Eva von Trott (1505 – 12 January 1567), was the royal mistress of Henry V, Duke of Brunswick-Lüneburg, from 1522 until 1567. The affair was a contemporary scandal and was used as propaganda against the duke of Brunnswick in '' Wider Hans Worst'' by

Martin Luther Martin Luther (; ; 10 November 1483 – 18 February 1546) was a German priest, theologian, author, hymnwriter, and professor, and Order of Saint Augustine, Augustinian friar. He is the seminal figure of the Reformation, Protestant Refo ...

during the

Schmalkaldic War The Schmalkaldic War (german: link=no, Schmalkaldischer Krieg) was the short period of violence from 1546 until 1547 between the forces of Emperor Charles V of the Holy Roman Empire (simultaneously King Charles I of Spain), commanded by the Duk ...

Life

Eva von Trott came from a noble family and was a maid of honour at the court of Brunswick. In 1522, she became the lover of Henry V. From 1524 onward, she had ten children with him.. Her family as well as the duchess demanded a discontinuation of the affair. Henry V then had Eva von Trott declared dead by the plague and a wooden doll buried in her place, while she herself was smuggled out and hidden in a castle, where Henry V continued to visit her in secret. In 1558, Henry V ended the affair and provided her with a residence in Hildesheim. She has been portrayed in fiction.

References

* Horst-Rüdiger Jarck (Hrsg.): Braunschweigisches Biographisches Lexikon. 8. bis 18. Jahrhundert. Appelhans, Braunschweig 2006, , S. 709f. Mistresses of German royalty 1505 births 1567 deaths {{Germany-bio-stub