Today in History - September 15th.1666 - Sophia Dorothea of Celle

Sophia Dorothea of Celle was born on September 15th. 1666 in Celle (Germany).




Sophia Dorothea of Celle - Source picture: Wikipedia


Her parents were George William, Duke of Brunswick-Lüneburg and
his long time mistress Eleonore d'Esmier d'Olbreuse.

Her future husband was a big deal. There were rumors that she had to
marry the later King of Denmark but it never came so far.

Instead she had to marry her cousin George Louis, the later King
George I of Great Britain, which Sophia Dorothea called a pig.

Besides her 'reservation' the wedding ceremony took place on
November 22nd. 1682 in Celle. This marriage really was an unhappy
one. They had two children:

1/ George Augustus, who became King George II of Great Britain;
2/ Sophia Dorothea, who married King Frederick William I of Prussia.

George Louis acquired a mistress and started neglecting his wife. 

In 1688, Sophia Dorothea on the other hand met a Swedish Count called 
Philip Christoph von Königsmarck, who she knew already from the 
time she was 16 and they started to send each other love letters.

In 1692 those letters were discovered by her father-in-law
Ernst August. He sent Königsmarck to the Hanoverian army, which was
in war against Louis XIV of France, but Königsmarck deserted and exiled.

George Louis criticised his wife about her affair and she returned heavy
words to him, they even fought with each other and finally George Louis
putted Sophia Dorothea in prison. There she spent the rest of her life.

Sophia Dorothea died on November 13th. 1726 in Ahlden (Germany), 
where she lived 33 years as prisoner.

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