Sophia Dorothea of Celle
Spouse	George Louis, Hereditary Prince of Hanover (1682 - 1694)
Issue
George II Sophia, Queen in Prussia
Detail Titles
Sophia Dorothea of Celle HSH The Electoral Princess of Hanover HSH The Hereditary Princess of Brunswick-Lüneburg HSH Duchess Sophia Dorothea of Brunswick-Celle
Royal house	House of Hanover
Father	George William, Duke of Brunswick-Lüneburg
Mother	Eleonore Desmier d'Olbreuse
Born	15 September 1666(1666-09-15)
Died	13 November 1726 (aged 60) Ahlden, Germany

Sophia Dorothea (15 September 1666 – 13 November 1726) was the wife and cousin of George Louis, Duke of Brunswick-Lüneburg, later George I of Great Britain, and mother of George II through an arranged marriage of state, instigated by the machinations of Duchess Sophia of Hanover. Image File history File links Metadata Size of this preview: 478 × 600 pixelsFull resolution (815 × 1023 pixel, file size: 688 KB, MIME type: image/jpeg) File historyClick on a date/time to view the file as it appeared at that time. ... George I (George Louis; 28 May 1660 – 11 June 1727)[1] was King of Great Britain and Ireland, from 1 August 1714 until his death. ... George II (George Augustus; 10 November 1683 – 25 October 1760) was King of Great Britain and Ireland, Duke of Brunswick-Lüneburg (Hanover) and Archtreasurer and Prince-Elector of the Holy Roman Empire from 11 June 1727 until his death. ... Sophia Dorothea of Hanover (March 16, 1687 – June 28, 1757) was a Princess of Hanover, being the daughter of Georg Ludwig of Brunswick-Lüneburg (later George I of Great Britain) and Sophia Dorothea of Celle. ... A Royal House or Dynasty is a sort of family name used by royalty. ... The House of Hanover (the Hanoverians) is a German royal dynasty which has ruled the Duchy of Braunschweig-Lüneburg, the Kingdom of Hanover and the Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland. ... George William (German: Georg Wilhelm; 26 January 1624, Herzberg am Harz – 28 August 1705, Wienhausen) was duke of Brunswick-Lüneburg and ruled first over the Calenberg subdivision of the duchy, then over the Lüneburg subdivision. ... is the 258th day of the year (259th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... 1666 is often called Annus Mirabilis. ... is the 317th day of the year (318th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Events George Friderich Handel becomes a British subject. ... Ahlden is a municipality in Soltau-Fallingbostel in Lower Saxony, Germany. ... is the 258th day of the year (259th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... 1666 is often called Annus Mirabilis. ... is the 317th day of the year (318th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Events George Friderich Handel becomes a British subject. ... George I (George Louis; 28 May 1660 – 11 June 1727)[1] was King of Great Britain and Ireland, from 1 August 1714 until his death. ... George II (George Augustus; 10 November 1683 – 25 October 1760) was King of Great Britain and Ireland, Duke of Brunswick-Lüneburg (Hanover) and Archtreasurer and Prince-Elector of the Holy Roman Empire from 11 June 1727 until his death. ... A marriage of state in ancient use is a diplomatic marriage or union between two members of different nation-states or internally, between two power blocks, usually in authoritarian societies and is a practice which dates back into pre-history, as far back as early Greecian cultures in western society... Electress Sophia of Hanover (born Sophia, Countess Palatine of Simmern; 14 October 1630 – 8 June 1714) was the youngest daughter of Frederick V, Elector Palatine, of the House of Wittelsbach, the Winter King of Bohemia, and Elizabeth Stuart. ...

