Éléonore Desmier D'Olbreuse
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Éléonore Desmier d'Olbreuse (3, 7 or 9 January 1639 – 5 February 1722), was a French noblewoman, who became firstly the mistress and later wife of George William of Brunswick, Duke of Lauenburg and Prince of Celle. She was the mother of
Sophia Dorothea of Celle Sophia Dorothea of Brunswick-Lüneburg-Celle (15 September 1666 – 13 November 1726) was the repudiated wife of future King George I of Great Britain. The union with George, her first cousin, was a marriage of state, arranged by her father Georg ...
, who was the wife of
George I of Great Britain George I (George Louis; ; 28 May 1660 – 11 June 1727) was King of Great Britain and King of Ireland, Ireland from 1 August 1714 and ruler of the Electorate of Hanover within the Holy Roman Empire from 23 January 1698 until his death in 1727. ...
. Thus she was the maternal grandmother of George II.


Life

Éléonore Desmier d'Olbreuse was probably born at the Castle of Olbreuse in what is now
Deux-Sèvres Deux-Sèvres (, Poitevin-Saintongese: ''Deùs Saevres'') is a French department. ''Deux-Sèvres'' literally means "two Sèvres": the Sèvre Nantaise and the Sèvre Niortaise are two rivers which have their sources in the department. It had a ...
near
Niort Niort (; Poitevin: ''Niàu''; ; ) is a commune in the Deux-Sèvres department, western France. It is the prefecture of Deux-Sèvres. The population of Niort is 58,707 (2017) and more than 177,000 people live in the urban area. Geography T ...
,
France France, officially the French Republic, is a country located primarily in Western Europe. Overseas France, Its overseas regions and territories include French Guiana in South America, Saint Pierre and Miquelon in the Atlantic Ocean#North Atlan ...
, into a
Huguenot The Huguenots ( , ; ) are a Religious denomination, religious group of French people, French Protestants who held to the Reformed (Calvinist) tradition of Protestantism. The term, which may be derived from the name of a Swiss political leader, ...
family of lower nobility. Her parents were Alexandre Desmier, seigneur d'Olbreuse, and Jacquette Poussard du Bas-Vandré.M. Lewis: ''Our Royal, Titled, Noble, and Commoner Ancestors & Cousins (over 192,000 names)''
etrieved 4 August 2020
In 1661 she went to the
royal court A royal court, often called simply a court when the royal context is clear, is an extended royal household in a monarchy, including all those who regularly attend on a monarch, or another central figure. Hence, the word ''court'' may also be app ...
in Paris as a
lady-in-waiting A lady-in-waiting (alternatively written lady in waiting) or court lady is a female personal assistant at a Royal court, court, attending on a royal woman or a high-ranking nobility, noblewoman. Historically, in Europe, a lady-in-waiting was o ...
in the service of Marie de La Tour d'Auvergne, Duchess of Thouars, whose son
Henri Charles de La Trémoille Henri is the French form of the masculine given name Henry, also in Estonian, Finnish, German and Luxembourgish. Bearers of the given name include: People French nobles * Henri I de Montmorency (1534–1614), Marshal and Constable of France * ...
had married Emilie, daughter of
William V, Landgrave of Hesse-Kassel William V () (13 February 1602 – 21 September 1637), a member of the House of Hesse, was List of rulers of Hesse, Landgrave of Hesse-Kassel from 1627 to 1637. Having come to rule in unfavorable circumstances and in the midst of the Thirty Years' ...
in 1648. In winter 1664 Emilie visited her relatives in
Kassel Kassel (; in Germany, spelled Cassel until 1926) is a city on the Fulda River in North Hesse, northern Hesse, in Central Germany (geography), central Germany. It is the administrative seat of the Regierungsbezirk Kassel (region), Kassel and the d ...
, where she was accompanied by Éléonore, whose remarkable beauty attracted many suitors. It was in the court of Kassel that Éléonore met George William of Brunswick, Prince of Calenberg, who immediately fell in love with her, and they began a love affair. At first, Éléonore could only aspire to being a mere
mistress Mistress is the feminine form of the English word "master" (''master'' + ''-ess'') and may refer to: Romance and relationships * Mistress (lover), a female lover of a married man ** Royal mistress * Maîtresse-en-titre, official mistress of a ...
, but George William was determined to marry her, despite the previous arrangement made by him and his other brothers that none of them could marry (except Ernest Augustus) in order to avoid further divisions on their domains. Finally, in 1665 George William abdicated all his rights over the
Principality of Calenberg The Principality of Calenberg was a dynastic division of the House of Welf, Welf Duchy of Brunswick-Lüneburg established in 1432. Calenberg was ruled by the House of Hanover (from the Principality of Lüneburg) from 1635 onwards; the princes re ...
