Elizabeth Charlotte of the Palatinate, Electress of Brandenburg

For the Duchess of Orléans, see Elizabeth Charlotte, Madame Palatine.

Elizabeth Charlotte of the Palatinate (19 November 1597 – 26 April 1660) was an Electress consort of Brandenburg as the wife of George William, Elector of Brandenburg and Duke of Prussia, and the mother of Frederick William of Brandenburg, the "Great Elector".

Elizabeth Charlotte of the Palatinate
Elizabeth Charlotte of the Palatinate (1597–1660) by their court painter Mathias Czwiczek
Electress consort of Brandenburg Duchess consort of Prussia
Tenure	23 December 1619 – 1 December 1640
Born	(1597-11-19)19 November 1597 Neumarkt in der Oberpfalz
Died	26 April 1660(1660-04-26) (aged 62) Crossen an der Oder
Spouse	George William, Elector of Brandenburg ​ ​ (m. 1616; died 1640)​
Issue	Louise Charlotte, Duchess of Courland Frederick William, Elector of Brandenburg Hedwig Sophia, Landgravine of Hesse-Kassel
House	Wittelsbach
Father	Frederick IV, Elector Palatine
Mother	Louise Juliana of Orange-Nassau

Biography

Elizabeth Charlotte was the daughter of Frederick IV, Elector Palatine, and Louise Juliana of Orange-Nassau. Her brother Frederick became famous as the Elector-Palatine and "Winter King" of Bohemia.

In 1616 Elizabeth Charlotte married George William, with whom she had three children.

The marriage was arranged to unite two Protestant dynasties. In 1618, her brother's deposition from the throne of Bohemia caused the Thirty Years' War. Her spouse was described as ambivalent and passive, but Charlotte ensured protection for her sibling when Brandenburg sided against Austria in the affairs of Bohemia and the Holy Roman Empire. At court, she favoured the Protestant party against the pro-Austrian party. She influenced her son to sympathize with the Protestant cause, and he came to have a great affection for his mother, closer than what was usually common during that age. She spent her last years at Crossen, where she died.

Issue

• Louise Charlotte (1617–1676), married Jacob Kettler, Duke of Courland
• Frederick William (1620–1688), the "Great Elector"
• Hedwig Sophia (1623–1683), married William VI, Landgrave of Hesse-Kassel (or Hesse-Cassel)

Ancestry

Ancestors of Elizabeth Charlotte of the Palatinate, Electress of Brandenburg

16. John II, Count Palatine of Simmern 8. Frederick III, Elector Palatine 17. Beatrix of Baden 4. Louis VI, Elector Palatine 18. Casimir, Margrave of Brandenburg-Bayreuth 9. Marie of Brandenburg-Kulmbach 19. Susanna of Bavaria 2. Frederick IV, Elector Palatine 20. William II, Landgrave of Hesse 10. Philip I, Landgrave of Hesse 21. Anna of Mecklenburg-Schwerin 5. Elisabeth of Hesse 22. George, Duke of Saxony 11. Christine of Saxony 23. Barbara Jagiellon 1. Elizabeth Charlotte of the Palatinate 24. John V, Count of Nassau-Siegen 12. William I, Count of Nassau-Siegen 25. Elisabeth of Hesse-Marburg 6. Prince William I of Orange 26. Bodo III, Count of Stolberg-Wernigerode 13. Juliana of Stolberg-Wernigerode 27. Anna of Eppstein-Königstein 3. Louise Juliana of Nassau 28. Louis of Bourbon, Prince of La Roche-sur-Yon 14. Louis III de Bourbon, Duke of Montpensier 29. Louise de Bourbon, Duchess of Montpensier 7. Charlotte de Bourbon-Montpensier 30. Jean IV de Longwy, Seigneur de Givry-Bar 15. Jacqueline de Longwy 31. Jeanne of Angouleme

References

• Ernst Daniel Martin Kirchner: Die Kurfürstinnen und Königinnen auf dem Throne der Hohenzollern, 2. Teil: Die letzten acht Kurfürstinnen, Berlin 1867, S. 182-220 (mit Portrait Elisabeth Charlottes von der Pfalz).
• Erdmannsdörfer: Elisabeth Charlotte von der Pfalz. In: Allgemeine Deutsche Biographie (ADB). Band 6, Duncker & Humblot, Leipzig 1877, S. 15 f.