Marie of Brandenburg-Kulmbach

Marie of Brandenburg-Kulmbach
Electress Palatine
Tenure 1559–1567
Born 14 October 1519
Ansbach
Died 31 October 1567
Heidelberg
Spouse Frederick III, Elector Palatine
Issue Alberta
Louis VI, Elector Palatine
Elizabeth
Hermann Louis
Johann Casimir of Simmern
Dorothea Susanne, Duchess of Saxe-Weimar
Albert
Anne Elizabeth
Christopher
Charles
Cunigunde, Countess of Nassau-Dillenburg
Father Casimir, Margrave of Brandenburg-Bayreuth
Mother Susanna of Bavaria

Marie of Brandenburg-Kulmbach (born 14 October 1519 in Ansbach – died 31 October 1567 in Heidelberg) was a Princess of Brandenburg-Kulmbach and by marriage Electress Palatine.

Biography

Marie was the oldest child of the Margrave Casimir of Brandenburg-Kulmbach (1481–1527) from his marriage with Susanna of Bavaria (1502–1543), daughter of Duke Albert IV of Bavaria. After her father's death Marie was raised in the Lutheran faith by her uncle George Frederick.

On 21 October 1537, in Kreuznach, Marie married Frederick of Simmern (b. 1515), later Elector Palatine (1559–1576). The marriage was happy. Marie, who is described as intelligent and religious, influenced her Catholic husband toward Protestantism. In 1546, Frederick finally adopted Lutheranism and assumed the administration of the Franconian territories from his brother-in-law Albert Alcibiades, Margrave of Brandenburg-Kulmbach. Since their family was living in reduced circumstances, Marie repeatedly turned to her uncle Albert of Prussia for financial assistance.

After the death of Marie's stepfather Otto-Henry in 1559, her consort Frederick became Elector Palatine. As Electress, she was closely involved in governmental affairs, though Frederick tolerated no direct interference. She had influence in religious questions, and as a strong Lutheran she was a determined opponent of the Zwinglians.

The Electress spent the last year of her life suffering from gout and was mostly confined to her bed.

She was buried in the Church of the Holy Spirit in Heidelberg.

Descendants

By her marriage, Marie had the following children:

m. (1) 1560 Princess Elizabeth of Hesse (1539–1582)
m. (2) 1583 Princess Anne of Ostfriesland (1562–1621)
m. 1558 Duke John Frederick II of Saxony (1529–1595)
m. 1570 Princess Elizabeth of Saxony (1552–1590)
m. 1560 Duke John William I of Saxe-Weimar (1530–1573)
m. (1) 1569 Landgrave Philip II of Hesse-Rheinfels (1541–1583)
m. (2) 1599 Count Palatine John Augustus of Veldenz-Lützelstein (1575–1611)
m. 1580 Count John VI of Nassau-Dillenburg (1536–1606)

Ancestors

Marie's ancestors in three generations
Marie of Brandenburg-Kulmbach Father:
Casimir, Margrave of Brandenburg-Bayreuth
Paternal Grandfather:
Frederick I, Margrave of Brandenburg-Ansbach
Paternal Great-grandfather:
Albrecht III, Elector of Brandenburg
Paternal Great-grandmother:
Anna of Saxony
Paternal Grandmother:
Sophia of Poland
Paternal Great-grandfather:
Casimir IV Jagiellon
Paternal Great-grandmother:
Elisabeth of Austria
Mother:
Susanna of Bavaria
Maternal Grandfather:
Albert IV, Duke of Bavaria
Maternal Great-grandfather:
Albert III, Duke of Bavaria
Maternal Great-grandmother:
Anna of Brunswick-Grubenhagen-Einbeck
Maternal Grandmother:
Kunigunde of Austria
Maternal Great-grandfather:
Frederick III, Holy Roman Emperor
Maternal Great-grandmother:
Eleanor of Portugal

References

Preceded by
Dorothea of Denmark
Electress Palatine
1559–1567
Succeeded by
Amalia of Neuenahr
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