(giving it to his brother John Frederick) and to his recently inherited
Principality of Lüneburg The Principality of Lüneburg (later also referred to as Celle) was a territorial division of the Duchy of Brunswick-Lüneburg within the Holy Roman Empire, immediately subordinate to the emperor. It existed from 1269 until 1705 and its territory ...
(giving it to his brother Ernest Augustus) and entered into a secret
morganatic marriage 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 spou ...
with Éléonore, who received the title of "Lady of Harburg" (''Frau von Harburg''); however, George William managed to keep the Principality of Celle as his personal domain during his lifetime; in addition a ducal order dated 15 November 1665 guaranteed a dower for Éléonore in case George William died. One year later, on 15 September 1666, Éléonore gave birth a daughter, Sophia Dorothea. Éléonore and George William enjoyed an almost bourgeois and very happy marriage. Since she had no official status in the first years of her marriage, she was able to personally raise her daughter, who was very similar to her, more than other upper-class women of her time. Being raised in the Huguenot faith, Éléonore founded a reformed church (''Reformierte Kirche'') in
Celle Celle () is a town and capital of the district of Celle (district), Celle in Lower Saxony, in north-central Germany. The town is situated on the banks of the river Aller (Germany), Aller, a tributary of the Weser, and has a population of about ...
and maintained it with her own resources. She also managed to arrange good marriages to her sisters: the older, Angélique (died 5 October 1688) married
Count Count (feminine: countess) is a historical title of nobility in certain European countries, varying in relative status, generally of middling rank in the hierarchy of nobility. Pine, L. G. ''Titles: How the King Became His Majesty''. New York: ...
Henry V Reuss of Untergreiz (1645-1698) in 1678, while the younger, Marie, became the wife of Olivier de Beaulieu-Marconnay (1660-1751), also from a Huguenot noble family, who held high-ranking court office in
Hanover Hanover ( ; ; ) is the capital and largest city of the States of Germany, German state of Lower Saxony. Its population of 535,932 (2021) makes it the List of cities in Germany by population, 13th-largest city in Germany as well as the fourth-l ...
. Despite the fact that George William not only secured a dower for Éléonore but also bequeathed all of his private fortune to her and undertook to take care of her impoverished relatives, she wanted to be recognized as a Duchess of Brunswick with full rights. By Imperial order dated 22 July 1674 and in recognition to the military assistance given to Emperor Leopold I, her husband obtained for Éléonore and their daughter the higher title of "Countess of Harburg and Wilhelmsburg" (''Gräfin von Harburg und Wilhelmsburg'') with the allodial rights over the domains. By that time, it had become quite clear that among the four brothers (George William and three others), only the youngest, Ernest Augustus, had produced any heirs male, and that the entire duchy of Lüneburg was likely to be united under Ernest Augustus's eldest son George Louis. George William therefore wanted George Louis to marry his daughter Sophia Dorothea, whose marriage prospects were otherwise not bright, given the circumstances of her birth. To George William's annoyance, George Louis and his parents refused the proposal on the grounds of precisely the birth status of the intended bride. After the rejection of his daughter, George William decided to improve definitively the status of Éléonore and Sophia Dorothea: by contract signed on 22 August 1675 and in open violation of his previous promise, George William declared that his marriage to Éléonore was not morganatic but valid to both church and state, with a second wedding ceremony being held at
Celle Celle () is a town and capital of the district of Celle (district), Celle in Lower Saxony, in north-central Germany. The town is situated on the banks of the river Aller (Germany), Aller, a tributary of the Weser, and has a population of about ...
on 2 April 1676. George William's younger brother Ernst August and specially his wife Sophia of the Palatinate demonstratively stayed away from this second wedding. Twenty-two days later, on 24 April, the second marriage was made public and Éléonore officially addressed as Duchess of Brunswick and their daughter declared legitimate. This development greatly alarmed his relatives, as it threatened to hinder the contemplated union of the Lüneburg territories. Indeed, if George William had had a son, a serious succession crisis could have arisen. No son however was born, as Éléonore’s next two pregnancies, in 1671 and August 1676, produced only short-lived daughters. Once it became clear that George William wouldn't have male heirs, his brothers relented: by family agreement signed on 13 July 1680, Éléonore was finally