Landgravine Christine Henriette of Hesse-Rotenburg
Encyclopedia
Christine of Hesse-Rheinfels-Rotenburg (Christine Henriette; 21 November 1717 – 1 September 1778) was a prince
ss of the German dynasty of Hesse-Rheinfels-Rotenburg. She was the Princess of Carignan by marriage and mother of the princesse de Lamballe and of Victor Amadeus II, Prince of Carignan
.
the youngest of the ten children of the Landgrave of Hesse-Rotenburg and his consort. Her older sister Polyxena was married in 1730 to the future Charles Emmanuel III of Sardinia
and had issue. Another sister, Caroline
was the wife of the French Prime Minister
, Louis Henri, Duke of Bourbon until her death in 1741.
After Polyxena's marriage, Christine became engaged. Her future husband was Louis Victor, Prince of Carignan
the eldest surviving child of Victor Amadeus, Prince of Carignan
and his wife Maria Vittoria Francesca of Savoy
. The Carignans were a cadet branch of the House of Savoy
, Kings of Sardinia from 1720, and would inherit from them the kingship of Italy from 1861.
Christine married Louis Victor on 4 May 1740 at the age of 22. The next year her husband succeeded to the title Prince de Carignan, the seigneury of Carignan having belonged to the Savoys since 1418. The fact that it was part of Piedmont
, only twenty kilometers south of Turin, meant that it could be a "princedom" for the cadet line in name only, being endowed neither with independence nor revenues of substance.
Christine's second child, born at the Palazzo Carignano
, was named Victor Amadeus and was the great-grandfather of the future Victor Emmanuel II of Italy
. Her fifth daughter was her most famous; Louise, princesse de Lamballe
, the tragic best friend of Marie Antoinette
.
Christine died at the Palazzo Carignano in Turin on the night of August 31–1 September 1778, and was followed less than three months later by her husband. Buried firstly at Turin Cathedral, she was moved in 1835 to Turin's Basilica of Superga
. At her death the Gazette de France published a small epitaph for her in honour of her daughter Madame de Lamballe:
Her present descendants include the rival pretenders to the Italian throne, Vittorio Emanuele, Prince of Naples
and Amedeo, 5th Duke of Aosta
, as well as the Bonapartist pretender, Victor, Prince Napoléon.
Prince
Prince is a general term for a ruler, monarch or member of a monarch's or former monarch's family, and is a hereditary title in the nobility of some European states. The feminine equivalent is a princess...
ss of the German dynasty of Hesse-Rheinfels-Rotenburg. She was the Princess of Carignan by marriage and mother of the princesse de Lamballe and of Victor Amadeus II, Prince of Carignan
Victor Amadeus II, Prince of Carignan
Victor Amadeus of Savoy was a member of the House of Savoy and Prince of Carignano. He was the brother of the murdered princesse de Lamballe and grandfather of King Charles Albert of Sardinia.-Biography:...
.
Biography
Christine Henriette was born in RotenburgRotenburg an der Fulda
Rotenburg an der Fulda is a town in Hersfeld-Rotenburg district in northeastern Hesse, Germany lying, as the name says, on the river Fulda.- Geography :- Location :...
the youngest of the ten children of the Landgrave of Hesse-Rotenburg and his consort. Her older sister Polyxena was married in 1730 to the future Charles Emmanuel III of Sardinia
Charles Emmanuel III of Sardinia
Charles Emmanuel III was the Duke of Savoy and King of Sardinia from 1730 until his death.-Biography:...
and had issue. Another sister, Caroline
Landgravine Caroline of Hesse-Rotenburg
Princess Caroline of Hesse-Rheinfels-Rotenburg was the consort of Louis Henri, Duke of Bourbon.-Biography:Born at Rotenburg an der Fulda in Hesse, Germany, she was the daughter of Ernest Leopold, Landgrave of Hesse-Rotenburg, head of the Roman Catholic branch of the House of Hesse, by his wife...
was the wife of the French Prime Minister
Prime minister
A prime minister is the most senior minister of cabinet in the executive branch of government in a parliamentary system. In many systems, the prime minister selects and may dismiss other members of the cabinet, and allocates posts to members within the government. In most systems, the prime...
