Category Archives: Württemberg Royals

Karl I, King of Württemberg

by Scott Mehl  © Unofficial Royalty 2017

Kingdom of Württemberg: Württemberg was a County, a Duchy, and an Electorate before becoming a Kingdom in 1806. At the end of 1805, in exchange for contributing forces to France’s armies, Napoleon, Emperor of the French recognized Württemberg as a kingdom, with Elector Friedrich formally becoming King Friedrich I  on January 1, 1806. The reign of Wilhelm II, the last King of Württemberg, came to an end in November 1918, after the fall of the German Empire led to the abdications of all the ruling families. Today the land that encompassed the Kingdom of Württemberg is located in the German state Baden-Württemberg.

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Karl I, King of Württemberg – source: Wikipedia

King Karl of Württemberg reigned from 1864 until he died in 1891. He was born Karl Friedrich Alexander on March 6, 1823, in Stuttgart, Kingdom of Württemberg, now in Baden-Württemberg, Germany, the son of King Wilhelm I of Württemberg and Duchess Pauline of Württemberg. He had two siblings:

He also had two half-siblings from his father’s first marriage to Grand Duchess Ekaterina Pavlovna of Russia:

Karl underwent the traditional military training expected of someone in his position. He also studied in Berlin and at the University of Tübingen. Karl often traveled throughout Europe and in January 1846, he met his future bride in Palermo, then in the Kingdom of Sicily, now in Italy.

Karl’s wife Grand Duchess Olga Nikolaevna of Russia; Credit – Wikipedia

Grand Duchess Olga Nikolaevna of Russia was the daughter of Nicholas I, Emperor of All Russia and Princess Charlotte of Prussia. Her parents hoped to find a significant dynastic marriage for Olga, and the future King of Württemberg was, or so they thought, a perfect choice. Karl and Olga met just a few times before he proposed to her on January 18, 1846. Six months later, on July 13, 1846, they married at the Peterhof Palace in St. Petersburg, Russia. Upon their return, they took up residence at Villa Berg, Karl’s summer palace in Stuttgart. They had no children of their own, but later adopted Olga’s niece Grand Duchess Vera Konstantinovna.

Karl, Olga and Vera, c1870. source: Wikipedia

The marriage appeared to be happy but possibly it was never consummated. By most accounts, Karl was homosexual and enjoyed very close relationships with several men through the years. One of these was an American, Charles Woodcock, who served as a reader to Queen Olga. The King and 27-year-old Woodcock became very close, even appearing together in public wearing matching clothes. Soon, Karl appointed Woodcock as his chamberlain, and in 1888, created him Baron Woodcock-Savage. However, a public scandal quickly erupted, and Karl was forced to end the relationship and send Woodcock back to the United States. Following Woodcock’s departure, the King allegedly developed a relationship with the technical director of the royal theater, which would last for the remainder of his life.

Karl I, King of Württemberg source: Wikipedia

Karl took the throne as King Karl I upon his father’s death in June 1864. He was far more liberal than his father, and this was reflected in his actions. He restored the freedom of the press and universal suffrage. Although he sided with Austria during the Austro-Prussian War of 1866, he soon entered into a treaty with Prussia, and would later fight alongside them in the Franco-Prussian War of 1870. He was the last of the kingdoms to join the North German Confederation, and when the German Empire was proclaimed in 1871, coincidentally on his 25th wedding anniversary, he chose not to attend but instead was represented by his cousin Prince August of Württemberg.  Several years later, he arranged the marriage of his adopted daughter Vera to Duke Eugen of Württemberg. The couple married in May 1874 and had three children.

Tombs of King Karl and Queen Olga. photo: By Wuselig – Own work, CC BY-SA 4.0, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=49313906

King Karl died in Stuttgart, Kingdom of Württemberg, now in Baden-Württemberg, Germany, on October 6, 1891. He is buried in the crypt beneath the Schlosskirche at the Old Castle (Altes Schloss) in Stuttgart next to his wife.

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Pauline of Württemberg, Queen of Württemberg

by Scott Mehl © Unofficial Royalty 2017

Pauline of Württemberg, Queen of Württemberg – source: Wikipedia

Queen Pauline of Württemberg was the third wife of King Wilhelm I of Württemberg. She was born Duchess Pauline Therese Luise of Württemberg on September 4, 1800, in Riga, Russian Empire, now in Latvia, the daughter of Duke Ludwig of Württemberg and Princess Henriette of Nassau-Weilburg. She had four siblings:

Pauline one half-sibling from her father’s first marriage to  Princess Maria Czartoryska:

King Wilhelm I, c1822. source: Wikipedia

In Stuttgart, Kingdom of Württemberg, now in the German state of Baden-Württemberg, on April 15, 1820, she married her first cousin, King Wilhelm I of Württemberg, as his third wife. He was the son of King Friedrich I of Württemberg and Augusta of Brunswick-Wolfenbüttel. They had three children:

Queen Pauline with her son, the future King Karl I, c1825. source: Wikipedia

The couple seemed happy at first, but within a few years, the King had returned to his mistresses and the marriage became very strained. While not getting the respect she deserved from her husband, Pauline did receive much respect from the people of Württemberg – both for her devotion to helping the poor and because she had provided an heir to the throne.

After King Wilhelm died in 1864, Pauline lived much of her remaining years in Switzerland. She died in Stuttgart, Kingdom of Württemberg, now in the German state of Baden-Württemberg on March 10, 1873, and is buried in the Royal Crypt in the Schlosskirche at Ludwigsburg Palace. in Ludwigsburg, Kingdom of Württemberg, now in the German state of Baden-Württemberg.

