Her Marriage Was A Sham
Before envying the lives of members of royal families, consider the life of Elisabeth Christine of Brunswick-Wolfenbüttel-Bevern. Sure it’s fun to have a super long and hard to pronounce name, but imagine getting married off to a prince who is completely neglectful. People called her husband Frederick the Great, but as a husband he was definitely not-so-great.
As it turned out, Elisabeth’s husband had a secret that made this marriage doomed from the start.
1. She Had Nobility In the Family
Elisabeth Christine of Brunswick-Wolfenbüttel-Bevern was born on November 8, 1715. Her father was Duke Ferdinand Albert II, and her mother was Duchess Antoinette of Brunswick-Wolfenbüttel. She also had a famous uncle and aunt. They were the Holy Roman Emperor Charles VI and his wife Elisabeth Christine of Brunswick-Wolfenbüttel.
But little Elisabeth risked getting lost in the shuffle.
2. It Was A Busy Household
Elisabeth’s parents had 14 children in all. Now, that doesn't mean the house was full to the rafters. This was a different time, and only 12 of the children lived to be adults. Elisabeth was the third born but managed to outlive most of her siblings.
But this household was just as important as it was full.
3. Her Family Was Important
The household where Elisabeth grew up was not only full of kids, but it was also full of prestige. They were among the families that had the most influence in all of Europe. While this sounds like a great way to grow up, it also had its disadvantages. For one thing, growing up with this much influence meant one thing: Elisabeth would not be getting married for love.
4. It Was No Fairy Tale Wedding
In 1733, Elisabeth Christine of Austria married Crown Prince Frederick of Prussia. If you think this was a fairy tale wedding, hang on to your tiara. This was anything but. First off, the prince had no desire whatsoever to marry Elisabeth. She was nothing like what he was looking for in a spouse.
But there was a terrible reason why he had to marry her.
5. Her Husband Was Gentle
Elisabeth’s new husband had a very scary father. He wanted his son to be all man, but his son seemed to be more interested in softer pursuits, like art and music. While Dad kept trying to get his son interested in military strategy and battles, Prince Frederick kept resisting.
As it turned out, this Prince had a secret.
6. He Did Not Want To Marry Her
When Prince Frederick found out he had to marry Elisabeth, he wrote a letter to his sister. In it, he said that "There can be neither love nor friendship between us". But things were much worse than that. He said he would end his own life rather than marry Elisabeth.
It couldn’t have been easy for such a young bride—and her ego.
7. She Was A Young Bride
Elisabeth Christine knew she had a duty to fulfill for her family. But that probably didn’t make it any easier to enter this marriage of convenience to a man who clearly didn’t like her, all in the name of creating an alliance. Elisabeth was just a teenager on her wedding day, and she probably had little idea about what to expect.
Well, it didn’t get off to a good start.
8. It Wasn’t Your Typical Wedding Night
The wedding took place at Elisabeth’s father’s palace, Schloss Salzdahlum. After the ceremony, Elisabeth spent one hour with her new husband—and what they did was anyone’s guess. What we do know is that after the hour was up, Frederick spent the rest of the night walking around the palace.
This was not a great start to a marriage.
9. She Got An Icy Welcome
Everyone at court knew that Frederick was not keen on the marriage, so when she entered the Berlin court, courtiers followed his lead and gave her an icy reception. One person who did take a liking to Elisabeth was her new father-in-law. Likely, he was just happy to see his son grow up in some small way.
Now Elisabeth had to start making friends.
10. She Didn’t Get Any Help
If Elisabeth Christine was going to win over the court, she was going to have to do it on her own. You see, it was glaringly obvious how Frederick felt about his wife. His aloof behavior was palpable. This didn't help when it came to Elisabeth attaining any authority she would need to be the head of court.
But then, in an unexpected turn, Frederick saw how Elisabeth could be of use.
11. He Used Her
When Frederick saw how his father liked Elisabeth, he got an idea into his head. He could win favor from his father—something he’d always struggled to get—through Elisabeth. He used Elisabeth to get things like money and permission to travel. But there was a dark side to his attention. All the while, he had no intention of being in a true relationship with her at all.
Elisabeth could only hope that things would change when her husband became the king.
12. She Moved Up In The World
In 1740, Elisabeth’s father-in-law, the king, passed and her husband assumed his role. Things certainly did change. But they changed for the worse. She’d lost an ally, and suddenly, Frederick didn't need Elisabeth to help him win favor from his father. Since he felt no love for her, he basically did whatever he wanted.
