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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 sh ...
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 spous ...
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 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 Frederica Louisa of Hesse-Darmstadt (german: Friederike Luise; 16 October 1751 – 25 February 1805) was Queen of Prussia as the second spouse of King Frederick William II. Life Frederica Louisa was the daughter of Louis IX, Landgrave of He ...
.


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 Julie Amalie Elisabeth von Voss (24 July 1766, Buch (Berlin) – 25 March 1789) was a German lady-in-waiting and a bigamy, bigamous morganatic spouse of King Frederick William II of Prussia. Life She was the daughter of Friedrich Christian von Vos ...
, 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 th ...
11 April 1790. In contrast to
Julie von Voß Julie Amalie Elisabeth von Voss (24 July 1766, Buch (Berlin) – 25 March 1789) was a German lady-in-waiting and a bigamy, bigamous morganatic spouse of King Frederick William II of Prussia. Life She was the daughter of Friedrich Christian von Vos ...
, 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. She also tried to influence the king against Wilhelmine von Lichtenau and Bischoff Werder and participate in the affairs of state, advising him against participation in the war against France by threatening him that she would "give him up altogether, if he entered with such levity upon so important and difficult an undertaking" as that of the invasion of France. The king, however, advised her to refrain from politics, was repelled by her temperament and started to neglect her, which caused her to react with more rage. One night at a concert in at Potsdam, she caused a famous scene when suddenly rushing with disheveled hair to the assembly and laid her infant at the king's feet, exclaiming: "There, take back your property!" In 1792, the couple separated after a row. In 1805, Sophie bought a farm, Oberbarnim, which became her occupation for the rest of her life.


Children

*
Friedrich Wilhelm von Brandenburg Friedrich Wilhelm, Count of Brandenburg (24 January 1792 – 6 November 1850) was a morganatic son of King Frederick William II and politician, who served as Minister President of Prussia from 1848 until his death. Life Born in the Kingdom of P ...
(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 Frederick ...


See also

* Wilhelmine von Lichtenau *
Elisabeth Helene von Vieregg Elisabeth Helene von Vieregg (4 May 1679 – 27 June 1704), Countess of Antvorskov, was a Danish noble and lady-in-waiting of German origin. She was the royal mistress of King Frederick IV of Denmark and, later, his first morganatic wife by bigamy ...


References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Donhoff, Sophie Von 1768 births 1838 deaths 18th-century German people Morganatic spouses of German royalty German ladies-in-waiting