Princess Magdalena Augusta of Anhalt-Zerbst


Princess Magdalena Augusta of Anhalt-Zerbst was, by birth, a princess of Anhalt-Zerbst and, by marriage, a duchess of Saxe-Gotha-Altenburg. She was the maternal grandmother of George III of the United Kingdom.
She was born Princess Magdalena Augusta of Anhalt-Zerbst. Her father was Karl of Anhalt-Zerbst and her mother was Duchess Sophia of Saxe-Weissenfels.

Marriage

In 1696, Magdalena Augusta married her first cousin, Frederick II, Duke of Saxe-Gotha-Altenburg, who had become duke in 1691. The duchess's letters to her husband, kept in the Gotha library, bear witness to a loving and happy marriage. Magdalena Augusta was constantly pregnant during much of her marriage, giving birth almost once a year, but a large number of her children went on to die in early childhood.
Her refusal to let her youngest daughter be taught English after she was promised to the presumptive heir to the British throne shows her rather modest sense. She claimed: " this is completely unnecessary, because since the Hanover family has been on the English throne for over twenty years, the people in England and especially at court have to speak German as often and as well as English. "

Issue

Only nine of her nineteen children survived into adulthood:
  1. Sophie, died in early childhood.
  2. Frederick III, Duke of Saxe-Gotha-Altenburg.
  3. Stillborn son.
  4. Wilhelm, married on 8 November 1742 to Anna of Holstein-Gottorp. Their marriage was childless.
  5. Karl Frederick, died in early childhood.
  6. Stillborn daughter.
  7. Johann August.
  8. Christian, died in infancy.
  9. Christian Wilhelm, married on 27 May 1743 to Luise Reuss of Schleiz. Their marriage was childless.
  10. Ludwig Ernst
  11. Emanuel, died in early childhood.
  12. Moritz.
  13. Sophie, died in infancy.
  14. Karl, died in early childhood.
  15. Fredericka, married on 27 November 1734 to Johann Adolf II, Duke of Saxe-Weissenfels.
  16. Stillborn son.
  17. Magdalena Sibylle, died in infancy.
  18. Augusta, married on 8 May 1736 to Frederick, Prince of Wales. They had nine children; their second child later became King George III of Great Britain.
  19. Johann Adolf.