Landgravine of Hesse-Kassel (1747-1820). She was the second daughter of King Frederick V of Denmark and his first wife Louisa of Great Britain.
She grew up at the Danish royal court, and was educated with her siblings. Her mother died when she was four and her upbringing was then taken over by her aunt Mary, Landgravine of Hesse-Kassel. She had moved to Denmark in (1756), and brought her three sons Wilhelm, Frederick and Charles with her. The boys became Wilhelmina and her siblings' playmates and soon it was decided that Wilhelmina would marry Mary's eldest son Wilhelm, her first cousin.
On 1 September (1764), at the age of seventeen she married Wilhelm at Christiansborg Palace. One month after their wedding, Wilhelmina Caroline and Wilhelm left Denmark and settled in Hesse, where her father-in-law gave Wilhelm the city of Hanau as their residence, and where they lived with their own court. The marriage resulted in the birth of four children.
During the first years of marriage, the relationship between Wilhelmina Caroline and Wilhelm was described as happy. However, this good relationship was not to last as Wilhelm after some years became constantly unfaithful and introducing a succession of official mistresses at court, he also produced a great number of illegitimate children.
In (1785), her husband succeeded as Landgrave of Hesse-Kassel and in (1803), he was raised to the rank of Elector. As his wife, she did not play a political role, but she was nonetheless described as beautiful, distant, kind and sympathetic.
Wilhelmina died on 14 January (1820) in Kassel, at the age of 72. Her husband died a little more than a year later, and was succeded as Elector by their son Wilhelm.
No comments:
Post a Comment