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Ekaterina Pavlovna of Russia, Queen of Württemberg

by Scott Mehl  © Unofficial Royalty 2017

Ekaterina Pavlovna of Russia, Queen of Württemberg – source: Wikipedia

Grand Duchess Ekaterina Pavlovna of Russia was the second wife of King Wilhelm I of Württemberg. She was born at the Catherine Palace, Tsarskoye Selo near St. Petersburg, Russia, on May 10, 1788, the sixth child of Paul I, Emperor of All Russia and his second wife Sophie Dorothea of Württemberg. Ekaterina had nine siblings:

Ekaterina was particularly close with her eldest brother, the future Emperor Alexander I. They maintained an extensive correspondence their entire lives, and he viewed her as one of his closest confidantes.

Prince Georg of Oldenburg, c1811. source: Wikipedia

By 1809, the French Emperor Napoléon had made it known to Emperor Alexander I that he was interested in marrying Ekaterina. He was in the midst of divorcing his wife, Joséphine, in order to find a wife who could provide him with an heir. He was also desperately hoping to gain an alliance with Russia. But Ekaterina’s family – particularly her mother – would have no part of such an idea, and the Dowager Empress quickly arranged a marriage for her daughter.

On August 3, 1809, Ekaterina married her first cousin, Duke Georg of Oldenburg, the son of Peter I, Grand Duke of Oldenburg and Duchess Friederike of Württemberg. The couple had two sons:

On the day of their marriage, Georg was given the style of Imperial Highness and appointed Governor-General of the province of Tver. Despite being arranged, the marriage was a happy one. Sadly, however, it was short-lived. Georg contracted typhoid and died on December 27, 1812.

Wilhelm of Württemberg. source: Wikipedia

Ekaterina took refuge with her family and often traveled with her brother,  Emperor Alexnader I of Russia. On a visit to Great Britain in 1814, she first met another first cousin, Crown Prince Wilhelm of Württemberg. He was the son of King Friedrich I of Württemberg and Augusta of Brunswick-Wolfenbüttel. It was love at first sight, even though Wilhelm was married at the time to his first wife Karoline Augusta of Bavaria. Soon after that first meeting, in August 1814 Wilhelm received a divorce from his wife because the marriage had not been consummated. It had been an arranged marriage and the two had little in common and little interest in each other, and an annulment was granted by the Pope on January 12, 1816. Twelve days later, on January 24, 1816, Ekaterina and Wilhelm were married in St. Petersburg. They had two daughters:

On October 30, 1816 – the day she gave birth to her first daughter – Katharina (having taken the German version of her name) also became Queen of Württemberg when her husband succeeded to the throne following his father’s death. She became very active in charity work in her new country, which was in a period of great need due to crop failures and widespread famine. In 1817, Katharina established the Central Charitable Society which worked to help people in need. She also established the Queen-Katharina-Stift, a school for girls.

The Württemberg Mausoleum, Stuttgart. photo: By Julian Herzog, CC BY 4.0, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=43006254

Despite their happy marriage, Wilhelm continued his relationships with numerous mistresses, including the Italian Blanche de la Flèche. When Katharina was made aware of this, she drove to Scharnhausen on January 3, 1819, where she found Wilhelm and his mistress together. She quickly returned to Stuttgart, the Kingdom of Württemberg, now in Baden-Württemberg, Germany, and just six days later, on January 9, 1819, 30-year-old Queen Katharina died of complications from pneumonia which she had apparently contracted from not being dressed warmly enough on her travels to confront her husband. King Wilhelm had the Württemberg Mausoleum built in Rotenberg, Stuttgart, and her remains were interred there in 1824.

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Wilhelm I, King of Württemberg

by Scott Mehl  © Unofficial Royalty 2017

Kingdom of Württemberg: Württemberg was a County, a Duchy, and an Electorate before becoming a Kingdom in 1806. At the end of 1805, in exchange for contributing forces to France’s armies, Napoleon, Emperor of the French recognized Württemberg as a kingdom, with Elector Friedrich formally becoming King Friedrich I  on January 1, 1806. The reign of Wilhelm II, the last King of Württemberg, came to an end in November 1918, after the fall of the German Empire led to the abdications of all the ruling families. Today the land that encompassed the Kingdom of Württemberg is located in the German state of Baden-Württemberg.

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King Wilhelm I of Württemberg; Credit – Wikipedia

King Wilhelm I of Württemberg reigned from 1816 until he died in 1864. He was born Friedrich Wilhelm Karl (known as Fritz) on September 27, 1781, in Lüben, Kingdom of Prussia, now Lubin, Poland, to the future King Friedrich I of Württemberg and his wife Augusta of Brunswick-Wolfenbüttel. He had three siblings:

Fritz’s early years were spent in Russia, where his father served as Governor-General of Eastern Finland. They left Russia in 1786 and eventually took up residence at the Ludwigsburg Palace, where Fritz and his brother received a strict education. In 1797, his father became reigning Duke of Württemberg, and Fritz was the Hereditary Prince. By this time, Fritz’s relationship with his father had grown strained, as Fritz rebelled against his strict upbringing and his father’s domineering manner. He attended the University of Tübingen and served as a volunteer in the Austrian Army. Despite returning to Württemberg in 1801, his relationship with his father continued to deteriorate, compounded by Fritz’s relationship with Therese von Abel, the daughter of a politician. Fritz once again left Württemberg in 1803, settling in Saarburg, where Therese gave birth to twins who died shortly after birth.

Fritz returned to Württemberg in 1805, and although his father did not include him in the affairs of state, he set up his own court. The following year, Württemberg became a Kingdom but was soon defeated after joining the coalition against Napoléon. The French Emperor, wanting to establish close dynastic ties to Württemberg, arranged for the marriage of his brother Jérôme, to Fritz’s sister Catherina.

