William II, Elector of Hesse
Encyclopedia
William II, Elector of Hesse was the penultimate Elector of Hesse
.
and Wilhelmina Caroline of Denmark and Norway. He succeeded as Elector of Hesse (a title that was moribund after the dissolution of the Holy Roman Empire
in 1806) on his father's death in 1821.
, William married Princess Augusta of Prussia
, fourth daughter of Frederick William II of Prussia
. They had six children:
(1791–1843), daughter of Johann Christian Ortlöpp and wife Agnese Luise Sophie Wiessenberg, created (1821) Countess of Reichenbach-Lessonitz. The children bore the title Count/Countess of Reichenbach-Lessonitz:
Several months after Augusta's death on 19 February 1841, William morganatically
married his mistress and their children were legitimated. Emilie Ortlöpp died less than two years after the marriage in 1843.
Again, months after his second wife's death, William married (morganatically) Caroline, Freiin von Berlepsch (1820–1877), daughter of Ludwig Hermann Freiherr von Berlepsch (Speckswinkel, 25 January 1782 – Kassel
, 5 April 1845) and wife Melusine Jul. Chr. von Kruse (4 August 1780 – 29 September 1856), created Countess of Bergen in 1846. This marriage was childless. She later married on 28 October 1851 Karl Adolf Graf von Hohenthal (27 November 1811 – 1875), by whom she had two sons: Karl Adolf (b. 1853) and Karl Ludwig (b. 1857).
Princess Tatiana of Greece and Denmark, the wife of Prince Nikolaos of Greece and Denmark
, son of King Constantine II of Greece
is a descendant of him.
Rulers of Hesse
This is a list of rulers of Hesse during the history of Hesse on west-central Germany. These rulers belonged to a dynasty collectively known as the House of Hesse and the House of Brabant, originally the Reginar...
.
Biography
William was the eldest surviving son of William I, Elector of HesseWilliam I, Elector of Hesse
William I, Elector of Hesse was the eldest surviving son of Frederick II, Landgrave of Hesse-Kassel and Princess Mary of Great Britain, the daughter of George II.-Early life:...
and Wilhelmina Caroline of Denmark and Norway. He succeeded as Elector of Hesse (a title that was moribund after the dissolution of the Holy Roman Empire
Holy Roman Empire
The Holy Roman Empire was a realm that existed from 962 to 1806 in Central Europe.It was ruled by the Holy Roman Emperor. Its character changed during the Middle Ages and the Early Modern period, when the power of the emperor gradually weakened in favour of the princes...
in 1806) on his father's death in 1821.
Marriage and issue
On 13 February 1797 in BerlinBerlin
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...
, William married 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...
, fourth daughter of Frederick William II of Prussia
Frederick William II of Prussia
Frederick William II was the King of Prussia, reigning from 1786 until his death. He was in personal union the Prince-Elector of Brandenburg and the sovereign prince of the Principality of Neuchâtel.-Early life:...
. They had six children:
- Wilhelm (9 April 1798 – 25 October 1800)
- Karoline (29 July 1799 – 28 November 1854)
- Luise (3 April 1801 – 28 September 1803)
- Friedrich (20 August 1802 – 6 June 1875), later Frederick William, Elector of HesseFrederick William, Elector of HesseFrederick William I was, between 1847 and 1866, the last Elector of Hesse-Kassel .- Life :...
- Marie FrederickaPrincess Marie Frederica of Hesse-KasselPrincess Marie Frederica Wilhelmina of Hesse-Kassel was a daughter of William II, Elector of Hesse and Princess Augusta of Prussia...
(6 September 1804 – 4 January 1888), married Bernhard II, Duke of Saxe-Meiningen - Ferdinand (9 October 1806 – 21 November 1806)
Morganatic marriages
William also had eight children by his second wife, Emilie OrtlöppEmilie Ortlöpp
Countess Emilie of Reichenbach-Lessonitz née Ortlöpp was the mistress and later second wife of Elector William II of Hesse.- Life :...
