Landgravine Marie Louise of Hesse-Kassel
Encyclopedia
Landgravine Marie Louise of Hesse-Kassel (7 February 1688 – 9 April 1765) was a daughter of Charles I, Landgrave of Hesse-Kassel
and Maria Amalia of Courland
.
By her marriage to John William Friso, Prince of Orange, she became Princess consort of Orange, a title last held by Mary II of England
. Like her husband, she was an ancestor of all currently ruling monachs in Europe
.
Marie Louise is notable for having served as Regent for two periods in Dutch history: during the reigns of her young son, William IV, Prince of Orange
, and of her young grandson, William V, Prince of Orange
. She was often fondly referred to as Marijke Meu (Aunt Mary) by her Dutch subjects.
, by his wife and cousin, Maria Amalia of Courland
. Two of her siblings included King Frederick I of Sweden
and William VIII, Landgrave of Hesse-Kassel.
Marie Louise's paternal grandparents were William VI, Landgrave of Hesse-Kassel
, and Hedwig Sophia of Brandenburg. Her maternal grandparents were Jacob Kettler, Duke of Courland
, and Louise Charlotte of Brandenburg.
, due to his descent from both William the Silent
and Frederick Henry, Prince of Orange
.
The events behind their betrothal began after John William was almost killed by cannon fire and roundshot on two different occasions. His mother, Henriette Amalia, perhaps realizing how vulnerable her son was, quickly began looking for a suitable bride to ensure an heir. In the end, the choice came down to two German princesses. She apparently informed him that he should think of the choice as between two chairs, and that he should choose the most comfortable of the two. John duly traveled to Hesse-Kassel
and became engaged to the 20-year old Marie Louise within a week. He did not even bother meeting the other candidate. The main factor in this decision was probably that Marie Louise's father was a trusted general under the well-respected Duke of Marlborough
. In addition, marriage to a daughter of the Landgrave of Hesse-Kassel would also have served to strengthen John William's place among the other ruling houses.
Marie Louise was not considered attractive, as her features were heavy and her face was dominated by a large nose. She was however very charming, and greeted those of all ranks with natural friendliness and sincere concern for their well being. They had two children before his untimely death by drowning on 14 July 1711, the youngest of whom was born after his death. William Charles Henry Friso's birth was met with great relief by the Frisans
, and he automatically inherited the title Prince of Orange.
s - parasites that upon arriving on ships from the Far East, proceeded to devour wooden sections of the vital, protective dykes. These damages threatened to collapse the entire dyke system, which would have destroyed vast amounts of land used for farming in the Dutch province of Friesland. The money needed to prevent such an occurrence from happening was hard to raise however; tax obligations to the Hague from this province were seldom realistically reviewed. In order to end the looming starvation, Marie Louise traveled to the Hague and pleaded in person before the States-General for help. She apparently spoke so eloquently that she returned home with not only a remittance on taxation, but also with a sizable detachment of soldiers to help repair the dykes.
After a 1736 visit, Marie Louise maintained a correspondence, in "abominable French," with religious and social reformer Nicolaus Ludwig Zinzendorf
. A deeply religious woman, she provided sanctuary to persecuted Protestants fleeing the Catholic Habsburgs. Despite her son's objections, Marie Louise allowed a group of Moravia
ns to settle in the barony of IJsselstein
, of which she was baroness.
From 1759 until her death in 1765, Marie Louise also served as Regent for her young grandson William V, Prince of Orange
, after the previous Regent (his mother and Marie Louise's daughter-in-law, Anne
) died. Marie Louise was succeeded as Regent by Duke Louis Ernest of Brunswick-Lüneburg
.
". William was sickly as a child, and was rigidly disciplined and educated by Marie Louise with great care in the city of Leeuwarden.
Marie Louise had a good relationship with her son, so that by the time of his coming of age in 1729, she was invited to take equal part in the celebrations. In his youth, she sent him daily letters reminding him to do such things as brush his teeth and get plenty of sleep; he duly responded to each letter patiently.