Princess Karoline Auguste of Bavaria. source: Wikipedia

To avoid being forced into a marriage by Napoleon, Fritz quickly negotiated to marry Princess Karoline Auguste of Bavaria., the daughter of King Maximilian I Joseph of Bavaria and Augusta Wilhelmina of Hesse-Darmstadt. The couple was married in Munich, Kingdom of Bavaria, now in the German state of Bavaria, on June 8, 1808. Fritz had no interest in his wife, they had no children, and his marriage would be relatively short-lived. Soon after his marriage, Fritz met his brother-in-law Jérôme’s former mistress Blanche La Flèche, and began an affair that would continue for much of his life. However, Fritz also fell in love with someone else.

Grand Duchess Ekaterina Pavlovna. source: Wikipedia

While in London in 1814, Fritz met and fell in love with his first cousin Grand Duchess Ekaterina Pavlovna of Russia. Ekaterina was the daughter of Paul I, Emperor of All Russia and his second wife Princess Sophie Dorothea of Württemberg, and was the widow of Duke Georg of Oldenburg. With Napoleon no longer in power, Fritz quickly sought a divorce from Karoline Auguste. After she quickly agreed, and with the consent of both of their fathers, a divorce was granted in August 1814. However, the Pope did not issue an annulment until January 1816. Later that year, Fritz’s first wife Karoline Auguste married Emperor Franz I of Austria, as his fourth wife.

Twelve days after the annulment was granted, Fritz married Ekaterina in St. Petersburg on January 24, 1816. During their short marriage, the couple had two daughters:

Fritz became King of Württemberg upon his father’s death on October 30, 1816. As a way of distancing himself from his father’s reign, he dropped his first name and chose to reign as King Wilhelm I. He came to the throne during a difficult time in Württemberg, with 1816 being known as the Year Without A Summer. However, Wilhelm and his wife are credited with making great strides to alleviate the suffering and establishing policies and reforms that helped the people of Württemberg, regardless of social class. The king arranged for food and livestock to be imported, and established an Agricultural Academy to help promote the growth of crops and better general nutrition amongst his people. The Queen established numerous charities to help the poor and was behind the establishment of the Württemberg State Savings Bank in 1818.

Duchess Pauline of Württemberg. source: Wikipedia

Sadly, the Queen died on January 9, 1819, leaving Wilhelm a widower with two young daughters. To find a stepmother for his children, and hopefully, to provide a male heir, Wilhelm again set out to find a bride. On April 15, 1820, in Stuttgart, Wilhelm married another first cousin, Duchess Pauline of Württemberg. She was the daughter of Duke Ludwig of Württemberg and Princess Henriette of Nassau-Weilburg.

The couple had three children:

King Wilhelm with Queen Pauline and his children – Karl; Sophie and Marie (center); Katherina and Augusta (bottom). source: Wikipedia

Despite the public perception that the marriage was happy, it was far from it. The King had maintained his affair with Blanche La Flèche, and in 1828, began a relationship with a German actress Amalie von Stubenrauch, which would last until his death.

Wilhelm’s reign saw the economic boom of the 1830s, the expansion of roads and shipping routes, and a healthy and prosperous economy. But by the mid-1840s, several years of poor harvests had led to a rise in famine and calls for a more democratic government. Protests in 1848, and another revolution in France, led to Wilhelm conceding many of the demands being made – reinstating freedom of the press, and agreeing to form a liberal government.

King Wilhelm I, c1860. source: Wikipedia

In his later years, King Wilhelm’s health deteriorated, and he had little contact with his family, instead, spending all of his time in the company of his mistress Amalie von Stubenrauch. Knowing his death was approaching, he had all of his letters and journals destroyed. King Wilhelm I died on June 25, 1864, at Schloss Rosenstein in Stuttgart, Kingdom of Württemberg, now in Baden-of Württemberg, Germany. He was buried in the Württemberg Mausoleum in Stuttgart, next to his second wife. In his will, he left bequests to two of his mistresses and excluded his last wife Queen Pauline.

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Augusta of Brunswick-Wolfenbüttel, Princess Friedrich of Württemberg

by Scott Mehl  © Unofficial Royalty 2017

Augusta of Brunswick-Wolfenbüttel, Princess Friedrich of Württemberg; Credit – Wikipedia

Augusta of Brunswick-Wolfenbüttel was the first wife of the future King Friedrich I of Württemberg. She was born August Caroline Friederike Luise (known in the family as Zelmira) on December 3, 1764, in Brunswick, Duchy of Brunswick-Wolfenbüttel, now in Lower Saxony, Germany. Her parents were Karl Wilhelm Ferdinand, Duke of Brunswick-Wolfenbüttel and Princess Augusta of Great Britain, a sister of King George III. Augusta had six siblings:

Friedrich of Württemberg. source: Wikipedia

On October 15, 1780, in Brunswick, Augusta married Prince Friedrich of Württemberg (later King Friedrich I). He was the son of Friedrich Eugen, Duke of Württemberg and Margravine Friederike of Brandenburg-Schwedt. Despite an unhappy marriage, Augusta and Friedrich had four children:

Koluvere Castle. photo: By MinuHiiumaa – Own work, CC BY-SA 3.0 ee, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=35791062

The marriage was a disaster from the start, with Augusta wanting to leave her husband as early as her first pregnancy. However, they remained married for several years. In 1782, Friedrich had impressed Catherine II (the Great), Empress of All Russia while visiting Russia, and she made him Governor-General of Eastern Finland. Four years later, while they were visiting the Empress in St. Petersburg, Augusta asked Catherine for protection from her husband. She claimed that Friedrich was abusive to her, and was having affairs with several men. The Empress took Augusta in and told Friedrich to leave the country. Augusta hoped to obtain a divorce, but her father would not permit it. So the Empress provided Augusta with a home at Koluvere Castle in Estonia, along with a custodian, Wilhelm von Pohlmann. Soon, Augusta and von Pohlmann began an affair and she became pregnant.

