Sophia Dorothea of Celle
| Sophia Dorothea of Celle | |
|---|---|
| Electoral Princess of Hanover | |
Sophie-Dorothea with her children
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| Born |
15 September 1666 Celle, Germany |
| Died | 13 November 1726 (aged 60) Ahlden, Germany |
| Spouse | George I, King of Great Britain (m. 1682; div. 1694) |
| Issue |
George II, King of Great Britain Sophia Dorothea, Queen in Prussia |
| House | Hanover |
| Father | George William, Duke of Brunswick-Lüneburg |
| Mother | Eleonore Desmier d'Olbreuse |
Sophia Dorothea of Celle (15 September 1666 – 13 November 1726) was the repudiated wife of George I, King of Great Britain and mother of George II. The union with her first cousin was an arranged marriage of state, instigated by the machinations of his mother, Sophia of Hanover. She is best remembered for her alleged affair with Philip Christoph von Königsmarck that led to her being imprisoned in the Castle of Ahlden for the last thirty years of her life.
Sophia Dorothea was born on 15 September 1666, the only child of George William, Duke of Brunswick-Lüneburg by his long-term mistress, Eleonore d'Esmier d'Olbreuse (1639–1722), Countess of Williamsburg, a Huguenot lady, the daughter of Alexander II d'Esmiers, Marquess of Olbreuse. George William eventually married his daughter's mother officially in 1676 (they had been married morganatically previously).
There was some talk of marriage between Sophia Dorothea and the (then) future king of Denmark, but the reigning queen was talked out of it by Sophia of Hanover (her future mother-in-law). Another engagement, to the duke of Brunswick-Wolfenbüttel, was broken off after Duchess Sophia convinced her brother-in-law of the advantage of having Sophia Dorothea marry her cousin. This occurred on the day the engagement between Sophia Dorothea and the duke was to be announced.
When told of the change in plans and her new future husband, Sophia Dorothea shouted that "I will not marry the pig snout!" (a name by which he was known in Hanover), and threw against the wall a miniature of George Louis brought for her by Duchess Sophia. Forced by her father, she fainted into her mother's arms on her first meeting with her future mother-in-law. She fainted again when presented to George Louis.
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