recognized by her husband's family as Duchess of Brunswick and, most importantly, Sophia Dorothea was declared Princess of Brunswick-Lüneburg-Celle with all appertaining rights of birth. Also, George Louis' parents finally agreed to the proposed marriage with Sophia Dorothea as a way of avoiding uncertainty and inheritance disputes. The wedding took place on 21 November 1682 but since the beginning the union was a complete failure: the feelings of hatred and contempt that Sophia of the Palatinate had over her daughter-in-law were soon shared by her son George Louis, who was oddly formal to his wife. Sophia Dorothea was frequently scolded for her lack of etiquette, and the two had loud and bitter arguments. Nevertheless, they managed to have two children in quick succession: George Augustus (born 30 October 1683 and future King George II of Great Britain) and Sophia Dorothea (born 16 March 1687 and by marriage Queen consort in Prussia and Electress consort of Brandenburg). Éléonore still experienced first-hand the catastrophic course of her daughter's marriage. When Sophia Dorothea began a relationship with Count
Philip Christoph von Königsmarck Count Philip Christoph von Königsmarck (4 March 1665 – 2 July 1694), also spelled Philipp, was a Swedes, Swedish count and soldier. He was allegedly the lover of Sophia Dorothea of Celle, Sophia Dorothea, Princess of Celle, the wife of Duke Ge ...
and threatened with the scandal of an elopement, the Hanoverian court, including not only George Louis's brothers and mother but also Éléonore, urged the lovers to desist, but to no avail. On the morning of 2 July 1694, after a meeting with Sophia Dorothea at the
Leineschloss The Leine Palace (), situated on the Leine in Hanover, Germany, is a former residence of the Hanoverian dukes, electors and kings. It is now the seat of the parliament () of Lower Saxony. The first building on the site was a Franciscan friar ...
castle, von Königsmark was seized and disappeared, being presumed murdered at the instigation of George Louis, and his body thrown into the
Leine The Leine (; Old Saxon ''Lagina'') is a river in Thuringia and Lower Saxony, Germany. It is a left tributary of the Aller and the Weser and is long. The river's source is located close to the town of Leinefelde in Thuringia. About downriver ...
river. Sophia Dorothea was placed under house arrest, and her marriage was dissolved on 28 December 1694 under the grounds of desertion. At the request of her former husband and with the consent of her own father, she was forbidden to see her children again and imprisoned for life in the Castle of Ahlden. Devastated by the fate of her daughter, Éléonore tried by all means to obtain her release, without success. When George William was on his deathbed in 1705, he wanted to see his daughter one last time to reconcile with her, but his
Prime Minister A prime minister or chief of cabinet is the head of the cabinet and the leader of the ministers in the executive branch of government, often in a parliamentary or semi-presidential system. A prime minister is not the head of state, but r ...
, Baron Andreas Gottlieb von Bernstorff raised objections and claimed that a meeting would lead to diplomatic complications with Hanover; the ailing duke no longer had the strength to prevail against him. After the death of her husband, Éléonore received Lüneburg Castle as her widow's seat. Sophia Dorothea unsuccessfully asked her former husband one last time that he should let her leave Ahlden to live with her mother in complete seclusion, but her request was denied. Éléonore spent the last years of her life caring for her daughter and trying to obtain her release. She even turned to King
Louis XIV of France LouisXIV (Louis-Dieudonné; 5 September 16381 September 1715), also known as Louis the Great () or the Sun King (), was King of France from 1643 until his death in 1715. His verified reign of 72 years and 110 days is the List of longest-reign ...
, who had once driven her and her Huguenot family out of France. The French monarch was not averse to accepting her and her daughter, but Eléonore did not want to meet the condition of converting to
Catholicism The Catholic Church (), also known as the Roman Catholic Church, is the List of Christian denominations by number of members, largest Christian church, with 1.27 to 1.41 billion baptized Catholics Catholic Church by country, worldwid ...
. Éléonore died on 5 February 1722, nearly blind, in Celle Castle, Celle. She mentioned 342 persons in her will. She was buried in the ''Fürstengruft'' at the Stadtkirche St. Marien (town church of St. Mary) in Celle.''The royal crypt and the grave slabs of the dukes of Braunschweig-Lüneburg in the town church of St. Marien Celle'', with a leaflet illustrated with photos by Dietrich Klatt, Friedrich Kremzow and Ralf Pfeiffer, in DIN A5 format (4 pages) designed by Heide Kremzow, after: Dietrich Klatt: ''Little Art Guide Schnell & Steiner'' N° 1986, 2008.


