Sophia von Kielmansegg, Countess of Darlington
Encyclopedia
Sophia Charlotte von Kielmansegg, Countess of Darlington and Countess of Leinster (1675 – 20 April 1725) was a German
-born British
courtier and a half-sister of George I of Great Britain
.
), she was the daughter of Clara Elisabeth von Meysenburg, Baroness von Platen und Hallermund
(1648-1700) and Ernest Augustus, Elector of Hanover. Her mother's husband, Franz Ernst, Baron von Platen (1631-1709) was officially described as her father (as indeed he was in that, at the time, the child of a married woman was conclusively presumed to be the child of her husband) but the fact that she was the illegitimate daughter of the Elector was acknowledged at court. When her "father" was promoted to a Count in 1689, she became Countess Sophia.
, but his mother, Electress Sophia
asserted in that, 'to her certain knowledge', Countess Sophia was not one of George Louis' mistresses. In 1701, she married Johann Adolf, Baron von Kielmansegg (1668-1717), Deputy Master of the Horse
to George Louis and they had three sons and two daughters, the eldest of whom, Charlotte
(1703-1782), married Emanuel Howe, 2nd Viscount Howe
.
on the death of Queen Anne
in 1714, Sophia and her family followed him to London
. She mixed well with the king's British courtiers (who also assumed her to be one of the king's mistresses) but competed for influence with George's mistress, Melusine von der Schulenburg
, and was disliked by the Princess of Wales
, who 'thought her a wicked woman'. Sophia received many gifts from those seeking patronage; e.g. between 1715 and 1720, she received £
9,545 from the Duke of Chandos
and 1720, was given £15,000 of stock by the South Sea Company, with a bonus of £120 for every point the stock rose above £154.
or British peerage
. This campaigning was taken for granted when in a newsletter of 14 November 1717, it was stated that she "came to town some weeks since on pretence to be with her husband...but as others say upon a difference with the Duchess of Munster." Her husband died a day later and his illness, not her rivalry with the Duchess, was more likely to be the reason for her return to London. Perhaps to counter the blow of the South Sea Bubble, she was created Countess of Leinster in the Peerage of Ireland in 1721 and Countess of Darlington and Baroness Brentford a year later in the Peerage of Great Britain, all life peerages. The letters patent for both titles had the king describe her as (of our common blood) and her coat of arms
included the arms of Brunswick
with a bar sinister to denote her as an illegitimate daughter of an elector of Hanover.
in 1725 and was buried in Westminster Abbey
. Walpole reminisced of:
Although described by historians as 'the Elephant' who competed with 'the Maypole' (Melusine), modern historians, especially Ragnhild Hatton
attribute her as a valued courtier of the king and stating she was not as obese as early works suggested.
Germany
Germany , officially the Federal Republic of Germany , is a federal parliamentary republic in Europe. The country consists of 16 states while the capital and largest city is Berlin. Germany covers an area of 357,021 km2 and has a largely temperate seasonal climate...
-born British
Kingdom of Great Britain
The former Kingdom of Great Britain, sometimes described as the 'United Kingdom of Great Britain', That the Two Kingdoms of Scotland and England, shall upon the 1st May next ensuing the date hereof, and forever after, be United into One Kingdom by the Name of GREAT BRITAIN. was a sovereign...
courtier and a half-sister of George I of Great Britain
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....
.
Early life
Born Baroness Sophia Charlotte von Platen und Hallermund (probably in OsnabrückOsnabrück
Osnabrück is a city in Lower Saxony, Germany, some 80 km NNE of Dortmund, 45 km NE of Münster, and some 100 km due west of Hanover. It lies in a valley penned between the Wiehen Hills and the northern tip of the Teutoburg Forest...
), she was the daughter of Clara Elisabeth von Meysenburg, Baroness von Platen und Hallermund
Clara Elisabeth von Platen
Clara Elisabeth, Countess of Platen-Hallermund was a German noblewoman, most notable as the mistress of Ernest Augustus and for her involvement in the Königsmarck Affair.-Life:The eldest daughter of Georg Philipp von Meisenbug and his wife Anna...
(1648-1700) and Ernest Augustus, Elector of Hanover. Her mother's husband, Franz Ernst, Baron von Platen (1631-1709) was officially described as her father (as indeed he was in that, at the time, the child of a married woman was conclusively presumed to be the child of her husband) but the fact that she was the illegitimate daughter of the Elector was acknowledged at court. When her "father" was promoted to a Count in 1689, she became Countess Sophia.
Marriage
Sophia established a close relationship with her half-brother, George LouisGeorge 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....
, but his mother, Electress Sophia
Sophia of Hanover
Sophia of the Palatinate was an heiress to the crowns of England and Ireland and later the crown of Great Britain. She was declared heiress presumptive by the Act of Settlement 1701...
asserted in that, 'to her certain knowledge', Countess Sophia was not one of George Louis' mistresses. In 1701, she married Johann Adolf, Baron von Kielmansegg (1668-1717), Deputy Master of the Horse
Master of the Horse
The Master of the Horse was a position of varying importance in several European nations.-Magister Equitum :...
to George Louis and they had three sons and two daughters, the eldest of whom, Charlotte
Charlotte Howe, Viscountess Howe
Charlotte Howe, Viscountess Howe was a British courtier and politician.-Early life:Born Baroness Sophia Charlotte Mary von Kielmansegg , she was the eldest daughter of the Baron and Baroness von Kielmansegg (Mary Sophia) Charlotte Howe, Viscountess Howe (23 September 1703 – 13 June 1782) was a...