And what he wanted didn't involve Elisabeth at all.
13. He Left Her On Her Own
One of the most important things for royalty is participation in court. But Frederick wasn’t like most royals. He didn’t care much for court life. He also didn’t seem to want many women around, including his wife. In fact, Frederick spent summers and winters away from Berlin.
This left Elisabeth Christine on her own at court.
14. She Had To Learn
Elisabeth had to quickly learn the ropes of her role in court. Luckily, she had her mother-in-law to teach her. She spent 17 years learning about court life from her. Then, in 1757, her mother-in-law passed on. Now, Elisabeth was the head of one of the most celebrated courts in Europe.
This had to go well.
15. She Was An Entertainer
To keep Elisabeth Christine busy, her husband created a collection of people to become her court. They were there to keep the routine of the court going. With this entourage of people at her side, she welcomed visitors from foreign countries and members of the Prussian aristocracy and had to entertain them.
But she also paid attention to herself.
16. She Loved Fashion
During her time as queen consort, Elisabeth got a reputation as a style icon. She managed to follow trends in fashion, and so did her husband. Even though their marriage was more or less in name only, they did manage to coordinate their outfits on some occasions. This drove the crowds frantic with delight.
Against all odds, Elisabeth was slaying when it came to holding court. And the rest of Europe was starting to notice.
17. She Was Among The Best
As Elisabeth Christine got better and better at throwing parties, people couldn't help but compare her to other royals. You see, each court had its own reputation. The London court was famous for being boring, and Versailles for being strict. The court in Vienna was apparently chaotic, and Saint Petersburg was cutthroat. Elisabeth’s court at the Berlin Palace seemed to be winning and became known for its lavish and ostentatious parties.
But there was something missing.
18. She Did It By Herself
Elisabeth had really taken to her duties as the head of court. But beside her, there was something missing: her husband. Frederick didn’t usually attend court, and he had his own summer and winter homes. So Elisabeth was on her own hosting, and presenting operas, dinners, balls, and other celebrations.
Some of the things he missed were downright scandalous.
19. She Had To Celebrate Alone
Between 1741 and 1762, Elisabeth Christine certainly had her share of birthdays. I’m guessing one per year. Well, her husband wasn’t as good at calculating, as he only managed to show up for two of her birthdays during this period. Worse still, he sometimes didn’t even show up for his own birthday celebration.
But Frederick wasn't the only AWOL member of the royal family.
20. She Had The House To Herself
The strange thing was, Elisabeth was actually the only member of the royal family living in the huge Berlin Palace. If that wasn’t big and lonely enough, she also had a summer place called Schönhausen Palace just outside the city. Frederick had kindly restored this building from its previous use as offices.
Clearly, this was not a typical marriage.
21. They Led Separate Lives
So, Elisabeth had her summer home, and Frederick had his. You’d think they could spend some good quality time in each other’s opulent places. But no. Frederick never bothered to visit Elisabeth at Schönhausen Palace. Worse still, he never even invited her to visit him at his summer home.
But there could be a very good reason she never got the invite.
22. She Wasn’t Welcome
Frederick liked to keep Elisabeth far from his private residences, and there is evidence of a good reason. Apparently, his taste in art had a racy slant to it. So, it might be a little awkward for Elisabeth to be walking around his collection of paintings of scantily clad figures on the walls.
Keeping Elisabeth away from his private homes is one thing, but Frederick did something even worse.
23. She Didn’t Make The Guest List
When Frederick had a new wing built at Charlottenburg Palace, he organized an inauguration. Apparently, tickets were hard to come by, and even his dear wife didn’t manage to score one. The same goes for Frererick’s celebration for his mother. The organizers didn’t even put Elisabeth on the guest list.
Frederick had always been fairly generous when it came to handing over the cash needed to throw a decent party. But then this changed.
24. She Had To Make Do
As time went on, Frederick was not so forthcoming with the cash that his wife Elisabeth Christine needed for her over-the-top events. As the cash for parties dried up, so did the grandeur of the events. People started gossiping about how the glamor had gone out of Elisabeth’s galas.
It got so bad that Elisabeth was the brunt of a rather cruel joke.
25. They Teased Her
Elisabeth was trying to keep up appearances while sticking to her husband’s more frugal budget. But people started to notice that things weren't quite up to Elisabeth’s usual standards. A joke started circulating that went like this. If you saw an old lamp shining on the staircase, it meant the queen was throwing one of her parties.