Parentage and marriage

Sophia Dorothea, was born on 15 September 1666, the only child of George William, Duke of Brunswick-Lüneburg by his long term mistress, Eleanor (1639–1722), Countess of Williamsburg, a Huguenot lady, the daughter of Alexander II d'Olbreuse, Marquess of Desmiers. George eventually married his daughter's mother officially in 1676 (they had been married morganatically previously). Sophia Dorothea (15 September 1666 – 13 November 1726) was the wife and cousin of George Louis, Duke of Brunswick-Lüneburg, later George I of Great Britain, and mother of George II through an arranged marriage of state, instigated by the machinations of Duchess Sophia of Hanover. ... is the 258th day of the year (259th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... 1666 is often called Annus Mirabilis. ... George William (German: Georg Wilhelm; 26 January 1624, Herzberg am Harz – 28 August 1705, Wienhausen) was duke of Brunswick-Lüneburg and ruled first over the Calenberg subdivision of the duchy, then over the Lüneburg subdivision. ... Events January 14 - Connecticuts first constitution, the Fundamental Orders, is adopted. ... // Events Abraham De Moivre states De Moivres theorem connecting trigonometric functions and complex numbers Publication of the first book of Bachs Well-Tempered Clavier Fall of Persias Safavid dynasty during a bloody revolt of the Afghani people. ... From the 16th to the 18th century the name Huguenot was applied to a member of the Protestant Reformed Church of France, historically known as the French Calvinists. ... Events January 29 - Feodor III becomes Tsar of Russia First measurement of the speed of light, by Ole Rømer Bacons Rebellion Russo-Turkish Wars commence. ... A morganatic marriage is a type of marriage which can be contracted in certain countries, usually between persons of unequal social rank (unebenbürtig in German), which prevents the passage of the husbands titles and privileges to the wife and any children born of the marriage. ...

There was some talk of marriage between Sophia and the (then) future king of Denmark, but the reigning queen was talked out of it by Duchess Sophia (her future mother-in-law). Another engagement to the duke of Wolfenbüttel was broken off after Duchess Sophia convinced her brother-in-law of the advantage of having Sophia Dorothea marry her cousin. This occurred on the day the engagement between Sophia Dorothea and the duke was to be announced. Electress Sophia of Hanover (born Sophia, Countess Palatine of Simmern; 14 October 1630 – 8 June 1714) was the youngest daughter of Frederick V, Elector Palatine, of the House of Wittelsbach, the Winter King of Bohemia, and Elizabeth Stuart. ...

When told of the change in plans and her new future husband, Sophia Dorothea shouted that "I will not marry the pig snout!" (a name he was known by in Hanover), and threw a miniature of George Louis brought for her by Duchess Sophia against the wall. Forced by her parents, she fainted into her mother's arms on her first meeting with her future mother-in-law. She fainted again when presented to George Louis. , Hanover(i) (German: , IPA: ), on the river Leine, is the capital of the federal state of Lower Saxony (Niedersachsen), Germany. ... George I (George Louis; 28 May 1660 – 11 June 1727)[1] was King of Great Britain and Ireland, from 1 August 1714 until his death. ...

In 1682, Sophia Dorothea married her cousin, George Louis, who inherited the Duchy of Lüneburg after the death of his father-in-law and uncle, George William in 1705, and also later became George I through his mother, Duchess Sophia, a granddaughter of King James I. Events March 11 – Chelsea hospital for soldiers is founded in England May 6 - Louis XIV of France moves his court to Versailles. ... George I (George Louis; 28 May 1660 – 11 June 1727)[1] was King of Great Britain and Ireland, from 1 August 1714 until his death. ... George William (German: Georg Wilhelm; 26 January 1624, Herzberg am Harz – 28 August 1705, Wienhausen) was duke of Brunswick-Lüneburg and ruled first over the Calenberg subdivision of the duchy, then over the Lüneburg subdivision. ... // Events Construction begins on Blenheim Palace, in Oxfordshire, England. ... George I (George Louis; 28 May 1660 – 11 June 1727)[1] was King of Great Britain and Ireland, from 1 August 1714 until his death. ... Electress Sophia of Hanover (born Sophia, Countess Palatine of Simmern; 14 October 1630 – 8 June 1714) was the youngest daughter of Frederick V, Elector Palatine, of the House of Wittelsbach, the Winter King of Bohemia, and Elizabeth Stuart. ... James Stuart (19 June 1566 – 27 March 1625) was King of Scots as James VI, and King of England and King of Ireland as James I. He ruled in Scotland as James VI from 24 July 1567, when he was only one year old. ...

