Elizabeth Augusta of Sulzbach
Encyclopedia
Elisabeth Auguste of Sulzbach (Elisabeth Auguste; 17 January 1721 – 17 August 1794) was the eldest granddaughter of the Elector
Palatine Charles III Philip, and by her marriage to Elector Palatine Charles IV Theodore
, Electress Palatine and later Electress of Bavaria.
The marriage was not a lucky one. Elisabeth Auguste bore only one child, a son (christened Francis Louis Joseph) on June 28, 1762, twenty years after their marriage; but the long-awaited son and heir to the Palatinate died just one day after his birth. The couple thereafter largely lived apart, each one taking lovers of their own; divorce was never contemplated.
Elisabeth Auguste moved to her own residence of Schloss von Oggersheim, where she lived for many years. At the end of 1793, in the face of advancing French troops, Elisabeth Auguste fled to Weinheim
, where she died in 1794. Her husband subsequently married Maria Leopoldine of Austria-Este.
Prince-elector
The Prince-electors of the Holy Roman Empire were the members of the electoral college of the Holy Roman Empire, having the function of electing the Roman king or, from the middle of the 16th century onwards, directly the Holy Roman Emperor.The heir-apparent to a prince-elector was known as an...
Palatine Charles III Philip, and by her marriage to Elector Palatine Charles IV Theodore
Charles Theodore, Elector of Bavaria
Charles Theodore, Prince-Elector, Count Palatine and Duke of Bavaria reigned as Prince-Elector and Count palatine from 1742, as Duke of Jülich and Berg from 1742 and also as Prince-Elector and Duke of Bavaria from 1777, until his death...
, Electress Palatine and later Electress of Bavaria.
Biography
Elisabeth Auguste's parents were Joseph Charles of Sulzbach (1694–1729) and Elisabeth Auguste of Neuburg (1693–1728), the latter the daughter of Elector Charles III Philip. On 17 January 1742, she married her cousin Charles Theodore of Sulzbach, who became Elector Palatine in 1742 and Elector of Bavaria in 1777.The marriage was not a lucky one. Elisabeth Auguste bore only one child, a son (christened Francis Louis Joseph) on June 28, 1762, twenty years after their marriage; but the long-awaited son and heir to the Palatinate died just one day after his birth. The couple thereafter largely lived apart, each one taking lovers of their own; divorce was never contemplated.
Elisabeth Auguste moved to her own residence of Schloss von Oggersheim, where she lived for many years. At the end of 1793, in the face of advancing French troops, Elisabeth Auguste fled to Weinheim
Weinheim
Weinheim is a town in the north west of the state of Baden-Württemberg in Germany with 43 000 inhabitants, approximately 15 km north of Heidelberg and 10 km northeast of Mannheim. Together with these cities, it makes up the Rhine-Neckar triangle...
, where she died in 1794. Her husband subsequently married Maria Leopoldine of Austria-Este.
Issue
- Count Palatine Franz Ludwig Joseph of Sulzbach (28 June 1762 – 29 June 1762) died in infancy.
Ancestry
Titles and styles
- 17 January 1721 – 17 January 1742 Her Serene Highness Countess Palatine Elisabeth Augusta of Sulzbach
- 17 January 1742 – 31 December 1742 Her Serene Highness the Electoral Princess of the Palatinate
- 31 December 1742 – 30 December 1777 Her Serene Highness the Electress Palatine
- 30 December 1777 – 17 August 1794 Her Serene Highness the Electress of Bavaria