Well, Elisabeth was about to have more to worry about than parties.
26. He Went Away For a Long Time
In 1756, a battle started that involved many countries. For Prussians, it meant they were battling with Great Britain against France and Austria. Of course, this meant that Frederick would have a great excuse to stay away from Elisabeth. The thing was, this battle lasted seven long years.
Elisabeth was going to have to hold down the fort.
27. She Was A Beacon Of Hope
Because Frederick was out of the capital for so many years, the citizens of Prussia turned to her for support. They needed to see that they still had a monarch. They also wanted to feel assured that they would survive this ordeal. When she went out for a public appearance, she received cheers from her citizens.
And then things got scary.
28. She Faced A Dilemma
At one point in the battle, it looked like the Holy Roman Empire would take Berlin. As it turned out, Elisabeth’s husband had left the city vulnerable. More than 5,000 men were heading to Berlin to take it by force. Frederick was off fighting other battles, and suddenly Elisabeth found herself responsible for the people around her.
Her career as a party planner wasn’t going to help her now.
29. She Was Under Attack
The invaders arrived at the gates of Berlin on October 16, 1757. It looked as though the attackers outnumbered the people inside the gates. Everyone looked to Elisabeth Christine for a way out of this predicament. Usually, her husband would be handling the difficult decision, and now the country all looked to her for an answer.
It was a lot of pressure.
30. She Decided To Flee
Elisabeth had to think quickly, and what she came up with was an evacuation. The entire royal family would flee to Spandau, where they would be safe. The invaders then asked for a ransom. They wanted cash and, strangely enough, 12 pairs of gloves for Empress Maria Theresa. Elisabeth paid up and diverted a disaster.
You’d think that her husband would be proud of her. Not a chance.
31. She Was Loyal To A Fault
If Elisabeth did get revenge on her husband for his rudeness and neglect, there’s no record of it. She was completely loyal to her country and to her husband. People saw her as pious, kind, and a hard-working queen for her country and court. She also had a kind heart.
32. She Gave To Charity
Elisabeth Christine had a pretty hefty allowance, but she was not one to keep it all to herself. At one point in her life, she actually gave more than half of her allowance away. She said that she gave her money away because "God has graciously kept me”.
And then she focused her charity on one very needy person.
33. She Was Motherly
While Elisabeth Christine never had any children of her own, she did have a nurturing spirit. When young Princess Frederica Charlotte’s mother ended up behind bars for infidelity, Elisabeth came to the rescue as a replacement mom. Apparently, Frederica Charlotte had a happy childhood with Elisabeth, and the two stayed in contact over the years.
Elisabeth also had a literary side to her.
34. She Was A Writer
Elisabeth was a fan of political literature, and she wanted the texts in her own language. She took it upon herself to do translations of these books. Sadly, she had to use a pseudonym—Constance—as writing was an activity fit for a queen. Some of her titles even found their way to the royal library.
With all these things going for her, her husband still showed no interest in her.
35. They Never Got Together
As the years went on, nothing much changed as far as Elisabeth’s relationship with her husband went. They rarely saw each other. As he aged, Frederick became more isolated from even his friends. He seemed to prefer the company of his Italian greyhounds. He even called them his “marquises de Pompadour,” referring to the famous French royal mistress.
As he aged, he suffered from asthma and gout. It looked like Elisabeth would outlive her husband.
36. She Received A Final Insult
In the summer of 1786, Frederick passed sitting in a chair at his summer residence. His final insult to his wife Elisabeth Christine was a doozy. He wanted his resting place to be next to his dogs. And he didn’t stop there. It would be at Sanssouci, a home that he had never invited Elisabeth to.
It would take a very humble person not to take these insults to heart.
37. She Felt His Loss
You wouldn’t blame Elisabeth for harboring a grudge against her husband. After all, she’d stood by him, and he chose to go to eternity next to his dogs instead of her. But after his passing, Elisabeth did indeed feel his loss. When she spoke about him, she called him "this dear prince whom I love and adore” or sometimes simply “Our dear king”.
With the king gone, Elisabeth’s role would be uncertain.
38. She Remained Popular
Remember, the only thing that connected Elisabeth to Prussia was the man she’d married, and we know how he felt about her. Once the king was gone, there was no telling what the public would feel about Elisabeth. Luckily, Elisabeth remained popular, and the people openly displayed their sympathy for her loss.