Augusta’s tomb in the Kullamaa Church. photo: By Avjoska – Own work, CC BY-SA 3.0, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=16334954

On September 27, 1788, Augusta went into premature labor. Fearing that their affair would become known, von Pohlmann refused to call for a doctor and Augusta died of blood loss. She was quickly buried in an unmarked grave in the nearby Kullamaa Church. To avoid a scandal, both Empress Catherine II and Augusta’s father were told that she had died suddenly, with a broken blood vessel as the cause of death. The truth did not come out until many years later when her son had her body exhumed and the details of her death investigated.

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Friedrich I, King of Württemberg

by Scott Mehl  © Unofficial Royalty 2017

Kingdom of Württemberg: Württemberg was a County, a Duchy, and an Electorate before becoming a Kingdom in 1806. At the end of 1805, in exchange for contributing forces to France’s armies, Napoleon, Emperor of the French recognized Württemberg as a kingdom, with Elector Friedrich formally becoming King Friedrich I  on January 1, 1806. The reign of Wilhelm II, the last King of Württemberg, came to an end in November 1918, after the fall of the German Empire led to the abdications of all the ruling families. Today the land that encompassed the Kingdom of Württemberg is located in the German state Baden-Württemberg.

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Friedrich I, King of Württemberg – source: Wikipedia

King Friedrich I was the first King of Württemberg, reigning from 1805 to 1816. He was born Friedrich Wilhelm Karl, on November 6, 1754, at the Treptow Palace in Treptow an der Rega, Pomerania (now Trzebiatów, Poland), the eldest child of Friedrich II Eugen, Duke of Württemberg and Margravine Friederike of Brandenburg-Schwedt. Friedrich had eleven siblings:

At the time of his birth, Friedrich was fourth in line to become Duke of Württemberg, behind his grandfather (the reigning Duke), his two childless uncles, and his father. However, his grandfather did not include any of his family in the government of the dukedom, so Freidrich set out on a military career in the Prussian court of King Friedrich II (the Great) of Prussia. He entered the Prussian Army in June 1774 and fought in the War of the Bavarian Succession.

Augusta of Brunswick-Wolfenbüttel. source: Wikipedia

On October 15, 1780, in Brunswick, Friedrich married Augusta of Brunswick-Wolfenbüttel. She was the daughter of Carl Wilhelm Ferdinand, Duke of Brunswick-Wolfenbüttel, and Princess Augusta of Great Britain. Her younger sister Caroline later married the future King George IV of the United Kingdom. Friedrich and Augusta had four children:

Catherine the Great. source: Wikipedia

In 1781, Friedrich resigned from the Prussian Army and joined his sister Sophie and her husband in Russia. The Russian Empress Catherine the Great was intrigued with Friedrich and named him Governor-General of Eastern Finland.

Despite a quickly expanding family, Friedrich’s marriage to Augusta was not happy. While visiting St. Petersburg in 1786, Augusta sought refuge from Catherine the Great, claiming that Friedrich was violent to her and was having physical relationships with several men. The Empress took Augusta in and strongly suggested to Friedrich that he leave the country. After Augusta’s father refused to permit a divorce, Empress Catherine gave her refuge at Koluvere Castle in Estonia. The Empress also provided a caretaker, with whom Augusta soon began an affair and became pregnant. Just after giving birth prematurely in September 1788, Augusta died as a result of complications from the birth.

Charlotte, Princess Royal. source: Wikipedia

The following year, on May 18, 1797, at St. James’s Palace in London, England, Friedrich married again to Charlotte, Princess Royal. She was the eldest daughter of King George III of the United Kingdom and Charlotte of Mecklenburg-Strelitz. They had one stillborn daughter born in 1798.

Upon his father’s death in December 1797, Friedrich became Duke of Württemberg. Two years later, Friedrich and his family fled to Vienna when the French forces occupied Württemberg. When the empire was reorganized following France’s annexation of the west bank of the Rhine, Württemberg was raised to an Electorate and Friedrich became Elector on February 25, 1803.

In exchange for providing France with a large armed force, Napoleon allowed Friedrich to raise Württemberg to a kingdom in 1805. He formally became King of Württemberg on January 1, 1806, and was crowned that day in Stuttgart. Friedrich quickly left the Holy Roman Empire and joined the Confederation of the Rhine. To recognize the new alliance between Friedrich and Napoleon, a marriage was arranged between Friedrich’s daughter Catharina and Napoleon’s younger brother Jérôme Bonaparte. Despite being on opposite sides from his father-in-law, King George III of the United Kingdom, Friedrich used his family connections to serve as a mediator between Britain and other foreign powers.

Friedrich changed his alliance during the 1813 War of Liberation and sided with the Allies, capitalizing on his close relationship with the British and Russian rulers. His position as King of Württemberg was confirmed at the Congress of Vienna, after which he joined the newly formed German Confederation.

In the fall of 1816, King Friedrich developed pneumonia and died in Stuttgart on October 30, 1816. He is buried in the Royal Crypt in the Schlosskirche at Ludwigsburg Palace in Stuttgart, Kingdom of Württemberg, now in Baden-Württemberg, Germany.