Marie Louise was described to be frugal, especially in comparison to the excesses of her mother-in-law Henriette Amalia. Due to this frugality, she was able to give large sums to various charitable causes. On one occasion, a nobleman offered her lavish hospitality; she replied by asking if he did not feel guilty at using money he could have donated to the poor.
, eldest daughter of George II of Great Britain
, on 25 March 1734 at St. James' Palace in London
. Upon return of the wedding party to the Netherlands, William had written his mother, warning her that Anne was allowed precedence over Marie Louise because she was a king's daughter. This warning was hardly needed, as Marie Louise had eagerly exited Prinsenhof
as soon as her son came of age, opting to live in an elegant but unpretentious house in Herlingen. She had long displayed her disinterest in royal technicalities and the royal lifestyle. She welcomed her son and his new wife upon their arrival, but then returned to her quiet house, taking no part in their ceremonious entry.
. She outlived her son William by 14 years.
|-
Charles I, Landgrave of Hesse-Kassel
Karl I was Landgrave of Hesse-Kassel from 1670 till his death.Born at Kassel, he was the son of Wilhelm VI of Hesse-Kassel and Hedwig Sophia of Brandenburg, daughter of Georg Wilhelm, Elector of Brandenburg. After the early death of his father, his mother ruled as regent until 1675...
and Maria Amalia of Courland
Maria Amalia of Courland
Maria Anna Amalia of Courland was a German noblewoman. A princess of Courland from the Ketteler family, she was also Landgravine of Hesse-Kassel via her marriage on 21 May 1673 to her first cousin Charles I, Landgrave of Hesse-Kassel...
.
By her marriage to John William Friso, Prince of Orange, she became Princess consort of Orange, a title last held by Mary II of England
Mary II of England
Mary II was joint Sovereign of England, Scotland, and Ireland with her husband and first cousin, William III and II, from 1689 until her death. William and Mary, both Protestants, became king and queen regnant, respectively, following the Glorious Revolution, which resulted in the deposition of...
. Like her husband, she was an ancestor of all currently ruling monachs in Europe
Royal descendants of John William Friso, Prince of Orange
The descendants of Johan William Friso of Nassau-Dietz, Prince of Orange and his wife Landgravine Marie Louise of Hesse-Kassel currently occupy all the hereditary thrones of Europe, as well as some former ones...
.
Marie Louise is notable for having served as Regent for two periods in Dutch history: during the reigns of her young son, William IV, Prince of Orange
William IV, Prince of Orange
William IV, Prince of Orange-Nassau , born Willem Karel Hendrik Friso, was the first hereditary stadtholder of the Netherlands.-Early life:...
, and of her young grandson, William V, Prince of Orange
William V, Prince of Orange
William V , Prince of Orange-Nassau was the last Stadtholder of the Dutch Republic, and between 1795 and 1806 he led the Government of the Dutch Republic in Exile in London. He was succeeded by his son William I...
. She was often fondly referred to as Marijke Meu (Aunt Mary) by her Dutch subjects.
Family
Marie Louise was one of seventeen children born to Charles I, Landgrave of Hesse-KasselCharles I, Landgrave of Hesse-Kassel
Karl I was Landgrave of Hesse-Kassel from 1670 till his death.Born at Kassel, he was the son of Wilhelm VI of Hesse-Kassel and Hedwig Sophia of Brandenburg, daughter of Georg Wilhelm, Elector of Brandenburg. After the early death of his father, his mother ruled as regent until 1675...
, by his wife and cousin, Maria Amalia of Courland
Maria Amalia of Courland
Maria Anna Amalia of Courland was a German noblewoman. A princess of Courland from the Ketteler family, she was also Landgravine of Hesse-Kassel via her marriage on 21 May 1673 to her first cousin Charles I, Landgrave of Hesse-Kassel...
. Two of her siblings included King Frederick I of Sweden
Frederick I of Sweden
Frederick I, , was a prince consort of Sweden from 1718 to 1720, and a King of Sweden from 1720 until his death and also Landgrave of Hesse-Kassel from 1730...
and William VIII, Landgrave of Hesse-Kassel.
