Elisabeth of Hesse, Electress Palatine

Elisabeth of Hesse
Electress Palatine
Tenure26 October 1576 – 14 March 1582
Born(1539-02-13)13 February 1539
Kassel
Died14 March 1582(1582-03-14) (aged 43)
Heidelberg
Spouse
(m. 1560)
Issue
HouseHouse of Hesse
FatherPhilip I, Landgrave of Hesse
MotherChristine of Saxony

Elisabeth of Hesse (13 February 1539 – 14 March 1582) was a German noblewoman, by birth a member of the House of Hesse and by virtue of marriage Electress of Pfalz-Simmern.[1]

Early life

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She was born as the seventh child and fourth daughter of Philip I, Landgrave of Hesse and his wife, Duchess Christine of Saxony, daughter of George, Duke of Saxony.

Family

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On 8 July 1560 she married Louis VI, Elector Palatine. They had twelve children in just fifteen years, but only four of them survived childhood:

  1. Anna Marie (b. Heidelberg, 24 July 1561 - d. Eskilstuna, 29 July 1589), married Charles IX of Sweden[2]
  2. Elisabeth (b. Heidelberg, 15 June 1562 - d. Heidelberg, 2 November 1562), died in infancy.
  3. Dorothea Elisabeth (b. Jagdschloß Deinschwang, 12 January 1565 - d. Jagdschloß Deinschwang, 7 March 1565), died in infancy.
  4. Dorothea (b. Amberg, 4 August 1566 - d. Amberg, 10 March 1568), died in childhood.
  5. Frederick Philip (b. Amberg, 19 October 1567 - d. Amberg, 14 November 1568), died in infancy.
  6. Johann Friedrich (b. Amberg, 17 February 1569 - d. Amberg, 20 March 1569), died in infancy.
  7. Ludwig (b. Amberg, 30 December 1570 - d. Amberg, 7 May 1571), died in infancy.
  8. Katharina (b. Amberg, April 1572 - d. Amberg, 16 October 1586), died unmarried.
  9. Christine (b. Schloß Hirschwald, 6 January 1573 - d. Zweibrücken, 21 July 1619), died unmarried.
  10. Frederick IV, Elector Palatine (b. Amberg, 5 March 1574 - d. Heidelberg, 9 September 1610).[3]
  11. Philip (b. Amberg, 4 May 1575 - d. Amberg, 9 August 1575), died in infancy.
  12. Elisabeth (b. Amberg, 24 November 1576 - d. Heidelberg, 10 April 1577), died in infancy.

Later life and death

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She died (from an illness associated with painless discharge of pus and blood from the intestines, as is evident from Marius' letters and councils to Elisabeth's husband, Elector Ludwig VI[4]) a year before her husband and was buried on April 1, 1582, in the Church of the Holy Spirit (Heidelberg).[5]

Ancestors

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References

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  1. ^ Johann Daniel Horstius: Offenauer Bades Beschreibung. 1670.
  2. ^ Cook & Broadhead 2012, p. 329.
  3. ^ Thomas 2010, p. 39.
  4. ^ Rolf Heyers: Dr. Georg Marius, genannt Mayer von Würzburg (1533–1606). (Zahn-)Medizinische Dissertation Würzburg 1957, S. 73 f. und 85–95.
  5. ^ Exeqviae, das ist: Predigt bey dem begengnus der Durchleuchtigsten vnd Hochgebornen Fürstin vnd Frawen, Frawen Elisabeth, Pfaltzgräffin bey Rhein ... : zu Amberg gehalten, am Sontag Judica, welcher war der erste Aprilis, dieses zwey vnd achtzigsten Jars, [et]c. Gedruckt zu Regenspurg, durch Johann Burger. M.D. LXXXII. Durch M. Martinum Oberndörffer, 31 Blätter

Sources

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  • Cook, Chris; Broadhead, Philip (2012). The Routledge Companion to Early Modern Europe, 1453-1763. Routledge.
  • Thomas, Andrew L. (2010). A House Divided: Wittelsbach Confessional Court Cultures in the Holy Roman Empire, C. 1550-1650. Brill.


Elisabeth of Hesse, Electress Palatine
Born: 13 February 1539 Died: 14 March 1582
Royal titles
Preceded by Electress Palatine
1576–1582
Succeeded by