, Louis Henri, Duke of Bourbon until her death in 1741.
After Polyxena's marriage, Christine became engaged. Her future husband was Louis Victor, Prince of Carignan
Louis Victor, Prince of Carignan
Louis Victor of Savoy was a northern Italian nobleman and the Prince of Carignano from 1741 till his death.-Biography:...
the eldest surviving child of Victor Amadeus, Prince of Carignan
Victor Amadeus, Prince of Carignan
Victor Amadeus of Savoy was an Italian nobleman who was Prince of Carignano from 1709 to 1741. He was the son of Emmanuel Philibert of Savoy, Prince of Carignano and his wife, the Maria Angela Caterina d'Este.-Biography:...
and his wife Maria Vittoria Francesca of Savoy
Maria Vittoria Francesca of Savoy
Maria Vittoria of Savoy was an illegitimate daughter of Victor Amadeus II of Sardinia and his favourite mistress Jeanne Baptiste d'Albert de Luynes, estranged wife of Joseph Ignace Scaglia, Count of Verua. She was an ancestor of Victor Emmanuel II of Italy and thus the whole present pretending...
. The Carignans were a cadet branch of the House of Savoy
House of Savoy
The House of Savoy was formed in the early 11th century in the historical Savoy region. Through gradual expansion, it grew from ruling a small county in that region to eventually rule the Kingdom of Italy from 1861 until the end of World War II, king of Croatia and King of Armenia...
, Kings of Sardinia from 1720, and would inherit from them the kingship of Italy from 1861.
Christine married Louis Victor on 4 May 1740 at the age of 22. The next year her husband succeeded to the title Prince de Carignan, the seigneury of Carignan having belonged to the Savoys since 1418. The fact that it was part of Piedmont
Piedmont
Piedmont is one of the 20 regions of Italy. It has an area of 25,402 square kilometres and a population of about 4.4 million. The capital of Piedmont is Turin. The main local language is Piedmontese. Occitan is also spoken by a minority in the Occitan Valleys situated in the Provinces of...
, only twenty kilometers south of Turin, meant that it could be a "princedom" for the cadet line in name only, being endowed neither with independence nor revenues of substance.
Christine's second child, born at the Palazzo Carignano
Palazzo Carignano
The Palazzo Carignano is a historical building in the centre of Turin, Italy, which currently houses the Museum of the Risorgimento. It was once a private residence of the Princes of Carignano, after whom it is named. It is famous for its unique rounded façade...
, was named Victor Amadeus and was the great-grandfather of the future Victor Emmanuel II of Italy
Victor Emmanuel II of Italy
Victor Emanuel II was king of Sardinia from 1849 and, on 17 March 1861, he assumed the title King of Italy to become the first king of a united Italy since the 6th century, a title he held until his death in 1878...
. Her fifth daughter was her most famous; Louise, princesse de Lamballe
Princess Marie Louise of Savoy
Maria Luisa of Savoy was a member of the House of Savoy. She was married at the age of 16 to Louis Alexandre de Bourbon, Prince de Lamballe, the heir to the greatest fortune in France. After her marriage, which lasted a year, she went to court and became the confidante of Queen Marie Antoinette...
, the tragic best friend of Marie Antoinette
Marie Antoinette
Marie Antoinette ; 2 November 1755 – 16 October 1793) was an Archduchess of Austria and the Queen of France and of Navarre. She was the fifteenth and penultimate child of Holy Roman Empress Maria Theresa and Holy Roman Emperor Francis I....
.
Christine died at the Palazzo Carignano in Turin on the night of August 31–1 September 1778, and was followed less than three months later by her husband. Buried firstly at Turin Cathedral, she was moved in 1835 to Turin's Basilica of Superga
Basilica of Superga
The Basilica of Superga is a church in the vicinity of Turin.It was built from 1717 to 1731 for Victor Amadeus II of Savoy by Filippo Juvarra, at the top of the hill of Superga, to fulfill a vow the duke had made during the Battle of Turin...