Ancestry


References


Bibliography

* Andreas Flick: ''„Der Celler Hof ist ganz verfranzt“. Hugenotten und französische Katholiken am Hof und beim Militär Herzog Georg Wilhelms von Braunschweig-Lüneburg'' (in German). In: ''Hugenotten''. 72nd year, N° 3, 2008, , S. 87–120
PDF
2,2 MB). * * Elisabeth E. Kwan und Anna E. Röhrig: ''Frauen vom Hof der Welfen.'' (in German) MatrixMedia, Göttingen 2006, pp. 53–63 and 115–126, * * Luise Marelle: ''Eleonore d’Olbreuse, Herzogin von Braunschweig-Lüneburg-Celle. Die Großmutter Europas'' (in German). Hoffmann und Campe, Hamburg 1936. * Pierre-Henri Mitard: ''Éléonore Desmier d’Olbreuse. ‘La Grand’Mère de l’Europe‘ (1639–1722)'' In: ''Bulletin de la Société Historique et Scientifique des Deux-Sèvres. Deuxième série'' (in French). vol. 23, N° 1. Niort, 1990, pp. 35–38. * * Dorothea Nolde: ''Eléonore Desmier d’Olbreuse (1639–1722) am Celler Hof als diplomatische, religiöse und kulturelle Mittlerin'' (in German). In: Dorothea Nolde, Claudia Opitz (ed.): ''Grenzüberschreitende Familienbeziehungen. Akteure und Medien des Kulturtransfers in der frühen Neuzeit''. 1st edition, Böhlau, Köln . a.2008, , pp. 107–120
excerpt
* Michael Sikora: ''Dynastie und Eigensinn. Herzog Georg Wilhelm von Celle, Eleonore d’Olbreuse und die Spielregeln des Fürstenstandes''. In: Heiko Laß (ed.): ''Hof und Medien im Spannungsfeld von dynastischer Tradition und politischer Innovation zwischen 1648 und 1714'' (= Rudolstädter Forschungen zur Residenzkultur, vol. 4).
Deutscher Kunstverlag The Deutscher Kunstverlag (DKV) is an educational publishing house with offices in Berlin and Munich. The publisher specializes in books about art, cultural history, architecture Architecture is the art and technique of designing and bu ...
, Munich 2008, pp. 19–30. *


External links

, - {{DEFAULTSORT:Desmier d'Olbreuse, Eleonore 1639 births 1722 deaths Mistresses of German royalty People from Niort French duchesses Eleonore Duchesses of Saxe-Lauenburg Huguenots