Princess Wilhelmine Ernestine of Denmark

Wilhelmine Ernestine of Denmark and Norway
Portrait by Pierre Mignard
Electress Palatine
Tenure	28 August 1680 - 26 May 1685
Born	20 or 21 June 1650
Died	22 or 23 April 1706 (aged 55)
Spouse	Charles II, Elector of the Palatinate
House	Oldenburg
Father	Frederick III of Denmark
Mother	Sophie Amalie of Brunswick-Lüneburg

Wilhelmine Ernestine of Denmark and Norway (Danish: Vilhelmine Ernestine; 20 or 21 June 1650 – 22 or 23 April 1706) was an Electress of the Palatinate. 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 Electorate of the Palatinate. The negotiations of the marriage started in 1669. Wilhelmina Ernestine was betrothed at Sophie Amalienborg Palace in Denmark in the presence of Charles on 24 June 1671. On 14 August, Wilhelmina Ernestine left Denmark with a large Danish retinue for Heidelberg, where 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, 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 Ernestine is not noted to have had any particular interests, she preferred solitude and a reclusive quiet 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 of the Palatinate. 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

Ancestors 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)