Karoline von Schlotheim


Karoline von Schlotheim was a German noblewoman who was the third and final mistress of William I, Elector of Hesse from 1788 until 1811.

Life

Karoline was the daughter of General Heinrich Christian Wilhelm von Schlotheim and his wife, Friederike Most von Wilhelmsthal. In 1788, she was kidnapped against her will by William I, Elector of Hesse, who made her his mistress, replacing Rosa Dorothea Ritter. Karoline fled, but she was returned to the elector by her parents and later agreed to the relationship.
On 14 May 1788, William made Karoline Countess of Schlotheim, after which she used the salutation "high and well-born", and built the Löwenburg for her in 1793. William treated Karoline like his consort, and she had considerable influence, including political influence, on him and the development of the country. In 1807, she followed her de facto husband into exile and lived with him in Itzehoe, where she gave birth to their last child.
On 2 May 1811, Karoline received the title Countess of Hessenstein, which all her surviving children with the elector also received after their legitimization.

Issue

With William I, Elector of Hesse, Karoline had 13 children, only five of whom lived to adulthood:
  • Wilhelm Friedrich von Hessenstein, died in infancy
  • Wilhelm Karl von Hessenstein, canon of Minden, Halberstadt and Cammin, Mecklenburg-Schwerin Real Privy Councilor. He married Countess Angelika von der Osten-Sacken.
  • Ferdinand von Hessenstein, died in childhood
  • Karoline Frederike Auguste von Hessenstein, died in childhood
  • Auguste Wilhelmine von Hessenstein, died in childhood
  • Ludwig Karl von Hessenstein, Prussian chamberlain. In 1818, he married Countess Auguste Wilhelmine von Pückler-Groditz.
  • Friederike Auguste von Hessenstein, married Wilhelm von Steuber
  • Wilhelm Ludwig Georg von Hessenstein, Electoral Hessian Chamberlain. He first married Luise von dem Bussche-Hünnefeld and secondly Karoline Wolff von Gudenberg.
  • Friedrich Ludwig von Hessenstein, died in childhood
  • Karoline von Hessenstein. In 1822, she married Carl von Stenglin.
  • stillborn child
  • stillborn child
  • stillborn son