![Coat of arms of Princess Elisabeth of Lorraine as Electress of Bavaria](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/f/f3/Coat_of_arms_of_Princess_Elisabeth_of_Lorraine_as_Electress_of_Bavaria.png)
Elisabeth of Lorraine (9 October 1574 – 4 January 1635), was a Duchess and an Electress consort of Bavaria by marriage to
Maximilian I, Elector of Bavaria
Maximilian I (17 April 157327 September 1651), occasionally called the Great, a member of the House of Wittelsbach, ruled as Duke of Bavaria from 1597. His reign was marked by the Thirty Years' War during which he obtained the title of a Prince- ...
.
[Dieter Albrecht: Maximilian I. von Bayern 1573–1651. Oldenbourg, München 1998, ISBN 3-486-56334-3.] She had no children, which caused a succession crisis, but her personal relationship with Maximilian was good, and while she had no political influence, she was noted to be devoted and charitable.
Life
Elisabeth was a daughter of
Charles III, Duke of Lorraine
Charles III (18 February 1543 – 14 May 1608), known as ''the Great'', was Duke of Lorraine from 1545 until his death.
Life
He was the eldest surviving son of Francis I, Duke of Lorraine, and Christina of Denmark.
In 1545, his father died, and ...
in his marriage to
Claude of Valois Claude may refer to:
__NOTOC__ People and fictional characters
* Claude (given name), a list of people and fictional characters
* Claude (surname), a list of people
* Claude Lorrain (c. 1600–1682), French landscape painter, draughtsman and etcher ...
.
On 9 February 1595, in Nancy, she married her cousin
Maximilian I, Elector of Bavaria
Maximilian I (17 April 157327 September 1651), occasionally called the Great, a member of the House of Wittelsbach, ruled as Duke of Bavaria from 1597. His reign was marked by the Thirty Years' War during which he obtained the title of a Prince- ...
. The marriage was arranged to confirm the alliance between the two Catholic dynasties of Bavaria and Lorraine and give Bavaria connections to France and Tuscany, her sister being married to the Grand Duke of Tuscany. Her spouse came in to power in Bavaria in 1597.
The marriage was childless due to Elisabeth's sterility, which was a cause of suffering. Her relationship to her spouse was described as good and harmonious despite fertility issues.
But the childlessnes became a political failure due to the Bavarian succession not being secured.
Elisabeth is described as a very devout Catholic, who devoted a lot of her time to her religious duties, and became known for her ascetic life style.
As newly married, she was seen as vivid and jolly, but she became more melancholic and depressive by age.
Maximilian gave no political influence or tasks to Elisabeth, but she spent a great deal of effort on charity.
She died after a long period of illness. Because her marriage had not resulted in any issue, Maximilian married again only a few months after her death, eventually siring the long awaited heir to his Electorate.
Ancestry
See also
*
Dukes of Lorraine family tree
The House of Lorraine (german: link=no, Haus Lothringen) originated as a cadet branch of the House of Metz. It inherited the Duchy of Lorraine in 1473 after the death without a male heir of Nicholas I, Duke of Lorraine. By the marriage of Fran ...
References
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1574 births
1635 deaths
Electresses Palatine
Duchesses of Bavaria
Electresses of Bavaria
Nobility from Nancy, France
Princesses of Lorraine
Burials at St. Michael's Church, Munich
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