Princess Amalia of Nassau-Dietz

Princess Amalia of Nassau-Dietz (Anna Charlotte Amalie; 23 October [O.S. 13 October] 1710[1] – 18 September 1777) was a Dutch princess and the wife of Frederick, Hereditary Prince of Baden-Durlach, and mother of Charles Frederick, the first Grand Duke of Baden.

Amalia of Nassau-Dietz
Hereditary Princess of Baden-Durlach
Artist's rendition of Princess Amalia, 1734
Born(1710-10-23)23 October 1710
Leeuwarden, Netherlands
Died18 September 1777(1777-09-18) (aged 66)
Karlsburg Castle in Durlach, Netherlands
Spouse
(m. 1727; died 1732)
Issue
HouseOrange-Nassau
FatherJohan Willem Friso, Prince of Orange
MotherLandgravine Marie Louise of Hesse-Kassel

Life

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Anna Charlotte Amalia was the only daughter of Johan Willem Friso of Nassau-Dietz (after 1702 Prince of Orange) and his wife, Landgravine Marie Louise of Hesse-Kassel. She had a brother, William IV, Prince of Orange (1711-1751).[2] She grew up in Friesland and spoke West Frisian herself. Amalia was often described as quite introvert and often melancholic.[citation needed]

After her marriage to Friedrich of Baden-Durlach in 1727 she moved to Durlach. During her pregnancies, Amalia tyrannized her servants, and because of the princess's many tantrums,[2] rumors circulated at the court of Durlach that she was mentally ill.[citation needed] Friedrich died on 26 March 1732, shortly after the birth of their second child.[2][1] As further evidence of her alleged mental illness, it was charged that she shed no tears at the sight of her husband's corpse.

Her father-in-law, Margrave Karl III Wilhelm, did not want Amalia influencing the new crown prince Karl Friedrich;[citation needed] though mother and son continued to live in Karlsburg Castle in Durlach, Amalia lived the rest of her life in a separate apartment in the castle, shielded from the outside world. The education of her two sons, Karl Friedrich and Wilhelm Ludwig, was taken over by her mother-in-law, Magdalena Wilhelmine of Württemberg.[2]

Marriage and children

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In 1727, Amalia married Frederick, Hereditary Prince of Baden-Durlach (1703–1732).[1][3] They had two sons:

Ancestry

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References

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  1. ^ a b c Les Souverains Du Monde [The Rulers Of The World] (in French). Vol. 2. Paris: G. Cavelier. 1734. p. 364.
  2. ^ a b c d e f Bruggeman, Marijke (20 August 2014). "Amelia van Nassau-Dietz (1710-1777)". Digitaal Vrouwenlexicon van Nederland [nl] (in Dutch). Retrieved 6 June 2024.
  3. ^ Orr, Clarissa Campbell, ed. (2004). Queenship in Europe 1660-1815. Cambridge University Press. p. 222. ISBN 0521814227.