Princess Elisabeth Albertine of Saxe-Hildburghausen

Duchess Elisabeth Albertine of Saxe-Hildburghausen (4 August 1713 – 29 June 1761) was a Duchess of Mecklenburg-Strelitz. She served as regent for her son after the deaths in 1752 of her husband and brother-in-law of, respectively, the ducal appanage of Mirow and of the duchy of Mecklenburg-Strelitz.

Biography

Elisabeth Albertine was a daughter of Ernst Frederick I, Duke of Saxe-Hildburghausen (1681 – 1724) and his wife Countess Sophia Albertine of Erbach-Erbach (1683–1742).

On 5 February 1735, Elisabeth married Duke Charles Louis Frederick of Mecklenburg-Mirow (23 February 1707 – 5 June 1752) at Eisfeld, the youngest son of Adolphus Frederick II, Duke of Mecklenburg-Strelitz, and half-brother to Adolphus Frederick III. They became the parents of ten children.

The death of her childless brother-in-law on 11 December 1752, six months after she was widowed, left Albertine as regent of both men's duchies on behalf of her eldest son, Adolphus Frederick IV, until he attained his majority at the age of 14 on 17 January 1753. During that brief period she ruled the Strelitz duchies under the protection of George II of Great Britain, warding off encroachments from Duke Christian Ludwig II, ruler of the Schwerin branch of the House of Mecklenburg.

She died in 1761, shortly before the marriage of her daughter Sophia Charlotte to the Prince of Wales, and was buried at the ducal crypt in Mirow.

Issue

Elisabeth had ten children, including the future Queen Charlotte, consort to King George III of the United Kingdom.

Issue

Name Portrait Lifespan Notes Duchess Christiane 6 December 1735- 31 August 1794 Died unmarried Duchess Caroline 22 December 1736- 22 December 1736 Died in infancy Adolphus Frederick IV Duke of Mecklenburg 5 May 1738- 2 June 1794 Died unmarried Duchess Elisabeth Christine 13 April 1739- 9 April 1741 Died in infancy Duchess Sophie Louise 16 May 1740- 31 January 1742 Died in infancy Charles II Grand Duke of Mecklenburg 10 October 1741- 6 November 1816 Married firstly Landgravine Friederike of Hesse-Darmstadt and had issue; married secondly Princess Charlotte of Hesse-Darmstadt and had issue Duke Ernst Gottlob Albert 27 August 1742- 27 January 1814 Died unmarried Sophie Charlotte Queen of the United Kingdom 19 May 1744- 17 November 1818 Married George III of the United Kingdom and had issue; Duke Gotthelf 29 October 1745- 31 October 1745 Died in infancy Duke George Augustus 16 August 1748- 14 November 1785 Died unmarried

Ancestry