Melusine von der Schulenburg, Duchess of Kendal
| Melusine von der Schulenburg | |
|---|---|
 |
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| Born |
25 December 1667 Emden, Magdeburg |
| Died | 10 May 1743 (aged 75) |
| Title | Duchess of Kendal and Munster |
| Children | Luise Sophie von der Schulenburg Melusina von der Schulenburg Margarethe Gertrud von Oeynhausen |
| Parent(s) | Gustavus Adolphus Baron von der Schulenberg Petronelle Oddie de Schwenken |
Ehrengard Melusine von der Schulenburg, Duchess of Kendal, Duchess of Munster (25 December 1667 – 10 May 1743) was a long-time mistress to King George I of Great Britain.
She was born at Emden in the Duchy of Magdeburg. Her father was Gustavus Adolphus, Baron von der Schulenburg,Privy Councillor to the Elector of Brandenburg, by his wife Petronelle Oddie de Schwenken and a sister to Federic Achatius, Count von der Schulenburg and Hehlen. Her brother was Marshal Johann Matthias von der Schulenburg, and the early feminist Dorothea von Velen was her first cousin. Her middle name was probably given in reference to the Melusine legends.
When a Maid of Honour to the Electress Sophia of Hanover, she became a mistress of the Electoral Prince, George Louis. George Louis succeeded as Elector of Hanover in 1698 and King of Great Britain (as George I) in 1714.
Melusine moved with him to England, and on 18 July 1716 was created for life Duchess of Munster, Marchioness of Dungannon, Countess of Dungannon and Baroness Dundalk, in the Peerage of Ireland. On 19 March 1719 she was further created Duchess of Kendal, Countess of Feversham and Baroness Glastonbury, in the Peerage of Great Britain. In 1723, Charles VI, Holy Roman Emperor, created her Princess of Eberstein. This last creation in particular tended to support the theory that she had married the King in secret.Robert Walpole said of her that she was "as much the queen of England as anyone was" (George's wife Sophia had been kept in imprisonment since their divorce in 1694).
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