Princess Wilhelmine Ernestine of Denmark

Wilhelmina Ernestine of Denmark
Wilhelmina Ernestine of Denmark, later Electress Palatine. Painting by Johann Georg Wagner.

Wilhelmine Ernestine of Denmark and Norway (Danish: Vilhelmine Ernestine, German: Wilhelmine Ernestine) of Denmark (born 20 or 21 June 1650 – died 22 or 23 April 1706) was an Electress Palatine. She was the third of five daughters of King Frederick III of Denmark and Sophie Amalie of Brunswick-Lüneburg.

Biography

Her aunt, Electress Sophia of Hanover, arranged a marriage between Wilhelmina Ernestine and Sophia's nephew Charles, heir to the Electoral Palatinate. The negotiations of the marriage started in 1669. Wilhelmina Ernestine was betrothed at Sophie Amalienborg Palace in Denmark in the presence of Charles the 24 June 1671. The 14 August, Wilhelmina Ernestine left Denmark with a large Danish retinue for Heidelberg, were the wedding ceremony was conducted on 20 September 1671.

Wilhelmina Ernestine was granted a large dowry from Denmark, and she also received the towns of Germersheim and Oppenheim from her father-in-law, Elector Charles I Louis. During the Scanian War between Denmark and Sweden in 1679-79, Wilhelmine Ernestine loaned funds to her brother to finance the war.

The marriage was very unhappy. Charles had been forced by his father to marry her against his will and disliked the marriage from the beginning. Her shy behavior and physical appearance - she was said to have been somewhat crippled - only widened the distance between them. Wilhelmina Ernestie are not noted to have had any particular interests, she preferred solitude and a reclusive quite life style in contrast to the active social life preferred by Charles, and she reportedly offended him by her pride over her royal status. By 1677, Charles' dislike made his father consider serious plans of a divorce, although these plans were never realized. They had no children.

On 28 August 1680, they became Elector and Electress Palatine. Charles' reign was marked by his dependency on favorites. The Elector died 26 May 1685. As a widow, she lived with her sister, Dowager Electress Anna Sophie of Saxony, at Castle Lichtenburg in Saxony.

Ancestors

Family of Princess Wilhelmine Ernestine of Denmark

16. Christian III of Denmark               8. Frederick II of Denmark                       17. Dorothea of Saxe-Lauenburg               4. Christian IV of Denmark                             18. Ulrich III, Duke of Mecklenburg-Güstrow               9. Sophie of Mecklenburg-Schwerin                       19. Elizabeth of Denmark               2. Frederick III of Denmark                                   20. John George, Elector of Brandenburg               10. Joachim Frederick, Elector of Brandenburg                       21. Sophie of Liegnitz               5. Anne Catherine of Brandenburg                             22. John I, Margrave of Brandenburg-Küstrin               11. Catherine of Brandenburg-Küstrin                       23. Catherine of Brunswick-Wolfenbüttel               1. Wilhelmina Ernestina of Denmark                                         24. Ernest I, Duke of Brunswick-Lüneburg               12. William, Duke of Brunswick-Lüneburg                       25. Sophie of Mecklenburg-Schwerin               6. George, Duke of Brunswick-Lüneburg                             26. Christian III of Denmark (=16)               13. Dorothea of Denmark                       27. Dorothea of Saxe-Lauenburg (=17)               3. Sophie Amalie of Brunswick-Lüneburg                                   28. George I, Landgrave of Hesse-Darmstadt               14. Louis V, Landgrave of Hesse-Darmstadt                       29. Magdalene of Lippe               7. Anne Eleonore of Hesse-Darmstadt                             30. John George, Elector of Brandenburg (=20)               15. Magdalene of Brandenburg                       31. Elisabeth of Anhalt-Zerbst

References

• Dansk biografisk Lexikon / XVIII. Bind. Ubbe - Wimpffen / (in Danish)

Preceded by Charlotte of Hesse-Kassel

Electress Palatine 1680–1685

Succeeded by Elizabeth Amalie of Hesse-Darmstadt