List of Oldenburgish consorts

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Coat of arms of the Grand Duchy of Oldenburg. Coats of arms Grand Duche d Oldenbourg.svg
Coat of arms of the Grand Duchy of Oldenburg.

A royal consort is the spouse of a ruling monarch. Consorts of monarchs in the Grand Duchy of Oldenburg and its predecessor states had no constitutional status or power, but many had significant influence over their spouse.

Contents

Overview

From the elevation of the County of Oldenburg to a Duchy and later a Grand Duchy, the monarchy of Oldenburg had four royal consorts: one duchess and three grand duchesses. Although their husbands were the rulers of the Oldenburg territory, they were not the heads of the House of Oldenburg; that honor lies with the Oldenburg Kings of Denmark and later the Glücksburg Dukes of Schleswig-Holstein, descended from Count Christian VI. The Queen consorts of Denmark held the title of Countess (later Duchess) of Oldenburg, but it wasn't until 1667 to 1773 that Denmark controlled Oldenburg. Then it was passed to the Russians, who were ruled by another scion of the House of Oldenburg.

All female consorts have had the right to and have held the title of countess, duchess, or grand duchess consort, depending on the years. As all rulers of Oldenburg had to be male due to the Salic law of male succession and total exclusion of female succession, there was never a male consort of Oldeburg. Consorts held the titles, Countess consort of Oldenburg (1088-1774), Duchess of consort Oldenburg (1774-1815/1829), and last of all, Grand Duchess consort of Oldenburg (1815/1829-1918). Had their existed a consort from 1815 to 1829, they would have been in the awkward situation of being a Duchess consort reigning in a Grand duchy. Oldenburg had been elevated to a Grand Duchy in 1815 after the Napoleonic War, but William and Peter I never used the title of Grand Duke of Oldenburg. But William and Peter I had no wives living during that period.

Not all wives of monarchs have become consorts, as they may have died, been divorced, had their marriage declared invalid prior to their husbands' ascending the throne, or married after abdication. Such cases include:

From 1774 to the end of the monarchy in 1918, only William, Duke of Oldenburg and Peter I, Duke of Oldenburg have reigned without spouses.

After the Grand Duchy was abolished in 1918, the spouse of the head of the old Grand Ducal family of Oldenburg is the titular Grand Duchess consort of Oldenburg. The current titular grand duchess is Princess Ameli of Löwenstein-Wertheim-Freudenberg, the wife of Anton-Günther, Duke of Oldenburg, the head of the grand ducal family of Oldenburg.

If Duke Christian of Oldenburg, Anton-Günther's son and heir, ascends to the role of Head of the Grand Ducal Family of Oldenburg, his wife, Countess Caroline zu Rantzau, will become the titular Grand Duchess of Oldenburg.

Countess of Oldenburg (1088–1774)

