Sophie of Württemberg (Sophie Friederike Matilda; 17 June 1818 – 3 June 1877) was
Queen of the Netherlands
The monarchy of the Netherlands is a constitutional monarchy. As such, the role and position of the monarch are governed by the Constitution of the Netherlands. Consequently, a large portion of it is devoted to the monarch. Roughly a third of ...
as the first wife of
King William III
William III (William Henry; ; 4 November 16508 March 1702), also widely known as William of Orange, was the sovereign Prince of Orange from birth, Stadtholder of Holland, Zeeland, Utrecht, Guelders, and Overijssel in the Dutch Republic from the ...
.
Sophie separated from William in 1855 but continued to perform her duties as queen in public. She was known for her progressive and liberal views and corresponded with several famous intellectuals.
Biography
Sophie was born in
Stuttgart
Stuttgart (; Swabian: ; ) is the capital and largest city of the German state of Baden-Württemberg. It is located on the Neckar river in a fertile valley known as the ''Stuttgarter Kessel'' (Stuttgart Cauldron) and lies an hour from the ...
; her parents were
King William I of Württemberg
King is the title given to a male monarch in a variety of contexts. The female equivalent is queen, which title is also given to the consort of a king.
*In the context of prehistory, antiquity and contemporary indigenous peoples, the tit ...
and
Grand Duchess Catherine Pavlovna of Russia
Grand Duchess Catherine Pavlovna of Russia (russian: Екатерина Павловна; 21 May 1788 S 10 May 1788– 9 January 1819) later Queen Catharina Pavlovna of Württemberg, was the fourth daughter of Tsar Paul I of Russia and Du ...
, the fourth eldest daughter of
Tsar
Tsar ( or ), also spelled ''czar'', ''tzar'', or ''csar'', is a title used by East Slavs, East and South Slavs, South Slavic monarchs. The term is derived from the Latin word ''Caesar (title), caesar'', which was intended to mean "emperor" i ...
Paul I Paul I may refer to:
*Paul of Samosata (200–275), Bishop of Antioch
*Paul I of Constantinople (died c. 350), Archbishop of Constantinople
*Pope Paul I (700–767)
*Paul I Šubić of Bribir (c. 1245–1312), Ban of Croatia and Lord of Bosnia
*Paul ...
. Shortly after Sophie's birth, her mother died, and she was cared for by her aunt,
Catharina of Württemberg
Princess Katharina Friederike of Württemberg (21 February 1783 – 29 November 1835) was Queen consort of Westphalia by marriage to Jérôme Bonaparte, who reigned as King of Westphalia between 1807 and 1813.
Life
Katharina was born in Saint P ...
. She was niece of tsars
Alexander I Alexander I may refer to:
* Alexander I of Macedon, king of Macedon 495–454 BC
* Alexander I of Epirus (370–331 BC), king of Epirus
* Pope Alexander I (died 115), early bishop of Rome
* Pope Alexander I of Alexandria (died 320s), patriarch of ...
and
Nicholas I of Russia
Nicholas I , group=pron ( – ) was List of Russian rulers, Emperor of Russia, Congress Poland, King of Congress Poland and Grand Duke of Finland. He was the third son of Paul I of Russia, Paul I and younger brother of his predecessor, Alexander I ...
.
She had a close relationship with her father and her sister Marie, but not to her stepmother.
[Fia Dieteren, Sophie van Württemberg, in: Digitaal Vrouwenlexicon van Nederland. URL: http://resources.huygens.knaw.nl/vrouwenlexicon/lemmata/data/SophievanWurtemberg 3/01/2014/ref> She was given a broad education by her father: after first being tutored in the common accomplishments by governesses customary for all upper-class girls of her time, she was additionally tutored by educated male tutors in history, geography and literature and acquainted with the works of Corneille, Racine, ]Kant
Immanuel Kant (, , ; 22 April 1724 – 12 February 1804) was a German Philosophy, philosopher and one of the central Age of Enlightenment, Enlightenment thinkers. Born in Königsberg, Kant's comprehensive and systematic works in epistemolo ...
and Hegel
Georg Wilhelm Friedrich Hegel (; ; 27 August 1770 – 14 November 1831) was a German philosopher. He is one of the most important figures in German idealism and one of the founding figures of modern Western philosophy. His influence extends a ...
. When she was sixteen, she and her sister were taken by their father on an educational trip to Italy, which was otherwise customary for upper class males.