Marie Louise's paternal grandparents were William VI, Landgrave of Hesse-Kassel
William VI, Landgrave of Hesse-Kassel
William VI, Landgrave of Hesse-Kassel , known as William the Just, was Landgrave of Hesse-Kassel from 1637 to 1663.-Life:...
, and Hedwig Sophia of Brandenburg. Her maternal grandparents were Jacob Kettler, Duke of Courland
Jacob Kettler
Jacob Kettler was a Baltic German Duke of the Duchy of Courland and Semigallia . Under his rule, the duchy was brought to its greatest peak in wealth and engaged in colonization.- Life :...
, and Louise Charlotte of Brandenburg.
Marriage and children
On April 26, 1709, Marie Louise was married to John William Friso, Prince of Orange. He was the eldest surviving son of Henry Casimir II, Prince of Nassau-Dietz, and Henriëtte Amalia of Anhalt-Dessau; he had inherited his title in 1702 from the childless William III, Prince of OrangeWilliam III of England
William III & II was a sovereign Prince of Orange of the House of Orange-Nassau by birth. From 1672 he governed as Stadtholder William III of Orange over Holland, Zeeland, Utrecht, Guelders, and Overijssel of the Dutch Republic. From 1689 he reigned as William III over England and Ireland...
, due to his descent from both William the Silent
William the Silent
William I, Prince of Orange , also widely known as William the Silent , or simply William of Orange , was the main leader of the Dutch revolt against the Spanish that set off the Eighty Years' War and resulted in the formal independence of the United Provinces in 1648. He was born in the House of...
and Frederick Henry, Prince of Orange
Frederick Henry, Prince of Orange
Frederick Henry, or Frederik Hendrik in Dutch , was the sovereign Prince of Orange and stadtholder of Holland, Zeeland, Utrecht, Guelders, and Overijssel from 1625 to 1647.-Early life:...
.
The events behind their betrothal began after John William was almost killed by cannon fire and roundshot on two different occasions. His mother, Henriette Amalia, perhaps realizing how vulnerable her son was, quickly began looking for a suitable bride to ensure an heir. In the end, the choice came down to two German princesses. She apparently informed him that he should think of the choice as between two chairs, and that he should choose the most comfortable of the two. John duly traveled to Hesse-Kassel
Hesse-Kassel
The Landgraviate of Hesse-Kassel or Hesse-Cassel was a state in the Holy Roman Empire under Imperial immediacy that came into existence when the Landgraviate of Hesse was divided in 1567 upon the death of Philip I, Landgrave of Hesse. His eldest son William IV inherited the northern half and the...
and became engaged to the 20-year old Marie Louise within a week. He did not even bother meeting the other candidate. The main factor in this decision was probably that Marie Louise's father was a trusted general under the well-respected Duke of Marlborough
John Churchill, 1st Duke of Marlborough
John Churchill, 1st Duke of Marlborough, Prince of Mindelheim, KG, PC , was an English soldier and statesman whose career spanned the reigns of five monarchs through the late 17th and early 18th centuries...
. In addition, marriage to a daughter of the Landgrave of Hesse-Kassel would also have served to strengthen John William's place among the other ruling houses.
Marie Louise was not considered attractive, as her features were heavy and her face was dominated by a large nose. She was however very charming, and greeted those of all ranks with natural friendliness and sincere concern for their well being. They had two children before his untimely death by drowning on 14 July 1711, the youngest of whom was born after his death. William Charles Henry Friso's birth was met with great relief by the Frisans
Frisland
Frisland, also called Frischlant, Friesland, Freezeland, Frislandia, or Fixland, is a mythical island that appeared on virtually all of the maps of the North Atlantic from the 1560s through the 1660s...