PictureNameFatherBirthMarriageBecame CountessCeased to be CountessDeath Spouse
Wappen Elsdorf.svg Richenza of ElsdorfDedo, Count of Godesck, husband of Ida von Elsdorf
(Godseck)
1044 ?1088
husband's accession
1108/12
husband's death
 ? Elimar I
Rietberg-Wappen 262 4.png Eilika of Werl-RietbergHenry, Count of Rietberg
(Rietberg)
 ?before 11021108
husband's accession
1142
husband's death
 ? Elimar II
Kunigunde of VersflethGerbert, Count of Versfleth
(Versfleht)
 ?before 11021142
husband's accession
1169
husband's death
 ? Christian I
Arms-Broichhausen.png Salome of Hostaden-WickrathOtto II, Count of Wickrath
(Wickrath)
 ?before 11451169
husband's accession
1209/11
husband's death
 ? Maurice I
DE-NI 03-1-53-017 Woeltingerode COA.svg Mechthild of WoldenbergHoier I, Count of Wöltingerode-Woldenberg
(Wöltingerode-Woldenberg)
 ? ?1209/11
husband's accession
1251
husband's death
 ? Otto I
Arms-Isenburg.svg Agnes of Altena-Isenberg Arnold, Count of Altena
(Berg)
 ?before 12041209/11
husband's accession
1238
husband's death
 ? Christian II
Arms of the house of Hoya.svg Richeza of Hoya-StumpenhausenHenry II, Count of Hoya
(Hoya)
 ?before 12501238
husband's accession
1272
husband's death
 ? John I
Wappen Wildeshausen.png Hedwig of Oldenburg-WildeshausenHenry IV, Count of Oldenburg-Wildeshausen
(Oldenburg-Wildeshausen)
 ? ?1272
husband's accession
 ? Christian III
CoA Bentheim County.svg Jutta of Bentheim-TecklenburgOtto II, Count of Bentheim-Tecklenburg
(Holland)
 ? ?1278
husband's abdication
before 1287
Brunswick-Luneburg Arms.svg Elisabeth of Lüneburg John of Brunswick, Duke of Lüneburg
(Lüneburg-Celle)
 ?12941294/1298 John II (aka IX)
Wappen diepholz.png Hedwig of DiepholzConrad, Count of Diepholz
(Diepholz)
 ? ?1305
husband's abdication
 ?
Wappen Bruchhausen.jpg Hedwig of AltbruchausenHildebold, Count of Altbruchausen
(Oldenburg-Wildeshausen)
 ? ?1305
husband's accession
1324
husband's death
1348 Christian IV
Bronckhorst klein wapen.svg Mechthild of BronckhorstGijsbert IV, Lord of Bronckhorst
(Bronckhorst)
 ? ?1305
husband's accession
1338 John XI
Holstein Arms.svg Ingeborg of ItzehoeGerhard IV, Count of Holstein-Itzehoe-Plön
(Schauenburg)
 ? ?1344
husband's accession
1368
husband's death
 ? Conrad I
Diepholz-Grafschaft.PNG Kunigunde of Diepholz ?
(Diepholz)
 ? ?1368
husband's accession
1386
husband's abdication
 ? Conrad II
Brunswick-Luneburg Arms.svg Elisabeth of Brunswick-Lüneburg Magnus II, Duke of Brunswick-Lüneburg
(Brunswick)
136813911398
husband's abdication
1420 Maurice III or IV
Wappen Hohnstein.svg Agnes of Hohnstein-HeiringenDietrich V, Count of Hohnstein
(Hohnstein)
 ?13601398
husband's accession
1404 Christian V
Hedewig af Holsten (Rosenborg).JPG Helvig of Schleswig and Holstein Gerhard VI, Count of Holstein-Rendsborg, Duke of Schleswig
(Schauenburg)
139823 November 14231436 Dietrich
DE Tecklenburg COA.svg Adelheid of TecklenburgOtto VIII, Count of Tecklenburg
(Schwerin)
143514532 March 1477 Gerhard VI
Blason Principaute d'Anhalt (XVe siecle).svg Anna of Anhalt-Zerbst George I, Prince of Anhalt-Zerbst
(Ascania)
 ?20 June 149810 February 1526
husband's abdication
10 October 1531 John V (aka XIV)
Wappen Grafschaft Sachsen-Lauenburg.svg Sofie of Saxe-Lauenburg Magnus I, Duke of Saxe-Lauenburg
(Ascania)
15211 January 15371566
husband's accession
13 May 1571 Anthony I
ElisabethSchwarzburgOldenburg.jpg Elisabeth of Schwarzburg-BlankenburgGunther XI, Count of Schwarzburg
(Schwarzburg)
13 April 1541157612 November 1603
husband's death
26 December 1612 John VII
Sophia Catherina of Schleswig-Holstein-Sonderburg.jpg Sophie Katharina of Schleswig-Holstein-Sonderburg Alexander, Duke of Schleswig-Holstein-Sonderburg
(Schleswig-Holstein-Sonderburg)
28 June 1617163519 June 1667
husband's death
22 November 1696 Anthony Günther
Sophieamaliedenmark.jpg Sophie Amalie of Brunswick-Lüneburg George, Duke of Brunswick-Lüneburg
(Brunswick-Lüneburg)
24 March 16281 October 16431667
Oldenburg passed to Denmark
9 February 1670
husband's death
20 February 1685 Frederick III of Denmark
1650 Charlotte.jpg Charlotte Amalie of Hesse-Kassel William VI, Landgrave of Hesse-Kassel
(Hesse-Kassel)
27 April 165025 June 16679 February 1670
husband's accession
25 August 1699
husband's death
27 March 1714 Christian V of Denmark
Louisemecklenburgdenmark.jpg Louise of Mecklenburg-Güstrow Gustav Adolf, Duke of Mecklenburg-Güstrow
(Mecklenburg-Güstrow)
28 August 16675 December 169525 August 1699
husband's accession
15 March 1721 Frederick IV of Denmark
Annasophiereventlow.jpg Anne Sophie von Reventlow Conrad, Count of Reventlow
(Reventlow)
16 April 16934 April 172112 October 1730
husband's death
7 January 1743
SophieMagdalenevonBrandenburg-Kulmbach01.jpg Sophia Magdalen of Brandenburg-Kulmbach Christian Heinrich of Brandenburg-Bayreuth-Kulmbach
(Hohenzollern)
28 November 17007 August 172112 October 1730
husband's accession
6 August 1746
husband's death
27 May 1770 Christian VI of Denmark
1724Louise 2.jpg Louise of Great Britain George II of Great Britain
(Hanover)
7 December 172411 December 17436 August 1746
husband's accession
19 December 1751 Frederick V of Denmark
Julianemariedenmark.jpg Juliana Maria of Brunswick-Wolfenbüttel Ferdinand Albert II, Duke of Brunswick-Wolfenbüttel
(Brunswick-Bevern)
4 September 17298 July 175213 January 1766
husband's death
10 October 1796
Dronning Caroline Mathilde.jpg Caroline Matilda of Great Britain Frederick, Prince of Wales
(Hanover)
11 July 17518 November 17661773
Oldenburg passed to Russia
10 May 1775 Christian VII of Denmark
Natalia Alexeievna of Russia by A.Roslin (1776, Hermitage).jpg Wilhelmina Louisa of Hesse-Darmstadt Louis IX, Landgrave of Hesse-Darmstadt
(Hesse-Darmstadt)
25 June 175529 September 17731773
ceased to be countess
15 April 1776 Paul I of Russia
Ulrica Friederica Gemahlin des Bischofs.jpg Ulrike Friederike Wilhelmine of Hesse-Kassel Landgrave Maximilian of Hesse-Kassel
(Hesse-Kassel)
31 October 172221 November 17521773
husband's accession
1774
became Duchess
28 February 1787 Frederick Augustus I