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Charlotte, Princess Royal, Queen of Württemberg

by Susan Flantzer © Unofficial Royalty 2016

Charlotte, Princess Royal, Queen of Württemberg; Credit – Wikipedia

The eldest daughter and the fourth of the fifteen children of King George III of the United Kingdom and Charlotte of Mecklenburg-Strelitz, Charlotte, Princess Royal, was born at The Queen’s House (now known as Buckingham Palace) in London, England on September 29, 1766. She was christened Charlotte Augusta Matilda on October 27, 1766, at St. James’s Palace in London by Thomas Secker, Archbishop of Canterbury. Her godparents were:

Queen Charlotte_Pss Charlotte baby

Queen Charlotte with Charlotte, Princess Royal; Credit – Royal Collection Trust/© Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II 2016

Charlotte had fourteen siblings:

George III children

Queen Charlotte painted by Benjamin West in 1779 with her 13 eldest children; Credit – http://www.royalcollection.org.uk

Charlotte and her sisters were raised by their governess Lady Charlotte Finch who served the Royal Family for over 30 years. Lady Charlotte supervised the royal nursery and was responsible for the princes’ education until they lived in their own households. She was responsible for the princesses until they turned 21. Charlotte and her sisters studied geography, English, grammar, music, needlework, dancing, and art. They were taught French by a tutor, Julie Krohme. The princesses had art lessons from famous artists Thomas Gainsborough and Benjamin West. Charlotte had an excellent memory, loved history, and had a talent for languages. On June 22, 1789, Charlotte was created Princess Royal, the third to bear the title reserved for the monarch’s eldest daughter, but the style had been used since Charlotte’s birth.

The Three Eldest Princesses, Charlotte, Princess Royal, Augusta and Elizabeth by Thomas Gainsborough 1784; Credit – Wikipedia

Charlotte’s childhood was very sheltered and she spent most of her time with her parents and sisters.  The living conditions of King George’s daughters came to be known as “the Nunnery.” None of the daughters were allowed to marry at the age when most princesses would marry. Perhaps this over-protection of King George III’s daughters was due to what happened to his sister Caroline Matilda when she married King Christian VII of Denmark.  Christian’s mental illness led to Caroline Matilda having an affair, being caught, the execution of her lover, her exile, and her early death from scarlet fever at age 23.  The story was told in several novels including Per Olov Enquist’s The Visit of the Royal Physician (1999) and in the Danish film A Royal Affair (2012). Stella Tillyard also covers Caroline Matilda’s affair in her nonfiction book A Royal Affair: George III and His Scandalous Siblings (2006). Despite what happened to their aunt, the sisters longed to escape from “the Nunnery.”

Charlotte’s unfortunate aunt Caroline Matilda; Credit – Wikipedia

Before King George’s first bout with what may have been porphyria in 1788, he had told his daughters that he would take them to Hanover and find husbands for them.  Further bouts occurred in 1801 and 1804 and prevented talk of marriage for his daughters. Queen Charlotte feared that the subject of marriage, which had always bothered her husband, would push him back into insanity.  She was stressed by her husband’s illness and wanted her daughters to remain close to her.  The sisters – Charlotte, Augusta, Elizabeth, Mary, Sophia, and Amelia – continued to be over-protected and isolated which restricted them from meeting eligible suitors of their own age.

Starved for male companionship, Sophia got pregnant by her father’s 56-year-old equerry and secretly gave birth to a boy who was placed in a foster home. Amelia had an affair with another equerry.  There have been suggestions that both Elizabeth and Augusta also had affairs.  Three of the six daughters would eventually marry, all later than was the norm for the time.  Mary married her cousin Prince William Frederick, Duke of Gloucester at the age of 40 and had no children. Elizabeth was the last daughter to finally escape from “the Nunnery” when she married Friedrich VI, Landgrave of Hesse-Homburg when she was 48. But Charlotte, Princess Royal escaped “the Nunnery” first.

Charlotte was the least attractive of the daughters, but she was the eldest daughter of a king and that held some weight in the marriage market. In 1795, the Prince of Wales tried to help Charlotte by asking their maternal uncle Prince Ernst of Mecklenburg-Strelitz to help arrange a marriage between Charlotte and the Duke of Oldenburg. Charlotte was delighted and her sister Elizabeth started to refer to Charlotte as the Duchess of Oldenburg in letters, but nothing ever came of the proposed match.

Finally, a possible husband was found for Charlotte. Friedrich, Hereditary Prince of Württemberg was the eldest son and heir of Friedrich II Eugene, Duke of Württemberg and Friederike of Brandenburg-Schwedt. Friedrich, eight years older than Charlotte, was a huge man: 2.11 m (6 ft 11 in) and about 200 kg (440 lb). He was also a widower with three children. His first wife had been Augusta of Brunswick-Wolfenbüttel, niece of King George III and some issues with this marriage concerned King George. Only after persistent requests and pleadings from Russian and Brunswick royals and British officials did the king consent to the marriage.

The marriage treaty had some interesting clauses. Any children from the marriage were to be brought up in Württemberg. The children could not marry without the consent of the sovereign of the United Kingdom. If Charlotte’s husband predeceased her, she could return to the United Kingdom with all her jewelry, including jewelry obtained during the marriage. Charlotte would be free to worship using the Church of England rites. Charlotte and Friedrich were married at St. James Palace in London on May 18, 1797. The bride wore a dress of white satin with a crimson velvet train with fur trimming. The groom wore a silk suit embroidered in gold and silver with German and Russian insignia.

published by Robert Laurie, published by James Whittle, mezzotint, published 7 August 1797

The Marriage of his Serene Highness the Prince of Württemberg, to the Princess Royal of England published by Robert Laurie, published by James Whittle, mezzotint, published 7 August 1797 NPG D8015 © National Portrait Gallery, London

By August 1797, Charlotte was pregnant. Friedrich became the reigning Duke of Württemberg in December of 1797 upon the death of his father. On April 27, 1798, Charlotte delivered a stillborn daughter. At first, she was not told of her child’s death because her labor had been difficult and she had developed a fever after the delivery. Charlotte and Friedrich’s marriage remained childless.

