The IMPRISONED Queen Sophia Dorothea | King George I Wife

The IMPRISONED Queen Sophia Dorothea | King George I Wife
In 1664, Éléonore d’Olbreuse met George William. He fell for her right away, leading her to move to Germany where she was named the “Lady of Harbourg.” Two years later, in September 1666, their daughter was born. She was considered illegitimate and had a tough start in life. Despite reaching adulthood, her life didn’t get better; she ended up spending most of it in prison. Let’s dive into the 17th-century mystery of Sophia Dorothea. And if you like this kind of story, please hit like and subscribe for more history videos.
As a child, Sophia Dorothea enjoyed a relaxed and loving home life. Her father gave her a large inheritance to improve her chances of a good marriage. Little is known about her early years, but in 1674, when she was eight, she was officially recognized and named Duchess of Wilhelmsburg as an only child and no threat to the Duke.
In 1676, Éléonore and George finally married. Soon, a Danish prince and the nearby Duke of Brunswick-Wolfenbüttel showed interest in marrying Sophia Dorothea, but those plans fell through. A more serious proposal came later, but in the end, her father thought she'd be happier marrying her first cousin, George Louis of Hanover.
George William worked on securing the Lüneburg dukedom. His initial plan was for Sophia to marry Ernest Augustus, Elector of Brunswick-Lüneburg, whose eldest son, George Louis, would become King George I of Great Britain. Given Sophia Dorothea's controversial birth, his brother and sister-in-law were reluctant to support the marriage. Her parents didn’t do much to make her appealing to her future in-laws, but she brought a significant dowry that was much needed in Hanover.
There’s a famous story about her childhood-her parents made her sleep in their bed after they discovered love letters she was hiding. Another story tells of her reaction to her arranged marriage; she threw a diamond-covered miniature of George Louis against the wall and declared that her parents would have to drag her to the wedding.
Some might say it's understandable to be upset, especially with George Louis not exactly being the ideal husband. Back when he was just 16, he scandalously got his parents' governess pregnant. He was also known for being cold and unfriendly.
There were suggestions he should marry his cousin Anne Stuart, the daughter of James, Duke of York, who was next in line to the childless Charles II. But instead, he married Sophia Dorothea on November 21, 1682, when he was 22 and she was just 16. It was clear right from the beginning that this marriage wouldn't work.
George Louis's mother disliked Sophia Dorothea, thinking she wasn't good enough for their family. George Louis himself was harsh and often scolded his wife, leading to arguments every time they spoke. Despite their unhappy marriage, they had two children: George Augustus, born on October 30, 1683, who would later become King George II, and Sophia Dorothea, born on March 16, 1687, who would be a future queen in Prussia and an electress in Brandenburg.
After the children were born, George Louis felt his duties as a husband were over. He took a mistress, Melusine von der Schulenburg, and continued to mistreat his wife. He couldn't just leave her because he would lose a huge sum of money-100,000 in cash from her dowry and inheritance if they divorced. His parents stepped in, asking him to keep his affair low-key.
When Sophia Dorothea found out about the affair, she confronted him about how wrong his actions were. Over the next five years, their relationship was filled with growing dislike and resentment. This made Sophia Dorothea very unhappy. During this time, Melusine had two daughters with George Louis-Anna Louise in January 1692 and Petronella Melusine in 1693. Meanwhile, Sophia Dorothea didn't have any more children, suggesting the couple had effectively separated.
What happened next isn't entirely clear, but most people believe that in 1690, Sophia Dorothea started exchanging letters with a Swedish colonel in the Hanoverian army, Count Philip Christ
Sophia Dorothea and the Count would send their letters to his sister twice a year to keep them safe from nosy people. However, some of these letters were found by their descendants, and it’s believed that Sophia Dorothea's son destroyed many to protect their privacy. The letters indicate they may have started a romantic relationship in March 1692, right after George Louis’s illegitimate daughter was born, though it’s unclear if Sophia knew about the child. They tried to keep the relationship secret, but soon people started talking.

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Never became the queen of England. As a result when her husband became king George I of England, their daughter in law became the second most powerful woman after the king