Philip Christoph von Königsmarck
Encyclopedia
Philip Christoph von Königsmarck or Philipp Christoph Königsmarck, (Stade
, 4 March 1665 – 2 July 1694, Hanover
) was a Swedish
count
of Brandenburgian
extraction and a soldier
. He was the lover of Sophia Dorothea, Princess of Celle
, the wife of Duke George Louis of Brunswick and Lunenburg
, the heir presumptive
of the Principality of Calenberg, later to become Elector of Hanover (as George I Louis, 1708) and King of Great Britain (as George I, 1714).
Hans Christoff von Königsmarck
, Bremen-Verden
's governor general in Stade
, and nephew to the Swedish Field Marshal Otto Wilhelm Königsmarck
.
His sister Maria Aurora of Königsmarck
was later mistress
to Augustus II the Strong
of Poland
, with whom she had the son Maurice de Saxe, the brilliant French
military commander. His other sister Amalia Wilhelmina
was a noted dilettante artist.
His brother Karl Johann von Königsmarck is alleged to have hired three assassin
s to kill Thomas Thynne
– husband of heiress Elizabeth Seymour, Duchess of Somerset
, whom Königsmarck had been wooing – on February 12, 1681. The assassins were hanged on March 10, 1682 though their alleged hirer was acquitted.
castle.
He was murdered at the instigation of George Louis, and his body was disposed of in a river, possibly the Leine
in Germany.
It is alleged that two of those involved in his death made confessions years later.
The 1948 costume historical romantic film, Saraband for Dead Lovers
(called Saraband in the U.S.) starring Stewart Granger
, Joan Greenwood
, Peter Bull
, Flora Robson
, and Anthony Quayle
and directed by Basil Dearden
is based on the story.
Stade
Stade is a city in Lower Saxony, Germany and part of the Hamburg Metropolitan Region . It is the seat of the district named after it...
, 4 March 1665 – 2 July 1694, Hanover
Hanover
Hanover or Hannover, on the river Leine, is the capital of the federal state of Lower Saxony , Germany and was once by personal union the family seat of the Hanoverian Kings of Great Britain, under their title as the dukes of Brunswick-Lüneburg...
) was a Swedish
Sweden
Sweden , officially the Kingdom of Sweden , is a Nordic country on the Scandinavian Peninsula in Northern Europe. Sweden borders with Norway and Finland and is connected to Denmark by a bridge-tunnel across the Öresund....
count
Count
A count or countess is an aristocratic nobleman in European countries. The word count came into English from the French comte, itself from Latin comes—in its accusative comitem—meaning "companion", and later "companion of the emperor, delegate of the emperor". The adjective form of the word is...
of Brandenburgian
Margraviate of Brandenburg
The Margraviate of Brandenburg was a major principality of the Holy Roman Empire from 1157 to 1806. Also known as the March of Brandenburg , it played a pivotal role in the history of Germany and Central Europe....
extraction and a soldier
Soldier
A soldier is a member of the land component of national armed forces; whereas a soldier hired for service in a foreign army would be termed a mercenary...
. He was the lover of Sophia Dorothea, Princess of Celle
Sophia Dorothea of Celle
Sophia Dorothea of Brunswick and Lunenburg was the wife and cousin of George Louis, Elector of Hanover, later George I of Great Britain, and mother of George II through an arranged marriage of state, instigated by the machinations of Duchess Sophia of Hanover...
, the wife of Duke George Louis of Brunswick and Lunenburg
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 heir presumptive
Heir Presumptive
An heir presumptive or heiress presumptive is the person provisionally scheduled to inherit a throne, peerage, or other hereditary honour, but whose position can be displaced by the birth of an heir or heiress apparent or of a new heir presumptive with a better claim to the position in question...
of the Principality of Calenberg, later to become Elector of Hanover (as George I Louis, 1708) and King of Great Britain (as George I, 1714).
Background
Königsmarck was grandson to the Swedish Field MarshalField Marshal
Field Marshal is a military rank. Traditionally, it is the highest military rank in an army.-Etymology:The origin of the rank of field marshal dates to the early Middle Ages, originally meaning the keeper of the king's horses , from the time of the early Frankish kings.-Usage and hierarchical...
Hans Christoff von Königsmarck
Hans Christoff von Königsmarck
Count Hans Christoff von Königsmarck, of Tjust , son of Conrad von Königsmarck and Beatrix von Blumenthal, was a Swedish-German soldier who commanded Sweden's legendary flying column, a force which played a key role in Gustavus Adolphus' strategy...
, Bremen-Verden
Bremen-Verden
Bremen-Verden, formally the Duchies of Bremen and Verden , were two territories and immediate fiefs of the Holy Roman Empire, which emerged and gained Imperial immediacy in 1180...
's governor general in Stade
Stade
Stade is a city in Lower Saxony, Germany and part of the Hamburg Metropolitan Region . It is the seat of the district named after it...
, and nephew to the Swedish Field Marshal Otto Wilhelm Königsmarck
Otto Wilhelm Königsmarck
Count Otto Wilhelm Königsmarck was a Swedish military officer from Minden. He attained the rank of field marshal in 1676, commanded the Battle of Stralsund , and became Governor General for Swedish Pomerania in 1679. He was the son of Hans Christoff Königsmarck and the brother of Conrad Christoff...
.