Despite having a domineering husband, Charlotte respected and admired him. She was pious and warm-hearted, stayed out of politics, and concentrated on household and family. Charlotte was a loving stepmother to the children from Friedrich’s first marriage. She was especially close to her stepdaughter Princess Catharina of Württemberg whose education she took over.

Charlotte’s stepchildren, from Friedrich’s first marriage to Augusta of Brunswick-Wolfenbüttel:

Ludwigsburg Palace in Ludwigburg, Germany, Friedrich and Charlotte’s home; Wikipedia

Charlotte had loved art in childhood and continued with artistic pursuits as an adult. She painted and embroidered, and some of her paintings and embroidered upholstery can still be seen in Ludwigsburg Palace and in English castles and palaces as she sent some of her creations to her father.

In 1800, Napoleon‘s French troops invaded Württemberg, and Friedrich and Charlotte took refuge in Vienna. The following year Napoleon and Friedrich concluded a secret treaty with provisions that included a trade of land.  Württemberg became a puppet state of Napoleon. In 1803, Friedrich became the Elector of Württemberg. In 1805, in exchange for providing France with military aid, Napoleon recognized Friedrich as King of Württemberg. Friedrich and Charlotte were crowned King and Queen of Württemberg in Stuttgart on January 1, 1806. Friedrich’s alliance with France turned him into the enemy of his father-in-law King George III. George III was Infuriated by what he considered a betrayal and refused to call his daughter Queen of Württemberg.

Coronation Portrait of King Friedrich I of Württemberg; Credit – Wikipedia

In 1813, King Friedrich changed sides and went over again to the British side. After Napoleon’s fall, Friedrich attended the Congress of Vienna (1814-1815), whose goal was to provide a long-term peace plan for Europe by settling critical issues arising from the French Revolutionary Wars and the Napoleonic Wars. At the Congress of Vienna, Friedrich was confirmed as King of Württemberg.  Shortly thereafter, Friedrich died of pneumonia on October 30, 1816, at Ludwigsburg Palace in Stuttgart, Kingdom of  Württemberg, now in the German state of Baden-Württemberg, at the age of 61, and was buried in the Royal Crypt in the Castle Chapel at Ludwigsburg Palace. Friedrich’s son from his first marriage succeeded him as King Wilhelm I of Württemberg.

As Queen Dowager, Charlotte continued to live in Ludwigsburg Palace. She was always pleased to have visits from any of her siblings. In 1819, Charlotte was godmother by proxy of her niece, the future Queen Victoria of the United Kingdom. In 1827, Charlotte returned to England for the first time since their wedding in 1797, for the treatment of pulmonary edema, called dropsy at that time. She enjoyed returning to her home country and seeing her relatives, especially her goddaughter Princess Victoria. Forty-five years later, Queen Victoria recalled meeting her aunt: “She had adopted all the German fashions and spoke broken English – and had not been in England for many years. She was very kind and good-humored but very large and unwieldy.”

by William Skelton, after Paul Fischer, line engraving, published 1828

Charlotte Augusta Matilda, Princess Royal by William Skelton, after Johann Paul Georg Fischer, line engraving, published 1828 NPG D10839 © National Portrait Gallery, London

Soon after her return to Württemberg, Charlotte fell ill. Visits from her brother Adolphus and her sister Elizabeth lifted her spirits but it was evident that she was dying. On October 5, 1828, Charlotte asked that her stepson King Wilhelm I of Württemberg and his family come to her bedside. The next day, Charlotte died peacefully in the arms of her stepson surrounded by his family, her friends, and her faithful servants. She was buried next to her husband in the Royal Crypt in the Castle Chapel at Ludwigsburg Palace in Ludwigsburg, Kingdom of Württemberg, now in the German state of Baden-Württemberg.

This article is the intellectual property of Unofficial Royalty and is NOT TO BE COPIED, EDITED, OR POSTED IN ANY FORM ON ANOTHER WEBSITE under any circumstances. It is permissible to use a link that directs to Unofficial Royalty.

Württemberg Resources at Unofficial Royalty

Recommended books that deal with Charlotte, Princess Royal, Queen of Württemberg
George III’s Children by John Van Der Kiste (1992)
The Georgian Princesses by John Van Der Kiste (2000)
Princesses: The Six Daughters of George III by Flora Fraser (2004)

Sophie of Württemberg, Queen of the Netherlands, Grand Duchess of Luxembourg

by Susan Flantzer  © Unofficial Royalty 2015

Sophie of Württemberg, Queen of the Netherlands, Grand Duchess of Luxembourg; Credit – Wikipedia

Princess Sophie of Württemberg was the first wife of King Willem III of the Netherlands. Sophie Friederike Mathilde was born in Ludwigsburg Palace in Stuttgart, Kingdom of Württemberg, now in Baden-Württemberg, Germany, on June 17, 1818. She was the youngest of the two daughters of first cousins King Wilhelm I of Württemberg and Grand Duchess Catherine Pavlovna of Russia, daughter of Paul I, Emperor of All Russia. Before Sophie reached her first birthday, her mother died. A little more than a year later, Sophie’s father married another first cousin, Duchess Pauline of Württemberg. Sophie’s aunt Catharina of Württemberg, the wife of Jerome Bonaparte, helped raise Sophie.

Sophie had one sister:

  • Princess Marie of Württemberg (1816–1887); married Alfred, Count von Neipperg (no issue)

Sophie had three half-sisters and one half-brother from her father’s second marriage to Pauline of Württemberg:

King Wilhelm and Queen Pauline (above), Crown Prince Karl (center), Princesses Sophie (center left), Marie (center right), Catherine (bottom left) and Augusta (bottom right); Credit – Wikipedia

King Otto I of Greece was an early candidate as a husband for Sophie. However, Sophie’s father had no confidence in the newly established Greek monarchy and Willem, Prince of Orange (the future King Willem III of the Netherlands), eldest son of King Willem II of the Netherlands and Grand Duchess Anna Pavlovna of Russia, Sophie’s maternal aunt, was chosen. Sophie met Willem for the first time in 1838 after both fathers had already agreed upon the marriage.

