Margravine Philippine of Brandenburg-Schwedt

Philippine of Brandenburg-Schwedt
Landgravine of Hesse-Kassel
Philippine Auguste in 1775.
Spouse	Frederick II, Landgrave of Hesse-Kassel
Full name
German: Philippine Auguste Amalie
House	House of Hohenzollern (by birth) House of Hesse-Kassel (by marriage)
Father	Margrave Frederick William of Brandenburg-Schwedt
Mother	Sophia Dorothea of Prussia
Born	10 October 1745(1745-10-10) Schwedt
Died	1 May 1800(1800-05-01) (aged 54) Berlin

Margravine Philippine Auguste Amalie of Brandenburg-Schwedt (10 October 1745 – 1 May 1800) was a daughter of Margrave Frederick William of Brandenburg-Schwedt and Princess Sophia Dorothea of Prussia.^[1] By her marriage to Frederick II, Landgrave of Hesse-Cassel, she became Landgravine of Hesse-Kassel.

Family

Philippine was one of five children born to Margrave Frederick William of Brandenburg-Schwedt and his wife Princess Sophia Dorothea of Prussia. Her siblings included Friederike Dorothea, Duchess of Württemberg and Elisabeth Louise, Princess of Prussia.

Her paternal grandparents were Philip William, Margrave of Brandenburg-Schwedt and Princess Johanna Charlotte of Anhalt-Dessau.

Her maternal grandparents were Frederick William I of Prussia and Sophia Dorothea of Hanover.

Marriage

Philippine was very early on chosen by her aunt, Queen Louisa Ulrika of Sweden, as the future queen of Sweden; her mother was the queen's favourite, and Louisa Ulrika wished Philippine to marry her son, Gustav (later Gustav III of Sweden).^[2] These plans were broken however when Gustav was married to Sophia Magdalena of Denmark in 1766. Louisa Ulrika then wanted Philippine to marry her younger son, Charles, but instead, Gustav decided that his brother should marry Hedwig Elizabeth Charlotte of Holstein-Gottorp.^[2]

On 10 January 1773, Philippine married Frederick II, Landgrave of Hesse-Kassel in Berlin.^[1] She was his second wife (his previous wife Mary had died the previous year); he was also twenty-five years older. Philippine thus became stepmother to Frederick's three surviving sons (William, Charles, and Frederick). Philippine would not produce any legitimate children herself however.

During her marriage, Philippine led a widely independent life, even setting up her own court. In 1777, she gave birth to an illegitimate son with the statesman Georg Ernst Levin von Wintzingerode. She helped reconcile her husband to his children from his first marriage (whom he had not seen since 1754).

Her husband Frederick died on 31 October 1785. Philippine died on 1 May 1800.^[1]

Legacy

Three places, all established in 1778 and incorporated into Wolfhagen in 1971, are named after Philippine:

• Philippinenburg (German)
• Philippinendorf (German)
• Philippinenthal (German)

Ancestry

References

1. ^ ^{a b c} Lundy, Darryl. "The Peerage: Philippine Charlotte Prinzessin von Brandenburg-Schwedt". http://thepeerage.com/p10874.htm#i108736. Retrieved 15 December 2009. 
2. ^ ^{a b} Olof Jägerskiöld: Lovisa Ulrika, drottning av Sverige (in Swedish)(Louisa Ulrika, queen of Sweden) (in Swedish) (1945)

Margravine Philippine of Brandenburg-Schwedt House of Brandenburg-Schwedt Cadet branch of the House of Hohenzollern Born: 5 March 1723 Died: 14 January 1772
German royalty
Vacant Title last held by Mary of Great Britain	Landgravine consort of Hesse-Kassel 10 January 1773 – 31 October 1785	Succeeded by Wilhelmina Caroline of Denmark

Persondata
Name	Philippine Of Brandenburg-Schwedt
Alternative names
Short description
Date of birth	10 October 1745
Place of birth	Schwedt
Date of death	1 May 1800
Place of death	Berlin