, and he automatically inherited the title Prince of Orange.
| Name | |Death | Princess Anna Charlotte Amalia Amalia of Nassau-Dietz Anna Charlotte Amalia of Nassau-Dietz was the wife of Hereditary PrinceFrederick of Baden-Durlach and mother of the first Grand Duke of Baden Charles Frederick.-Life:... | 1710 | 1777 | married Frederick, Hereditary Prince of Baden-Durlach Frederick, Hereditary Prince of Baden-Durlach Frederick of Baden-Durlach was a German hereditary prince of the Margraviate of Baden-Durlach.Frederick was the son of Charles III William, Margrave of Baden-Durlach, and Magdalena Wilhelmine of Württemberg , the daughter of William Louis, Duke of Württemberg.He became heir apparent when his elder... ; had issue, including Charles Frederick, Grand Duke of Baden |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| William IV, Prince of Orange William IV, Prince of Orange William IV, Prince of Orange-Nassau , born Willem Karel Hendrik Friso, was the first hereditary stadtholder of the Netherlands.-Early life:... |
1711 | 1751 | married Anne, Princess Royal Anne, Princess Royal and Princess of Orange Anne, Princess Royal and Princess of Orange was the second child and eldest daughter of King George II of Great Britain and his consort, Caroline of Ansbach. She was the spouse of William IV, Prince of Orange, the first hereditary stadtholder of the Netherlands... ; had issue, including William V, Prince of Orange William V, Prince of Orange William V , Prince of Orange-Nassau was the last Stadtholder of the Dutch Republic, and between 1795 and 1806 he led the Government of the Dutch Republic in Exile in London. He was succeeded by his son William I... |
||
Regencies
Since her husband died while she was pregnant, her son William immediately became Prince of Orange upon his birth six weeks later. Marie Louise served as Regent for her son from 1711 until he reached his majority in 1731. This regency was granted despite her inexperience with the affairs of her adopted country. Although she did not have any experience, Marie Louise successfully withstood a series of natural disasters, which included a sequence of bad harvests and severe winters from 1712 to 1716. At the time of her marriage, Marie Louise quickly earned the affection of the Dutch population. She was known as a woman of intelligence and sensitivity, and was often fondly referred to as Marijke Meu. She also dealt with a major problem concerning shipwormShipworm
Shipworms are not worms at all, but rather a group of unusual saltwater clams with very small shells, notorious for boring into wooden structures that are immersed in sea water, such as piers, docks and wooden ships...
s - parasites that upon arriving on ships from the Far East, proceeded to devour wooden sections of the vital, protective dykes. These damages threatened to collapse the entire dyke system, which would have destroyed vast amounts of land used for farming in the Dutch province of Friesland. The money needed to prevent such an occurrence from happening was hard to raise however; tax obligations to the Hague from this province were seldom realistically reviewed. In order to end the looming starvation, Marie Louise traveled to the Hague and pleaded in person before the States-General for help. She apparently spoke so eloquently that she returned home with not only a remittance on taxation, but also with a sizable detachment of soldiers to help repair the dykes.
After a 1736 visit, Marie Louise maintained a correspondence, in "abominable French," with religious and social reformer Nicolaus Ludwig Zinzendorf
Nicolaus Ludwig Zinzendorf
Nikolaus Ludwig von Zinzendorf und Pottendorf, Imperial Count of Zinzendorf and Pottendorf, , German religious and social reformer and bishop of the Moravian Church, was born at Dresden....
. A deeply religious woman, she provided sanctuary to persecuted Protestants fleeing the Catholic Habsburgs. Despite her son's objections, Marie Louise allowed a group of Moravia
Moravia
Moravia is a historical region in Central Europe in the east of the Czech Republic, and one of the former Czech lands, together with Bohemia and Silesia. It takes its name from the Morava River which rises in the northwest of the region...
ns to settle in the barony of IJsselstein
IJsselstein
IJsselstein is a municipality and a town in the Netherlands, in the province of Utrecht. IJsselstein received city rights in 1331. IJsselstein owes its name to the river Hollandse IJssel which flows through the city....
, of which she was baroness.
From 1759 until her death in 1765, Marie Louise also served as Regent for her young grandson William V, Prince of Orange
William V, Prince of Orange
William V , Prince of Orange-Nassau was the last Stadtholder of the Dutch Republic, and between 1795 and 1806 he led the Government of the Dutch Republic in Exile in London. He was succeeded by his son William I...