(1703-1782), married Emanuel Howe, 2nd Viscount Howe
Emanuel Howe, 2nd Viscount Howe
Emanuel Scrope Howe, 2nd Viscount Howe was a British politician and colonial administrator. He was member of parliament for Nottinghamshire from 1722 to 1732. From 1733 to 1735 he served as Governor of the West Indian colony of Barbados where he died of disease...
.
Life at the British court
When George Louis became King of Great BritainKingdom of Great Britain
The former Kingdom of Great Britain, sometimes described as the 'United Kingdom of Great Britain', That the Two Kingdoms of Scotland and England, shall upon the 1st May next ensuing the date hereof, and forever after, be United into One Kingdom by the Name of GREAT BRITAIN. was a sovereign...
on the death of Queen Anne
Anne of Great Britain
Anne ascended the thrones of England, Scotland and Ireland on 8 March 1702. On 1 May 1707, under the Act of Union, two of her realms, England and Scotland, were united as a single sovereign state, the Kingdom of Great Britain.Anne's Catholic father, James II and VII, was deposed during the...
in 1714, Sophia and her family followed him to London
London
London is the capital city of :England and the :United Kingdom, the largest metropolitan area in the United Kingdom, and the largest urban zone in the European Union by most measures. Located on the River Thames, London has been a major settlement for two millennia, its history going back to its...
. She mixed well with the king's British courtiers (who also assumed her to be one of the king's mistresses) but competed for influence with George's mistress, Melusine von der Schulenburg
Ehrengard Melusine von der Schulenburg, Duchess of Kendal and Munster
Ehrengard Melusine Baroness von der Schulenburg, Duchess of Kendal and Duchess of Munster was born at Emden near Magdeburg. Her middle name was probably given in reference to the Melusine legends. Her brother was Marshal Johann Matthias von der Schulenburg...
, and was disliked by the Princess of Wales
Caroline of Ansbach
Caroline of Brandenburg-Ansbach was the queen consort of King George II of Great Britain.Her father, John Frederick, Margrave of Brandenburg-Ansbach, was the ruler of a small German state...
, who 'thought her a wicked woman'. Sophia received many gifts from those seeking patronage; e.g. between 1715 and 1720, she received £
Pound sterling
The pound sterling , commonly called the pound, is the official currency of the United Kingdom, its Crown Dependencies and the British Overseas Territories of South Georgia and the South Sandwich Islands, British Antarctic Territory and Tristan da Cunha. It is subdivided into 100 pence...
9,545 from the Duke of Chandos
James Brydges, 1st Duke of Chandos
James Brydges, 1st Duke of Chandos, MP, PC was the first of fourteen children by Sir James Brydges, 3rd Baronet of Wilton Castle, Sheriff of Herefordshire, 8th Baron Chandos; and Elizabeth Barnard...
and 1720, was given £15,000 of stock by the South Sea Company, with a bonus of £120 for every point the stock rose above £154.
Peerage
When Melusine was created Duchess of Munster in 1716 and Duchess of Kendal in 1719, Sophia was said to have also campaigned for either an IrishPeerage of Ireland
The Peerage of Ireland is the term used for those titles of nobility created by the English and later British monarchs of Ireland in their capacity as Lord or King of Ireland. The creation of such titles came to an end in the 19th century. The ranks of the Irish peerage are Duke, Marquess, Earl,...
or British peerage
Peerage of Great Britain
The Peerage of Great Britain comprises all extant peerages created in the Kingdom of Great Britain after the Act of Union 1707 but before the Act of Union 1800...
. This campaigning was taken for granted when in a newsletter of 14 November 1717, it was stated that she "came to town some weeks since on pretence to be with her husband...but as others say upon a difference with the Duchess of Munster." Her husband died a day later and his illness, not her rivalry with the Duchess, was more likely to be the reason for her return to London. Perhaps to counter the blow of the South Sea Bubble, she was created Countess of Leinster in the Peerage of Ireland in 1721 and Countess of Darlington and Baroness Brentford a year later in the Peerage of Great Britain, all life peerages. The letters patent for both titles had the king describe her as (of our common blood) and her coat of arms
Coat of arms
A coat of arms is a unique heraldic design on a shield or escutcheon or on a surcoat or tabard used to cover and protect armour and to identify the wearer. Thus the term is often stated as "coat-armour", because it was anciently displayed on the front of a coat of cloth...
included the arms of Brunswick
Brunswick-Lüneburg
The Duchy of Brunswick-Lüneburg , or more properly Duchy of Brunswick and Lüneburg, was an historical ducal state from the late Middle Ages until the late Early Modern era within the North-Western domains of the Holy Roman Empire of the German Nation, in what is now northern Germany...
with a bar sinister to denote her as an illegitimate daughter of an elector of Hanover.
Death and legacy
The countess died at her home in St. James'sSt. James's
St James's is an area of central London in the City of Westminster. It is bounded to the north by Piccadilly, to the west by Green Park, to the south by The Mall and St. James's Park and to the east by The Haymarket.-History:...
in 1725 and was buried in Westminster Abbey
Westminster Abbey
The Collegiate Church of St Peter at Westminster, popularly known as Westminster Abbey, is a large, mainly Gothic church, in the City of Westminster, London, United Kingdom, located just to the west of the Palace of Westminster. It is the traditional place of coronation and burial site for English,...
. Walpole reminisced of:
Although described by historians as 'the Elephant' who competed with 'the Maypole' (Melusine), modern historians, especially Ragnhild Hatton
Ragnhild Hatton
Ragnhild Marie Hatton, Ragnhild Marie Hatton, Ragnhild Marie Hatton, (born in Bergen, Norway on 10 January 1913 - died in London on 16 May 1995, was professor of International History at the London School of Economics...
attribute her as a valued courtier of the king and stating she was not as obese as early works suggested.