| Marie Louise of Hesse-Kassel | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
 Portrait byLancelot Volders,c. 1710 | |||||
| Princess consort of Orange | |||||
| Tenure | 1709–1711 | ||||
| Regent of the Netherlands | |||||
| 1st Regency | 1711–1730 | ||||
| Monarch | William IV | ||||
| 2nd Regency | 1759–1765 | ||||
| Monarch | William V | ||||
| Co-Regent | Duke Louis Ernest (1759–1765) | ||||
| Born | (1688-02-07)7 February 1688 Kassel | ||||
| Died | 9 April 1765(1765-04-09) (aged 77) Leeuwarden,Netherlands | ||||
| Burial | Grote or Jacobijnerkerk in Leeuwarden | ||||
| Spouse | |||||
| Issue | Amalia, Hereditary Princess of Baden-Durlach William IV, Prince of Orange | ||||
| |||||
| House | Hesse-Kassel | ||||
| Father | Charles I, Landgrave of Hesse-Kassel | ||||
| Mother | PrincessMaria Amalia of Courland | ||||
Marie Louise of Hesse-Kassel (7 February 1688 – 9 April 1765) was a Dutch regent, Princess of Orange by marriage toJohn William Friso, Prince of Orange, and regent of the Netherlands during the minority of her son and her grandson. She was a daughter ofCharles I, Landgrave of Hesse-Kassel, andMaria Amalia of Courland.
From the end ofWorld War II in 1945 until 2022, Marie Louise and her husband were themost recent common ancestors of all reigning hereditary monarchs in Europe.[citation needed]
Marie Louise is notable for having served asregent for two periods in Dutch history: during the reigns of her young son,William IV, Prince of Orange from 1711 and 1730, and of her young grandson,William V, Prince of Orange, from 1759 to 1765. She was often fondly referred to asMarijke Meu (Aunt Mary) by her Dutch subjects.
Marie Louise was one of seventeen children born toCharles I, Landgrave of Hesse-Kassel, by his wife and cousin, PrincessMaria Amalia of Courland. Two of her siblings included KingFrederick I of Sweden andWilliam VIII, Landgrave of Hesse-Kassel.
On 26 April 1709, Marie Louise was married toJohan William, Prince of Orange. He was the eldest surviving son ofHenry Casimir II, Prince of Nassau-Dietz, andHenriëtte Amalia of Anhalt-Dessau; he had inherited his title in 1702 from the childlessWilliam III, Prince of Orange, due to his descent from bothWilliam the Silent andFrederick Henry, Prince of Orange.
The events behind their betrothal began afterJohan William was almost killed by cannon fire and roundshot on two occasions. His mother,Henriette Amalia, perhaps realizing how vulnerable her son was, quickly began looking for a suitable bride to ensure an heir. In the end, the choice came down to two German princesses. She apparently informed him that he should think of the choice as between two chairs, and that he should choose the most comfortable of the two.[1] Johan duly traveled toHesse-Kassel and became engaged to the 20-year-old Marie Louise within a week. He did not even bother meeting the other candidate. The main factor in this decision was probably that Marie Louise's father was a trusted general under the well-respectedDuke of Marlborough.[1] In addition, marriage to a daughter of theLandgrave of Hesse-Kassel would also have served to strengthen Johan William's place among the other ruling houses.[2]
Marie Louise was not considered attractive, as her features were heavy and her face was dominated by a large nose. She was however very charming, and greeted those of all ranks with natural friendliness and sincere concern for their well being.[3] They had two children before his untimely death by drowning on 14 July 1711, the youngest of whom was born after his death.[4]William Charles Henry Friso's birth was met with great relief by theFrisians, and he automatically inherited the title Prince of Orange.[5]
Since her husband died while she was pregnant, her son William immediately became Prince of Orange upon his birth six weeks later.[4] Marie Louise served as regent for her son from 1711 until he reached his majority in 1731. This regency was granted despite her inexperience with the affairs of her adopted country.