Willem fell in love with Sophie, but she saw nothing in him. She tried to resist the marriage, but it was in vain. Sophie’s father thought Willem was an excellent match for his daughter and Willem’s father did not want to abandon the commitment to the marriage. Willem’s father had personal reasons to persevere with the marriage of his son and Sophie. In 1814, he experienced a similar situation when Princess Charlotte of Wales, the only child of the future King George IV of the United Kingdom, broke off an engagement with him. King Willem II of the Netherlands did not want the House of Orange to experience the disgrace of a broken engagement again. Willem’s mother, Anna Pavlovna, was strongly opposed to the marriage of her son to the daughter of a sister she loathed. Once Sophie was married to Wilhelm, Anna Pavlova treated her daughter-in-law (and niece) with a complete lack of respect because she did not think Sophie was good enough for her son. Sophie and Willem were married on June 18, 1839, in Stuttgart and had three sons, all of whom had no children and predeceased their father:

Prince Maurits (left) with his brother Prince Wilhelm; Credit – Wikipedia

Prince Alexander; Photo Credit – Wikipedia

The marriage of Sophie and Willem was ultimately unsuccessful. Willem had numerous extramarital affairs and had numerous illegitimate children. Sophie let him know that she thought him inferior to her and unfit to serve as king. She was convinced she could do better ruling the country as the regent. Sophie tried to divorce her husband, but because of national interests, this was impossible. In 1855, an agreement was made that Sophie would have her own quarters at Noordeinde Palace and that she would spend the summers at Huis ten Bosch Palace without her husband.

Sophie’s diaries and letters reveal she was well-read, empathetic, and highly intelligent. She corresponded with European scholars and statesmen and maintained close ties with Napoleon III with whom she shared relatives via her father’s sister Catharina, the wife of Jerome Bonaparte. She published articles in the prestigious journal “Revue des Deux Mondes”. Sophie’s letters to Lady Marian Dora Malet, originally written in English, were edited by Hella Haase and published under the title A Stranger in The Hague in 1989.

Queen Sophie in 1877, the year of her death; Credit – Wikipedia

On June 3, 1877, Queen Sophie died at the age of 58 at Huis ten Bosch Palace. Per her wishes, she was not embalmed and was buried in her wedding dress because she considered that her life had ended on the day she married. Her remains were buried in the crypt at the Nieuwe Kerk in Delft, the Netherlands.

The access to the royal crypt in the foreground; Credit – By Sander van der Wel from Netherlands – Royal grave tomb and the grave of Willem van Oranje, CC BY-SA 2.0, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=28146859

This article is the intellectual property of Unofficial Royalty and is NOT TO BE COPIED, EDITED, OR POSTED IN ANY FORM ON ANOTHER WEBSITE under any circumstances. It is permissible to use a link that directs to Unofficial Royalty.

Kingdom of the Netherlands Resources at Unofficial Royalty

Marie of Württemberg, Duchess of Saxe-Coburg and Gotha

by Susan Flantzer
© Unofficial Royalty 2015

Saxe-Coburg-Saalfeld/Saxe-Coburg and Gotha: In 1675, Ernst I, Duke of Saxe-Gotha-Altenburg died. Initially, his seven sons collectively governed the Duchy of Saxe-Gotha-Altenburg, as set out in their father’s will. In 1680, the seven brothers concluded a treaty of separation, with each brother getting a portion of the Duchy of Saxe-Gotha Altenburg and becoming a Duke. One of the seven new duchies was the Duchy of Saxe-Saalfeld and Johann Ernst, one of the seven sons of Ernst I, Duke of Saxe-Gotha-Altenburg became the first Duke of Saxe-Saalfeld.  When two of his brothers died without male heirs, Johann Ernst took possession of Coburg (in 1699) and Römhild (in 1714). In 1699, Johann Ernst’s title changed to Duke of Saxe-Coburg-Saalfeld.

In 1825, 145 years after the initial split, another line became extinct and there was another split between three surviving duchies. Ernst III, Duke of Saxe-Coburg-Saalfeld became Ernst I, Duke of Saxe-Coburg and Gotha. For more information on the switch, see Saxe-Coburg-Saalfeld/Saxe-Coburg and Gotha Index.

On November 9, 1918, after the German Empire lost World War I, the Workers’ and Soldiers Council of Gotha, deposed the last Duke of Saxe-Coburg and Gotha, Charles Edward, a grandson of Queen Victoria.  Five days later, he signed a declaration relinquishing his rights to the throne. The territory that encompassed the Duchy of Saxe-Coburg and Gotha is now in the German states of Bavaria and Thuringia.

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Marie of Württemberg, Duchess of Saxe-Coburg and Gotha; Credit – Wikipedia

Marie of Württemberg (Antoinette Friederike Auguste Marie Ann) was the second wife and the niece of Ernst I, Duke of Saxe-Coburg and Gotha. Born on September 17, 1799, in Coburg, Duchy of Saxe-Coburg-Saalfeld, now in Bavaria, Germany, she was the eldest child and the only daughter of Duke Alexander of Württemberg and Antoinette of Saxe-Coburg-Saalfeld.  Marie had four brothers, but only two survived childhood. Marie and her brothers were first cousins of Queen Victoria and Prince Albert.

