Princess Ernestine Auguste Sophie of Saxe-Weimar-Eisenach (4 January 1740, in

Weimar Weimar is a city in the state (Germany), German state of Thuringia, in Central Germany (cultural area), Central Germany between Erfurt to the west and Jena to the east, southwest of Leipzig, north of Nuremberg and west of Dresden. Together w ...

10 June 1786, in

Hildburghausen Hildburghausen () is a town in Thuringia in central Germany, capital of the Hildburghausen district. Geography It is situated in the Franconian part of Thuringia south of the Thuringian Forest, in the valley of the Werra River. The town centre ...

) was a princess of

Saxe-Weimar-Eisenach Saxe-Weimar-Eisenach () was a German state, created as a duchy in 1809 by the merger of the Ernestine duchies of Saxe-Weimar and Saxe-Eisenach, which had been in personal union since 1741. It was raised to a grand duchy in 1815 by resolutio ...

and by marriage Duchess of

Saxe-Hildburghausen Saxe-Hildburghausen () was an Ernestine duchy and Imperial Estate of the Holy Roman Empire in the southern side of the present State of Thuringia in Germany. It existed from 1680 to 1826 but its name and borders are currently used by the Distri ...

Life

Ernestine Auguste Sophie was a daughter of the Duke Ernest August I of

and his second wife,

Margravine Sophie Charlotte of Brandenburg-Bayreuth Princess Sophie Charlotte of Brandenburg-Bayreuth (''Sophie Charlotte Albertine''; 27 July 1713 – 2 March 1747), was a German noblewoman member of the House of Hohenzollern and by marriage Duchess of Saxe-Weimar and Saxe-Eisenach. Born in Wefer ...

, daughter of

George Frederick Charles, Margrave of Brandenburg-Bayreuth George Frederick Charles, Margrave of Brandenburg-Bayreuth (19 June 1688 at Obersulzbürg Castle, near Mühlhausen – 17 May 1735 in Bayreuth), was a German prince, member of the House of Hohenzollern, nominal Margrave of Brandenburg-Bayreut ...

. On 1 July 1758, she married in

Bayreuth Bayreuth ( or ; High Franconian German, Upper Franconian: Bareid, ) is a Town#Germany, town in northern Bavaria, Germany, on the Red Main river in a valley between the Franconian Jura and the Fichtel Mountains. The town's roots date back to 11 ...

Ernest Frederick III, Duke of Saxe-Hildburghausen Ernest Frederick III Karl, Duke of Saxe-Hildburghausen (10 June 1727 in Königsberg, Bavaria, Königsberg in Bayern – 23 September 1780 in Straufhain, Seidingstadt), was a duke of Saxe-Hildburghausen. Biography Ernest Frederick was born on ...

(1727–1780). The marriage was arranged at the behest of her aunt the Queen Sophie Magdalene of Denmark. She had been the groom's mother in law during his earlier marriage. Ernest Frederick Charles was heavily indebted and the dowry Ernestine brought in was significant. Carl Barth describes the Duchess as follows: "... apart from a fine half-squint of one eye, she was a beautiful, well-built lady who occupied herself passionately with music (French horn, flute, piano and violin!). She fought, rode, hunted on horseback and on foot like a man, usually in the whole Amazon costume and tightly fitting trousers of deerskin, sitting on horseback Amazon style. She personally led the knightly exercises of the Crown Prince". Christian Friedrich von Stocmeier (d. 1807) was appointed steward. His policies improved the country's tight financial situation, but he could not prevent a national bankruptcy. In 1769 the country was placed under imperial sequestration and a

debit commission A debit commission (German: ''Debitkommissionen'') (from the Latin ''debere'' "to owe") was in the Holy Roman Empire a means to resolve the problems of over-indebted states. These states were usually, but not always, immediate Imperial States. I ...

attempted to consolidate the financial situation. After the death of her husband in 1780 she retired completely. She lived in the so-called house on the market of Hildburghausen and dealt mainly with music.

Prince Joseph of Saxe-Hildburghausen A prince is a male ruler (ranked below a king, grand prince, and grand duke) or a male member of a monarch's or former monarch's family. ''Prince'' is also a title of nobility (often highest), often hereditary, in some European states. The fe ...

exercised guardianship of her son

Frederick Frederick may refer to: People * Frederick (given name), the name Given name Nobility = Anhalt-Harzgerode = * Frederick, Prince of Anhalt-Harzgerode (1613–1670) = Austria = * Frederick I, Duke of Austria (Babenberg), Duke of Austria fro ...

, who was still a minor.

Issue

* Ernestine Friederike Sophie (1760–1776), married in 1776 Duke Francis Frederick Anton, duke of

Saxe-Coburg Saxe-Coburg () was a duchy held by the Ernestine branch of the Wettin dynasty in today's Bavaria, Germany. History Ernestine Line When Henry IV, Count of Henneberg – Schleusingen, died in 1347, the possessions of the House of Henneberg ...

(1750–1806) * Christine Sophie Karoline (1761–1790), married in 1778 Prince Eugene of Saxe-Hildburghausen (1730–1795) *

(1763–1834), Duke of Saxe-Hildburghausen and after 1826 also Duke of

Saxe-Altenburg Saxe-Altenburg () was one of the Saxon duchies held by the Ernestine branch of the House of Wettin in present-day Thuringia. It was one of the smallest of the German states with an area of 1323 square kilometers and a population of 207,000 (190 ...

, married in 1785 Charlotte Georgine Louise of Mecklenburg-Strelitz (1769–1818)

Ancestry

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Ernestine of Saxe-Weimar, Princess 1740 births 1786 deaths

Ernestine Ernestine is a feminine given name. Ernest is the male counterpart of this name. Notable people with the name include: * Ernestine Anderson (1928–2016), American jazz and blues singer * Ernestine Bayer (1909–2006), American athlete * Ernestin ...

Duchesses of Saxe-Hildburghausen Princesses of Saxe-Weimar-Eisenach Daughters of dukes Mothers of Saxon monarchs