Maria Elisabeth of Holstein-Gottorp

Maria Elisabeth of Holstein-Gottorp
Maria Elisabeth of Schleswig-Holstein-Gottorp (1634-1665), Landgravine of Hesse-Darmstadt
Spouse	Landgrave Louis VI of Hesse-Darmstadt
House	House of Oldenburg
Father	Frederick III of Schleswig-Holstein-Gottorp
Mother	Duchess Marie Elisabeth of Saxony
Born	6 June 1634(1634-06-06) Gottorf Castle
Died	17 June 1665(1665-06-17) (aged 31) Darmstadt

Maria Elisabeth of Schleswig-Holstein-Gottorp (6 June 1634, Gottorp Castle – 17 June 1665, Darmstadt), was by marriage landgravine of Hesse-Darmstadt

Life

Mary Elizabeth was a daughter of the Duke Frederick III of Schleswig-Holstein-Gottorp (1597-1659) from his marriage to Marie Elisabeth of Saxony (1610-1684), a daughter of the elector John George I of Saxony.

She married on 24 November 1650 at Gottorp Castle, Louis, who later became Landgrave Louis VI of Hesse-Darmstadt (1630-1678), whom she had engaged on his birthday in 1649. On the occasion of the wedding, the last sword dance in Hesse was performed at a festival in Lollar.

His father drew Louis into the government business in the year after their marriage in 1651. Louis succeeded his father in 1661. Louis tied extensive political relations with Sweden via Maria Elizabeth's sister Hedvig Eleonora Queen of Sweden. Marie Elisabeth had eight children; she died in 1665 in child birth. Her death plunged Louis into deep mourning. He wrote some poems in memory of his wife.

Offspring

From her marriage, Marie Elisabeth had the following children:

• George (1654-1655)
• Magdalena Sybille (1652-1712)

married in 1673 Duke William Louis of Württemberg (1647-1677)

• Sophie Eleonore (born and died 1653)
• Marie Elisabeth (1656-1715)

married in 1676 Duke Henry of Saxe-Römhild (1650-1710)

• Auguste Magdalene (1657-1674)
• Louis VII (1658-1678), Landgrave of Hesse-Darmstadt
• Frederick (1659-1676)
• Marie Sophie (1661-1712)

married in 1681 Duke Christian of Saxe-Eisenberg (1653-1707)

Sources

• Heinrich Zehfu: antiquity of the royal capital Darmstadt, p. 60 (in German)
• magazine for German cultural history, p. 345 (in German)
• Georg Friedrich Teuthorn: extensive history of Hesse, p. 582 (in German)

Vacant Title last held by Sophia Eleonore of Saxony

Landgravine consort of Hesse-Darmstadt 1661 - 1665

Vacant Title next held by Elisabeth Dorothea of Saxe-Gotha-Altenburg