Princess Wilhelmina of Hesse-Kassel
Encyclopedia
Wilhelmina av Hessen-Kassel (25 February 1726 - 8 October 1808) was a Prussian princess, married to prince Henry of Prussia.
Wilhelmina was the daughter of prince Maximilian of Hesse-Kassel
and Friederike Charlotte of Hessen-Darmstadt
and the niece of landgrave
William VIII of Hesse-Kassel and king Frederick of Sweden
. She was introduced to Henry when he visited Kassel
in 1751 and was married to him 25 June 1752.
Wilhelmina was described as a charming beauty. Wilhelmina and Henry had their own court and lived at Schloss Rheinsberg and Berlin
. Wilhelmina had no children with Henry, who was reported to pay more attention to his male friends than to her. The couple separated in 1766 after an alleged affair on Wilhelmina's side. After the separation, she lived at Palais Unter den Linden
in Berlin.
The Swedish Princess Hedwig Elizabeth Charlotte of Holstein-Gottorp
described her at the time of her visit in 1798:
She was one of the few members of the royal house to remain in Berlin during the French occupation in 1806. While most of the royal family left, reportedly because of the anti-Napoleonic critic they had expressed, and the members of the royal court either followed them or left the capital for their country estates, Wilhelmina remained with Prince Augustus Ferdinand of Prussia and his consort Margravine Elisabeth Louise of Brandenburg-Schwedt
because of "their high age" as well as Princess Augusta of Prussia
, who was pregnant at the time.
Wilhelmina was the daughter of prince Maximilian of 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 Friederike Charlotte of Hessen-Darmstadt
Landgraviate of Hesse-Darmstadt
The Landgraviate of Hesse-Darmstadt was a member state of the Holy Roman Empire. It was formed in 1567 following the division of the Landgraviate of Hesse between the four sons of Philip I, the last Landgrave of Hesse....
and the niece of landgrave
Landgrave
Landgrave was a title used in the Holy Roman Empire and later on by its former territories. The title refers to a count who had feudal duty directly to the Holy Roman Emperor...
William VIII of Hesse-Kassel and king Frederick 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...
. She was introduced to Henry when he visited Kassel
Kassel
Kassel is a town located on the Fulda River in northern Hesse, Germany. It is the administrative seat of the Kassel Regierungsbezirk and the Kreis of the same name and has approximately 195,000 inhabitants.- History :...
in 1751 and was married to him 25 June 1752.
Wilhelmina was described as a charming beauty. Wilhelmina and Henry had their own court and lived at Schloss Rheinsberg and Berlin
Berlin
Berlin is the capital city of Germany and is one of the 16 states of Germany. With a population of 3.45 million people, Berlin is Germany's largest city. It is the second most populous city proper and the seventh most populous urban area in the European Union...
. Wilhelmina had no children with Henry, who was reported to pay more attention to his male friends than to her. The couple separated in 1766 after an alleged affair on Wilhelmina's side. After the separation, she lived at Palais Unter den Linden
Humboldt University of Berlin
The Humboldt University of Berlin is Berlin's oldest university, founded in 1810 as the University of Berlin by the liberal Prussian educational reformer and linguist Wilhelm von Humboldt, whose university model has strongly influenced other European and Western universities...
in Berlin.
The Swedish Princess Hedwig Elizabeth Charlotte of Holstein-Gottorp
Hedvig Elisabeth Charlotte of Holstein-Gottorp
Hedwig Elisabeth Charlotte of Holstein-Gottorp was the queen consort of Charles XIII of Sweden, and also a famed diarist, memoirist and wit. She is generally known in Sweden by her full pen name , though her official name as queen was Charlotte....
described her at the time of her visit in 1798:
She was a tall and handsome lady with a well kept figure, though very thin, and you can still see how remarkably beautiful she was in her youth. Her eyes are big and lively though somewhat protruding, and with a restless look. She is witty and litteral, but as a consequence of her age, she sometimes talk of several subjects at the same time. Her manners are regal, and she represents perfectly, and was additionally very polite and toward me undescrivebly pleasant.
She was one of the few members of the royal house to remain in Berlin during the French occupation in 1806. While most of the royal family left, reportedly because of the anti-Napoleonic critic they had expressed, and the members of the royal court either followed them or left the capital for their country estates, Wilhelmina remained with Prince Augustus Ferdinand of Prussia and his consort Margravine Elisabeth Louise of Brandenburg-Schwedt
Margravine Elisabeth Louise of Brandenburg-Schwedt
Margravine Anna Elisabeth Louise of Brandenburg-Schwedt was a Prussian princess. She was a daughter of Margrave Frederick William of Brandenburg-Schwedt and his wife Princess Sophia Dorothea of Prussia.-Family:...
because of "their high age" as well as Princess Augusta of Prussia
Princess Augusta of Prussia
Princess Augusta of Prussia was a German salonist and electress consort of Hesse. She was the third daughter and fifth child of Frederick William II of Prussia and Frederika Louisa of Hesse-Darmstadt. She was the first consort of William II, Elector of Hesse. Augusta was a talented painter...
, who was pregnant at the time.