Elisabeth of Hesse, Electress Palatine

Elisabeth of Hesse (13 February 1539 – 14 March 1582) was a German noblewoman, by birth a member of the House of Hesse and by virtue of marriage Electress of Pfalz-Simmern.

Early life

She was born as the seventh child and fourth daughter of Philip I, Landgrave of Hesse and his wife, Duchess Christine of Saxony, daughter of George, Duke of Saxony.

Family

On 8 July 1560 she married Louis VI, Elector Palatine. They had twelve children in just fifteen years, but only four of them survived childhood:

1. Anna Marie (b. Heidelberg, 24 July 1561 - d. Eskilstuna, 29 July 1589), married Charles IX of Sweden
2. Elisabeth (b. Heidelberg, 15 June 1562 - d. Heidelberg, 2 November 1562), died in infancy.
3. Dorothea Elisabeth (b. Jagdschloß Deinschwang, 12 January 1565 - d. Jagdschloß Deinschwang, 7 March 1565), died in infancy.
4. Dorothea (b. Amberg, 4 August 1566 - d. Amberg, 10 March 1568), died in childhood.
5. Frederick Philip (b. Amberg, 19 October 1567 - d. Amberg, 14 November 1568), died in infancy.
6. Johann Friedrich (b. Amberg, 17 February 1569 - d. Amberg, 20 March 1569), died in infancy.
7. Ludwig (b. Amberg, 30 December 1570 - d. Amberg, 7 May 1571), died in infancy.
8. Katharina (b. Amberg, April 1572 - d. Amberg, 16 October 1586), died unmarried.
9. Christine (b. Schloß Hirschwald, 6 January 1573 - d. Zweibrücken, 21 July 1619), died unmarried.
10. Frederick IV, Elector Palatine (b. Amberg, 5 March 1574 - d. Heidelberg, 9 September 1610).
11. Philip (b. Amberg, 4 May 1575 - d. Amberg, 9 August 1575), died in infancy.
12. Elisabeth (b. Amberg, 24 November 1576 - d. Heidelberg, 10 April 1577), died in infancy.

Later life and death

She died (from an illness associated with painless discharge of pus and blood from the intestines, as is evident from Marius' letters and councils to Elisabeth's husband, Elector Ludwig VI) a year before her husband and was buried on April 1, 1582, in the Church of the Holy Spirit (Heidelberg).

Ancestors

Sources

• Cook, Chris; Broadhead, Philip (2012). The Routledge Companion to Early Modern Europe, 1453-1763. Routledge.
• Thomas, Andrew L. (2010). A House Divided: Wittelsbach Confessional Court Cultures in the Holy Roman Empire, C. 1550-1650. Brill.