, after the previous Regent (his mother and Marie Louise's daughter-in-law, Anne
Anne, Princess Royal and Princess of Orange
Anne, Princess Royal and Princess of Orange was the second child and eldest daughter of King George II of Great Britain and his consort, Caroline of Ansbach. She was the spouse of William IV, Prince of Orange, the first hereditary stadtholder of the Netherlands...
) died. Marie Louise was succeeded as Regent by Duke Louis Ernest of Brunswick-Lüneburg
Duke Louis Ernest of Brunswick-Lüneburg
Louis Ernest of Brunswick-Lüneburg-Bevern was a field-marshal in the armies of the Holy Roman Empire and the Dutch Republic...
.
Traits and relationship with children
After her husband died, Marie Louise found herself a 23-year old widow residing in a foreign country. She became inherently pessimistic and agonized over the affairs of her children. This pessimistic trait passed onto her daughter Amalia as well, causing her to be melancholy and withdrawn her whole life. Her son William inherited her heavy Germanic looks, rather than "the finely etched ascetic looks which his father had shared with William IIIWilliam III of England
William III & II was a sovereign Prince of Orange of the House of Orange-Nassau by birth. From 1672 he governed as Stadtholder William III of Orange over Holland, Zeeland, Utrecht, Guelders, and Overijssel of the Dutch Republic. From 1689 he reigned as William III over England and Ireland...
". William was sickly as a child, and was rigidly disciplined and educated by Marie Louise with great care in the city of Leeuwarden.
Marie Louise had a good relationship with her son, so that by the time of his coming of age in 1729, she was invited to take equal part in the celebrations. In his youth, she sent him daily letters reminding him to do such things as brush his teeth and get plenty of sleep; he duly responded to each letter patiently.
Marie Louise was described to be frugal, especially in comparison to the excesses of her mother-in-law Henriette Amalia. Due to this frugality, she was able to give large sums to various charitable causes. On one occasion, a nobleman offered her lavish hospitality; she replied by asking if he did not feel guilty at using money he could have donated to the poor.
Son's marriage
Marie Louise's son William married Anne, Princess RoyalAnne, Princess Royal and Princess of Orange
Anne, Princess Royal and Princess of Orange was the second child and eldest daughter of King George II of Great Britain and his consort, Caroline of Ansbach. She was the spouse of William IV, Prince of Orange, the first hereditary stadtholder of the Netherlands...
, eldest daughter of George II of Great Britain
George II of Great Britain
George II was King of Great Britain and Ireland, Duke of Brunswick-Lüneburg and Archtreasurer and Prince-elector of the Holy Roman Empire from 11 June 1727 until his death.George was the last British monarch born outside Great Britain. He was born and brought up in Northern Germany...
, on 25 March 1734 at St. James' Palace in 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...
. Upon return of the wedding party to the Netherlands, William had written his mother, warning her that Anne was allowed precedence over Marie Louise because she was a king's daughter. This warning was hardly needed, as Marie Louise had eagerly exited Prinsenhof
Prinsenhof
The Prinsenhof in Delft in the Netherlands is an urban palace built in the Middle Ages as a monastery. Later it served as a residence for William the Silent. The building still exists and now houses the municipal museum...
as soon as her son came of age, opting to live in an elegant but unpretentious house in Herlingen. She had long displayed her disinterest in royal technicalities and the royal lifestyle. She welcomed her son and his new wife upon their arrival, but then returned to her quiet house, taking no part in their ceremonious entry.
Death
Marie Louise remained widowed for 54 years, finally dying on 9 April 1765 in Leeuwarden, the capital city of the Dutch province of FrieslandFriesland
Friesland is a province in the north of the Netherlands and part of the ancient region of Frisia.Until the end of 1996, the province bore Friesland as its official name. In 1997 this Dutch name lost its official status to the Frisian Fryslân...
. She outlived her son William by 14 years.
Ancestry
External links
|-|-