Landgravine Elisabeth Amalie Magdalene of Hesse-Darmstadt (20 March 1635 – 4 August 1709) was a German princess of Hesse-Darmstadt who became Electress Palatine as the second wife of Philip William, Elector Palatine.
Biography
Born in 1635 at the New Palace in Gießen, Elisabeth Amalie was the daughter of George II, Landgrave of Hesse-Darmstadt and Sophia Eleonore of Saxony. Her siblings included Louis of Hesse-Darmstadt, future Landgrave of Hesse-Darmstadt and Anna Sophia, Abbess of Quedlinburg.
Elisabeth Amalie was brought up strictly by her mother, who was a devout Lutheran. She had an attractive appearance with striking blond hair, a trait she kept until her old age and which was inherited by her daughters Eleonor Magdalene and Dorothea Sophie, the latter being known in particular for her blonde hair.
On 3 September 1653 she was married at Langenschwalbach to Count palatine Philip William of Neuburg, who later became Prince-elector of the Palatinate. Her husband was some twenty years older than her and was the heir to the Electoral Palatinate, which was one of the most important states within the Holy Roman Empire.
The events surrounding the wedding ceremony between Elisabeth and Philip Willam are recorded as follows: [Philip William hurried to Schwalbach] primarily to prevent his bride from having to communicate in Lutheran language before the wedding, or, with great annoyance, declare herself to her princely parents, whose mother was a staunch Saxon Lutheran, before the time of her conversion. She converted to Catholicism on 1 November 1653 in the presence of the elector and archbishop of Cologne, Maximilian Henry of Bavaria.
The writer William Nakatenus dedicated his work The Heavenly Palm little garden to her.
Issue She and Philip William had at least sixteen children.
Issue Name Portrait Lifespan Notes Eleonor MagdaleneHoly Roman Empress 6 January 1655-19 January 1720 Married in 1676 Leopold I, Holy Roman Emperor and had issue; Maria Adelheid Anna 6 January 1656-22 December 1656 Died in infancy Sophia Elisabeth 25 May 1657-7 February 1658 Died in infancy Johann WilhelmElector Palatine 19 April 1658-8 June 1716 Married first Archduchess Maria Anna Josepha of Austria and had no surviving issue; married second Anna Maria Luisa de' Medici and had no issue Wolfgang George FrederikAuxiliary Bishop in Köln 5 June 1659-4 June 1683 Died unmarried Ludwig AntonBishop of Worms 9 June 1660-4 May 1694 Died unmarried Charles III PhilipElector Palatine 4 November 1661-31 December 1742 Married first Ludwika Karolina Radziwiłł and had issue; married second Teresa Lubomirska and had issue; married third Violante Theresia of Thurn and Taxis, no issue Alexander SigismundBishop of Augsburg 16 April 1663-24 January 1737 Died unmarried Francis LouisArchbishop of Wrocław 18 July 1664-6 April 1732 Died unmarried Frederik WilhelmImperial General 20 July 1665-23 July 1689 Died unmarried Maria Sophia ElisabethQueen of Portugal 6 August 1666-4 August 1699 Married in 1687 Peter II of Portugal and had issue Maria AnnaQueen of Spain 28 October 1667-16 July 1740 Married in 1690 Charles II of Spain, no issue; Philip William August 19 November 1668-5 April 1693 Married in 1690 Anna Maria Franziska of Saxe-Lauenburg and had issue Dorothea SophieDuchess of Parma 5 July 1670-15 September 1748 Married in 1690 Odoardo Farnese and had issue; Hedwig Elisabeth AmeliaPrincess Sobieski 18 July 1673-10 August 1722 Married in 1691 James Louis Sobieski and had issue; Johann 1 February 1675-2 February 1675 Died in infancy Leopoldine Eleonora Josepha 27 May 1679 -8 March 1693 Died unmarried
References
Citations
Bibliography
Further reading Choker, Peter, Diseases of the kings of Spain: the Austrians. From Madness to impotence Joan of Charles II the Bewitched (Madrid: The Sphere Books Ltd., 2005).
External links
Landeshauptstadt Düsseldorf - Elisabeth Amalie Magdalena (1635 - 1709), Landgräfin von Hessen-Darmstadt, Pfalzgräfin bei Rhein zu Neuburg, Herzogin von Jülich-Berg, seit 1685 Kurfürstin von der Pfalz