The marriage of George Louis and Sophia Dorothea was an unhappy one. The immediate family of George Louis, especially Duchess Sophia, hated and despised Sophia Dorothea. The desire for the marriage was almost purely financial, as she wrote her niece Elizabeth Charlotte, "One hundred thousand thalers a year is a goodly sum to pocket, without speaking of a pretty wife, who will find a match in my son George Louis, the most pigheaded, stubborn boy who ever lived, and who has round his brains such a thick crust that I defy any man or woman ever to discover what is in them. He does not care much for the match itself, but one hundred thousand thalers a year have tempted him as they would have tempted anybody else.".^[1] George I (George Louis; 28 May 1660 – 11 June 1727)[1] was King of Great Britain and Ireland, from 1 August 1714 until his death. ... Elizabeth, Princess Palatine by Nicolas de Largillière (Château de Chantilly) Elizabeth Charlotte, Princess Palatine (May 27, 1652 in Heidelberg - October 9 or December 8, 1722 at the Château of Saint-Cloud near Paris), known in French as la princesse Palatine and in German as Liselotte von der...

These feelings of contempt were shared by George himself, who was oddly formal to her. She was frequently scolded for her lack of etiquette. The two had loud and bitter arguments. Things seemed better after their first two children (a son named George Augustus born in 1683 and a daughter named after her in 1686). But George Louis acquired a mistress Melusina von Schulenburg and started pointedly neglecting his wife. George Louis' parents asked him to be more circumspect with his mistress (fearful that a disruption in the marriage would disrupt the hundred thousand thalers), he responded by going out of his way to treat his wife brutally. Ehrengard Melusine von der Schulenburg, Duchess of Kendal and Munster Arms of the Duchess of Kendal and Munster. ...

The affair

Sophie-Dorothea of Braunschweig-Lüneburg with her children Georg und Sophie Dorothea

It was under these circumstances that Sophia Dorothea re-made the acquaintance of Philip Christoph von Königsmarck, with whom her name is inseparably associated. The two first met in Celle when he was sixteen. The two flirted innocently, and traced their names on the palace windows with the words "Forget me not." On 1 March 1688 he reminded her of their previous acquaintance, and the two renewed it. George Louis' younger brothers loved the count and brought him to Sophia Dorothea's salon in the evening to cheer her up. For the two years he stayed in Hanover, there was no reason to believe their relationship was anything but platonic. He left for a military expedition to the Peloponnesus in 1690 -- it was a disaster. He returned and the relationship between he and Sophia Dorothea intensified. They began sending each other love letters, and if they are to be believed, suggest that their relationship was consummated. Image File history File links No higher resolution available. ... Image File history File links No higher resolution available. ... Philip Christoph von Königsmarck or Philip Christoph Königsmarck, (March 4, 1665 - July 2, 1694 (?)) was a Swedish count and soldier. ... Celle is a town in Lower Saxony, Germany. ... is the 60th day of the year (61st in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... // Events A high-powered conspiracy of notables, the Immortal Seven, invite William and Mary to depose James II of England. ... Events Giovanni Domenico Cassini observes differential rotation within Jupiters atmosphere. ...

