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Christiana of Schleswig-Holstein-Sonderburg-Glücksburg

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Princess Christiana
Born(1634-09-22)22 September 1634
Copenhagen, Denmark
Died20 May 1701(1701-05-20) (aged 66)
Delitzsch Castle
Noble familyHouse of Schleswig-Holstein-Sonderburg-Glücksburg (by birth)
House of Saxe-Merseburg
(by marriage)
Spouse(s)Christian I, Duke of Saxe-Merseburg
IssueMagdalene Sophie
Johann Georg
Christian II, Duke of Saxe-Merseburg
August, Duke of Saxe-Merseburg-Zörbig
Philipp, Duke of Saxe-Merseburg-Lauchstädt
Christiane, Duchess of Saxe-Eisenberg
Sophie Hedwig, Duchess of Saxe-Saalfeld
Heinrich, Duke of Saxe-Merseburg
Maurice
Sibylle Maria, Duchess of Württemberg-Oels
FatherPhilip, Duke of Schleswig-Holstein-Sonderburg-Glücksburg
MotherSophie Hedwig of Saxe-Lauenburg

Princess Christiana of Schleswig-Holstein-Sonderburg-Glücksburg, often referred to as Christiane (22 September 1634 in Copenhagen – 20 May 1701 at Delitzsch Castle) was the consort of Christian I, Duke of Saxe-Merseburg, who was the ruling Duke of Saxe-Merseburg from 1650 until his death.

Life

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Christiana was the fourth daughter, and the ninth of 15 children,[1] of Philip, Duke of Schleswig-Holstein-Sonderburg-Glücksburg and his wife, Sophie Hedwig of Saxe-Lauenburg. Christiana was born in Copenhagen, Denmark. She was raised by Magdalene Sibylle of Saxony, the widow of the Danish Crown Prince, at her widow seat Nyköpingshus.[1]

On 19 November 1650, at the age of 16, Christiana married at Dresden Castle to Christian I, Duke of Saxe-Merseburg, the third son of Prince-Elector John George I of Saxony and his second wife, Duchess Magdalene Sibylle of Prussia. This was part of a double wedding: Christiana's elder sister Sophie Hedwig married Christian's younger brother Maurice.[2] The double wedding was followed by four weeks of celebrations, including ballet and other performances, tournaments, parades and fireworks.[3]

After her husband died in 1691, Christiana retreated to her widow seat, Delitzsch Castle, which she had received in 1688, replacing the earlier jointure Sangerhausen Castle.[4] Delitzsch Castle had been renovated and remodeled to serve as her residence. However, the renovated had not been completed when she moved in on 31 May 1692. During her time at Delitsch, Christiana added a French formal garden to the castle.

Marriage and issue

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Christian and Christiana had eleven children:

References

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  1. ^ a b Essegern, p. 383
  2. ^ Essegern, p. 325
  3. ^ Deppe, p. 14
  4. ^ Essegern, p. 416

Bibliography

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  • Ute Essegern: Fürstinnen am kursächsischen Hof. Lebenskonzepte und Lebensläufe zwischen Familie, Hof und Politik in der ersten Hälfte des 17. Jahrhunderts, in the series Schriften zur sächsischen Geschichte und Volkskunde, vol. 19, Leipziger Universitätsverlag, Leipzig, 2007, ISBN 978-3-86583-074-6, p. 383–385 (Abstract online)
  • Uta Deppe: Die Festkultur am Dresdner Hofe Johann Georgs II. von Sachsen (1660–1679), in the series Bau + Kunst. Schleswig-Holsteinische Schriften zur Kunstgeschichte, vol. 13, Ludwig, Kiel, 2006, ISBN 3-933598-94-X, p. 14 (Online).