Countess Sophie Friederike Juliane von Dönhoff (17 October 1768 – 28 January 1838)
/ref> was a German 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 ...
and a morganatic
Morganatic marriage, sometimes called a left-handed marriage, is a marriage between people of unequal social rank, which in the context of royalty or other inherited title prevents the principal's position or privileges being passed to the spouse ...
spouse by bigamy
In cultures where monogamy is mandated, bigamy is the act of entering into a marriage with one person while still legally married to another. A legal or de facto separation of the couple does not alter their marital status as married persons. I ...
to King Frederick William II of Prussia.
Early life
She was the daughter of Count Friedrich Wilhelm von Dönhoff
The House of Dönhoff (Polish: Denhoff, sometimes also Doenhoff) was an old and influential German noble family, which later also became part of the Polish nobility.
History
It was first mentioned in 1282, in the County of Mark in Westph ...
and Anna Sophie von Langermann und Erlencamp.
Life
In 1789, she became the lady-in-waiting of the Prussian queen, Frederika Louisa of Hesse-Darmstadt.
Marriage
She was described as a talented pianist and singer, admired for her attractive figure and said to be of an imperious disposition; she attracted the king's attention soon after the death of Julie von Voß, and insisted upon the same conditions as her predecessor, that is the consent of the queen to a "left-handed marriage" and a dowry.[Atkinson, Emma Willsher: ]
Memoirs of the queens of Prussia
', London : W. Kent Sophie married Frederick at Charlottenburg Palace
Schloss Charlottenburg (Charlottenburg Palace) is a Baroque palace in Berlin, located in Charlottenburg, a district of the Charlottenburg-Wilmersdorf borough.
The palace was built at the end of the 17th century and was greatly expanded during ...
11 April 1790.
In contrast to Julie von Voß, who had behaved with discreet gentleness, Sophie von Dönhoff was described as an haughty insolent upstart who attempted to be treated like a queen rather than as a morganatic consort by demanding everyone at court save the queen give precedence to her.
Children
* Friedrich Wilhelm von Brandenburg (24 January 1792 – 6 November 1850), prime minister of Prussia
* Sophie (Julie) von Brandenburg (4 January 1793 – 29 January 1848), married to Frederick Ferdinand, Duke of Anhalt-Köthen
Frederick Ferdinand of Anhalt-Köthen (25 June 1769, Pless – 23 August 1830, Köthen) was a German prince, Ascanian ruler of the principality of Anhalt-Pless and, from 1818, of the duchy of Anhalt-Köthen. He was the second son of Frederic ...
See also
* Wilhelmine von Lichtenau
* Elisabeth Helene von Vieregg
References
{{DEFAULTSORT:Donhoff, Sophie Von
1768 births
1838 deaths
18th-century German people
Morganatic spouses of German royalty
German ladies-in-waiting