Agnes of Hesse

Agnes of Hesse
Electress of Saxony
Duchess of Saxony
Born (1527-05-31)31 May 1527
Marburg
Died 4 November 1555(1555-11-04) (aged 28)
Weimar
Spouse Maurice, Elector of Saxony
John Frederick II, Duke of Saxony
Issue Anna, Princess of Orange
Prince Albert
House House of Hesse
Father Philip I, Landgrave of Hesse
Mother Christine of Saxony
Religion Protestantism

Agnes of Hesse (31 May 1527 4 November 1555) was a princess of Hesse by birth and by marriage Electress of Saxony.

Life

Agnes was a daughter of Landgrave Philip of Hesse and his first wife Christine of Saxony. She married the Duke and later Elector Maurice of Saxony on 9 January 1541. From this marriage, she had two children: Anna of Saxony (born: 23 December 1544 – died 18 December 1577) and Albert (born: 28 November 1545 – died: 12 April 1546). The marriage between the two was not arranged by their parents but was initiated by Maurice and Agnes themselves, which at the time was highly unusual. Their surviving letters document the continuing friendship and mutual trust between the spouses. Agnes was also informed about the political plans of her husband. After her mother Christine's death in 1549, she took on the education of her younger siblings. Elector Maurice died on 9 July 1553 from his injuries in the battle of Sievershausen.

On 26 May 1555, Agnes married her second husband, Duke John Frederick II of Saxony. She was already of poor health at the time, and died six months later from a miscarriage. In the choir of the church St. Peter und Paul in Weimar, however, an unknown author states her death was due to poisoning. We can only speculate about the actual cause of her death. The fact that Agnes of Hesse had married into a rival family is consistent with the murder theory: members of the Albertine branch of the House of Wettin may have suspected her of revealing state secrets to the rival Ernestine branch.[1]

References

Footnotes

  1. Thüringische Landeszeitung of 28 April 2009, page 2, "Wurde die Kurfürstin ermordet?", article by Karl Braun, reporting on a thematic guided tour of Weimar with Dieter Kunkel (the theme was Crimes and serious tales) on 25 April 2009 in the St. Peter and Paul church in Weimar
Agnes of Hesse
Born: 31 May 1527 Died: 4 November 1555
German royalty
Preceded by
Catherine of Mecklenburg
Duchess consort of Saxony
(Albertine)

18 August 1541 24 April 1547
Succeeded by
Sybille of Cleves
Preceded by
Sybille of Cleves
Electress consort of Saxony
24 April 1547 24 April 1547
Succeeded by
Anne of Denmark
Preceded by
Catherine of Mecklenburg
Duchess consort of Saxony
(Ernestine)

26 May 1555 4 November 1555
Vacant
Title next held by
Elisabeth of the Palatinate
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