Caroline of Berlepsch


Caroline of Berlepsch was a member of the noble von :de:Berlepsch |Berlepsch family and was the third wife of the Elector William II of Hesse-Kassel.

Early life

Caroline was born 9 January 1820 in Bad Hersfeld. She was the daughter of Baron Hermann Ludwig von Berlepsch and Melusine von :de:Kruse |Kruse.

Personal life

On 28 August 1843, she was married to William II, who was 43 years her senior, in Wilhelmsbad. She was his third wife, following the death of his first wife, Princess Augusta of Prussia in 1841, and his second wife, Countess Emilie of Reichenbach-Lessonitz in 1843. This was a morganatic marriage, because she was considered lesser nobility and therefore not befitting for a sovereign Elector. The couple's main residence was Frankfurt, since the elector had in 1830 and virtually abdicated the government to his son, Frederick William I, from his first, non-morganatic, marriage.
In 1844, the Elector elevated Caroline to the "Baroness of Bergen" and in 1846, she received the Austrian title of "Countess of Bergen".

Second marriage

After William's death in 1847, she married again, to Count Charles Adolph of :de:Hohenthal |Hohenthal on 28 October 1851 in Frankfurt. Together with Count Charles, who was born in Dölkau, she had two sons:
Count Charles died on 9 October 1875 in Knauthain. She died 21 February 1877 in Knauthain.