Margravine Elisabeth Louise of Brandenburg-Schwedt
Encyclopedia
Margravine Anna Elisabeth Louise of Brandenburg-Schwedt (22 April 1738 - 10 February 1820) was a Prussian princess. She was a daughter of Margrave Frederick William of Brandenburg-Schwedt
and his wife Princess Sophia Dorothea of Prussia
.
and Sophia Dorothea of Prussia
. Her siblings included Sophia Dorothea, Duchess of Württemberg
, and Philippine, Landgravine of Hesse-Cassel.
Her father was a son of Philip William, Margrave of Brandenburg-Schwedt and Princess Johanna Charlotte of Anhalt-Dessau
.
Her mother was a daughter of Frederick William I of Prussia
and Sophia Dorothea of Hanover
. Through her mother, Elisabeth Louise was a niece of Frederick the Great.
, Berlin, Elisabeth Louise married her uncle Prince Augustus Ferdinand of Prussia, a younger brother of her mother, Sophia Dorothea
. He was eight years older than she and was a younger son of Frederick William I of Prussia
and Sophia Dorothea of Hanover
(herself the only daughter of George I of Great Britain
).
The couple had seven children:
The biological father of her daughter Louise, who was born in 1770, may have been Count Friedrich Wilhelm Carl von Schmettau.Louise was described as nice, witty and kind. The Swedish Princess Hedwig Elizabeth Charlotte described her at the time of her visit in 1798:
Elisabeth Louise was one of the few members of the royal house to remain in Berlin during the French occupation in 1806. While most of the royal family left, reportedly because of the anti-Napoleonic criticism they had expressed, and the members of the royal court either followed them or left the capital for their country estates, Elisabeth Louise remained with her spouse and Princess Wilhelmina of Hesse-Kassel
because of "their great age", as did Princess Augusta of Prussia
, who was pregnant at the time.
One visitor to her in 1813-14 commented that, "I never saw such a formal, stiff, disagreeable old woman - vieille cour outree, and she frightened me to death. I was glad to get away...".
Margrave Frederick William of Brandenburg-Schwedt
Frederick William of Brandenburg-Schwedt was born 17 November 1700, Oranienbaum Castle near Dessau and died 4 March 1771, Wildenbruch Castle. He was Margrave of Brandenburg-Schwedt from 1711 to 1771 and a knight of the Order of the Black Eagle...
and his wife Princess Sophia Dorothea of Prussia
Princess Sophia Dorothea of Prussia
Princess Sophia Dorothea of Prussia was the ninth child and fifth daughter of Frederick William I of Prussia and Sophia Dorothea of Hanover...
.
Family
Elisabeth Louise was one of five children born to Margrave Frederick William of Brandenburg-SchwedtMargrave Frederick William of Brandenburg-Schwedt
Frederick William of Brandenburg-Schwedt was born 17 November 1700, Oranienbaum Castle near Dessau and died 4 March 1771, Wildenbruch Castle. He was Margrave of Brandenburg-Schwedt from 1711 to 1771 and a knight of the Order of the Black Eagle...
and Sophia Dorothea of Prussia
Princess Sophia Dorothea of Prussia
Princess Sophia Dorothea of Prussia was the ninth child and fifth daughter of Frederick William I of Prussia and Sophia Dorothea of Hanover...
. Her siblings included Sophia Dorothea, Duchess of Württemberg
Friederike Dorothea of Brandenburg-Schwedt
Sophia Dorothea of Brandenburg-Schwedt was Duchess of Württemberg and ancestor to many European royals of the 19th and 20th century.- Biography :...
, and Philippine, Landgravine of Hesse-Cassel.
Her father was a son of Philip William, Margrave of Brandenburg-Schwedt and Princess Johanna Charlotte of Anhalt-Dessau
Princess Johanna Charlotte of Anhalt-Dessau
Johanna Charlotte of Anhalt-Dessau was a princess of Anhalt-Dessau from the House of Ascania by birth and Margravine of Brandenburg-Schwedt by marriage...
.
Her mother was a daughter of Frederick William I of Prussia
Frederick William I of Prussia
Frederick William I of the House of Hohenzollern, was the King in Prussia and Elector of Brandenburg from 1713 until his death...
and Sophia Dorothea of Hanover
Sophia Dorothea of Hanover
Sophia Dorothea of Hanover was a Queen consort in Prussia as wife of Frederick William I. She was the sister of George II of Great Britain and the mother of Frederick the Great.- Biography :...
. Through her mother, Elisabeth Louise was a niece of Frederick the Great.
Marriage and children
On 27 September 1755 in Charlottenburg PalaceCharlottenburg Palace
Charlottenburg Palace is the largest palace in Berlin, Germany, and the only royal residency in the city dating back to the time of the Hohenzollern family. It is located in the Charlottenburg district of the Charlottenburg-Wilmersdorf burough.The palace was built at the end of the 17th century...
