Princess Maria Anna of Anhalt-Dessau
Encyclopedia
Princess Maria Anna of Anhalt-Dessau (14 September 1837, Dessau
– 12 May 1906, Friedrichroda
) was a princess from the House of Ascania. She was the third child of Leopold IV, Duke of Anhalt
and Frederica Wilhelmina of Prussia.
and Landgravine Amalie of Hesse-Homburg
. Her maternal grandparents were Prince Louis Charles of Prussia
(brother of King Frederick William III of Prussia
) and Frederica of Mecklenburg-Strelitz
.
Maria Anna was a younger sister of Frederick I, Duke of Anhalt
and Agnes, Duchess of Saxe-Altenburg.
. He was a grandson of Frederick William III of Prussia
by his father Prince Charles of Prussia
. They had four children:
Their marriage was unhappy. After the birth of their fourth daughter, Prince Frederick Charles reportedly boxed his wife's ears for not producing a son. According to one source, it was only by the entreaties of Emperor Wilhelm I that a separation never occurred.
Maria Anna was considered by contemporaries to be one of the loveliest women of her generation. She possessed a remarkable talent for music and painting, and often advised young girls when they first entered society. Maria Anna was almost completely deaf, which according to her friend Princess Catherine Radziwill
, "caused her to show extreme timidity and embarrassment whenever she found herself in company". Radziwill went on to say however that "when [Maria Anna] was alone with you, and not disturbed by the noise of many conversations around her, she became quite charming, and really witty".
to Capt. von Wagenheim, one of her equerries.
In 1889, their only son Prince Frederick married Princess Louise Sophie of Schleswig-Holstein-Sonderburg-Augustenburg
, a sister of Empress Augusta Viktoria
. Maria Anna died on 12 May 1906 in
Friedrichroda
.
Dessau
Dessau is a town in Germany on the junction of the rivers Mulde and Elbe, in the Bundesland of Saxony-Anhalt. Since 1 July 2007, it is part of the merged town Dessau-Roßlau. Population of Dessau proper: 77,973 .-Geography:...
– 12 May 1906, Friedrichroda
Friedrichroda
Friedrichroda is a town in the district of Gotha, Thuringia, Germany. It is situated at the north foot of the Thuringian Forest, 21 km by rail southwest of the town of Gotha. It is surrounded by fir-clad hills and possesses numerous handsome villa residences, a Kurhaus and a sanatorium...
) was a princess from the House of Ascania. She was the third child of Leopold IV, Duke of Anhalt
Leopold IV, Duke of Anhalt
Leopold IV Frederick, Duke of Anhalt was a German prince of the House of Ascania.From 1817 until 1853 he was ruler of the duchy of Anhalt-Dessau and from 1847 until 1853 also ruler of the duchy of Anhalt-Köthen...
and Frederica Wilhelmina of Prussia.
Family
Maria Anna's paternal grandparents were Frederick, Hereditary Prince of Anhalt-DessauFrederick, Hereditary Prince of Anhalt-Dessau
Frederick of Anhalt-Dessau , was a German prince of the House of Ascania and heir to the principality of Anhalt-Dessau....
and Landgravine Amalie of Hesse-Homburg
Landgravine Amalie of Hesse-Homburg
Landgravine Christiane Amalie of Hesse-Homburg, full German name: Christiane Amalie, Landgräfin von Hessen-Homburg was a member of the House of Hesse-Homburg and a Landgravine of Hesse-Homburg by birth...
. Her maternal grandparents were Prince Louis Charles of Prussia
Prince Louis Charles of Prussia
Prince Louis Charles of Prussia was the second son and third child of Frederick William II of Prussia and Frederika Louisa of Hesse-Darmstadt.-Marriage and issue:...
(brother of King Frederick William III of Prussia
Frederick William III of Prussia
Frederick William III was king of Prussia from 1797 to 1840. He was in personal union the sovereign prince of the Principality of Neuchâtel .-Early life:...
) and Frederica of Mecklenburg-Strelitz
Frederica of Mecklenburg-Strelitz
Frederica of Mecklenburg-Strelitz , Duchess of Cumberland and later Queen of Hanover , was the consort of Ernest Augustus I of Hanover, the fifth son and eighth child of George III and Queen Charlotte.She was born in the Altes Palais of Hanover as the fifth...
.
Maria Anna was a younger sister of Frederick I, Duke of Anhalt
Frederick I, Duke of Anhalt
Frederick I was a German prince of the house of Ascania who ruled the Duchy of Anhalt from 1871 to 1904.-Early life:...
and Agnes, Duchess of Saxe-Altenburg.
Marriage and issue
On 29 November 1854 she married her second cousin Prince Frederick Charles of PrussiaPrince Frederick Charles of Prussia
Prince Friedrich Carl Nicolaus of Prussia was the son of Prince Charles of Prussia and his wife Princess Marie of Saxe-Weimar-Eisenach . Prince Frederick Charles was a grandson of King Frederick William III of Prussia and a nephew of Frederick William IV and William I...
. He was a grandson of Frederick William III of Prussia
Frederick William III of Prussia
Frederick William III was king of Prussia from 1797 to 1840. He was in personal union the sovereign prince of the Principality of Neuchâtel .-Early life:...
by his father Prince Charles of Prussia
Prince Charles of Prussia
Prince Frederick Charles Alexander of Prussia born in Charlottenburg, was a younger son of Frederick William III of Prussia and Louise of Mecklenburg-Strelitz...
