Emilie of Saxony

Emilie of Saxony
Margravine of Brandenburg-Ansbach
Lucas Cranach the Elder - Emilie of Saxony, detail of a painting from 1535, oil on a poplar panel, Kunsthistorisches Museum, Vienna
Tenure	1536–1543
Born	27 July 1516 Freiberg
Died	9 April 1591 (aged 74) Ansbach
Spouse	George, Margrave of Brandenburg-Ansbach
House	House of Wettin
Father	Henry IV, Duke of Saxony
Mother	Catherine of Mecklenburg
Religion	Lutheranism

Emilie of Saxony (27 July 1516 – 9 April 1591) was the third wife of Margrave George the Pious of Brandenburg-Ansbach. Since his two earlier wives died before his accession, she was the only one to enjoy the title Margravine.

Life

Emilie was the daughter of the Duke Henry IV of Saxony and his wife Catherine of Mecklenburg. She was a member of the House of Wettin.

On 25 August 1533 she married the much older George of Brandenburg, the future Margrave of Brandenburg-Ansbach, who had been recognized as the duke of Silesia. He also administered Brandenburg-Kulmbach on behalf of Albert, the son of his deceased brother Casimir. The marriage produced the heir he had hoped for: George Frederick, later Margrave of Brandenburg-Ansbach.

After the death of her husband in 1543, Emilie was the legal guardian of her minor son George Frederick until 1556. She provided him with his profound and humanistic education. However, the regency of Brandenburg-Ansbach was administered jointly by the reigning Electors of Saxony, Electors of Brandenburg, and the Landgrave of Hesse, Philip I.

Emilie was described as wise, virtuous and pious. She was a strict Lutheran and actively opposed Catholicism in the territories of her husband and son.^[1] In later life she retired to her widow seat.

Offspring

Her children with George were the following

• Sophie (1535–1587)

married in 1560 Duke Henry XI of Legnica (1539–1588)

• Barbara (1536–1591)
• Dorothy Catherine (1538–1604)

married in 1556 Henry V, Burgrave of Plauen, Burgrave of Meissen

• George Frederick (1539–1603), Margrave of Brandenburg-Ansbach

married first, in 1558, Princess Elisabeth of Brandenburg-Küstrin (1540–1578)

secondy, in 1579, Princess Sophie of Brunswick-Lüneburg (1563–1639)

Ancestors

Ancestors of Emilie of Saxony

16. Frederick I of Saxony               8. Frederick II of Saxony                       17. Catherine of Brunswick-Lüneburg               4. Albert III of Saxony                             18. Ernest of Austria               9. Margaret of Austria-Styria                       19. Cymburgis of Masovia               2. Henry IV of Saxony                                   20. Victor of Kunštát and Poděbrady               10. George of Poděbrady                       21. Anna of Wartenberg               5. Sidonie of Poděbrady                             22. Adlige Smil of Sternberg               11. Kunigunde of Sternberg                       23. Barbara of Pardubitz               1. Emilie of Saxony                                         24. John IV of Mecklenburg               12. Henry IV of Mecklenburg                       25. Catherine of Saxe-Lauenburg               6. Magnus II of Mecklenburg                             26. Frederick I of Brandenburg               13. Dorothea of Brandenburg                       27. Elisabeth of Bavaria               3. Catherine of Mecklenburg                                   28. Wartislaw IX, Duke of Pomerania               14. Eric II of Pomerania                       29. Sophie of Saxe-Lauenburg-Ratzeburg               7. Sophie of Pomerania, Duchess of Mecklenburg                             15. Sophie of Pomerania-Stolp

References

1. Johann Heinrich Schülin: Life and history of the ... Margrave George ..., p. 170

• Siegfried Hänle (1878), "George Frederick (Margrave of Brandenburg-Ansbach and Brandenburg-Bayreuth)", Allgemeine Deutsche Biographie (ADB) (in German) 8, Leipzig: Duncker & Humblot, pp. 614 – 619 (mentioned in the article about her son)

External links

• Marek, Miroslav. "wettin/wettin10.html". Genealogy.EU. External link in |publisher= (help)
• http://www.guide2womenleaders.com/womeninpower/Womeninpower1540.htm