Marie Charlotte de la Trémoille
| Marie Charlotte de la Trémoille | |
|---|---|
Marie Charlotte de la Trémoille, Duchess of Saxe-Jena, by Johann Michael Breitenbach. Städtische Museen Jena, Stadtmuseum.
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| Duchess consort of Saxe-Jena | |
| Reign | 1672-1678 |
| Born |
26 January 1632 Thouars |
| Died | 24 August 1682 (aged 50) Jena |
| Spouse | Bernhard II, Duke of Saxe-Jena |
| Issue |
Charlotte Marie, Duchess of Saxe-Weimar Johann Wilhelm, Duke of Saxe-Jena |
| Father | Henri III de La Trémoille, Duke of Thouars and of La Tremoille, Prince of Talmond and Taranto |
| Mother | Marie de La Tour d'Auvergne |
Marie Charlotte de la Trémoille (26 January 1632 - 24 August 1682). was a French noblewoman member of the House of La Trémoille and by marriage Duchess of Saxe-Jena.
Born in Thouars, she was the fifth of six children born from the marriage of Henri III de La Trémoille, 3rd Duke of Thouars, 2nd Duke of La Tremoille, Prince of Talmond and Taranto, and Marie de La Tour d'Auvergne.
In Paris on 10 June 1662 Marie Charlotte (aged 30) married Prince Bernhard (aged 23), fourth surviving son of William, Duke of Saxe-Weimar. The wedding was arranged by Duke William with the purpose to strengthen the relations of the Ernestine branch of the House of Wettin with King Louis XIV. However, the negotiations delayed for almost eight months until a bride was chosen; her family was one of the most prestigious of France, where they bore the rank of princes étrangers.
Marie Charlotte moved with her husband to Jena, who was designed by her late father-in-law as Bernhard's eventual inheritance (although he formally assumed the government over his lands only in 1672). They had five children, of whom only one survived to adulthood:
The union was completely unhappy, and shortly after he obtain the overlordship of Jena, Bernhard wanted divorce Marie Charlotte in order to marry his mistress, Marie Elisabeth of Kospoth, one of the ladies of his court, who on 20 September 1672 bore him a daughter, Emilie Eleonore.
However, the Duke's efforts for a legal separation from his wife proved to be unsuccessful, as no theologian or jurist could give him grounds for divorce; however, Bernhard didn't abandoned his mistress and finally in 1674 they were married by a Jesuit priest named Andreas Wigand. Thus, Bernhard became one of the few cases of bigamy among princes. The wedding was null and void shortly after; resigned, Bernhard decided to reconcile with Marie Charlotte, who one year later gave birth the long-waited heir.
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