(1791–1843), daughter of Johann Christian Ortlöpp and wife Agnese Luise Sophie Wiessenberg, created (1821) Countess of Reichenbach-Lessonitz. The children bore the title Count/Countess of Reichenbach-Lessonitz:
- Luise Wilhelmine Emilie (26 February 1813 – 3 October 1883), married Karl Count von Bose
- Julius Wilhelm Albrecht (4 October 1815 – 15 January 1822)
- Gustav Karl (24 August 1818 – 26 September 1861), married Clementine Richter
- Amalie Wilhelmine Emilie (21 December 1816 – 28 December 1858), married Wilhelm Count von Lückner, then Karl Baron von Watzdorf
- Emilie (8 June 1820 – 30 January 1891), married Felix Count Zichy-Ferraris
- Friederike (16 December 1821 – 23 February 1898), married Wilhelm Baron von Dungern
- Wilhelm (29 June 1824 – 19 January 1866), married Helene Amelie Baroness Goeler von Ravensburg (ancestors of Ameli, Duchess of OldenburgAmeli, Duchess of OldenburgPrincess Ameli of Löwenstein-Wertheim-Freudenberg daughter of Udo, Prince of Löwenstein-Wertheim-Freudenberg, and wife of Anton-Günther, Duke of Oldenburg, current pretender to the Grand Duchy of Oldenburg.-Early life:...
and Count Luitpold of Castell-CastellCount Luitpold of Castell-CastellCount Luitpold Alfred Friedrich Karl of Castell-Castell was a staff officer in the German Army during World War II and a member of the extended Danish Royal Family through his marriage to Princess Alexandrine-Louise of Denmark...
) - Helene (8 August 1825 – 14 March 1898), married Oswald Baron von Fabrice (4x great grandparents of Princess Nikolaos of Greece and Denmark)
Several months after Augusta's death on 19 February 1841, William morganatically
Morganatic marriage
In the context of European royalty, a morganatic marriage is a marriage between people of unequal social rank, which prevents the passage of the husband's titles and privileges to the wife and any children born of the marriage...
married his mistress and their children were legitimated. Emilie Ortlöpp died less than two years after the marriage in 1843.
Again, months after his second wife's death, William married (morganatically) Caroline, Freiin von Berlepsch (1820–1877), daughter of Ludwig Hermann Freiherr von Berlepsch (Speckswinkel, 25 January 1782 – 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 :...
, 5 April 1845) and wife Melusine Jul. Chr. von Kruse (4 August 1780 – 29 September 1856), created Countess of Bergen in 1846. This marriage was childless. She later married on 28 October 1851 Karl Adolf Graf von Hohenthal (27 November 1811 – 1875), by whom she had two sons: Karl Adolf (b. 1853) and Karl Ludwig (b. 1857).
Princess Tatiana of Greece and Denmark, the wife of Prince Nikolaos of Greece and Denmark
Prince Nikolaos of Greece and Denmark
Prince Nikolaos of Greece and Denmark is the second son and third child of King Constantine II of Greece and Anne-Marie of Denmark, the youngest daughter of King Frederick IX of Denmark and sister of Queen Margrethe II of Denmark....
, son of King Constantine II of Greece
Constantine II of Greece
|align=right|Constantine II was King of Greece from 1964 until the abolition of the monarchy in 1973, the sixth and last monarch of the Greek Royal Family....
is a descendant of him.
Titles and styles
- 28 July 1777 - 31 October 1785 His Serene Highness Prince Wilhelm of Hesse-Kassel
- 31 October 1785 - 15 May 1803 His Serene Highness The Hereditary Price of Hesse-Kassel
- 15 May 1803 - 27 February 1821 His Serene Highness The Electoral Prince of Hesse
- 27 February 1821 - 20 November 1847 His Serene Highness The Elector of Hesse
Ancestry
Sources
- http://genealogy.euweb.cz/brabant/brabant8.html#W1 - Genealogy of the Hesse-Kassel line.