In 1813, the spouses returned to Kassel.
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Christiansborg Palace
Christiansborg Palace, , on the islet of Slotsholmen in central Copenhagen, is the seat of the Folketing , the Danish Prime Minister's Office and the Danish Supreme Court...
, Copenhagen
Copenhagen
Copenhagen is the capital and largest city of Denmark, with an urban population of 1,199,224 and a metropolitan population of 1,930,260 . With the completion of the transnational Øresund Bridge in 2000, Copenhagen has become the centre of the increasingly integrating Øresund Region...
– 14 January 1820 in Kassel
Kassel
Kassel is a town located on the Fulda River in northern Hesse, Germany. It is the administrative seat of the Kassel Regierungsbezirk and the Kreis of the same name and has approximately 195,000 inhabitants.- History :...
, was the Electress of Hesse-Kassel
Hesse-Kassel
The Landgraviate of Hesse-Kassel or Hesse-Cassel was a state in the Holy Roman Empire under Imperial immediacy that came into existence when the Landgraviate of Hesse was divided in 1567 upon the death of Philip I, Landgrave of Hesse. His eldest son William IV inherited the northern half and the...
.
Biography
She was one of the daughters of King Frederick V of DenmarkFrederick V of Denmark
Frederick V was king of Denmark and Norway from 1746, son of Christian VI of Denmark and Sophia Magdalen of Brandenburg-Kulmbach.-Early life:...
(1723–1766), and his first wife Louise
Louise of Great Britain
Louise of Great Britain was the youngest surviving daughter of George II of Great Britain and Caroline of Ansbach, and became queen consort of Denmark and Norway.-Early life:...
(1724–1751), daughter of King George II of Great Britain
George II of Great Britain
George II was King of Great Britain and Ireland, Duke of Brunswick-Lüneburg and Archtreasurer and Prince-elector of the Holy Roman Empire from 11 June 1727 until his death.George was the last British monarch born outside Great Britain. He was born and brought up in Northern Germany...
.
At Christiansborg Palace
Christiansborg Palace
Christiansborg Palace, , on the islet of Slotsholmen in central Copenhagen, is the seat of the Folketing , the Danish Prime Minister's Office and the Danish Supreme Court...
on 1 September 1764 she married Prince William of Hesse
William I, Elector of Hesse
William I, Elector of Hesse was the eldest surviving son of Frederick II, Landgrave of Hesse-Kassel and Princess Mary of Great Britain, the daughter of George II.-Early life:...
, Count of Hanau, one of the wealthiest rulers of the period. Wilhelmina and William had grown up together and played together as children, as William had been evacuated to the Danish court during the Seven years war (1755–63), and was early decided that they should marry when they became adults. The couple settled in Hanau.
William succeeded in 1785 as Landgrave William IX of Hesse and in 1803 was raised to the rank of Elector of Hesse-Kassel as William I. The marriage was unhappy: her spouse was unfaithful and had many lovers, notably Countess Schlotheim, whom he had appointed Countess of Hessenstien. Caroline herself was described as beautiful, distant, kind and sympathetic; in 1804, she still spoke Danish without accent and had a strong attachment to her birth country.
In 1806, Hesse was occupied by France. Her spouse and son fled to her brother-in-law Charles of Hesse in Schleswig, but she remained until a French governor was installed, after which she moved to her daughter Amalie in Gotha. She spent the duration of the Kingdom of Westphalia
Kingdom of Westphalia
The Kingdom of Westphalia was a new country of 2.6 million Germans that existed from 1807-1813. It included of territory in Hesse and other parts of present-day Germany. While formally independent, it was a vassal state of the First French Empire, ruled by Napoleon's brother Jérôme Bonaparte...
(1806–13) in exile, among other places in Schleswig and in Prague. In 1813, the spouses returned to Kassel.
Issue
- Maria FredericaMarie Friederike of Hesse-KasselMarie Frederike of Hesse-Kassel was a German noblewoman. She was a daughter of William I, Elector of Hesse and his wife Princess Wilhelmina Caroline of Denmark...
(1768–1839), married Alexius Frederick Christian, Duke of Anhalt-BernburgAlexius Frederick Christian, Duke of Anhalt-BernburgAlexius Frederick Christian of Anhalt-Bernburg , was a German prince of the House of Ascania, ruler of the principality of Anhalt-Bernburg, and from 1807 the first "Duke of Anhalt-Bernburg."... - Caroline Amalie (1771–1848)Karoline Amalie of Hesse-KasselKaroline Amalie of Hesse-Kassel , was a German princess member of the House of Hesse-Kassel and by marriage Duchess of Saxe-Gotha-Altenburg....
, married Augustus, Duke of Saxe-Gotha-Altenburg - Frederick (1772–1784)
- William IIWilliam II, Elector of Hesse-Biography:William was the eldest surviving son of William I, Elector of Hesse and Wilhelmina Caroline of Denmark and Norway. He succeeded as Elector of Hesse on his father's death in 1821.-Marriage and issue:On 13 February 1797 in Berlin, William married Princess Augusta of Prussia, fourth...
(1777–1847)
Ancestry
External links
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