by Scott Mehl © Unofficial Royalty 2018
Charlotte Georgine of Mecklenburg-Strelitz, Duchess of Saxe-Hildburghausensource: Wikipedia
Charlotte Georgine of Mecklenburg-Strelitz was the wife of Friedrich, Duke of Saxe-Hildburghausen – later the Duke of Saxe-Altenburg. She was born in Hanover, Electorate of Hanover, now in Lower Saxony, Germany on November 17, 1769, the eldest child of Carl II, Grand Duke of Mecklenburg-Strelitz and Princess Friederike of Hesse-Darmstadt. Charlotte had nine siblings:
- Duchess Caroline Auguste (1771-1773) – died in childhood
- Duke Georg Carl (1772-1773) – died in infancy
- Duchess Therese (1773-1839) – married Karl Alexander, Prince of Thurn and Taxis, had issue
- Duke Friedrich Georg (born and died 1774) – died in infancy
- Duchess Luise (1776-1810) – married King Friedrich Wilhelm III of Prussia, had issue
- Duchess Friederike (1778-1841) – married(1) Prince Ludwig Carl of Prussia, had issue; (2) Friedrich Wilhelm, Prince of Solms-Braunfels, had issue; (3) King Ernst August I of Hanover, had issue
- Georg, Grand Duke of Mecklenburg-Strelitz (1779-1860) – married Marie of Hesse-Kassel, had issue
- Duke Friedrich Karl (1781-1783) – died in childhood
- Duchess Auguste Albertine (born and died 1782) – died in infancy
She also had a half-brother, from her father’s second marriage to her mother’s sister, Charlotte:
- Duke Karl (1785-1837) – unmarried
Charlotte was raised in Hanover, where her father served as Governor for his brother-in-law, King George III of the United Kingdom, who was the Elector of Hanover She was very close with her sisters, particularly Friederike, and they were considered to be the most beautiful and eligible princesses of their time.
Friedrich, Duke of Saxe-Hildburghausen; Credit – Wikipedia
On September 3, 1785, Charlotte married Friedrich, then the Duke of Saxe-Hildburghausen, and took up residence at Schloss Hildburghausen. The marriage was unhappy from the beginning, and Friedrich mostly ignored his wife who was far more intelligent than he was. Despite this, the couple had 12 children:
- Prince Joseph (born and died 1786) – died in infancy
- Princess Katharina Charlotte (1787 – 1847) – married Prince Paul of Württemberg, had issue
- Princess Caroline (born and died 1788) – died at birth
- Joseph, Duke of Saxe-Altenburg (1789-1868) – married Duchess Amalie of Württemberg, had issue
- Princess Friederike (born and died 1791) – died in infancy
- Princess Therese (1792-1854) – married King Ludwig I of Bavaria, had issue
- Princess Luise (1794-1825) – married Wilhelm, Duke of Nassau, had issue
- Prince Franz Friedrich (1795-1800) – died in childhood
- Georg, Duke of Saxe-Altenburg (1796-1853) – married Duchess Marie Luise of Mecklenburg-Schwerin, had issue
- Prince Friedrich Wilhelm (1801-1870) – unmarried
- Prince Maximilian Karl (born and died 1803) – died in infancy
- Prince Eduard Karl (1804-1852) – married (1) Princess Amalie of Hohenzollern-Sigmaringen, had issue; (2) Princess Luise Caroline Reuss of Greiz, had issue
Charlotte, c1815, painting by Heinrich Vogel. source: Wikipedia
Despite her husband’s disinterest, Charlotte became much loved by the people of Saxe-Hildburghausen. She gave very generously to causes and charities that helped the poor and funded numerous programs that provided education and training to the less fortunate. Charlotte also supported the arts and brought many musicians and artists to court. She also became known as one of the best singers of her time. Having taken lessons as a girl in Hanover, the Duchess often sang in both court and church events.
Charlotte’s tomb in the City Cemetery in Hildburghausen. photo: by XHBNx – Own Work, CC BY-SA 3.0, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=4876170
Eight years before her husband became Duke of Saxe-Altenburg, Charlotte died after a long illness in Hildburghausen, Duchy of Saxe-Hildburghausen, now in Thuringia, Germany on May 14, 1818. Per her wishes, she was to be buried in the new city cemetery (Stadtfriedhof) in Hildburghausen. She was initially buried in the Hildburghausen Castle Church in the Duchy of Saxe-Hildburghausen, now in Thuringia, Germany. Her remains were moved to the Hildburghausen Stadtfriedhof in 1819, the first burial in the new cemetery. Her tomb, a large bronzed pillar atop what is known as the Ducal Mound, was completed in 1824. The mound is now also the burial site of several of the previous Dukes of Saxe-Hildburghausen and their wives. Other members of the Saxe-Altenburg family are buried elsewhere in the cemetery.
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