. At her death the Gazette de France published a small epitaph for her in honour of her daughter Madame de Lamballe:
Tuesday, the 31st of last month, princesse Christine Henriette de Hesse Rheinfels, wife of Louis Victor Amédée de Savoie, Prince de Carignan, died in this city [Turin], after a lingering and painful illness. She was born the 24th November, 1717.
Her present descendants include the rival pretenders to the Italian throne, Vittorio Emanuele, Prince of Naples
Vittorio Emanuele, Prince of Naples
Vittorio Emanuele, Prince of Naples, formerly Crown Prince of Italy is the only son of the Umberto II, the last King of Italy. He is commonly known in Italy as Vittorio Emanuele di Savoia...
and Amedeo, 5th Duke of Aosta
Amedeo, 5th Duke of Aosta
Prince Amedeo of Savoy-Aosta, Duke of Aosta, is a claimant to the headship of the House of Savoy, the family which ruled Italy from 1861 to 1946, as well as the heir to the short-lived Kingdom of Croatia during World War II...
, as well as the Bonapartist pretender, Victor, Prince Napoléon.
Issue
- Princess Charlotte Maria Luisa of Savoy (Turin, 17 August 1742 - 20 February 1794) died unmarried; was a nun;
- Prince Vittorio Amadeo of Savoy (Turin, 31 October 1743 - September 1780) married Joséphine de Lorraine and had issue;
- Princess Leopoldina Maria of SavoyPrincess Leopoldina of SavoyLeopoldina of Savoy was a Princess of Savoy and later the Princess of Melfi, as wife of Giovanni Andrea VI Doria-Pamphilj-Landi, Prince of Melfi...
(Turin, 21 December 1744 – Rome, 17 April 1807) married Prince Andrea IV Doria Pamphili Landi, 8th Prince of Melfi and had issue; - Princess Polyxena Teresa of Savoy (Turin, 31 October 1746 - 20 December 1762) died unmarried;
- Princess Gabrielle of Savoy (Turin, 17 May 1748 - Vienna, 10 April 1828) married Ferdinand Philipp Josef, Prince of Lobkowicz and had issuel currant House of Lobkowicz descend from her;
- Princess Maria Teresa Luisa of SavoyPrincess Marie Louise of SavoyMaria Luisa of Savoy was a member of the House of Savoy. She was married at the age of 16 to Louis Alexandre de Bourbon, Prince de Lamballe, the heir to the greatest fortune in France. After her marriage, which lasted a year, she went to court and became the confidante of Queen Marie Antoinette...
(Turin, 8 September 1749 – Paris, 3 September 1792) married Louis Alexandre Joseph de Bourbon, prince de Lamballe; murdered in the French RevolutionFrench RevolutionThe French Revolution , sometimes distinguished as the 'Great French Revolution' , was a period of radical social and political upheaval in France and Europe. The absolute monarchy that had ruled France for centuries collapsed in three years...
; - Prince Tommaso of Savoy (Turin, 6 March 1751 - 23 July 1753)
- Prince Eugenio of SavoyEugenio, Count of VillafrancaEugenio of Savoy was a Prince of the House of Savoy and the Count of Villafranca in his own right...
(Turin, 21 October 1753 - 30 June 1785) married Elisabeth Anne Magon Boisgarin and had issue; - Princess Caterina Maria Luisa Francesca of Savoy (Turin, 4 April 1762 - 4 September 1823) married Don Filippo Giuseppe Francesco Colonna, 9th Prince of Paliano, descendant of Marie ManciniMarie ManciniAnna Maria Mancini was the third of the five Mancini sisters; nieces to Cardinal Mazarin who were brought to France to marry advantageously...
; had issue from which the present Princes of Paliano descend;
Titles and styles
- 21 November 1717 – 4 May 1740 Princess Christine of Hesse-Rheinfels-Rotenburg
- 4 May 1740 – 4 April 1741 Her Highness Princess Louis Victor of Savoy
- 4 April 1741 – 1 September 1778 Her Highness the Princess of Carignan