Princess Friederike of Hesse-Darmstadt

Friederike was born in Darmstadt, the eldest daughter of Prince George William of Hesse-Darmstadt, second son of Louis VIII, Landgrave of Hesse-Darmstadt, and Countess Maria Louise Albertine of Leiningen-Falkenburg-Dagsburg.

She married Duke Charles of Mecklenburg-Strelitz on 18 September 1768 in Darmstadt.[1] They had ten children together. Two daughters became queens consort as Louise would marry Frederick William III of Prussia and Frederica would marry Ernest Augustus, King of Hanover.

Friederike died of complications resulting from child birth in Hanover, where her husband was field marshal of the household brigade. After her death her husband married her younger sister Charlotte in 1784. In 1794 her husband succeeded to the throne of Mecklenburg-Strelitz as Charles II and in 1815 at the Congress of Vienna, he was raised to the title grand duke.

She died at the age of 29, three days after giving birth to her tenth child, Augusta, who lived just one day. Friederike is buried in the royal crypt of the church of St John the Baptist in Mirow.

Friederike had ten children between 1769 and 1782, six of whom survived to adulthood. Two of her daughters married royalty, Louise becoming Queen of Prussia and Frederica becoming Queen of Hanover.

Issue

Name Portrait Lifespan Notes Duchess Charlotte Georgine Duchess of Saxe-Hildburghausen 17 November 1769 – 14 May 1818 Married in 1785 to Frederick, Duke of Saxe-Altenburg and had issue; Duchess Karoline Auguste 17 February 1771 – 11 January 1773 Died in infancy Duke Georg Karl 4 March 1772 – 21 May 1773 Died in infancy Duchess Therese Mathilde Princess of Thurn and Taxis 5 April 1773 – 12 February 1839 Married Prince Karl Alexander of Thurn and Taxis and had issue; Duke Friedrich Georg 1 September 1774 – 5 November 1774 Died in infancy Duchess Louise Auguste Queen of Prussia 10 March 1776 – 19 July 1810 Married in 1793 to Frederick William III of Prussia and had issue; Duchess Frederica Louise Princess of Prussia Princess of Solms-Braunfels Queen of Hanover 3 March 1778 – 29 June 1841 Married first in 1793 Prince Louis Charles of Prussia and had issue; married second in 1798 to Prince Frederick William of Solms-Braunfels and had issue; married third in 1815 to Ernest Augustus, King of Hanover, and had issue; George Friedrich Grand Duke of Mecklenburg 12 August 1779 – September 1860 Married in 1817 Princess Marie of Hesse-Kassel and had issue; Duke Friedrich Karl 7 January 1781 – 24 March 1783 Died in infancy Duchess Auguste Albertine 19 May 1782 – 20 May 1782 Died in infancy