Elisabeth Christine of Brunswick-Lüneburg

Elisabeth Christine of Brunswick-Lüneburg (Wolffenbüttel, 8 November, 1746 - Stettin, 18 February, 1840), was the Crown Princess of Prussia as the first wife of Prince Frederick William of Prussia, the future Frederick William II of Prussia.

Biography

Elisabeth Christine was born the seventh child and third daughter of Charles I, Duke of Brunswick-Lüneburg and the sister of Frederick the Great of Prussia, Princess Philippine Charlotte of Prussia. Her maternal grandparents were Frederick William I of Prussia and Sophia Dorothea of Hanover.

She was selected as a suitable bride for the heir of the throne of Prussia by king Frederick the Great. On July 14, 1765, Elisabeth married the future Frederick William II of Prussia in the royal chapell of Charlottenburg.

The marriage was not a happy one. King Frederick had hoped, that the marriage would lead to monogamy for his son, but instead, he noticed that his son neglected her and was unfaithful to her on a daily basis. She was insulted by her husband's adultary and reacted by doing the same thing, which eventually led to a scandal. The marriage was dissolved in 1769 after Elisabeth was accused of adultery.

She was put under house arrest as a prisoner of state in Stettin until the end of her life 71 years later. Eventually, her father-in-law made her living conditions better, and after his death in 1786, she was treated less strict. Her summer palace was organized in a middle-aged cloister in Jasenitz (Jasienica), nowadays a district of Police, town in the Pomerania Region. She died at the age of 94 and was burried in Berlin.

Elisabeth Christine had one child:

*Frederica Charlotte of Prussia (May 7, 1767 - August 6, 1820). Married Prince Frederick, Duke of York and Albany.

References

* "This article is based entirely or partially on it's ecquivalent on German Wikipedia".