But Elisabeth still needed to get something off her chest.
39. She Aired A Complaint
In her comments after his passing, she spoke of her husband’s assets. That he was “the true father of his people”. She had some complaints to air as well—but not about his attitude, his temperament, or his treatment of her, surprisingly enough. Even though he’d been awful to her, her complaints were in defense of him: She complained about the false friends her husband had.
The ones who “separated him from those who were devoted to him heart and soul”. It was her last chance to complain about having an absent husband. And, equally as surprisingly, it turned out that Frederick had appreciated his wife’s loyalty.
40. She Was Set For Life
With the king gone, Elisabeth now had to think about her future. She was the queen dowager, but what did this mean for her finances? The king’s will left her her usual allowance—plus 10,000 thalers extra. She would also be able to live in whichever royal palace she chose. Frederick made sure that she would always have firewood, games, and something to drink. She was set for life.
But then her husband’s replacement came along.
41. She Dealt With His Replacement
The man who replaced her husband as king was Frederick William II, who was the king’s nephew. It couldn’t have been easy for Elisabeth to watch as he was a very different man compared to her husband. He was a wild one who married twice and had multiple mistresses.
But this king would turn to Elisabeth in his hour of need.
42. She Was A Consultant
During the reign of her nephew, Elisabeth still had some influence. It seemed that Frederick William II needed some pointers on how to run a country. When he was in need of sage advice, it was Elisabeth that he turned to. As it turned out, he turned to her a lot.
Maybe too much.
43. She Was Still Number One
It soon became clear that Elisabeth Christine remained an important part of the Prussian Empire. Her vast experience as a queen consort and dowager had given her great knowledge. Some believe that she held even more influence than the queen at the time. She certainly continued to be the center of the royal family.
Elisabeth’s hard work had earned this position, but her husband had actually helped make this happen.
44. He Had Her Back
Elisabeth’s husband, Frederick, was probably up there amongst the most neglectful husbands in history. But when his life was coming to an end, he didn't forget his wife. In addition to the financial rewards, he also put something else in writing. He insisted that his nephew, the new king, respect her and her position.
Now, Elisabeth was living her last days. They would not be easy.
45. She Lived Through Some Hard Times
Elisabeth outlived her husband by more than a decade. During these years, she had to face some tough times. She lived through the French Revolution, and she had to endure the horrible days of Napoleon Bonaparte. All this added up to a long life. By the end of it, she was ready to go.
46. She Didn’t Want To Live
1796 marked the passing of the King’s nephew, Prince Louis Charles. It was also around the time that Elisabeth seemed to give up on life. She was old and getting ill. She said that she had lived long enough, and it would be “better with me above”. On January 13, 1797, at the ripe age of 81, she passed on. Her last words were to her attendants. She said, “I know you will not forget me”.
To keep her memory alive, they sang her praises.
47. She Was Truly Majestic
When it came time to remember Elisabeth, there was a grand outpouring of kind words. At her funeral, these sentiments included words like "truly majestic” and “noble”. They praised her for her charitable acts and “active exertions both for the religion, education, hearts, manners, and happiness of all classes.”
She was a class act to the end. But then, why had her husband detested her so?
48. She Wasn’t the Problem
As it turned out, the problem between Frederick the Great and Elisabeth wasn’t really with Elisabeth. The problem was that Frederick preferred men over women. And beyond his close relationship to his sister, there’s no evidence he ever even had a female friend, let alone lover. He just didn’t have it in him to befriend his own wife.
And because of his predilection, Frederick would be coming to this marriage with a considerable amount of PTSD.
49. She Was Walking Into a Mess
Elisabeth’s husband-to-be had lived through an extraordinarily violent episode. In his youth, Frederick had decided to run off with his male lover, and his father found out. Dad was beyond angry, and his punishment was unbearably cruel. Frederick had to watch as executioners beheaded his lover. It was this kind of family that Elisabeth walked into—when she was just 17 years old.
She never stood a chance to share a life with her husband—and absence certainly did not make the heart grow fonder, in his case.
50. She Received An Insult
During the Seven Years’ War, Frederick was dealing with the battle, and he did not see Elisabeth Christine even once. When he returned and saw her for the first time in six years, he only had an insult for her. He told her she had gotten fat: “Madame has become more stout”.
Worse still, that was the only thing that he said to her before going to talk with his sisters. Ouch.
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