Pauline Therese of Württemberg
Encyclopedia
Duchess Pauline Therese Luise of Württemberg (4 September 1800 – 10 March 1873) was a daughter of Louis of Württemberg and Princess Henriette of Nassau-Weilburg. Through her marriage to King William I of Württemberg
, she became Queen consort of Württemberg.
, one of the five children of Duke Louis of Württemberg
and his wife Princess Henriette of Nassau-Weilburg. Her siblings included Maria Dorothea, Archduchess of Austria
; Amelia, Duchess of Saxe-Hildburghausen
; Elisabeth Alexandrine, Princess of Baden; and Duke Alexander of Württemberg
(the founder of the Teck branch of the family).
Her paternal grandparents were Frederick II Eugene, Duke of Württemberg and Friederike Dorothea of Brandenburg-Schwedt
.
Her maternal grandparents were Charles Christian, Prince of Nassau-Weilburg
and Princess Carolina of Orange-Nassau, a daughter of William IV, Prince of Orange
.
On 15 April 1820 in Stuttgart, Pauline married her first cousin King William I of Württemberg
. Pauline thus became Queen consort of Württemberg. As his third wife, their marriage was unhappy, particularly because of the deep attachment William showed to his mistress, the actress Amalia Stubenrauch.
Nevertheless, they had three children:
Pauline also served as a stepmother to Marie and Sophie
, the future Queen of the Netherlands; they were William's daughters from his second marriage. In a letter written to her friend Lady Malet, Queen Sophie would later write of the possibility of how her stepmother Queen Pauline and one of her daughters (Catherine or Augusta) would soon be taking refuge in the Netherlands, as a consequence of the events following the Revolutions of 1848 in the German states
.
, nine years later, on 10 March 1873, having lived her last years in Switzerland.
Pauline had been very popular, not only for the kindness she showed to her subjects but also for the devotion she showed to the poor. Upon her death, Württemberg inhabitants gave her name to many roads and places in Stuttgart, Esslingen, and Friolzheim.
William I of Württemberg
William I was the second King of Württemberg from October 30, 1816 until his death.He was born in Lüben, the son of King Frederick I of Württemberg and his wife Duchess Augusta of Brunswick-Wolfenbüttel .-First marriage:...
, she became Queen consort of Württemberg.
Family
Pauline Therese was born in RigaRiga
Riga is the capital and largest city of Latvia. With 702,891 inhabitants Riga is the largest city of the Baltic states, one of the largest cities in Northern Europe and home to more than one third of Latvia's population. The city is an important seaport and a major industrial, commercial,...
, one of the five children of Duke Louis of Württemberg
Duke Louis of Württemberg
Duke Louis of Württemberg was the second son of Friedrich II Eugen, Duke of Württemberg and Margravine Sophia Dorothea of Brandenburg-Schwedt...
and his wife Princess Henriette of Nassau-Weilburg. Her siblings included Maria Dorothea, Archduchess of Austria
Duchess Maria Dorothea of Württemberg
Maria Dorothea Luise Wilhelmine Caroline of Württemberg was the daughter of Duke Louis of Württemberg and Princess Henriette of Nassau-Weilburg ....
; Amelia, Duchess of Saxe-Hildburghausen
Duchess Amelia of Württemberg
Amalie Therese Louise Wilhelmina Philippine of Württemberg was a Duchess of Württemberg and an ancestor of Prince Philip, Duke of Edinburgh, Queen Sofía of Spain and five Kings of Greece....
; Elisabeth Alexandrine, Princess of Baden; and Duke Alexander of Württemberg
Duke Alexander of Württemberg
Duke Alexander of Württemberg was the father of Prince Francis of Teck and the grandfather of Adolphus Cambridge, 1st Marquess of Cambridge and Queen Mary of Great Britain, wife of King George V....
(the founder of the Teck branch of the family).
Her paternal grandparents were Frederick II Eugene, Duke of Württemberg and Friederike Dorothea of Brandenburg-Schwedt
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 :...
.
