Charlotte Amalie of Hesse-Philippsthal (11 August 1730,

Philippsthal Philippsthal (Werra) is a market community in Hersfeld-Rotenburg district in eastern Hesse, Germany, right at the boundary with Thuringia. Geography Location Philippsthal lies between the outliers of the Rhön and the Thuringian Forest (ranges) ...

– 7 September 1801,

Meiningen Meiningen () is a town in the southern part of the state of Thuringia, Germany. It is located in the region of Franconia and has a population of around 25,000 (2021).

), was Duchess and regent from 1763 to 1782 of

Saxe-Meiningen Saxe-Meiningen (; german: Sachsen-Meiningen ) was one of the Saxon duchies held by the Ernestine line of the Wettin dynasty, located in the southwest of the present-day German state of Thuringia. Established in 1681, by partition of the Ernestin ...

Life

Charlotte Amalie was a daughter of Landgrave

Charles I Charles I may refer to: Kings and emperors * Charlemagne (742–814), numbered Charles I in the lists of Holy Roman Emperors and French kings * Charles I of Anjou (1226–1285), also king of Albania, Jerusalem, Naples and Sicily * Charles I of ...

Hesse-Philippsthal This is a list of rulers of Hesse (german: Hessen) during the history of Hesse on west-central Germany. These rulers belonged to a dynasty collectively known as the House of Hesse and the House of Brabant,''Burke's Royal Families of the World ...

and his wife, Princess Christine of

Saxe-Eisenach Saxe-Eisenach (german: Sachsen-Eisenach) was an Ernestine duchy ruled by the Saxon House of Wettin. The state intermittently existed at three different times in the Thuringian region of the Holy Roman Empire. The chief town and capital of all th ...

. In 1750, when she was 20 years old, she married with the 63-year-old Duke Anton Ulrich of Saxe-Meiningen to whom she gave eight children. The Duke stipulated in his last will and testament that Charlotte Amalie would act as the sole guardian of their sons and regent of Saxe-Meiningen. Anton Ulrich had retired to

Frankfurt Frankfurt, officially Frankfurt am Main (; Hessian: , "Frank ford on the Main"), is the most populous city in the German state of Hesse. Its 791,000 inhabitants as of 2022 make it the fifth-most populous city in Germany. Located on its na ...

, away from the family squabbles, and lived there with his family. After her husband's death she first traveled to Philippsthal to await an imperial decision confirming her as guardian and regent. Relatives from Gotha travelled to Meiningen, in anticipation of the inheritance. After the imperial decision confirmed her as regent and first guardian, she could move to Meiningen. When she took over the regency in 1763, the country was financially and economically ruined. With strict austerity measures and reforms,

economic reconstruction Economic reconstruction is a process for creating a proactive vision of economic change. The most basic idea is that problems in the economy, such as deindustrialization, environmental decay, outsourcing, industrial incompetence, poverty and ad ...

and promotion of spiritual life, she is considered the "savior of the Duchy". The appointment of new ministers, like Adolph Gottlieb von Eyben, allowed the central government to effectively function again within one year. With a sophisticated system of savings and financial analysis at the court she attracted the attention of Emperor

Joseph II Joseph II (German: Josef Benedikt Anton Michael Adam; English: ''Joseph Benedict Anthony Michael Adam''; 13 March 1741 – 20 February 1790) was Holy Roman Emperor from August 1765 and sole ruler of the Habsburg lands from November 29, 1780 unt ...

, who appointed her as Director of the Commission to save the even more hopelessly indebted Duchy of

Saxe-Hildburghausen Saxe-Hildburghausen () was an Ernestine duchy in the southern side of the present State of Thuringia in Germany. It existed from 1680 to 1826 but its name and borders are currently used by the District of Hildburghausen. History After the Duk ...

. Since her sons were entitled to rule jointly, she ruled jointly with her eldest son Charles from 1775 to 1782, when George I was still a minor. Her reign was the breakthrough of enlightened absolutism in Saxe-Meiningen, and she raised her sons to continue that policy. She founded the Masonic lodge ("Charlotte and the three carnations"). In accordance with her last wishes, she was not buried in the royal crypt, but in the town cemetery.

Issue

Charlotte Amalie from her marriage had the following children: *

Charlotte Charlotte ( ) is the List of municipalities in North Carolina, most populous city in the U.S. state of North Carolina. Located in the Piedmont (United States), Piedmont region, it is the county seat of Mecklenburg County, North Carolina, Meckl ...

(1751–1827) : married Duke Ernest II of Saxe-Gotha-Altenburg (1745-1804) *

Louise Louise or Luise may refer to: * Louise (given name) Arts Songs * "Louise" (Bonnie Tyler song), 2005 * "Louise" (The Human League song), 1984 * "Louise" (Jett Rebel song), 2013 * "Louise" (Maurice Chevalier song), 1929 *"Louise", by Clan of ...

(1752–1805) : married in 1781 Landgrave Adolph of Hesse-Philippsthal-Barchfeld (1743-1803) * Elizabeth (1753–1754) *

Charles Charles is a masculine given name predominantly found in English language, English and French language, French speaking countries. It is from the French form ''Charles'' of the Proto-Germanic, Proto-Germanic name (in runic alphabet) or ''*k ...

(1754–1782), Duke of Saxe-Meiningen : married in 1780

Princess Louise of Stolberg-Gedern Princess Louise Maximiliane Caroline Emanuel of Stolberg-Gedern (20 September 1752 – 29 January 1824) was the wife of Charles Edward Stuart, the Jacobite claimant to the English and Scottish thrones. The unhappy marriage led her to request fro ...

(1764-1834) * Frederick Francis (1756–1761) * Frederick William (1757–1758) *

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(1761–1803), Duke of Saxe-Meiningen : married in 1782

Princess Louise Eleanore of Hohenlohe-Langenburg Princess Luise Eleonore of Hohenlohe-Langenburg (11 August 1763, in Langenburg – 30 April 1837, in Meiningen) was a German regent. She was duchess of Saxe-Meiningen by marriage to George I, Duke of Saxe-Meiningen, and Regent of Saxe-Meining ...

(1763-1837) * Amalie (1762–1798) : married in 1783 Prince Charles Henry Erdmann of Carolath-Beuthen (1759-1817)

References

* L. Hertel: ''Meiningische Geschichte von 1680 bis zur Gegenwart'' = ''Schriften des Vereins für Sachsen-Meiningische Geschichte und Landeskunde'', issue 47, Hildburghausen, 1904. {{DEFAULTSORT:Charlotte Amalie of Hesse-Philippsthal Duchesses of Saxe-Meiningen 18th-century women rulers House of Hesse 1730 births 1801 deaths Regents of Germany 18th-century German people Daughters of monarchs