Christine of Saxony


Christine of Saxony was a German noble, landgravine of Hesse. She was the regent of Hesse during 1547–1549.
She was the daughter of George the Bearded, Duke of Saxony and Barbara Jagiellon. On 11 December 1523 in Kassel, she married Landgrave Philip I, Landgrave of Hesse. The marriage was arranged to forge an alliance between Hesse and Saxony and was unhappy; Philip claimed to be disgusted by her and only shared her bed by duty. They had ten children.
Whilst married to Christine, Philip practised bigamy and had another nine children with his other wife, Margarethe von der Saale; in 1540, Christine gave her consent to her husband's bigamy with his lover because of her view upon him as her sovereign. Margarethe von der Saale, however, was never seen at court. During Philip's absence and captivity during 1547–1549, Christine was regent jointly with her oldest son.

Children with Philip of Hesse

  1. Agnes, married:
  2. # in Marburg on 9 January 1541 to Maurice, Elector of Saxony;
  3. # in Weimar on 26 May 1555 to John Frederick II, Duke of Saxe-Gotha.
  4. Anna, married on 24 February 1544 to Wolfgang, Count Palatine of Zweibrücken.
  5. William IV of Hesse-Kassel .
  6. Philipp Ludwig.
  7. Barbara, married:
  8. # in Reichenweier on 10 September 1555 to Duke George I of Württemberg-Mömpelgard;
  9. # in Kassel on 11 November 1568 to Count Daniel of Waldeck.
  10. Louis IV of Hesse-Marburg.
  11. Elisabeth, married on 8 July 1560 to Louis VI, Elector Palatine.
  12. Philip II of Hesse-Rheinfels.
  13. Christine, married in Gottorp on 17 December 1564 to Adolf, Duke of Holstein-Gottorp.
  14. Georg I of Hesse-Darmstadt.

    Ancestry