, Berlin, Elisabeth Louise married her uncle Prince Augustus Ferdinand of Prussia, a younger brother of her mother, Sophia Dorothea
Princess Sophia Dorothea of Prussia
Princess Sophia Dorothea of Prussia was the ninth child and fifth daughter of Frederick William I of Prussia and Sophia Dorothea of Hanover...
. He was eight years older than she and was a younger son of Frederick William I of Prussia
Frederick William I of Prussia
Frederick William I of the House of Hohenzollern, was the King in Prussia and Elector of Brandenburg from 1713 until his death...
and Sophia Dorothea of Hanover
Sophia Dorothea of Hanover
Sophia Dorothea of Hanover was a Queen consort in Prussia as wife of Frederick William I. She was the sister of George II of Great Britain and the mother of Frederick the Great.- Biography :...
(herself the only daughter of George I of Great Britain
George I of Great Britain
George I was King of Great Britain and Ireland from 1 August 1714 until his death, and ruler of the Duchy and Electorate of Brunswick-Lüneburg in the Holy Roman Empire from 1698....
).
The couple had seven children:
- Friederike Elisabeth Dorothea Henriette Amalie, Princess of Prussia (1761–1773)
- Friedrich Heinrich Emil Karl, Prince of Prussia (1769–1773)
- Friederike Dorothea Luise Philippine, Princess of PrussiaPrincess Louise of Prussia (1770-1836)Princess Frederica Dorothea Louise Philippine of Prussia was a member of the House of Hohenzollern. She was the second daughter and third child of Prince Augustus Ferdinand of Prussia, younger brother of Frederick the Great, by his wife and niece Margravine Elisabeth Louise of...
(1770–1836), married to Prince Antoni Radziwiłł - Heinrich Friedrich Carl Ludwig (1771–1790)
- Friedrich Ludwig ChristianPrince Louis Ferdinand of Prussia (1772-1806)Friedrich Ludwig Christian, commonly known as Louis Ferdinand , was a prince of Prussia and a soldier in the Napoleonic Wars....
(1772–1806) - Friedrich Paul Heinrich August, Prince of Prussia (1776)
- Friedrich Wilhelm Heinrich August, Prince of PrussiaPrince Augustus of PrussiaPrince Friedrich Wilhelm Heinrich August of Prussia , known in English as Prince Augustus, was a Prussian general...
(1779–1843)
The biological father of her daughter Louise, who was born in 1770, may have been Count Friedrich Wilhelm Carl von Schmettau.Louise was described as nice, witty and kind. The Swedish Princess Hedwig Elizabeth Charlotte described her at the time of her visit in 1798:
In the afternoon, we visited this Princess, who lives at Bellevue in the outskirts of Berlin. It is a little villa, very suitable for a private person but far from royal. The reception here was quite disimilar from the one at my auntPrincess Wilhelmina of Hesse-KasselWilhelmina av Hessen-Kassel was a Prussian princess, married to prince Henry of Prussia.Wilhelmina was the daughter of prince Maximilian of Hesse-Kassel and Friederike Charlotte of Hessen-Darmstadt and the niece of landgrave William VIII of Hesse-Kassel and king Frederick of Sweden...
. Princess Ferdinand is stiff and made it obvious that she wished to impress us. I was of course polite, but after I had noticed, that she took on a condescending tone and wished to embarrass me, I replied the same way and displayed the same haughtiness. The Princess is no longer young, has surely been beautiful, looks like an aristocratic Frenchwoman but not like a Princess, for she has nothing royal about her. I do not think she is that clever, but she can make a pleasant conversation and is quite confident, as one becomes through a long habit of socializing in the grand world.
Elisabeth Louise was one of the few members of the royal house to remain in Berlin during the French occupation in 1806. While most of the royal family left, reportedly because of the anti-Napoleonic criticism they had expressed, and the members of the royal court either followed them or left the capital for their country estates, Elisabeth Louise remained with her spouse and Princess Wilhelmina of Hesse-Kassel
Princess Wilhelmina of Hesse-Kassel
Wilhelmina av Hessen-Kassel was a Prussian princess, married to prince Henry of Prussia.Wilhelmina was the daughter of prince Maximilian of Hesse-Kassel and Friederike Charlotte of Hessen-Darmstadt and the niece of landgrave William VIII of Hesse-Kassel and king Frederick of Sweden...
because of "their great age", as did Princess Augusta of Prussia
Princess Augusta of Prussia
Princess Augusta of Prussia was a German salonist and electress consort of Hesse. She was the third daughter and fifth child of Frederick William II of Prussia and Frederika Louisa of Hesse-Darmstadt. She was the first consort of William II, Elector of Hesse. Augusta was a talented painter...
, who was pregnant at the time.
One visitor to her in 1813-14 commented that, "I never saw such a formal, stiff, disagreeable old woman - vieille cour outree, and she frightened me to death. I was glad to get away...".