She was related to the Bonaparte family through her maternal aunt, and personally acquainted with both the future Napoleon III
Napoleon III (Charles Louis Napoléon Bonaparte; 20 April 18089 January 1873) was the first President of France (as Louis-Napoléon Bonaparte) from 1848 to 1852 and the last monarch of France as Emperor of the French from 1852 to 1870. A nephew ...
and Mathilde Bonaparte
Mathilde Laetitia Wilhelmine Bonaparte, Princesse Française, Princess of San Donato (27 May 1820 – 2 January 1904), was a French princess and salonnière. She was a daughter of Napoleon's brother Jérôme Bonaparte and his second wife, Cathar ...
from her childhood, and corresponded with the latter her entire life. Through her progressive father, Sophie came in contact with liberal ideas from her early youth and supported democracy rather than royal absolutism.
Crown princess
Sophie married her maternal first cousin, the future Prince of Orange
Prince of Orange (or Princess of Orange if the holder is female) is a title originally associated with the sovereign Principality of Orange, in what is now southern France and subsequently held by sovereigns in the Netherlands.
The title ...
(later King William III), in Stuttgart
Stuttgart (; Swabian: ; ) is the capital and largest city of the German state of Baden-Württemberg. It is located on the Neckar river in a fertile valley known as the ''Stuttgarter Kessel'' (Stuttgart Cauldron) and lies an hour from the ...
on 18 June 1839 with the idea that she would in the end succeed in dominating him.
The marriage was arranged. Her father, while being a liberal progressive in other aspects, still favored dynastic marriages and wished for his daughters to marry monarchs. Prior to her marriage, King Otto of Greece
Otto (, ; 1 June 181526 July 1867) was a Bavarian prince who ruled as King of Greece from the establishment of the monarchy on 27 May 1832, under the Convention of London, until he was deposed on 23 October 1862.
The second son of King Lud ...
and Duke William of Brunswick were possible suitors for Princess Sophie. The engagement with the first came to nothing because Princess Sophie's ambitious father had no confidence in the newly established Greek monarchy of Otto. Chance prevented a proposal by the second candidate because her father let it be known that Princess Sophie was already betrothed. Sophie herself had preferred to marry William of Brunswick, and she stated herself that her marriage to William of the Netherlands was a sacrifice she made to her father.
After the wedding, Sophie and William settled in the Paleis aan het Plein in The Hague. Sophie came to have a good relationship to her father-in-law, William II of the Netherlands
William II ( nl, Willem Frederik George Lodewijk, anglicized as William Frederick George Louis; 6 December 1792 – 17 March 1849) was King of the Netherlands, Grand Duke of Luxembourg, and Duke of Limburg.
William II was the son of William ...
, as well as to her uncle-in-law Prince Frederick of the Netherlands
Prince Frederick of the Netherlands, Prince of Orange-Nassau (full names: Willem Frederik Karel; 28 February 1797, in Berlin – 8 September 1881, in Wassenaar), was the second son of William I of the Netherlands and his wife, Wilhelmine of Pru ...
. King William's mother, whom he completely relied on, was totally against the marriage to a daughter of the sister she loathed and treated her daughter-in-law and niece with disdain. She and her mother-in-law Anna
Anna may refer to:
People Surname and given name
* Anna (name)
Mononym
* Anna the Prophetess, in the Gospel of Luke
* Anna (wife of Artabasdos) (fl. 715–773)
* Anna (daughter of Boris I) (9th–10th century)
* Anna (Anisia) (fl. 1218 to 12 ...
were never to be on good terms: Anna was also her maternal aunt, but she had never been on good terms with her sister, Sophie's mother, and she had opposed the marriage between Sophie and her son.
The marriage between Sophie and William was arranged and never a happy one. Their relationship was not improved by the birth of their children, whose upbringing was a constant cause for conflict between their parents. William was constantly unfaithful. Sophie did not wish to live with him and devoted herself on cultivating her own intellectual interests and the private study of various subjects. A divorce was contemplated early on, but was continually postponed because it was not seen as suitable for a king and queen.
Queen
In March 1849, king William II suddenly died. William III and Sophie became king and queen of the Netherlands on 12 May 1849 and settled in the Noordeinde Palace
Noordeinde Palace ( nl, Paleis Noordeinde, ) is one of the three official palaces of the Dutch royal family. Located in The Hague in the province of South Holland, it has been used as the official workplace of King Willem-Alexander since 2013. ...
.
