Princess Louise of Saxe-Hildburghausen


Princess Charlotte Luise Friederike Amalie Alexandrine of Saxe-Hildburghausen, full German name: Charlotte Luise Friederike Amalie Alexandrine, Prinzessin von Sachsen-Hildburghausen was a member of the House of Saxe-Hildburghausen and a Princess of Saxe-Hildburghausen by birth. Through her marriage to William, Duke of Nassau, Louise was also a member of the House of Nassau-Weilburg and Duchess consort of Nassau. Louise was briefly Princess consort of Nassau-Weilburg in 1816.

Family

Louise was the seventh child of Frederick, Duke of Saxe-Hildburghausen and his wife Duchess Charlotte Georgine of Mecklenburg-Strelitz. One of her godparents were her aunt, Louise of Mecklenburg-Strelitz, Queen consort of Kingdom of Prussia. Louise and her sister Therese were considered very beautiful, and were the subject of the Friedrich Rückert poem “Mit drei Moosrosen."

Marriage and issue

In 1809, Ludwig, Crown Prince of Bavaria visited Schloss Hildburghausen to choose his bride. Ludwig chose between Louise and Therese and finally selected Therese. Louise married William, Duke of Nassau, eldest son of Frederick William, Prince of Nassau-Weilburg and his wife Burgravine Louise Isabelle of Kirchberg, on 24 June 1813 in Weilburg. To honor the occasion of their marriage, the Civil Guard of Weilberg and Samuel Luja composed the "Cantate am Feste der Heimführung des Erbprinzen Wilhelm von Nassau mit der Prinzessin Louise von Sachsen-Hildburghausen."
Louise and William had eight children:
The marriage was an unhappy one. Louise's husband was not only autocratic in politics, but also with regard to his family circle and bullied his wife and children.
Louise died in 1825 shortly after the birth of her youngest daughter, Marie. Following her death, Louise's husband married her sister Charlotte's daughter Princess Pauline of Württemberg. The Luisenplatz and Luisenstraße in Wiesbaden are named for Louise.

Titles and styles

Literature