In 1692, the early letters were shown to the newly minted Elector Ernest Augustus (Sophia Dorothea's father-in-law). He decided he did not want any scandal and sent Königsmarck to fight with the Hanoverian army against Louis XIV. Other soldiers were given leave to visit Hanover, but he was not. One night Königsmarck deserted his post and rode for six days to visit Hanover. The day after arriving, he called on Field Marshal Heinrich and, confessing his breach of duty, begged for leave to stay in Hanover. It was agreed, though Heinrich suggested the affair be ended or that Königsmarck leave the country. Ernst August exiled Königsmarck. Events February 13 - Massacre of Glencoe March 1 - The Salem witch trials begin in Salem Village, Massachusetts Bay Colony with the charging of three women with witchcraft. ... Ernest Augustus (German: Ernst August; 20 November 1629, Herzberg – 23 January 1698, Herrenhausen) was duke of Brunswick-Lüneburg and ruled over the Calenberg (or Hanover) subdivision of the duchy. ... Louis XIV King of France and Navarre By Hyacinthe Rigaud (1701) Louis XIV (Louis-Dieudonné) (September 5, 1638–September 1, 1715) reigned as King of France and King of Navarre from May 14, 1643 until his death. ...

George Louis criticized his wife on her affair, and she criticized him for his. The argument escalated to the point that the prince threw himself on Sophia Dorothea and started tearing out her hair, and strangling her -- leaving purple bruise marks. He was pulled off of her by her attendants.

Königsmarck presumably was killed while assisting her in a futile attempt to escape from Hanover. In 1694 the Count disappeared (several guards and the Countess Platen confessed to being involved in his death on their deathbeds); the princess was divorced by her husband and nevertheless imprisoned at Ahlden. She remained in captivity until her death more than 30 years later on 13 November 1726. Sophia Dorothea is sometimes referred to as the "princess of Ahlden." Her two children were the British king, George II, and Sophia Dorothea, wife of Frederick William I of Prussia, and mother of Frederick the Great. , Hanover(i) (German: , IPA: ), on the river Leine, is the capital of the federal state of Lower Saxony (Niedersachsen), Germany. ... Events February 6 - The colony Quilombo dos Palmares is destroyed. ... Ahlden is a municipality in Soltau-Fallingbostel in Lower Saxony, Germany. ... is the 317th day of the year (318th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Events George Friderich Handel becomes a British subject. ... George II (George Augustus; 10 November 1683 – 25 October 1760) was King of Great Britain and Ireland, Duke of Brunswick-Lüneburg (Hanover) and Archtreasurer and Prince-Elector of the Holy Roman Empire from 11 June 1727 until his death. ... Sophia Dorothea of Hanover (March 16, 1687 – June 28, 1757) was a Princess of Hanover, being the daughter of Georg Ludwig of Brunswick-Lüneburg (later George I of Great Britain) and Sophia Dorothea of Celle. ... Frederick William I (German: Friedrich Wilhelm I) (August 14, 1688 – May 31, 1740) of the House of Hohenzollern, was the King in Prussia from 1713 until his death. ... Frederick II (German: ; January 24, 1712 – August 17, 1786) was a King of Prussia (1740–1786) from the Hohenzollern dynasty. ...

Sophia's infidelity to her husband is not absolutely proven, as it is possible that the letters which purport to have passed between Königsmarck and herself are forgeries.

Image File history File links Sophie-Ahlden. ...

Titles, styles, honours and arms

Titles

• 15 November 1666-1682: Her Serene Highness Duchess Sophia Dorothea of Brunswick-Celle
• 1682-October 1692: Her Serene Highness The Hereditary Princess of Brunswick-Lüneburg
• October 1692-1694: Her Serene Highness The Hereditary Princess of Hanover and Brunswick-Lüneburg
• 1694-13 November 1726: Sophia Dorothea of Celle

is the 319th day of the year (320th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... 1666 is often called Annus Mirabilis. ... Events March 11 – Chelsea hospital for soldiers is founded in England May 6 - Louis XIV of France moves his court to Versailles. ... Events February 13 - Massacre of Glencoe March 1 - The Salem witch trials begin in Salem Village, Massachusetts Bay Colony with the charging of three women with witchcraft. ... Events February 6 - The colony Quilombo dos Palmares is destroyed. ... is the 317th day of the year (318th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Events George Friderich Handel becomes a British subject. ...

