Sophia Dorothea of Hanover

For her mother, see Sophia Dorothea of Celle.

Sophia Dorothea of Hanover
Portrait by Antoine Pesne, 1726
Queen in Prussia Electress of Brandenburg
Tenure	25 February 1713 – 31 May 1740
Spouse	Frederick William I of Prussia
Issue
Wilhelmine, Margravine of Bayreuth Frederick II of Prussia Princess Frederica Louise Philippine Charlotte, Duchess of Brunswick-Lüneburg Sophia Dorothea, Margravine of Brandenburg-Schwedt Louisa Ulrika, Queen of Sweden Prince Augustus William Princess Anna Amalia Prince Henry Prince Ferdinand
House	House of Hohenzollern House of Hanover
Father	George I of Great Britain
Mother	Sophia Dorothea of Celle
Born	16 March 1687(1687-03-16) Hanover, Principality of Calenberg
Died	28 June 1757(1757-06-28) (aged 70) Monbijou Palace, Berlin

Sophia Dorothea of Hanover (26 March [O.S. 16 March] 1687 – 28 June 1757) was a Queen consort in Prussia as wife of Frederick William I. She was the sister of George II of Great Britain and the mother of Frederick II of Prussia.

Biography

Sophia Dorothea was born on 16 March 1687 (O.S.), in Brunswick-Lüneburg. She was the only daughter of George Louis of Brunswick-Lüneburg, later King George I of Great Britain, and Sophia Dorothea of Celle. She was detested by her elder brother, King George II of Great Britain.

Crown Princess of Prussia

Sophia Dorothea married her cousin, Crown Prince Frederick William of Prussia, heir apparent to the Prussian throne, on 28 November 1706. They had met as children under the care of their grandmother, Sophia of Hanover, and had disliked each other ever since. Sophia Dorothea differed from her husband in every aspect and the marriage suffered as a result. One of the most important differences between them was that Sophia Dorothea, unlike her husband, loved entertainment.

Queen in Prussia

Her husband ascended the throne in 1713 and Sophia Dorothea became queen. She was nicknamed "Olympia" for her regal bearing. The queen and her children were terrorized and beaten by Frederick William, who may have suffered from the hereditary disease porphyria.

Sophia Dorothea was interested in art, science, literature and fashion. She had a good relationship with her son, Frederick, later known as "Frederick the Great", who was very attached to her and deeply mourned her death. She spent many days talking to him in the library and was informed of his plans to escape from his father's custody. After he did withdraw from the Prussian court, she corresponded with him from the fortress of Küstrin. She was not described as a beauty, and she was scarred from smallpox. Nonetheless, she kept an attractive figure in spite of her many pregnancies. She was regarded as proud and ambitious, but her spouse refused to allow her any influence, as it was his belief that women should be kept only for breeding as they would otherwise dominate their husbands. It was the opinion of her daughter Wilhelmine that her father treated her mother unjustly.

Titles, styles, honours and arms

Titles and styles

• 16 March 1687 – October 1692: Her Highness Duchess Sophia Dorothea of Brunswick-Lüneburg
• October 1692 – 28 November 1706: Her Serene Highness Princess Sophia Dorothea of Hanover
• 28 November 1706 – 25 February 1713: Her Royal Highness The Crown Princess in Prussia
• 25 February 1713 – 31 May 1740: Her Majesty The Queen in Prussia
• 31 May 1740 – 28 June 1757: Her Majesty The Queen mother

Issue

King Frederick William and Queen Sophia had ten surviving children:

Name	Birth	Death	Notes
Prince Friedrich Ludwig	23 November 1707	13 May 1708
Wilhelmine, Margravine of Brandenburg-Bayreuth	3 July 1709	14 October 1758	married, 1731, Frederick, Margrave of Brandenburg-Bayreuth; had issue
Prince Friedrich Wilhelm	16 August 1710	31 July 1711
Frederick II of Prussia	24 January 1712	17 August 1786	married, 12 June 1733, Elisabeth Christine of Brunswick-Bevern; no issue
Princess Charlotte Albertine	5 May 1713	10 June 1714
Frederica Louise, Margravine of Brandenburg-Ansbach	28 September 1714	4 February 1784	married 1729, Charles William Frederick, Margrave of Brandenburg-Ansbach; had issue
Philippine Charlotte, Duchess of Brunswick-Wolfenbüttel	13 March 1716	17 February 1801	married, 1733, Charles I, Duke of Brunswick-Wolfenbüttel; had issue
Prince Ludwig Karl Wilhelm	2 May 1717	31 August 1719
Sophia Dorothea, Margravine of Brandenburg-Schwedt	25 January 1719	13 November 1765	married, 1734, Margrave Frederick William of Brandenburg-Schwedt; had issue
Louisa Ulrika, Queen of Sweden	24 July 1720	2 July 1782	married, 1744, Frederick of Holstein-Gottorp (later Adolf Frederick of Sweden); had issue
Prince Augustus William	9 August 1722	12 June 1758	married, 1742, Louise Amalie of Brunswick-Lüneburg; had issue, inc. Frederick William II
Princess Anna Amalia of Prussia	9 November 1723	30 March 1787	married secretly 1743, Baron Frederick of the Trenck; had issue
Prince Henry	18 January 1726	3 August 1802	married, 1752, Wilhelmina of Hesse-Kassel (or Hesse-Cassel); no issue
Prince Ferdinand	23 May 1730	2 May 1813	married, 1755, Elisabeth Louise of Brandenburg-Schwedt; had issue

Notes and sources

• Thea Leitner: Skandal bei Hof, Ueberreuter, 1993, ISBN 3800034921

Sophia Dorothea of Hanover House of Hanover Born: 26 March 1687 Died: 28 June 1757
German royalty
Preceded by Sophia Louise of Mecklenburg-Schwerin	Queen consort in Prussia 25 February 1713 – 31 May 1740	Succeeded by Elisabeth Christine of Brunswick-Bevern
	Electress consort of Brandenburg 25 February 1713 - 31 May 1740
	Princess consort of Neuchâtel 25 February 1713 - 31 May 1740
	Princess consort of Orange (disputed) 25 February 1713 - 31 May 1740, title shared 25 March 1734 - 31 May 1740 with Anne of Great Britain and Hanover by agreement between Frederick William I and William IV, Prince of Orange	Succeeded by Anne of Great Britain and Hanover title no longer claimed for consorts of the kings of Prussia and electors of Brandenburg upon the death of Frederick William I

External links

Media related to Sophia Dorothea of Hanover at Wikimedia Commons