Her maternal grandparents were Charles Christian, Prince of Nassau-Weilburg
Charles Christian, Prince of Nassau-Weilburg
Charles Christian, Prince of Nassau-Weilburg , till 1753 Count of Nassau-Weilburg, was the first ruler of the Principality of Nassau-Weilburg between 1753 and 1788....
and Princess Carolina of Orange-Nassau, a daughter of William IV, Prince of Orange
William IV, Prince of Orange
William IV, Prince of Orange-Nassau , born Willem Karel Hendrik Friso, was the first hereditary stadtholder of the Netherlands.-Early life:...
.
Marriage and children
William I of Württemberg
William I was the second King of Württemberg from October 30, 1816 until his death.He was born in Lüben, the son of King Frederick I of Württemberg and his wife Duchess Augusta of Brunswick-Wolfenbüttel .-First marriage:...
. Pauline thus became Queen consort of Württemberg. As his third wife, their marriage was unhappy, particularly because of the deep attachment William showed to his mistress, the actress Amalia Stubenrauch.
Nevertheless, they had three children:
- Catherine Frederica (1821–1898), whom by her husband Prince Frederick of Württemberg (1808–1870) was mother to King William II of WürttembergWilliam II of WürttembergWilliam II was the fourth King of Württemberg, from 6 October 1891 until the abolition of the kingdom on 30 November 1918...
. - CharlesCharles I of WürttembergCharles was the third King of Württemberg, from 25 June 1864 until his death in 1891.-Early life:He was born 6 March 1823 at Stuttgart, as HRH Charles Frederick Alexander, Crown Prince of Württemberg the son of William I, King of Württemberg and his third wife Pauline Therese of Württemberg .He...
(1823–1891), succeeded as King of Württemberg. He married Olga Nikolaevna of Russia and had no issue. - Augusta (1826–1898), married Prince Hermann of Saxe-Weimar-Eisenach (1825–1901). They had six children.
Pauline also served as a stepmother to Marie and Sophie
Sophie of Württemberg
Princess Sophia Frederika Mathilde of Württemberg was Queen of the Netherlands as the first wife of King William III of the Netherlands.-Biography:...
, the future Queen of the Netherlands; they were William's daughters from his second marriage. In a letter written to her friend Lady Malet, Queen Sophie would later write of the possibility of how her stepmother Queen Pauline and one of her daughters (Catherine or Augusta) would soon be taking refuge in the Netherlands, as a consequence of the events following the Revolutions of 1848 in the German states
Revolutions of 1848 in the German states
The Revolutions of 1848 in the German states, also called the March Revolution – part of the Revolutions of 1848 that broke out in many countries of Europe – were a series of loosely coordinated protests and rebellions in the states of the German Confederation, including the Austrian Empire...
.
Death
William I died at Schloss Rosenstein in Stuttgart on June 25, 1864. Upon his death, their alienation became known to the public; Pauline was completely excluded from her inheritance in his will. She died at StuttgartStuttgart
Stuttgart is the capital of the state of Baden-Württemberg in southern Germany. The sixth-largest city in Germany, Stuttgart has a population of 600,038 while the metropolitan area has a population of 5.3 million ....
, nine years later, on 10 March 1873, having lived her last years in Switzerland.
Pauline had been very popular, not only for the kindness she showed to her subjects but also for the devotion she showed to the poor. Upon her death, Württemberg inhabitants gave her name to many roads and places in Stuttgart, Esslingen, and Friolzheim.
Ancestry
Sources
- The New International Encyclopedia. Daniel Coit Gilman, Harry Thurston Peck, and Frank Moore Colby (eds). New York: Dodd, Mead, and Company. 1909.
- Sophie of WürttembergSophie of WürttembergPrincess Sophia Frederika Mathilde of Württemberg was Queen of the Netherlands as the first wife of King William III of the Netherlands.-Biography:...
. A Stranger in The Hague: The Letters of Queen Sophie of the Netherlands to Lady Malet, 1842-1877. S.W. Jackson and Hella Haasse (eds.). Duke University Press. 1989.