Margarethe von der Saale (1522 – 6 July 1566) was a German noblewoman,

lady-in-waiting A lady-in-waiting or court lady is a female personal assistant at a court, attending on a royal woman or a high-ranking noblewoman. Historically, in Europe, a lady-in-waiting was often a noblewoman but of lower rank than the woman to whom sh ...

and morganatic spouse by bigamy to

Philip I, Landgrave of Hesse Philip I, Landgrave of Hesse (13 November 1504 – 31 March 1567), nicknamed (in English: "the Magnanimous"), was a German nobleman and champion of the Protestant Reformation, notable for being one of the most important of the early Protestan ...

Marriage

Born as daughter of Hans von der Saale and his wife, Anna von Miltitz. When she came to Hessian court to serve as lady in waiting, Margarethe met the married Landgrave Philip at the age of seventeen. Philip wished to marry von der Saale morganatically rather than keep her as a mistress, as adultery would blacken his religious reputation, but he did not wish to divorce his consort, Christine of Saxony, as he believed that a divorce was equally sinful. On 10 December 1539, he received support from Martin Luther, with the argument that of two evil things, bigamy was better than divorce. The bigamous wedding ceremony took place on 4 March 1540 in Rotenburg Castle in the presence of

Martin Bucer Martin Bucer ( early German: ''Martin Butzer''; 11 November 1491 – 28 February 1551) was a German Protestant reformer based in Strasbourg who influenced Lutheran, Calvinist, and Anglican doctrines and practices. Bucer was originally a me ...

and

Philipp Melanchthon Philip Melanchthon. (born Philipp Schwartzerdt; 16 February 1497 – 19 April 1560) was a German Lutheran reformer, collaborator with Martin Luther, the first systematic theologian of the Protestant Reformation, intellectual leader of the Lu ...

. Saale never attended court but resided in a house beside the square in Spangenberg. The bigamy between Margarethe and Philip had a negative effect upon the Reformation.

Children

# Philipp, Count zu

Dietz Dietz is a surname, and may refer to: * Albrecht Dietz (1926–2012), German entrepreneur and scientist * August Dietz (1869–1963), a philatelist, editor and publisher * Bernard Dietz (born 1948), German football player and manager * Cyrus E. ...

(12 March 1541 – 10 June 1569). # Hermann, Count zu Dietz (12 February 1542 – ca. 1568). # Christopher Ernst, Count zu Dietz (16 July 1543 – 20 April 1603). # Margretha, Countess zu Dietz (14 October 1544 – 1608), married: ## in Kassel on 3 October 1567 to Count Hans Bernhard of Eberstein; ## in Frauenberg on 10 August 1577 to Count Stephan Heinrich of Everstein. # Albrecht, Count zu Dietz (10 March 1546 – 3 October 1569). # Philipp Konrad, Count zu Dietz (29 September 1547 – 25 May 1569), # Moritz, Count zu Dietz (8 June 1553 – 23 January 1575). # Ernst, Count zu Dietz (12 August 1554 – 1570). # Anna (1557 – 2/5 January 1558).

Marriage

Children

See also