Although she did not have any experience, Marie Louise successfully withstood a series of natural disasters, which included a sequence of bad harvests and severe winters from 1712 to 1716.[6] At the time of her marriage, Marie Louise quickly earned the affection of the Dutch population. She was known as a woman of intelligence and sensitivity, and was often fondly referred to asMarijke Meu.[7][8] She also dealt with a major problem concerningshipworms – parasites that upon arriving on ships from the Far East, proceeded to devour wooden sections of the vital, protective dykes. These damages threatened to collapse the entire dyke system, which would have destroyed vast amounts of land used for farming in the Dutch province of Friesland.[6] The money needed to prevent such an occurrence from happening was hard to raise however; tax obligations to the Hague from this province were seldom realistically reviewed. In order to end the looming starvation, Marie Louise traveled to the Hague and pleaded in person before the States-General for help. She apparently spoke so eloquently that she returned home with not only a remittance on taxation, but also with a sizable detachment of soldiers to help repair the dykes.[6]
After a 1736 visit, Marie Louise maintained a correspondence, in "abominable French," with religious and social reformerCount Nikolaus Ludwig of Zinzendorf and Pottendorf.[9] A deeply religious woman, she provided sanctuary to persecuted Protestants fleeing the Catholic Habsburgs. Despite her son's objections, Marie Louise allowed a group ofMoravians to settle in the barony ofIJsselstein, of which she was baroness.[9]
After her husband died, Marie Louise found herself a 23-year-old widow residing in a foreign country. She became inherently pessimistic and agonized over the affairs of her children. This pessimistic trait passed onto her daughter Amalia as well, causing her to be melancholy and withdrawn her whole life.[5] Her son William inherited her heavy Germanic looks, rather than "the finely etched ascetic looks which his father had shared withWilliam III".[10] William was sickly as a child, and was rigidly disciplined and educated by Marie Louise with great care in the city ofLeeuwarden.[11]
Marie Louise had a good relationship with her son, so that by the time of his coming of age in 1729, she was invited to take equal part in the celebrations. In his youth, she sent him daily letters reminding him to do such things as brush his teeth and get plenty of sleep; he duly responded to each letter patiently.[12]
Marie Louise was described to be frugal, especially in comparison to the excesses of her mother-in-lawHenriette Amalia. Due to this frugality, she was able to give large sums to various charitable causes. On one occasion, a nobleman offered her lavish hospitality; she replied by asking if he did not feel guilty at using money he could have donated to the poor.[6]
Marie Louise's son William marriedAnne, Princess Royal, eldest daughter ofGeorge II of Great Britain, on 25 March 1734 atSt James's Palace inLondon. Upon return of the wedding party to the Netherlands, William had written his mother, warning her that Anne was allowed precedence over Marie Louise because she was his wife and a king's daughter. This warning was hardly needed, as Marie Louise had eagerly exitedPrinsenhof as soon as her son came of age, opting to live in an elegant but unpretentious house inHarlingen. She had long displayed her disinterest in royal technicalities and the royal lifestyle. She welcomed her son and his new wife upon their arrival, but then returned to her quiet house, taking no part in their ceremonious entry.[13]
From 1759 until her death in 1765, Marie Louise also served as regent for her young grandsonWilliam V, Prince of Orange, after the previous regent (his mother and Marie Louise's daughter-in-law,Anne) died. Marie Louise was succeeded as regent byDuke Louis Ernest of Brunswick-Lüneburg and her granddaughterPrincess Caroline of Nassau-Weilburg.
Marie Louise died on 9 April 1765 inLeeuwarden, the capital city of the Dutch province ofFriesland. She outlived her son William by 14 years.
| Ancestors of Marie Louise of Hesse-Kassel |
|---|
| Name | Birth | Death | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Princess Anna CharlotteAmalia | 1710 | 1777 | marriedFrederick, Hereditary Prince of Baden-Durlach; had issue, includingCharles Frederick, Grand Duke of Baden |
| William IV, Prince of Orange | 1711 | 1751 | marriedAnne, Princess Royal; had issue, includingWilliam V, Prince of Orange |
Media related toMarie Luise von Hessen-Kassel at Wikimedia Commons
Marie Louise of Hesse-Kassel Cadet branch of theHouse of Hesse Born: 7 February 1688 Died: 9 April 1765 | ||
| Royal titles | ||
|---|---|---|
| Vacant Title last held by Mary II of England | Princess consort of Orange 1709–1711 | Vacant Title next held by Princess Anne of Great Britain |
