by Scott Mehl © Unofficial Royalty 2019
source: Wikipedia
Elisabeth Henriette of Hesse-Kassel, Electoral Princess of Brandenburg
Elisabeth Henriette of Hesse-Kassel was the first wife of the future Friedrich I, King in Prussia. She was born in Kassel on November 18, 1661, the youngest child of Wilhelm VI, Landgrave of Hesse-Kassel and Hedwig Sophie of Brandenburg. Elisabeth Henriette had six older siblings:
- Charlotte Amalie (1650-1714) – married King Christian V of Denmark, had issue
- Wilhelm VII, Landgrave of Hesse-Kassel (1651-1670) – unmarried
- Luise (1652) – died in infancy
- Karl, Landgrave of Hesse-Kassel (1654-1730) – married Maria Amalia of Courland, had issue
- Philipp, Landgrave of Hesse-Philippsthal (1655-1721) – married Katharina Amalia, Countess of Solms-Laubach
- George (1658-1675) – died in childhood
Friedrich, Electoral Prince of Brandenburg (future King in Prussia). source: Wikipedia
On August 13, 1679, in Berlin, Elisabeth Henriette married Friedrich, Electoral Prince of Brandenburg. The two were first cousins and had known each other for most of their lives. It was Elisabeth Henriette’s mother who encouraged and promoted the marriage, and it proved to be a love match. They became officially engaged in 1676 but had secretly been engaged three years earlier. Following their marriage, they took up residence at Köpenick Palace in Berlin, and had one daughter:
- Princess Luise Dorothea (1680-1705) – married Landgrave Friedrich of Hesse-Kassel (later King Fredrik I of Sweden), no children
Köpenick Palace. photo: By A.Savin (Wikimedia Commons · WikiPhotoSpace) – Own work, CC BY-SA 3.0, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=33316525
Sadly, Elisabeth Henriette contracted smallpox and died on July 7, 1683, just weeks before her 4th wedding anniversary. She is buried in the Berlin Cathedral. Eighteen years later, in 1701, her husband would become King in Prussia, reigning until his own death in 1713.
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