Princess Augusta of Prussia (Christine Friederike Auguste; 1 May 1780 – 19 February 1841) was a German salonist and electress consort of Hesse. She was the third daughter and fifth child of Frederick William II of Prussia

Frederick William II of Prussia

Frederick William II was the King of Prussia, reigning from 1786 until his death. He was in personal union the Prince-Elector of Brandenburg and the sovereign prince of the Principality of Neuchâtel.-Early life:...

 and Frederika Louisa of Hesse-Darmstadt

Frederika Louisa of Hesse-Darmstadt

Frederika of Hesse-Darmstadt was Queen consort of the Kingdom of Prussia as the second wife of Frederick William II of Prussia.-Background:...

. She was the first consort of William II, Elector of Hesse

William II, Elector of Hesse

-Biography:William was the eldest surviving son of William I, Elector of Hesse and Wilhelmina Caroline of Denmark and Norway. He succeeded as Elector of Hesse on his father's death in 1821.-Marriage and issue:On 13 February 1797 in Berlin, William married Princess Augusta of Prussia, fourth...

. Augusta was a talented painter. Among the messages left by her works are also self-portraits.

Biography

The marriage of Augusta was politically arranged and unhappy. Augusta and William often came to conflict with one another, which led to aggressive confrontations. In 1806, Hesse was occupated by France. Augusta was in Berlin with her children at the time, and when the army of Napoleon headed toward Berlin, she remained in the capital because of her pregnancy when it was taken by France. Napoleon put guards around her house and gave orders that she should not be disturbed. With Hesse and Prussia occupated and her family in exile, Augusta lacked money, and after her birth, she asked for a meeting with Napoleon. She appeared before him with her newborn baby on her arm and one of her children by the hand and asked him for an allowance, which he granted her.

After the birth of her last child in 1806, the relationship to William was finished, although they stayed married, and in from 1815, they kept separated households and made a secret separation agreement. Augusta lived in Schoenfeld palace, where she became a celebrated salonist; the centre of the romantic Schoenfelder-circle, which inkluded Ludwig Hassenpflug, Joseph von Radowitz

Joseph von Radowitz

Joseph Maria Ernst Christian Wilhelm von Radowitz was a conservative Prussian statesman and general famous for his proposal to unify Germany under Prussian leadership by means of a negotiated agreement among the reigning German princes.-Early years:Radowitz was born to Roman Catholic nobility on ...

 and the Grimm brothers, and William lived in a different residence with Emilie von Reichenbach-Lessonitz

Emilie Ortlöpp

Countess Emilie of Reichenbach-Lessonitz née Ortlöpp was the mistress and later second wife of Elector William II of Hesse.- Life :...

. Her salon was finished in 1823, and in 1826-1831 she lived in The Hague, Koblenz, Bonn and Fulda. Augusta was regarded as a skillfull painter.

Marriage and issue

On 13 February 1797 in Berlin

Berlin

Berlin is the capital city of Germany and is one of the 16 states of Germany. With a population of 3.45 million people, Berlin is Germany's largest city. It is the second most populous city proper and the seventh most populous urban area in the European Union...

, Augusta married Prince William of Hesse-Kassel

William II, Elector of Hesse

-Biography:William was the eldest surviving son of William I, Elector of Hesse and Wilhelmina Caroline of Denmark and Norway. He succeeded as Elector of Hesse on his father's death in 1821.-Marriage and issue:On 13 February 1797 in Berlin, William married Princess Augusta of Prussia, fourth...

 (or Hesse-Cassel), eldest surviving son of William IX, Landgrave of Hesse-Kassel

William I, Elector of Hesse

William I, Elector of Hesse was the eldest surviving son of Frederick II, Landgrave of Hesse-Kassel and Princess Mary of Great Britain, the daughter of George II.-Early life:...

. In 1803, the Landgrave was raised to Elector of Hesse, and Prince William succeeded on his father's death in 1821. Several months after Augusta's death, William remarried to his longtime mistress Emilie Ortlöpp

Emilie Ortlöpp

Countess Emilie of Reichenbach-Lessonitz née Ortlöpp was the mistress and later second wife of Elector William II of Hesse.- Life :...

, Countess of Reichenbach-Lessonitz, by whom he had an additional eight children.

Issue

1. Wilhelm (9 April 1798 – 25 October 1800)
2. Karoline (29 July 1799 – 28 November 1854)
3. Luise (3 April 1801 – 28 September 1803)
4. Frederick William, Elector of Hesse
   Frederick William, Elector of Hesse
   Frederick William I was, between 1847 and 1866, the last Elector of Hesse-Kassel .- Life :...
   
    (20 August 1802 – 6 June 1875) married Gertrude Lehmann.
5. Marie (6 September 1804 – 4 January 1888), married Bernhard II, Duke of Saxe-Meiningen and had issue.
6. Ferdinand (9 October 1806 – 21 November 1806)

Titles and styles

• 1 May 1780 - 13 February 1797 Her Royal Highness Princess Auguste of Prussia
• 13 February 1797 - 15 May 1803 Her Royal Highness The Hereditary Princess of Hesse-Kassel
• 15 May 1803 - 27 February 1821 Her Royal Highness The Electoral Princess of Hesse
• 27 February 1821 - 19 February 1841 Her Royal Highness The Electress of Hesse

Ancestry

External links

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