The relationship between Sophie and William was not improved, and they continued to be in a state of constant conflict. Their son Maurice died in 1850 after both parents had hired a different physician since they could not agree on how his illness should be treated. When Sophie was pregnant with their third son Alexander (1851–1884), William had their eldest son sent to boarding school despite Sophie's opposition.
Intellectually, Queen Sophie was superior to her husband. She, on the other hand, did not fit his sensual character. While he loved contemporary painting, music and theatre, she had a specific interest in history and science. William III had several extramarital relations. She let it be publicly known that she found him inferior and unsuitable to be king, and that she would do better as a regent for her son.
The discussions of divorce continued after they became king and queen. Both Sophie and William mutually wished to have a divorce, but a divorce was seen as an impossible scandal because of their position. By the mediation of Prince Frederick of the Netherlands
Prince Frederick of the Netherlands, Prince of Orange-Nassau (full names: Willem Frederik Karel; 28 February 1797, in Berlin – 8 September 1881, in Wassenaar), was the second son of William I of the Netherlands and his wife, Wilhelmine of Pru ...
, a formal separation without divorce was finalized in 1855, and it was decided that the couple was to remain formally married in public, but allowed to live separate lives in practice. William was to be given full right to decide about the upbringing of their eldest son, while Sophie was given full custody of their youngest, Alexander. Sophie was to fulfill her representational duties as queen in public, but allowed to live her private life as she wished.
From 1855 the couple lived separately during the summer season, he at Het Loo Palace
Het Loo Palace ( nl, Paleis Het Loo , meaning "The Lea") is a palace in Apeldoorn, Netherlands, built by the House of Orange-Nassau.
History
The symmetrical Dutch Baroque building was designed by Jacob Roman and Johan van Swieten and was bui ...
and she at Huis ten Bosch Palace
Huis ten Bosch ( nl, Paleis Huis ten Bosch, ; English: "House in the Woods") is a royal palace in The Hague, Netherlands. It is one of three official residences of the Dutch monarch; the two others being the Noordeinde Palace in The Hague and ...
. She also spent time in Stuttgart, with her own family. She engaged in a big correspondence with various friends and intellectuals, as well as making trips and meeting them in person, among them Ernest Renan
Joseph Ernest Renan (; 27 February 18232 October 1892) was a French Orientalist and Semitic scholar, expert of Semitic languages and civilizations, historian of religion, philologist, philosopher, biblical scholar, and critic. He wrote influe ...
, Julius von Mohl
Julius von Mohl (25 October 1800 – 4 January 1876) was a German Orientalist.
Life
The brother of Hugo von Mohl and Robert von Mohl, he was born at Stuttgart. He abandoned the idea of entering the Lutheran ministry, and in 1823 went to Pari ...
, Leopold von Ranke
Leopold von Ranke (; 21 December 1795 – 23 May 1886) was a German historian and a founder of modern source-based history. He was able to implement the seminar teaching method in his classroom and focused on archival research and the analysis of ...
and John Lothrop Motley
John Lothrop Motley (April 15, 1814 – May 29, 1877) was an American author and diplomat. As a popular historian, he is best known for his works on the Netherlands, the three volume work ''The Rise of the Dutch Republic'' and four volume ''His ...
, many of whom expressed admiration for her intellect. She regularly visited her father, who remained her advisor and confidant until his death, after which he was succeeded by her friend George Villiers, Lord Clarendon (1800-1870), with whom she corresponded. She also enjoyed regular trips to France to visit Napoleon III and empress Eugénie. During the Crimean war
The Crimean War, , was fought from October 1853 to February 1856 between Russia and an ultimately victorious alliance of the Ottoman Empire, France, the United Kingdom and Piedmont-Sardinia.
Geopolitical causes of the war included the de ...
she sided against her Russian relatives with her friends Clarendon and Napoleon III. Aside from her interests in culture and science she was also interested in spiritism, and invited the medium Daniel Home to Noordeinde Palace in 1858 to hold seance. She participated in the public debate and published an article in the famous ''Revue des Deux Mondes
The ''Revue des deux Mondes'' (, ''Review of the Two Worlds'') is a monthly French-language literary, cultural and current affairs magazine that has been published in Paris since 1829.
According to its website, "it is today the place for debates a ...
'', in which she argued that the royal houses must keep up with the times.
