Christine of Saxony


Christine of Saxony was a German noblewoman, landgravine consort of Hesse by her marriage to Philip I, Landgrave of Hesse. She was the regent of Hesse during the absence of her spouse in 1547–1549.

Life

She was a daughter of George the Bearded, Duke of Saxony and Barbara Jagiellon. She married Landgrave Philip I, Landgrave of Hesse on 11 December 1523 in Kassel. The marriage was arranged to forge a political alliance between Hesse and Saxony and was unhappy. Philip claimed to be disgusted by her and the "sexual wasteland" of his arranged marriage, said that he only shared her bed by duty and stated that she drank too much. Christine was nevertheless frequently pregnant; she gave birth to ten children in twenty years, nine of whom lived to adulthood.
Whilst married to Christine, Philip had adulterous affairs from as early as 1526 and even practised bigamy. He had another nine children with his other wife, Margarethe von der Saale, one of his sister’s ladies-in-waiting. In 1540, Christine gave her consent to her husband's bigamy with his lover in writing as long as any children had an inferior status, but it was politically disadvantageous and had a negative effect upon the Protestant Reformation. Margarethe von der Saale was never seen at court and her children were barred from any claim to the landgraviate and from inheriting their fathers lands.
During Philip's absence and captivity under Imperial arrest during 1547–1549, Christine was regent jointly with her oldest son. She died before Philip's release in 1552.

Depictions

Lead glazed earthenware stove tiles of Phillip and Christine were excavated in Haapsalu, Estonia, and are held in the collection of the Läänemaa Museum.

Children with Philip of Hesse

  1. Agnes of Hesse, married:
  2. # in Marburg on 9 January 1541 to Maurice, Elector of Saxony;
  3. # in Weimar on 26 May 1555 to John Frederick II, Duke of Saxe-Gotha.
  4. Anna of Hesse, married on 24 February 1544 to Wolfgang, Count Palatine of Zweibrücken.
  5. William IV of Hesse-Kassel .
  6. Philipp Ludwig, died in infancy.
  7. Barbara of Hesse, married:
  8. # in Reichenweier on 10 September 1555 to Duke George I of Württemberg-Mömpelgard;
  9. # in Kassel on 11 November 1568 to Count Daniel of Waldeck.
  10. Louis IV of Hesse-Marburg.
  11. Elisabeth of Hesse, married on 8 July 1560 to Louis VI, Elector Palatine.
  12. Philip II of Hesse-Rheinfels.
  13. Christine of Hesse, married in Gottorp on 17 December 1564 to Adolf, Duke of Holstein-Gottorp.
  14. Georg I of Hesse-Darmstadt.