Margarethe von der Saale (1522 - 6 July 1566), was a German lady in waiting

Lady in Waiting

Lady in Waiting is the 2nd album by American southern rock band Outlaws, released in 1976. -Track listing:#"Breaker-Breaker" – 2:59#"South Carolina" – 3:05#"Ain't So Bad" – 3:48...

 and noble, morganatic spouse by bigamy

Bigamy

In cultures that practice marital monogamy, bigamy is the act of entering into a marriage with one person while still legally married to another. Bigamy is a crime in most western countries, and when it occurs in this context often neither the first nor second spouse is aware of the other...

 to Philip I, Landgrave of Hesse

Philip I, Landgrave of Hesse

Philip I of Hesse, , nicknamed der Großmütige was a leading champion of the Protestant Reformation and one of the most important of the early Protestant rulers in Germany....

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Daughter of Anna von Miltitz and Hans von der Saale, she met the married Landgrave Philip at the age of seventeen. Philip wished to marry Saale morganatically rather than keep her as a mistress, as adultery would blacken his religious reputation, but he did not wish to divorce his consort, Christine of Saxony

Christine of Saxony

Christine of Saxony was a German noble, landgravine of Hesse. She was the regent of Hesse in 1547-1549....

, as he believed that a divorce was equally sinfull. In 10 December 1539, he received support from Martin Luther

Martin Luther

Martin Luther was a German priest, professor of theology and iconic figure of the Protestant Reformation. He strongly disputed the claim that freedom from God's punishment for sin could be purchased with money. He confronted indulgence salesman Johann Tetzel with his Ninety-Five Theses in 1517...

, with the argument that of two evil things, bigamy was better than divorce. The bigamous wedding ceremony took place 4 March 1540 in Rotenburg Castle in the precence of Martin Bucer

Martin Bucer

Martin Bucer was a Protestant reformer based in Strasbourg who influenced Lutheran, Calvinist, and Anglican doctrines and practices. Bucer was originally a member of the Dominican Order, but after meeting and being influenced by Martin Luther in 1518 he arranged for his monastic vows to be annulled...

 and Philipp Melanchthon

Philipp Melanchthon

Philipp Melanchthon , born Philipp Schwartzerdt, was a German reformer, collaborator with Martin Luther, the first systematic theologian of the Protestant Reformation, intellectual leader of the Lutheran Reformation, and an influential designer of educational systems...

. Saale never attended court but resided in a house beside the square in Spangenberg

Spangenberg

- Geography :Spangenberg lies in the Schwalm-Eder district some 35 km southeast of Kassel, west of the Stölzinger Gebirge, a low mountain range. Spangenberg is the demographical centrepoint of Germany.- History :...

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Issue;

1. Philipp, Count zu Dietz
   Dietz
   Dietz is a surname, and may refer to:* August Dietz , a philatelist, editor and publisher* Cyrus E. Dietz , Illinois Supreme Court Justice* Danny Dietz , United States Navy SEAL and recipient of the Navy Cross...
   
    (12 March 1541 – 10 June 1569).
2. Hermann, Count zu Dietz (12 February 1542 – ca. 1568).
3. Christopher Ernst, Count zu Dietz (16 July 1543 – 20 April 1603).
4. Margretha, Countess zu Dietz (14 October 1544 – 1608), married:
   1. in Kassel on 3 October 1567 to Count Hans Bernhard of Eberstein;
   2. in Frauenberg
      Frauenberg
      Frauenberg may refer to:* Frauenberg, Rhineland-Palatinate, in Germany* Frauenberg, Austria, in Austria* Frauenberg, Moselle, a commune of the Moselle department in France* Hluboká nad Vltavou, a town in South Bohemia, known as Frauenberg in German...
      
       on 10 August 1577 to Count Stephan Heinrich of Everstein.
5. Albrecht, Count zu Dietz (10 March 1546 – 3 October 1569).
6. Philipp Konrad, Count zu Dietz (29 September 1547 – 25 May 1569),
7. Moritz, Count zu Dietz (8 June 1553 – 23 January 1575).
8. Ernst, Count zu Dietz (12 August 1554 – 1570).
9. Anna, died young in 1558.

The bigamy between Margarethe and Philip had a negative effect upon the reformation

Reformation

- Movements :* Protestant Reformation, an attempt by Martin Luther to reform the Roman Catholic Church that resulted in a schism, and grew into a wider movement...

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Sources