Anna Eleonore of Stolberg-Wernigerode (26 March 1651 - 27 January 1690), was a German regent; Princess of

Anhalt-Köthen Anhalt-Köthen was a principality of the Holy Roman Empire ruled by the House of Ascania. It was created in 1396 when the Principality of Anhalt-Zerbst was partitioned between Anhalt-Dessau and Anhalt-Köthen. The first creation lasted until 1562 ...

by marriage to

Emmanuel, Prince of Anhalt-Köthen Emmanuel of Anhalt-Köthen (6 October 1631, in Plötzkau – 8 November 1670, in Köthen), was a German prince of the House of Ascania and ruler of the principality of Anhalt-Plötzkau. From 1665, he was ruler of the principality of Anhalt-Köt ...

, and regent of Anhalt-Köthen during the minority of her son from 1671 until 1690.

Life

Born in

Ilsenburg Ilsenburg () is a town in the district of Harz, in Saxony-Anhalt in Germany. It is situated under the north foot of the Harz Mountains, at the entrance to the Ilse valley with its little river, the Ilse, a tributary of the Oker, about six north ...

, she was the second child of Henry Ernest, Count of Stolberg-Wernigerode and Anna Elisabeth of Stolberg. In Ilsenburg on 23 March 1670, Anna Eleonore married

. The marriage lasted only eight months, until Emmanuel's death on 8 November.

Regency

Three months pregnant at the time of her husband's death, Anna Eleonore was named regent of the Principality of Anhalt-Köthen until the birth of her child: if it was a boy, he immediately became the new Prince and she kept the regency, but if she gave birth to a girl, the other Anhalt principalities would divided Köthen between them. On 20 May 1671, Anna Eleonore gave birth a son, Emmanuel Lebrecht who became in the new Prince. Anna Eleonore remained a regent until her death. Anna Eleonore died in Köthen aged 38. She was buried next to her husband at St. Jakob, Köthen.''STOLBERG-WERNIGERODE'' in: royaltyguide.nl
etrieved 19 March 2015 Because her son was still underage,

John George II, Prince of Anhalt-Dessau John George II (17 November 1627 – 7 August 1693) was a German prince of the House of Ascania and ruler of the principality of Anhalt-Dessau from 1660 to 1693. A member of the Fruitbearing Society, he also served as a field marshal of Brandenbu ...

succeeded her in the regency until 1692, when Emmanuel Lebrecht finally attained his majority and began his independent government.

References

{{Authority control 1651 births 1690 deaths House of Stolberg Princesses of Anhalt-Köthen Regents of Germany German princesses 17th-century German people 17th-century women rulers