Frederika Louisa of Hesse-Darmstadt

Frederika Louisa of Hesse-Darmstadt
Queen of Prussia
Tenure	17 August 1786 – 16 November 1797
Spouse	Frederick William II of Prussia
Issue
Frederick William III Prince Louis Wilhelmina, Queen of the Netherlands Augusta, Electress of Hesse Prince Henry Prince William
Full name
Frederika Louisa of Hesse-Darmstadt
House	House of Hesse-Darmstadt House of Hohenzollern
Father	Louis IX of Hesse-Darmstadt
Mother	Caroline of Zweibrücken
Born	16 October 1751 Prenzlau
Died	25 February 1805 Schloss Montbijou, Berlin, Prussia

Frederika of Hesse-Darmstadt (Friederike Luise; 16 October 1751 – 25 February 1805) was Queen consort of the Kingdom of Prussia as the second wife of Frederick William II of Prussia.

Background

Frederika Louisa was the daughter of Ludwig IX, Landgrave of Hesse-Darmstadt, and Caroline of Zweibrücken. She was born in Prenzlau. She was the sister of Grand Duchess Louise of Saxe-Weimar-Eisenach, as well as Grand Duke Louis I of Hesse.

Marriage

She and Frederick William were married on 14 July 1769 at the Charlottenburg Palace, immediately after his divorce from Elisabeth Christine of Brunswick-Lüneburg. Frederick William called her his "Hessische Lieschen", or "Hessian Lizzie".

She became queen of Prussia upon her husband's accession to the throne in 1786, and kept her position for eleven years. The marriage was not happy, and Fredrick had numerous lovers, most notably Wilhelmine von Lichtenau, with whom he had a relationship from the same year he married Frederika Louise until his death. In 1787, her spouse committed bigamy by marrying her lady-in-waiting Julie von Voß, and in 1790, he committed bigamy again by marrying her lady-in-waiting Sophie von Dönhoff. Queen Frederika Louisa was not considered attractive and has been described as eccentric. It was claimed that she saw ghosts and apparitions, and for this reason she kept reversed hours, sleeping by day and waking by night, a behaviour which worsened after Frederick William died. Frederika Louisa was noted for her great generosity, especially to those in need.

From 1788, she spent her summers in Freienwalde, which greatly contributed to the economic and cultural development of the city. Especially as a Queen Dowager, several buildings were constructed in the city to house her and her court during their stays. In 1799, a summer palace was built for her there by David Gilly.

The Swedish Princess Hedwig Elizabeth Charlotte described her at the time of her visit in 1798:

The Queen Dowager had invited us at déjeuner, and we left for Montbijou, a very simple manor slightly outside of Berlin, where she resides all year. It is sweet and well tendered but terribly small. She hade it built herself as well as the parc and the garden. She is a small, very fat, middle age lady, who walks so crocked that she looks like and old woman. You could mistake her for one of these fairies from an ancient tale. She is very polite and talkative and shines of a goodness which gives the witness of a kind heart and a noble characther.

She became a widow in 1797. During the summer she lived in Bad Freienwalde where she was often visited by her children and grandchildren and died in Berlin in 1805 having suffered a stroke.

Issue

1. Frederick William III of Prussia (1770–1840) married Louise of Mecklenburg-Strelitz and had issue.
2. Princess Christine (1772–1773)
3. Prince Louis (1773–1796) married Frederica of Mecklenburg-Strelitz and had issue.
4. Princess Wilhelmina (1774–1837) married William I of the Netherlands and had issue.
5. stillborn son (1777)
6. Princess Augusta of Prussia (1780–1841), wife of William II, Elector of Hesse
7. Prince Henry of Prussia (1781–1846)
8. Prince William (1783–1851) married Marianne of Hesse-Homburg and had issue.

Titles, styles, honours and arms

Titles and styles

• 16 October 1751 - 14 July 1769 Her Serene Highness Princess (Landgravine) Friederike of Hesse-Darmstadt
• 14 July 1769 - 17 August 1786 Her Royal Highness The Crown Princess of Prussia
• 17 August 1786 - 16 November 1797 Her Majesty The Queen of Prussia
• 16 November 1797 - 25 February 1805 Her Majesty The Dowager Queen of Prussia

Sources

• This page is a translation of its German equivalent.

External links

• Find A Grave profile for Friederike Luise of Hessen-Darmstadt

Media related to Frederika Louisa of Hesse-Darmstadt at Wikimedia Commons

Succession

Frederika Louisa of Hesse-Darmstadt House of Hesse-Darmstadt Born: 16 October 1751 Died: 25 February 1805
German royalty
Preceded by Elisabeth Christine of Brunswick-Bevern	Queen consort of Prussia 17 August 1786 – 16 November 1797	Succeeded by Louise of Mecklenburg-Strelitz
	Electress consort of Brandenburg 17 August 1786 - 16 November 1797
	Princess consort of Neuchâtel 17 August 1786 - 16 November 1797