Queen Sophie corresponded with several European scholars and maintained warm ties with Emperor Napoleon III
Napoleon III (Charles Louis Napoléon Bonaparte; 20 April 18089 January 1873) was the first President of France (as Louis-Napoléon Bonaparte) from 1848 to 1852 and the last monarch of France as Emperor of the French from 1852 to 1870. A nephew ...
and Queen Victoria
Victoria (Alexandrina Victoria; 24 May 1819 – 22 January 1901) was Queen of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland from 20 June 1837 until Death and state funeral of Queen Victoria, her death in 1901. Her reign of 63 years and 21 ...
. She protected and stimulated the arts, supported several charities, including animal protection and construction of public parks
A park is an area of natural, semi-natural or planted space set aside for human enjoyment and recreation or for the protection of wildlife or natural habitats. Urban parks are green spaces set aside for recreation inside towns and cities. ...
. As queen she attended the industrial exhibitions from the 1860s and engaged in the education of the mentally challenged. She also supported the Society for the Protection of Animals by becoming its protector upon its foundation in 1867. Sophie also supported the women's movement when it first formed in the Netherlands, and became the protector of the first women's organization in 1871: Arbeid Adelt The Tesselschade-Arbeid Adelt (TAA) is a Dutch women's rights organization. Founded in 1871 under the name Algemeene Vrouwenvereeniging Arbeid Adelt, it was the first nationwide women's organisation in the Netherlands, and the eldest still operatin ...
.
Sophie was an unusual queen with her left leaning political opinions and scientific interests, and her non-dogmatic views on religion, her support for a progressive development and her disdain for etiquette gave her the soubriquet "la reine rouge" ('The Red Queen').
Sophie died at Huis ten Bosch Palace
Huis ten Bosch ( nl, Paleis Huis ten Bosch, ; English: "House in the Woods") is a royal palace in The Hague, Netherlands. It is one of three official residences of the Dutch monarch; the two others being the Noordeinde Palace in The Hague and ...
in the Hague
The Hague ( ; nl, Den Haag or ) is a city and municipality of the Netherlands, situated on the west coast facing the North Sea. The Hague is the country's administrative centre and its seat of government, and while the official capital of ...
. She was buried in her wedding dress, because, in her own view, her life had ended on the day she married.
Issue
* Prince William
William, Prince of Wales, (William Arthur Philip Louis; born 21 June 1982) is the heir apparent to the British throne. He is the elder son of King Charles III and his first wife Diana, Princess of Wales.
Born in London, William was educat ...
(1840–1879), Prince of Orange
Prince of Orange (or Princess of Orange if the holder is female) is a title originally associated with the sovereign Principality of Orange, in what is now southern France and subsequently held by sovereigns in the Netherlands.
The title ...
from 1849 until 1879.
* Prince Maurice
Maurice, Prince Palatine of the Rhine KG (16 January 1621, in Küstrin Castle, Brandenburg – September 1652, near the Virgin Islands), was the fourth son of Frederick V, Elector Palatine and Princess Elizabeth, only daughter of King James VI ...
(1843–1850) died in childhood.
* Prince Alexander (1851–1884), Prince of Orange
Prince of Orange (or Princess of Orange if the holder is female) is a title originally associated with the sovereign Principality of Orange, in what is now southern France and subsequently held by sovereigns in the Netherlands.
The title ...
from 1879 until 1884.
Ancestry
Honours
* : Dame
''Dame'' is an honorific title and the feminine form of address for the honour of damehood in many Christian chivalric orders, as well as the Orders, decorations, and medals of the United Kingdom, British honours system and those of several oth ...
of the Order of Queen Maria Luisa
The Royal Order of Noble Ladies of Queen Maria Luisa is an Order created by King Charles IV of Spain by royal decree on April 21, 1792, at the request of his wife, Queen Maria Luisa, to reward noble women who distinguished themselves for their ...
, ''2 March 1858''
* : Dame of the Order of Sidonia
The Order of Sidonia was the German Kingdom of Saxony’s chivalric order for women. Created 14 March 1871 by King John, the order was granted to female members of the Saxon nobility until the fall of the monarchy in 1918. It was named for the duc ...
, ''1872''
Arms
References
External links
Royal House of the Netherlands and Grand-Ducal House of Luxembourg
, -
, -
{{DEFAULTSORT:Sophie Of Wurttemberg
1818 births
1877 deaths
Burials in the Royal Crypt at Nieuwe Kerk, Delft
Dutch queens consort
Duchesses of Limburg
Grand Ducal Consorts of Luxembourg
Nobility from Stuttgart
Princesses of Orange
Princesses of Württemberg
Daughters of kings