by Scott Mehl © Unofficial Royalty 2018
Luise Eleonore of Hohenlohe-Langenburg, Duchess of Saxe-Meiningen; Credit – Wikipedia
Princess Luise Eleonore of Hohenlohe-Langenburg was the wife of Georg I, Duke of Saxe-Meiningen, and later served as Regent for her young son. She was born in Langenburg, in the Principality of Hohenlohe-Langenburg, now in Baden-Württemberg, Germany, on August 11, 1763, to Christian Albrecht, 2nd Prince of Hohenlohe-Langenburg and Princess Caroline of Stolberg-Gedern. Luise Eleonore had six siblings:
- Karl Ludwig, Prince of Hohenlohe-Langenburg (1762-1825) – married Amalie of Solms-Baruth, had issue
- Gustav Adolf (1764-1796) – unmarried
- Christine Caroline (1765-1768) – died in childhood
- Ludwig Wilhelm (1767-1768) – died in infancy
- Christian August (1768-1796) – unmarried
- Auguste Karoline (1769-1803) – unmarried
Georg I, Duke of Saxe-Meiningen; Credit – Wikipedia
On November 27, 1782, Luise Eleonore married Georg I, Duke of Saxe-Meiningen. After ten years of marriage, they began their family and had three children:
- Princess Adelheid, Queen Adelaide of the United Kingdom (1792-1849) – married King William IV of the United Kingdom, no surviving issue
- Princess Ida (1794-1852) – married Prince Bernhard of Saxe-Weimar-Eisenach, had issue
- Bernhard II, Duke of Saxe-Meiningen (1800-1882) – married Princess Marie Friederike of Hesse-Kassel, had issue
In December 1803, her husband died and her three-year-old son became the reigning Duke. Luise Eleonore became Regent and is credited with steering the duchy through some very difficult times. Forced to join the Confederation of the Rhine in 1806 and provide troops, Luise arranged to import wheat into the duchy to help fight the great famine that was ravaging many of the Saxon states. Unlike several of the other rulers, Luise refused to leave Meiningen to flee the French and Russian forces. Having managed to maintain her authority, she joined with the Allies in 1813 having saved the duchy for her son. She instituted special taxes in the duchy, in order to provide the large dowry – 6,000 florins a year – for her daughter Adelheid upon her marriage to the future King William IV of the United Kingdom. Luise Eleonore continued to work to restore the duchy’s finances and economic position within Europe, leaving a well-managed government to her son upon his majority in 1821.
Great Palace, Meiningen. source: Wikipedia
Following her Regency, Luise Eleonore moved into the newly built Great Palace (link in German) in Meiningen, built by her son Bernhard for her to use as her dower home. While living there for the rest of her life, Luise Eleonore traveled extensively throughout Europe, including an extended visit to her daughter Adelheid in England, with whom she was very close.
The Dowager Duchess died in Meiningen, Duchy of Saxe-Meiningen, now in Thuringia, Germany, on April 30, 1837, at the age of 73. She was buried in the Ducal Crypt Chapel (link in German) in the Meiningen municipal cemetery until 1977 when her remains were removed from the chapel, cremated, and buried elsewhere in the cemetery.
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