Princess Charlotte of Saxe-Hildburghausen


Princess Charlotte of Saxe-Hildburghausen was the daughter of Frederick, Duke of Saxe-Altenburg and Duchess Charlotte Georgine of Mecklenburg-Strelitz. She was the wife of Prince Paul of Wurttemberg and mother to five of his children.

Early life

Charlotte was the eldest daughter of Frederick, Duke of Saxe-Altenburg, and his wife Duchess Charlotte Georgine of Mecklenburg-Strelitz. She was the second of twelve children. One of her godparents was Catherine the Great of Russia.
Along with her sisters, Therese and Louise, Charlotte was considered quite a beauty. Poet Friedrich Rückert dedicated one of his works, Mit drei Moosrosen, to these three young ladies. The title roughly translates to "Three Moss Roses".

Marriage and children

On 28 September 1805, she married Prince Paul of Wurttemberg in an extravagant wedding, but it was not a happy marriage. They had numerous arguments, and Paul was said to have many mistresses, with whom he had several affairs. However, during their marriage, they had five children:
The couple separated soon after the birth of their fifth child. The idea of divorce was rejected by the King of Württemberg. Charlotte lived in a house called Sovereignty in Hildburghausen. Her eldest daughter, Princess Charlotte, visited her there quite often. Her brother, Frederick, was also a frequent visitor.
Charlotte died at the Royal Palace in Bamberg and is buried in the crypt of the House of Württemberg in Ludwigsburg.
Soon after Charlotte's death, Paul remarried.
Charlotte was the maternal grandmother of Sofia of Nassau, who became the Queen Consort of Sweden.