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Anna Karolina Orzelska

Anna Karolina
Countess Orzelska
Princess of Schleswig-Holstein-Sonderburg-Beck
Rosalba Carriera - Anna Orzelska.jpg
Portrait by Rosalba Carriera, 1730
Born (1707-11-23)23 November 1707
Warsaw, Poland
Died 27 September 1769(1769-09-27) (aged 61)
Grenoble, France
Burial Saint-Louis Church
Spouse Charles Louis, Duke of Schleswig-Holstein-Sonderburg-Beck
(m. 1730 - div. 1733)
Issue Charles Frederick, Hereditary Prince of Schelswig-Holstein-Sonderburg-Beck
Full name
Anna Karolina Orzelska
House House of Wettin
Father Augustus II of Poland
Mother Henriette Rénard
Full name
Anna Karolina Orzelska

Anna Karolina Orzelska (23 November 1707 – 27 September 1769) was an adventuress and Polish szlachcianka (noblewoman), the illegitimate daughter of August II the Strong, Elector of Saxony and King of Poland, by Henriette Rénard.

The King-Elector August II the Strong met Henriette Rénard in Warsaw on 1706, where her father André Rénard, a wine merchant from Lyon, had a saloon. Most historians agree that at first, Henriette didn't know the true identity of her lover. As a result of the liaison, in November 1707 a daughter was born, Anna Karolina. August did not learn of her existence until a year and half later. Henriette married the Paris businessman François Drian shortly after Anna Karolina's birth and moved to France, where she grew up.

For a long time, the girl lived in Paris with her mother in complete obscurity without the support of her father. However, in 1723, her half-brother, the later Count Frederick Augustus Rutowsky, found her. Anna Karolina followed him on his return to the Dresden court, where the sixteen-year-old beauty was presented to the King. On 19 September 1724, August the Strong officially acknowledged Anna Karolina as his daughter and gave her the title of Countess Orzelska (Polish: Hrabina Orzelska, German: Gräfin Orzelska).

The first time that she appears in a document was on 21 November 1726 during the Diet of Grodno, at which the King personally signed the donation of the Blue Palace to her, which became Anna Karolina's official residence.

Anna Karolina became one of Augustus's most beloved children, not only because of her exceptional beauty, but also because of her improbable and extraordinary resemblance to her father. Without formal intellectual training, she nevertheless proved to be an excellent addition in the court life.

The court of August the Strong had the most scandalous reputation in Europe and encouraged the Countess's behavior, which was considered scandalous according to the official moral of the time. Contemporaries noted her tendency to drink, smoke tobacco, and have numerous affairs. Anna excelled in riding, hunting, and dancing. The Countess frequently appeared in men's clothing and even in military uniform. Some sources alleged that August the Strong made his own daughter his favorite; however, this cannot be proved.


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