His sister Maria Aurora of Königsmarck
Maria Aurora of Königsmarck
Countess Maria Aurora von Königsmarck was a Swedish noblewoman of Brandenburg extraction and mistress of Augustus the Strong, Elector of Saxony and King of Poland.-Biography:...
was later mistress
Mistress (lover)
A mistress is a long-term female lover and companion who is not married to her partner; the term is used especially when her partner is married. The relationship generally is stable and at least semi-permanent; however, the couple does not live together openly. Also the relationship is usually,...
to Augustus II the Strong
Augustus II the Strong
Frederick Augustus I or Augustus II the Strong was Elector of Saxony and King of Poland and Grand Duke of Lithuania ....
of Poland
Poland
Poland , officially the Republic of Poland , is a country in Central Europe bordered by Germany to the west; the Czech Republic and Slovakia to the south; Ukraine, Belarus and Lithuania to the east; and the Baltic Sea and Kaliningrad Oblast, a Russian exclave, to the north...
, with whom she had the son Maurice de Saxe, the brilliant French
France
The French Republic , The French Republic , The French Republic , (commonly known as France , is a unitary semi-presidential republic in Western Europe with several overseas territories and islands located on other continents and in the Indian, Pacific, and Atlantic oceans. Metropolitan France...
military commander. His other sister Amalia Wilhelmina
Amalia Wilhelmina Königsmarck
Amalia Wilhelmina Königsmarck was a Swedish noble, known as a dilettante artist , amateur actor, and poet.Daughter of Conrad Christoff Königsmarck and Maria Christina Wrangel, sister of Philip Christoph Königsmarck, Aurora Königsmarck and Carl Johan Königsmarck, and paternal niece of Otto Wilhelm...
was a noted dilettante artist.
His brother Karl Johann von Königsmarck is alleged to have hired three assassin
Assassination
To carry out an assassination is "to murder by a sudden and/or secret attack, often for political reasons." Alternatively, assassination may be defined as "the act of deliberately killing someone, especially a public figure, usually for hire or for political reasons."An assassination may be...
s to kill Thomas Thynne
Thomas Thynne (landowner)
Thomas Thynne was an English landowner of the family that is now headed by the Marquess of Bath and politician who sat in the House of Commons from 1670 to 1682. He went by the nickname "Tom of Ten Thousand" due to his great wealth...
– husband of heiress Elizabeth Seymour, Duchess of Somerset
Elizabeth Seymour, Duchess of Somerset
Elizabeth Percy, Duchess of Somerset , major heiress, was born Lady Elizabeth Percy, the only surviving child of the 11th Earl of Northumberland and deemed Baroness Percy in her own right. She carried the earldom of Northumberland to her son Algernon...
, whom Königsmarck had been wooing – on February 12, 1681. The assassins were hanged on March 10, 1682 though their alleged hirer was acquitted.
Disappearance
On the morning of 2 July 1694, after a meeting with Sophia, he disappeared from the LeineschlossLeineschloss
The Leineschloss , situated on the Leine in Hanover, Germany, is the former residence of the Hanoverian kings and the current seat of the Landtag of Lower Saxony....
castle.
He was murdered at the instigation of George Louis, and his body was disposed of in a river, possibly the Leine
Leine
The Leine is a river in Thuringia and Lower Saxony, Germany. It is a left tributary of the Aller river and 281 km in length.The river's source is located close to the town of Leinefelde in Thuringia...
in Germany.
It is alleged that two of those involved in his death made confessions years later.
Publication
Most of the letters between Königsmarck and Sophia Dorothea were published by W.H. Wilkins, "The love of an uncrowned queen" (2 parts, 1900).The 1948 costume historical romantic film, Saraband for Dead Lovers
Saraband for Dead Lovers
Saraband for Dead Lovers is a 1948 British historical drama film directed by Basil Dearden and starring Stewart Granger and Joan Greenwood. It is based on the novel by Helen Simpson...
(called Saraband in the U.S.) starring Stewart Granger
Stewart Granger
Stewart Granger was an English-American film actor, mainly associated with heroic and romantic leading roles. He was a popular leading man from the 1940s to the early 1960s rising to fame through his appearances in the Gainsborough melodramas.-Early life:He was born James Lablache Stewart in Old...
, Joan Greenwood
Joan Greenwood
Joan Greenwood was an English actress. Born in Chelsea, she studied at the Royal Academy of Dramatic Art. Her husky voice, coupled with her slow, precise elocution, was her trademark...
, Peter Bull
Peter Bull
Peter Cecil Bull, DSC was a British character actor.- Biography :He was the fourth and youngest son of Hammersmith MP Sir William James Bull, 1st Bt..Bull was educated at Winchester College...
, Flora Robson
Flora Robson
Dame Flora McKenzie Robson DBE was an English actress, renowned as a character actress, who played roles ranging from queens to villainesses.-Early life:...
, and Anthony Quayle
Anthony Quayle
Sir John Anthony Quayle, CBE was an English actor and director.-Early life:Quayle was born in Ainsdale, Southport, in Lancashire to a Manx family....
and directed by Basil Dearden
Basil Dearden
Basil Dearden was an English film director.-Life and career:Dearden was born at Westcliff-on-Sea, Essex. He graduated from theatre direction to film, working as an assistant to Basil Dean...
is based on the story.