. They had four children:
| Name | |Death | Prince Henry of the Netherlands Prince Henry of the Netherlands Prince William Frederick Henry of the Netherlands, Prince of Orange-Nassau was the third son of King William II of the Netherlands and his wife, Grand Duchess Anna Pavlovna of Russia... ; (2) Prince Albert of Saxe-Altenburg | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Princess Elisabeth Anna of Prussia Princess Elisabeth Anna of Prussia Princess Elisabeth Anna of Prussia was a German princess. She was the second child of Prince Frederick Charles of Prussia and Princess Maria Anna of Anhalt-Dessau... |
1857 | 1895 | married Frederick Augustus II, Grand Duke of Oldenburg Frederick Augustus II, Grand Duke of Oldenburg Frederick Augustus II was the last ruling grand duke of Oldenburg. He married Princess Elisabeth Anna of Prussia, daughter of Princess Maria Anna of Anhalt-Dessau and Prince Frederick Charles of Prussia... |
| Princess Anna Victoria Charlotte Augusta Adelheid of Prussia | 1858 | 1858 | |
| Princess Luise Margarete Alexandra Victoria Agnes of Prussia | 1860 | 1917 | married Prince Arthur, Duke of Connaught and Strathearn Prince Arthur, Duke of Connaught and Strathearn Prince Arthur, Duke of Connaught and Strathearn was a member of the shared British and Saxe-Coburg and Gotha royal family who served as the Governor General of Canada, the 10th since Canadian Confederation.Born the seventh child and third son of Queen Victoria and Prince Albert of Saxe-Coburg and... |
| Prince Joachim Carl Wilhelm Friedrich Leopold of Prussia Prince Friedrich Leopold of Prussia Joachim Karl Wilhelm Friedrich Leopold Prinz von Preußen was a son of Prince Frederick Charles of Prussia and Princess Maria Anna of Anhalt-Dessau, married in 1854.- Family :On 24 June 1889 he married in Berlin Princess Louise Sophie of... |
1865 | 1931 | married Princess Louise Sophie of Schleswig-Holstein-Sonderburg-Augustenburg Princess Louise Sophie of Schleswig-Holstein-Sonderburg-Augustenburg Princess Louise Sophie of Schleswig-Holstein-Sonderburg-Augustenburg was a daughter of Frederick VIII, Duke of Schleswig-Holstein and Princess Adelheid of Hohenlohe-Langenburg.-Family:Louise was the sixth child and third daughter of Frederick VIII, Duke of Schleswig-Holstein and his wife Princess... |
Their marriage was unhappy. After the birth of their fourth daughter, Prince Frederick Charles reportedly boxed his wife's ears for not producing a son. According to one source, it was only by the entreaties of Emperor Wilhelm I that a separation never occurred.
Maria Anna was considered by contemporaries to be one of the loveliest women of her generation. She possessed a remarkable talent for music and painting, and often advised young girls when they first entered society. Maria Anna was almost completely deaf, which according to her friend Princess Catherine Radziwill
Catherine Radziwill
Princess Catherine Radziwiłł was a Polish princess from the Polish-Lithuanian aristocratic Radziwiłł family. She was born as Countess Ekaterina Adamovna Rzewuska. She married Prince Wilhelm Radziwiłł at age 15 and moved to Berlin to live with his family...
, "caused her to show extreme timidity and embarrassment whenever she found herself in company". Radziwill went on to say however that "when [Maria Anna] was alone with you, and not disturbed by the noise of many conversations around her, she became quite charming, and really witty".
Later life
Her husband Prince Frederick Charles died on 15 June 1885. After his death, Maria Anna left Berlin for Italy, staying mainly in Naples, Rome, and Florence. Rumors soon emerged that Maria Anna contracted a morganatic marriageMorganatic marriage
In the context of European royalty, a morganatic marriage is a marriage between people of unequal social rank, which prevents the passage of the husband's titles and privileges to the wife and any children born of the marriage...
to Capt. von Wagenheim, one of her equerries.
In 1889, their only son Prince Frederick married Princess Louise Sophie of Schleswig-Holstein-Sonderburg-Augustenburg
Princess Louise Sophie of Schleswig-Holstein-Sonderburg-Augustenburg
Princess Louise Sophie of Schleswig-Holstein-Sonderburg-Augustenburg was a daughter of Frederick VIII, Duke of Schleswig-Holstein and Princess Adelheid of Hohenlohe-Langenburg.-Family:Louise was the sixth child and third daughter of Frederick VIII, Duke of Schleswig-Holstein and his wife Princess...
, a sister of Empress Augusta Viktoria
Augusta Viktoria of Schleswig-Holstein
Augusta Victoria of Schleswig-Holstein was the last German Empress and Queen of Prussia. Her full German name was Auguste Victoria Friederike Luise Feodora Jenny von Schleswig-Holstein-Sonderburg-Augustenburg.She was the eldest daughter of Frederick VIII, Duke of Schleswig-Holstein and Princess...
. Maria Anna died on 12 May 1906 in
Friedrichroda
Friedrichroda
Friedrichroda is a town in the district of Gotha, Thuringia, Germany. It is situated at the north foot of the Thuringian Forest, 21 km by rail southwest of the town of Gotha. It is surrounded by fir-clad hills and possesses numerous handsome villa residences, a Kurhaus and a sanatorium...
.