Margravine Sophia Dorothea of Brandenburg-Schwedt

Sophia Dorothea of Brandenburg-Schwedt
Duchess of Württemberg
Consort	20 May 1795 – 23 December 1797
Spouse	Frederick II Eugene, Duke of Württemberg
Issue
Frederick, King of Württemberg Duke Louis Sophia Dorothea, Empress of Russia Friederika, Princess of Holstein-Gottorp Elisabeth, Archduchess of Austria Duke Alexander
Full name
Friederike Sophia Dorothea
House	House of Württemberg House of Brandenburg-Schwedt
Father	Margrave Frederick William of Brandenburg-Schwedt
Mother	Princess Sophia Dorothea of Prussia
Born	18 December 1736(1736-12-18) Schwedt
Died	9 March 1798(1798-03-09) (aged 61)

Sophia Dorothea of Brandenburg-Schwedt (Friederike Sophia Dorothea; 18 December 1736 – 9 March 1798) was Duchess of Württemberg (now in Germany) and ancestor to many European royals of the 19th and 20th century.^[1]

Biography

Sophia Dorothea was described as witty and charming. She belonged to the reformed faith, while her consort was Catholic, but she brought up her children as Lutheran upon agreement with the Lutheran council, from whom she received an allowance.

From 1769 she lived at Montbéliard, which was being managed by her husband, but which had to be abandoned in 1792 because of the French Revolution. Her husband inherited the Dukedom of Württemberg in 1795-97.

Family

Sophia Dorothea was a daughter of Margrave Frederick William of Brandenburg-Schwedt and his wife Princess Sophia Dorothea of Prussia, sister of Frederick the Great. Her siblings included Elisabeth Louise, Princess Augustus Ferdinand of Prussia and Philippine, Landgravine of Hesse-Cassel.

Marriage and children

On November 2, 1753, she married Frederick Eugen of Württemberg. He would succeed his brother in 1795, making her Duchess consort of Württemberg. They had twelve children:

1. Frederick Wilhelm Karl (6 November 1754 – 30 October 1816), his successor, who would later become the first King of Württemberg;
2. Louis Frederick Alexander (30 August 1756 – 20 September 1817), of whom Queen Elizabeth II of the United Kingdom is a direct descendant;
3. Eugene Frederick Henry (1758 – 20 June 1822);
4. Sophie Marie Dorothea (25 October 1759 – 5 November 1828), married to Paul I, Emperor of Russia), of whom Prince Philip, Duke of Edinburgh and Queen Sofia of Spain are direct descendants;;
5. William Frederick Philip (27 December 1761 – 10 August 1830); father of Wilhelm, 1st Duke of Urach
6. Ferdinand Augustus Frederick (22 October 1763 – 20 January 1834);
7. Friederike Elisabeth Amalie (27 July 1765 – 24 November 1785), married to Peter, Duke of Oldenburg;
8. Elisabeth Wilhelmine Luise (21 April 1767 – 18 February 1790), married to Francis I, Emperor of Austria;
9. Friederike Wilhelmine Katharina (born and died 1768);
10. Charles Frederick Henry (3 May 1770 – 22 August 1791);
11. Alexander Frederick Charles (24 April 1771 – 4 July 1833), the founder of the fifth branch of Württemberg, from which today's head of the House, Duke Carl Maria of Württemberg
12. Charles Henry (3 July 1772 – 28 July 1833);

Royal descendants

• Her daughter Sophie Dorothea married Emperor Paul I of Russia and become Empress Marie Feodorovna. The Empress was mother to (among others) Emperors Alexander I and Nicholas I of Russia as well as Queen Anna Paulowna of the Netherlands (from whom the current Dutch royal family is descended) and Grand Duchess Maria Pavlovna of Saxe-Weimar-Eisenach, great-grandmother of German Emperor William II.
• Through her second son Louis she is also great-great-great-great-grandmother of Elizabeth II of the United Kingdom.

Ancestry

Titles, styles, honours and arms

Titles and styles

• 18 December 1736 – 2 November 1753 Her Serene Highness Margravine Sophia Dorothea of Brandenburg-Schwedt
• 2 November 1753 – 20 May 1795 Her Serene Highness Duchess Frederick Eugene of Württemberg
• 20 May 1795 – 23 December 1797 Her Royal Highness the Duchess of Württemberg
• 23 December 1797 – 9 March 1798 Her Royal Highness the Dowager Duchess of Württemberg

Sources

This article incorporates information from the equivalent article on the German Wikipedia.

Notes

1. ^ Family tree online

Margravine Sophia Dorothea of Brandenburg-Schwedt House of Brandenburg-Schwedt Cadet branch of the House of Hohenzollern Born: 18 December 1736 Died: 9 March 1798
German royalty
Vacant Title last held by Franziska von Hohenheim	Duchess consort of Württemberg 20 May 1795 – 23 December 1797	Succeeded by Charlotte, Princess Royal

Persondata
Name	Friederike Dorothea Of Brandenburg-Schwedt
Alternative names
Short description
Date of birth	18 December 1736
Place of birth	Schwedt
Date of death	9 March 1798
Place of death