Duchess of Oldenburg (1774–1829)

PictureNameFatherBirthMarriageBecame DuchessCeased to be DuchessDeath Spouse
Ulrica Friederica Gemahlin des Bischofs.jpg Ulrike Friederike Wilhelmine of Hesse-Kassel Landgrave Maximilian of Hesse-Kassel
(Hesse-Kassel)
31 October 172221 November 17521774
became Duchess
6 July 1785
husband's death
28 February 1787 Frederick Augustus I

Grand Duchess of Oldenburg (1829–1918)

PictureNameFatherBirthMarriageBecame Grand DuchessCeased to be Grand DuchessDeath Spouse
1807 Cacilie.JPG Cecilia of Sweden Gustav IV Adolf of Sweden
(Holstein-Gottorp)
22 June 18075 May 183127 January 1844 Augustus I
Joseph Stieler - Elisabeth von Sachsen-Altenburg (1826-1896).jpg Elisabeth of Saxe-Altenburg Joseph, Duke of Saxe-Altenburg
(Saxe-Altenburg)
26 March 182610 February 185227 February 1853
husband's accession
2 February 1896 Peter II
Elisabethmecklenburg.jpg Elisabeth of Mecklenburg-Schwerin Frederick Francis II, Grand Duke of Mecklenburg-Schwerin
(Mecklenburg-Schwerin)
10 August 186924 October 189613 June 1900
husband's accession
11 November 1918
husband's abdication
3 September 1955 Frederick Augustus II

See also

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References