  • Paul of Württemberg (1800–1801)
  • Alexander of Württemberg (1804-1881), married (1) Marie d’Orléans, daughter of Louis-Philippe I, King of the French, had one son; (2) Katharine Amalie Pfennigkaüfer, no issue
  • Ernest of Württemberg (1807–1868), married Nathalie Eschborn, had one daughter
  • Friedrich Wilhelm Ferdinand of Württemberg (1810 – 1815)

Marie’s first three years were spent at Schloss Fantaisie in Bayreuth, Bavaria (Germany). Her paternal aunt Sophie Dorothea of Württemberg (known as Maria Feodorovna after her marriage) was the second wife of Paul I, Emperor of All Russia. After serving in the Württemberg and Austrian armies, Marie’s father joined the Imperial Russian Army as a Lieutenant General and commander of the Riga Cuirassier Regiment. As a result, Marie lived on an estate at Mitau in present-day Latvia and in a palace in St. Petersburg, Russia from 1802-1832.

On December 23, 1832, Marie married her uncle Ernst I, Duke of Saxe-Coburg and Gotha at Schloss Ehrenburg in Coburg. The groom was 48 and the bride was 33. Ernst had been anxious to find a new bride after the death of his first, estranged wife, Louise of Saxe-Gotha-Altenburg. However, Ernst’s age and his negative reputation left him with limited choices for a bride. His mother Augusta, Dowager Duchess of Saxe-Coburg and Gotha arranged the marriage between her son and her granddaughter. After her marriage, Marie was not only the first cousin but also the stepmother of her husband’s sons from his first marriage, Ernst (later Ernst II, Duke of Saxe-Coburg and Gotha) and Albert (later husband of Queen Victoria). Marie and Ernst had no children, but Marie had a good relationship with her stepsons and maintained a correspondence with Albert throughout their lives.

Marie was interested in literature, music, theater, art, and education. The newly built Landestheater Coburg opened on her 41st birthday. The composer Franz Liszt frequently visited her. In 1836, Marie took over the management of the Gothaer Marien-Institut, a private school for girls. The Marienschulstiftung (Marie School Foundation) opened in 1842 and still runs the kindergarten and nursery school that Marie started.

After Ernst died in 1844, Marie lived in her three dower castles in Gotha, Schloss Reinhardsbrunn, Schloss Friedrichsthal, and Schloss Friedenstein. She returned to Coburg whenever her English relatives visited. Marie died at Schloss Friedenstein in Gotha, Duchy of Saxe-Coburg and Gotha, now in Thuringia, Germany on September 24, 1860, at the age of 61 and was buried in the Ducal Mausoleum in the Glockenberg Cemetery in Coburg, Duchy of Saxe-Coburg and Gotha, now in Bavaria, Germany.

The Ducal Mausoleum in the Glockenberg Cemetery. photo: by Störfix – Selbst fotografiert, CC BY-SA 3.0, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=4010189

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Elisabeth of Württemberg, Archduchess of Austria

by Susan Flantzer  © Unofficial Royalty 2013

Elisabeth of Württemberg, Archduchess of Austria; Credit – Wikipedia

Elisabeth of Württemberg (Elisabeth Wilhelmine Luise) was born on April 21, 1767, in Treptow an der Rega in Brandenburg-Pomerania, now Trzebiatów, Poland. She was one of the twelve children of Friedrich II Eugene, Duke of Württemberg and Sophia Dorothea of Brandenburg-Schwedt. Elisabeth had eleven siblings:

  • Friedrich  I, King of Württemberg (1754 – 1816), first King of Württemberg, married (1) Augusta of Brunswick-Wolfenbüttel; had issue (2) Charlotte, Princess Royal; no issue
  • Ludwig (1756 – 1817), married (1) Maria Czartoryska; had issue (2) Princess Henriette of Nassau-Weilburg; had issue
  • Eugen (1758 – 1822), married Princess Louise of Stolberg-Gedern; had issue
  • Sophie Dorothea (1759 – 1828), married to Paul I, Emperor of Russia; had issue
  • Wilhelm Friedrich Philip (1761 – 1830), married Wilhelmine von Tunderfeld-Rhodis; had issue
  • Ferdinand Friedrich August (1763 – 1834), married Princess Kunigunde von Metternich
  • Friederike (1765 – 1785), married to Peter, Duke of Oldenburg; had issue
  • Friederike (born and died 1768 )
  • Karl Friedrich Heinrich (1770 – 1791)
  • Alexander (1771 – 1833), married Antoinette of Saxe-Coburg-Saalfeld; had issue
  • Karl Heinrich (1772 – 1833), married Christianne-Caroline Alexeï

At the age of 15, Elisabeth went to Vienna to prepare to become the bride of Archduke Franz, the nephew of Holy Roman Emperor Joseph II. Here the Protestant princess was educated by nuns at the Church and Monastery of the Visitation and she converted to Roman Catholicism. Elisabeth married Archduke Franz (the future emperor) on January 6, 1788, when she was 20 years old.

She was very close to Emperor Joseph and his final illness in February 1790 greatly upset the then-pregnant Elisabeth. She fainted upon seeing the dying emperor and on February 18, 1790, gave premature birth to a daughter Archduchess Ludovika Elisabeth. The labor had lasted more than 24 hours and Elisabeth, age 22, died the same day due to complications. Holy Roman Emperor Joseph died two days later. Archduchess Elisabeth was buried at the Capuchin Church in Vienna, in the Imperial Crypt in the Franzensgruft (Franz’s Vault) where her husband and his three other wives are also buried. Elisabeth’s baby, Ludovika Elisabeth, lived only until June 24, 1791, and is buried in the Imperial Crypt in the southwest pier of Ferdinandsgruft (Ferdinand’s Vault) along with a number of other Habsburgs who died young. After her death, her husband became Holy Roman Emperor and then Emperor of Austria.

Tomb of Elisabeth of Württemberg, first wife of Holy Roman Emperor Franz II/Emperor Franz I of Austria; Photo Credit – Susan Flantzer

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Austria Resources at Unofficial Royalty