Frederika Louisa of Hesse-Darmstadt
| Frederika Louisa of Hesse-Darmstadt | |
|---|---|
 |
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| Queen consort of Prussia | |
| Tenure | 17 August 1786 – 16 November 1797 |
| Born | 16 October 1751 Prenzlau |
| Died | 25 February 1805 (aged 53) Schloss Montbijou, Berlin, Prussia |
| Spouse | Frederick William II of Prussia |
| Issue |
Frederick William III Prince Louis Wilhelmina, Queen of the Netherlands Augusta, Electress of Hesse Prince Henry Prince Wilhelm |
| House | Hesse-Darmstadt |
| Father | Louis IX, Landgrave of Hesse-Darmstadt |
| Mother | Caroline of Zweibrücken |
Frederika Louisa of Hesse-Darmstadt (Friederike Luise; 16 October 1751 – 25 February 1805) was Queen consort of Prussia as the second wife of King Frederick William II.
Frederika Louisa was the daughter of Louis IX, Landgrave of Hesse-Darmstadt, and Caroline of Zweibrücken. She was born in Prenzlau. She was the sister of Grand Duchess Louise of Saxe-Weimar-Eisenach, as well as Grand Duke Louis I of Hesse.
She and Frederick William were married on 14 July 1769 at the Charlottenburg Palace, immediately after his divorce from Elisabeth Christine of Brunswick-Lüneburg. Frederick William called her his "Hessische Lieschen", or "Hessian Lizzie".
She became queen of Prussia upon her husband's accession to the throne in 1786, and kept her position for eleven years. The marriage was not happy, and Fredrick had numerous lovers, most notably Wilhelmine von Lichtenau, with whom he had a relationship from the same year he married Frederika Louise until his death. In 1787, her spouse committed bigamy by marrying her lady-in-waiting Julie von Voß, and in 1790, he committed bigamy again by marrying her lady-in-waiting Sophie von Dönhoff. Frederika Louisa was noted for her great generosity, especially to those in need.
From 1788, she spent her summers in Bad Freienwalde, where she was often visited by her children and grandchildren. This greatly contributed to the economic and cultural development of the city. Especially as a Queen Dowager, several buildings were constructed in the city to house her and her court during their stays. In 1799, a summer palace was built for her there by David Gilly.
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