Issue

George II (George Augustus; 10 November 1683 – 25 October 1760) was King of Great Britain and Ireland, Duke of Brunswick-Lüneburg (Hanover) and Archtreasurer and Prince-Elector of the Holy Roman Empire from 11 June 1727 until his death. ... is the 314th day of the year (315th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Events June 6 - The Ashmolean Museum opens as the worlds first university museum. ... is the 298th day of the year (299th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... 1760 was a leap year starting on Tuesday (see link for calendar). ... is the 234th day of the year (235th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... // Events Construction begins on Blenheim Palace, in Oxfordshire, England. ... Caroline of Ansbach (later Queen Caroline; Wilhelmina Charlotte Caroline; 1 March 1683 – 20 November 1737) was the queen consort of George II. // Margravine Caroline of Brandenburg-Ansbach was born on 1 March 1683, at Ansbach in Germany, the daughter of Johann Friedrich, Margrave of Brandenburg-Ansbach and his second wife... Sophia Dorothea of Hanover (March 16, 1687 – June 28, 1757) was a Princess of Hanover, being the daughter of Georg Ludwig of Brunswick-Lüneburg (later George I of Great Britain) and Sophia Dorothea of Celle. ... March 26 is the 85th day of the year (86th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Events March 19 - The men under explorer Robert Cavelier de La Salle murder him while searching for the mouth of the Mississippi River. ... is the 179th day of the year (180th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... 1757 was a common year starting on Saturday (see link for calendar). ... is the 332nd day of the year (333rd in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Events March 27 - Concluding that Emperor Iyasus I of Ethiopia had abdicated by retiring to a monastery, a council of high officials appoint Tekle Haymanot I Emperor of Ethiopia May 23 - Battle of Ramillies September 7 - The Battle of Turin in the War of Spanish Succession - forces of Austria and... Frederick William I of Prussia (in German: Friedrich Wilhelm I), of the House of Hohenzollern (August 14, 1688 - May 31, 1740), often known as the Soldier-King, reigned as King of Prussia (1713 - 1740). ...

Footnotes

1. ^ Herman, Eleanor: Sex with the Queen, page 100. William Morrow, 2006

Authorities

• Briefwechsel des Grafen Konigsmark and der Prinzessin Sophie Dorothea von Celle, edited by WF Palmblad (Leipzig, 1847)*AFH Schaumann, Sophie Dorothea Prinzessin von Ahlden, and Kurfurstin Sophie von Hannover (Hanover, 1878)
• CL von Pöllnitz, Histoire secrette de la duchesse d'Hanovre (London, 1732)
• WH Wilkins, The Love of an Uncrowned Queen (London, 1900)
• A Kocher, "Die Prinzessin von Ahlden," in the Historische Zeitschrift (Munich, 1882)
• Vicomte H de Beaucaire, Une Misalliance dans la maison de Brunswick (Paris, 1884)
• AD Greenwood, Lives of the Hanoverian Queens of England (1909), vol. i.
• A Weir, Britain's Royal Families - The Complete Genealogy(2002)

Karl Ludwig, Freiherr von Pöllnitz (February 25, 1692 - June 23, 1775), German adventurer and writer, was born at Issum. ...

References

• Herman, Eleanor. Sex with the Queen. New York, HarperCollins, 2006. ISBN 0-06-084673-9

This article incorporates text from the Encyclopædia Britannica Eleventh Edition, a publication now in the public domain. Encyclopædia Britannica, the eleventh edition The Encyclopædia Britannica Eleventh Edition (1910–1911) is perhaps the most famous edition of the Encyclopædia Britannica. ... The public domain comprises the body of all creative works and other knowledge—writing, artwork, music, science, inventions, and others—in which no person or organization has any proprietary interest. ...