Philip William, Elector Palatine

Philip William of Neuburg, Elector Palatine (German: Philipp Wilhelm) (24 November 1615 – 2 September 1690) was Count Palatine of Neuburg from 1653 to 1690, Duke of Jülich and Berg from 1653 to 1679 and Elector of the Palatinate from 1685 to 1690. He was the son of Wolfgang Wilhelm, Count Palatine of Neuburg and Magdalene of Bavaria.

Life

In 1685, with the death of his Protestant cousin, the Elector Palatine Charles II, Philip William inherited the Electorate of the Palatinate, which thus switched from a Protestant to a Catholic territory. Charles II's sister, now the Duchess of Orléans and Louis XIV's sister-in-law, also claimed the Palatinate. This was the pretext for the French invasion in 1688, which began the Nine Years War.

Marriages

Philip William married twice. He first married Princess Anna Catherine Constance Vasa, daughter of Sigismund III Vasa and Constance of Austria. The couple had a son who died at birth. Anne Catherine Constance herself died in 1651.

In 1653 Philipp Wilhelm married Elisabeth Amalie of Hesse-Darmstadt. This second marriage lasted 37 years and was regarded as extremely happy. They had 17 children, including the next two Palatine Electors, John William and Charles III Philip, as well as Elector-Archbishop Franz Ludwig von Pfalz-Neuburg. Many of these children have descendants today. In the early years of their marriage, the couple lived in Düsseldorf, where they founded churches and monasteries.

Issue

Issue

Name Portrait Lifespan Notes Eleonor Magdalene Holy Roman Empress 6 January 1655- 19 January 1720 Married in 1676 Leopold I, Holy Roman Emperor and had issue; Maria Adelheid Anna 6 January 1656- 22 December 1656 Died in infancy Sophia Elisabeth 25 May 1657- 7 February 1658 Died in infancy Johann Wilhelm Elector Palatine 19 April 1658- 8 June 1716 Married first Archduchess Maria Anna Josepha of Austria and had issue; married second Anna Maria Luisa de' Medici and had no issue Wolfgang George Frederik Auxiliary Bishop in Köln 5 June 1659- 4 June 1683 Died unmarried Ludwig Anton Bishop of Worms 9 June 1660- 4 May 1694 Died unmarried Charles III Philip Elector Palatine 4 November 1661- 31 December 1742 Married first Ludwika Karolina Radziwiłł and had issue; married second Teresa Lubomirska and had issue; married third Violante Theresia of Thurn and Taxis, no issue Alexander Sigismund Bishop of Augsburg 16 April 1663- 24 January 1737 Died unmarried Francis Louis Count Palatine Archbishop of Wrocław 18 July 1664- 6 April 1732 Died unmarried Frederik Wilhelm Imperial General 20 July 1665- 23 July 1689 Died unmarried Maria Sophia Elisabeth Queen of Portugal 6 August 1666- 4 August 1699 Married in 1687 Peter II of Portugal and had issue Maria Anna Queen of Spain 28 October 1667- 16 July 1740 Married in 1690 Charles II of Spain, no issue; Philip William August 19 November 1668- 5 April 1693 Married in 1690 Anna Maria Franziska of Saxe-Lauenburg and had issue Dorothea Sophie Duchess of Parma 5 July 1670- 15 September 1748 Married in 1690 Odoardo Farnese and had issue; Hedwig Elisabeth Amelia Princess Sobieski 18 July 1673- 10 August 1722 Married in 1691 James Louis Sobieski and had issue; Johann 1 February 1675- 2 February 1675 Died in infancy Leopoldine Eleonora Josepha 27 May 1679 - 8 March 1693 Died unmarried

Ancestry