louise and frederica of mecklenburg-strelitz
Frederica of Mecklenburg-Strelitz

The Year of Louise of Mecklenburg-Strelitz – Frederica of Mecklenburg-Strelitz, An Angel (Part one)

Frederica of Mecklenburg-Strelitz was born on 2 March 1778 in the Old Palace in Hanover as the fifth daughter of Charles II, Duke of Mecklenburg-Strelitz, and Princess Friederike of Hesse-Darmstadt. She was just two years younger than her sister Louise, who would become Queen of Prussia. In addition to Louise, there were two more surviving [read more]

louise of prussia
The Royal Women

The Year of Louise of Mecklenburg-Strelitz – The life and death of Louise of Prussia (Part two)

Read part one here. Louise’s two daughters were taught French, German, and a little English and Russian. They also practised their painting, needlework and maths. They were given instruction in music by the director of the The Hague music school. Frederick had been unhappy with the way his nephews were being raised and was looking [read more]

louise of prussia netherlands
Louise of Mecklenburg-Strelitz

The Year of Louise of Mecklenburg-Strelitz – The life and death of Louise of Prussia (Part one)

On 1 February 1808, Queen Louise gave birth to her penultimate child, a daughter who would be her namesake – Louise. It was Louise’s ninth pregnancy, but little Louise was her sixth surviving child. Queen Louise had been dreading childbirth as she had been stuck in Memel, where the house was too small and there [read more]

Augusta Victoria of Schleswig-Holstein

Lost Kingdoms – Kingdom of Prussia

The Kingdom of Prussia came into being in 1701 in return for an alliance against France in the War of the Spanish Succession. Elector Frederick III of Brandenburg and Duke of Prussia became the first King in Prussia in 1701 and crowned himself King Frederick I on 18 January 1701 in Königsberg. Frederick was married three times. His first wife [read more]

Friederike of Hesse-Darmstadt

Louise of Mecklenburg-Strelitz – Fighting the monster

A young Princess Louise of Mecklenburg-Strelitz was born on 10 March 1776 as the daughter of Charles II, Grand Duke of Mecklenburg-Strelitz and Landgravine Friederike of Hesse-Darmstadt. Louise was particularly close to her younger sister Frederica. She also had two elder sisters, Charlotte and Therese, and one younger brother who survived to adulthood. Her mother died when Louise was just [read more]