Christine Charlotte of Württemberg

Christine Charlotte of Württemberg
Christine Charlotte of Württemberg
Born	(1645-10-21)21 October 1645 Stuttgart
Died	16 May 1699(1699-05-16) (aged 53) Bruchhausen
Noble family	House of Württemberg
Spouse(s)	George Christian, Prince of East Frisia
Father	Eberhard III, Duke of Württemberg
Mother	Anna Dorothea of Salm-Kyrburg

Christine Charlotte of Württemberg (21 October 1645, Stuttgart – 16 May 1699, Bruchhausen) was a princess consort of East Frisia by marriage to George Christian, Prince of East Frisia. She served as the regent of East Frisia during the minority of her son from 1665 until 1690.

Life

Christine Charlotte was a daughter of Duke Eberhard III of Württemberg from his first marriage to Anna Dorothea of Salm-Kyrburg. At the age of 17 she married on 14 May 1662 Count George Christian of East Frisia, who was raised in the same year to the rank of heritable Prince.

Regency

George Christian died on 6 June 1665, leaving his wife pregnant with their third child; four months later (1 October 1665), Christine Charlotte gave birth to a son, Christian Everhard.

As the mother of the new-born prince, she became his guardian and regent of East Frisia. She tried to rule as an absolutist princess, which led to a series of conflict with the equally self-conscious Estates of East Frisia and brought the country to the brink of civil war several times.

She was considered extraordinarily beautiful, intelligent and eloquent, but also domineering, unforgiving, unrepentant and wasteful. Her reign was marked by disputes within East Frisia. Historians have a negative view of her overall performance, which may be due to her conflicts with the Estates.

Her major foreign policy success was a border treaty with Oldenburg on 22 December 1666. This treaty created the so-called Golden line, which separates East Frisia from Oldenburg Friesland to this day.

In 1690, the Emperor confirmed the Estates and declared her son of age.

Issue

• Eberhardine Katharina (25 May 1663 – 10 July 1664), died in infancy.
• Juliane Charlotte (3 January 1664 – 3 June 1666), died in infancy.
• Christian Everhard (1 October 1665 – 30 June 1708), successor of his father.

Ancestors

Ancestors of Christine Charlotte of Württemberg

16. George I, Duke of Württemberg-Mömpelgard 8. Frederick I, Duke of Württemberg 17. Barbara of Hesse 4. John Frederick, Duke of Württemberg 18. Joachim Ernest, Prince of Anhalt 9. Sibylla of Anhalt-Zerbst 19. Agnes of Barby and Mühlingen 2. Eberhard III, Duke of Württemberg 20. John George, Elector of Brandenburg 10. Joachim Frederick, Elector of Brandenburg 21. Sophie of Legnica 5. Barbara Sophie of Brandenburg 22. John, Margrave of Brandenburg-Küstrin 11. Catherine of Brandenburg-Küstrin 23. Catherine of Brunswick-Wolfenbüttel 1. Christine Charlotte of Württemberg 24. John VIII, Wild- and Rhinegrave of Kyrburg-Mörchingen 12. Otto I, Wild- and Rhinegrave of Kyrburg-Mörchingen 25. Anna of Hohenlohe-Waldenburg 6. John Casimir, Wild- and Rhinegrave of Kyrburg 26. Philip III, Count of Nassau-Weilburg 13. Otillie of Nassau-Weilburg 27. Amalie of Isenburg-Büdingen 3. Anna Katharina of Salm-Kyrburg 28. Frederick Magnus, Count of Solms-Laubach 14. John George I, Count of Solms-Laubach 29. Agnes of Wied 7. Dorothea of Solms-Laubach 30. Georg II, Lord of Schönburg-Glauchau 15. Margarete of Schönburg-Glauchau 31. Dorothea Reuss of Plauen

Literature

• Raff, Gerhard (2002). Hie gut Wirtemberg allewege (in German). Vol. III. Stuttgart/Leipzig: Hohenheim. pp. 70–133. ISBN 3-89850-084-5.

External links

• Biographical Dictionary of East Frisia