Princess Élisabeth Charlotte of Lorraine
Encyclopedia
Élisabeth Charlotte of Lorraine (Élisabeth Charlotte Gabrièle; 21 October 1700 – 4 May 1711) was a princess of Lorraine. She died of Smallpox
aged 10. She was the Titular Abbess of Remiremont.
ing Duke
. Her mother a member of the House of Bourbon
, then ruling the Kingdom of France
.
She was the couple's first daughter and second child, an older brother had been born the previous year.
Her father, Leopold, Duke of Lorraine
, had wanted her to become the Abbess of the prestigious abbey at Remiremont
, a Benedictine
abbey
near Remiremont
, Vosges
. The abbey had been closely associated with the House of Lorraine, many of its abbesses being members of the Lorraine family. Her father pressed the then abbess, Dorothea Maria of Salm to press the Professors in Sorbonne
, the historic University of Paris
in Paris. Louis XIV, her mother's uncle, instead imposed Élisabeth Charlotte as sovereign of the territory. Despite this, the professors did not reply before her death aged 10.
The enfant princess died of Smallpox
dying at the Château de Lunéville
("country residence" of the Dukes of Lorraine) having passed it to her other brother the then Hereditary Prince of Lorraine and their younger sister Marie Gabrièle. The three children died within seven days of each other. She was buried in the Ducal Crypt at the Church of Saint-François-des-Cordeliers, Nancy.
Her younger brother Francis Stephen
became the Holy Roman Emperor. Her youngest sister Anne Charlotte
, whom she never met, was later Abbess of Remiremont. At the time of her death, her mother was pregnant with a future Queen of Sardinia.
Smallpox
Smallpox was an infectious disease unique to humans, caused by either of two virus variants, Variola major and Variola minor. The disease is also known by the Latin names Variola or Variola vera, which is a derivative of the Latin varius, meaning "spotted", or varus, meaning "pimple"...
aged 10. She was the Titular Abbess of Remiremont.
Biography
Élisabeth Charlotte Gabrièle de Lorraine, named after her mother, was born at the Ducal Palace of Lorraine, in Nancy, the capital of the Duchy of Lorraine in which her father was the reignReign
A reign is the term used to describe the period of a person's or dynasty's occupation of the office of monarch of a nation or of a people . In most hereditary monarchies and some elective monarchies A reign is the term used to describe the period of a person's or dynasty's occupation of the office...
ing Duke
Duke
A duke or duchess is a member of the nobility, historically of highest rank below the monarch, and historically controlling a duchy...
. Her mother a member of the House of Bourbon
House of Bourbon
The House of Bourbon is a European royal house, a branch of the Capetian dynasty . Bourbon kings first ruled Navarre and France in the 16th century. By the 18th century, members of the Bourbon dynasty also held thrones in Spain, Naples, Sicily, and Parma...
, then ruling the Kingdom of France
History of France
The history of France goes back to the arrival of the earliest human being in what is now France. Members of the genus Homo entered the area hundreds of thousands years ago, while the first modern Homo sapiens, the Cro-Magnons, arrived around 40,000 years ago...
.
She was the couple's first daughter and second child, an older brother had been born the previous year.
Her father, Leopold, Duke of Lorraine
Leopold, Duke of Lorraine
Leopold , surnamed the Good, was Duke of Lorraine and Bar from 1690 to his death.-Early life:Leopold Joseph Charles Dominique Agapet Hyacinthe was the son of Charles V, Duke of Lorraine, and his wife Eleonora Maria Josefa of Austria, a half-sister of Leopold I, Holy Roman Emperor.At the time of...
, had wanted her to become the Abbess of the prestigious abbey at Remiremont
Remiremont
Remiremont is a commune in the Vosges department in Lorraine in northeastern France.Inhabitants are called Romarimontains.-Geography:Remiremont is located on the Moselle, close to its confluence with the Moselotte, southeast of Épinal...
, a Benedictine
Benedictine
Benedictine refers to the spirituality and consecrated life in accordance with the Rule of St Benedict, written by Benedict of Nursia in the sixth century for the cenobitic communities he founded in central Italy. The most notable of these is Monte Cassino, the first monastery founded by Benedict...
abbey
Abbey
An abbey is a Catholic monastery or convent, under the authority of an Abbot or an Abbess, who serves as the spiritual father or mother of the community.The term can also refer to an establishment which has long ceased to function as an abbey,...
near Remiremont
Remiremont
Remiremont is a commune in the Vosges department in Lorraine in northeastern France.Inhabitants are called Romarimontains.-Geography:Remiremont is located on the Moselle, close to its confluence with the Moselotte, southeast of Épinal...
, Vosges
Vosges
Vosges is a French department, named after the local mountain range. It contains the hometown of Joan of Arc, Domrémy.-History:The Vosges department is one of the original 83 departments of France, created on February 9, 1790 during the French Revolution. It was made of territories that had been...
. The abbey had been closely associated with the House of Lorraine, many of its abbesses being members of the Lorraine family. Her father pressed the then abbess, Dorothea Maria of Salm to press the Professors in Sorbonne
Sorbonne
The Sorbonne is an edifice of the Latin Quarter, in Paris, France, which has been the historical house of the former University of Paris...
, the historic University of Paris
University of Paris
The University of Paris was a university located in Paris, France and one of the earliest to be established in Europe. It was founded in the mid 12th century, and officially recognized as a university probably between 1160 and 1250...
in Paris. Louis XIV, her mother's uncle, instead imposed Élisabeth Charlotte as sovereign of the territory. Despite this, the professors did not reply before her death aged 10.
The enfant princess died of Smallpox
Smallpox
Smallpox was an infectious disease unique to humans, caused by either of two virus variants, Variola major and Variola minor. The disease is also known by the Latin names Variola or Variola vera, which is a derivative of the Latin varius, meaning "spotted", or varus, meaning "pimple"...
dying at the Château de Lunéville
Château de Lunéville
The Château de Lunéville which had belonged to the Dukes of Lorraine since the thirteenth century, was rebuilt as “the Versailles of Lorraine” by Duke Léopold from 1703 to 1723, from designs of Pierre Bourdict and Nicolas Dorbay and then of the architect Germain Boffrand, whose masterwork it became...
("country residence" of the Dukes of Lorraine) having passed it to her other brother the then Hereditary Prince of Lorraine and their younger sister Marie Gabrièle. The three children died within seven days of each other. She was buried in the Ducal Crypt at the Church of Saint-François-des-Cordeliers, Nancy.
Her younger brother Francis Stephen
Francis I, Holy Roman Emperor
Francis I was Holy Roman Emperor and Grand Duke of Tuscany, though his wife effectively executed the real power of those positions. With his wife, Maria Theresa, he was the founder of the Habsburg-Lorraine dynasty...
became the Holy Roman Emperor. Her youngest sister Anne Charlotte
Princess Anne Charlotte of Lorraine
Anne Charlotte of Lorraine was the Abbess of Remiremont, Mons and Essen. She was the youngest daughter and the youngest of thirteen children of Leopold, Duke of Lorraine, and his spouse Élisabeth Charlotte d'Orléans...
, whom she never met, was later Abbess of Remiremont. At the time of her death, her mother was pregnant with a future Queen of Sardinia.
Ancestry
Titles and styles
- 21 October 1700 – 4 May 1711 Her Highness Princess Élisabeth Charlotte of Lorraine