# Electress

An Electress (German: Kurfürstin, Latin: electrix) was the consort of a Prince-elector of the Holy Roman Empire, one of the Empire's greatest princes.
The Golden Bull of 1356 established by Emperor Charles IV settled the number of Electors at seven. However, three of these were Roman Catholic archbishops, and so had no consorts; while of the four secular Electors, one was King of Bohemia, and his consort was always known by the more prestigious title of "Queen of Bohemia". The consorts usually referred to as Electresses, therefore, were:
* The Electress of the Palatinate;
* The Electress of Saxony;
* The Electress of Brandenburg.
To these were added, in 1623 and 1692 respectively:
* The Electress of Bavaria;
* The Electress of Hanover.
In the final years of the Empire, several Electors were added, who only held their offices for less than three years before the Empire's final dissolution. The consorts of these last Electors were:
* The Electress of Württemberg;
* The Electress of Hesse-Kassel.
There was also an Elector of Baden, but the only ruler to use this title was married morganatically and so his spouse did not share his title.
The rulers of Hesse-Kassel continued to use the title of "Elector" until the annexation of the principality by Prussia in 1866.
Persons using or entitled to use the title of "Electress" are listed below. Spouses of Electors in morganatic or unequal marriages are given in a separate table at the bottom of the page.

## Electresses
### Electresses of the Palatinate

| Name | Image | Father | Born | Married | Became Electress | Ceased to be Electress | Died | Husband |
| Wittelsbach Dynasty |||||||||
| Elizabeth | | John I, Marquis of Namur | 1340 | 1350 | 1356 | 1382 | 1382 | Rupert I |
| Beatrice | | William I, Duke of Berg | 1360 | 1385 | 1385 | 16 Feb 1390 | 1395 | Rupert I |
| Elizabeth | | Frederick V, Burggrave of Nuremberg | 1358 | 27 Jun 1374 | 6 Jan 1398 | 18 May 1410 | 26 Jul 1411 | Rupert III |
| Matilda | | Amadeo, Prince of Achaea | 1390 | 30 Nov 1417 | 30 Nov 1417 | 30 Dec 1436 | 14 May 1438 | Louis III |
| Margaret | | Amadeus VIII of Savoy | 7 Aug 1420 | 18 Oct 1445 | 18 Oct 1445 | 13 Aug 1449 | 30 Sep 1479 | Louis IV |
| Margaret | | Louis IX, Duke of Bavaria-Landshut | 7 Nov 1456 | 21 Feb 1474 | 12 Dec 1476 | 25 Feb 1501 | 25 Feb 1501 | Philip |
| Sibylle | | Albert IV, Duke of Bavaria | 16 Jun 1489 | 23 Feb 1511 | 23 Feb 1511 | 18 Apr 1519 | 18 Apr 1519 | Louis V |
| Dorothea | | Christian II of Denmark | 10 Nov 1520 | 26 Sep 1535 | 16 Mar 1544 | 26 Feb 1556 | 20 Sep 1580 | Frederick II |
| Line of Simmern |||||||||
| Marie | | Casimir, Margrave of Brandenburg-Bayreuth | 13 Oct 1519 | 12 Jun 1537 | 12 Feb 1559 | 31 Oct 1567 | 31 Oct 1567 | Frederick III |
| Amalia | | Gumprecht IV, Count of Neuenahr | c. 1540 | 25 Apr 1569 | 25 Apr 1569 | 26 Oct 1576 | 10 Apr 1602 | Frederick III |
| Elisabeth | | Philip I, Landgrave of Hesse | 13 Feb 1539 | 8 Jul 1560 | 26 Oct 1576 | 14 Mar 1582 | 14 Mar 1582 | Louis VI |
| Anne | | Edzard II, Count of East Frisia | 26 June 1562 | 12 Jul 1583 | 12 Jul 1583 | 22 Oct 1583 | 21 Apr 1621 | Louis VI |
| Louise Juliana | | William I of Orange | 31 Mar 1576 | 12 Jun 1593 | 12 Jun 1593 | 19 Sep 1610 | 15 Mar 1644 | Frederick IV |
| Elizabeth Queen of Bohemia | | James I of England | 19 Aug 1596 | 14 Feb 1613 | 14 Feb 1613 | 23 Feb 1623 deposition | 14 Feb 1662 | Frederick V |
| House of Wittelsbach – Bavaria |||||||||
| Elisabeth Renata | | Charles III of Lorraine | 9 Oct 1574 | 6 Feb 1595 | 23 Feb 1623 | 4 Jan 1635 | 4 Jan 1635 | Maximilan I |
| Maria Anna | | Emperor Ferdinand II | 13 Jan 1610 | 15 Jul 1635 | 15 Jul 1635 | 1648 | 25 Sep 1665 | Maximilan I |
| Name | Image | Father | Born | Married | Became Electress | Ceased to be Electress | Died | Husband |

### Electresses of Saxony

| Name | Image | Father | Born | Married | Became Electress | Ceased to be Electress | Died | Husband |
| Ascanian Dynasty |||||||||
| Elizabeth | | Otto I, Landgrave of Hesse | ? | ? | ? | 6 Dec 1370 | 15 Nov 1373 | Rudolph II |
| Caecilia | | Francis of Carrara, Duke of Padua | ? | 23 Jan 1367 or 1376 | 23 Jan 1367 or 1376 | 15 May 1388 | 1430–1434 | Wenceslaus I |
| Anna | | Balthasar, Landgrave of Thuringia | ? | 1387/1389 | ? | 4 Jul 1395 | 4 Jul 1395 | Rudolph III |
| Barbara | | Rupert, Duke of Silesia-Liegnitz | ? | 6 Mar 1396 | 6 Mar 1396 | 11 Jun 1419 | 17 May 1435 | Rudolph III |
| Euphemia | | Conrad II of Silesia | ? | 14 Jan 1402 | 11 Jun 1419 | 12 Nov 1422 | 1444 | Albert |
| Wettin Dynasty |||||||||
| Katharine | | Henry II of Brunswick-Lüneburg | 1395 | 8 Feb 1402 | 6 Jan 1423 | 4 Jan 1428 | 1442 | Frederick I |
| Margaret | | Ernest, Duke of Austria | 1416/17 | 3 Jun 1431 | 3 Jun 1431 | 7 Sep 1464 | 12 Feb 1486 | Frederick II |
| Elizabeth | | Albert III, Duke of Bavaria | 2 Feb 1443 | 19 Nov 1460 | 7 Sep 1464 | 5 Mar 1486 | 5 Mar 1486 | Ernest |
| Sybille | | John III, Duke of Cleves | 17 Jan 1512 | 9 Feb 1527 | 16 Aug 1532 | 4 Jun 1547 husband deposed | 21 Feb 1554 | John Frederick I |
| Agnes | | Philip I, Landgrave of Hesse | 31 May 1527 | 9 Jan 1541 | 4 Jun 1547 | 9 Jul 1553 | 4 Nov 1555 | Maurice |
| Anna | | Christian III of Denmark | 22 Nov 1532 | 7 Oct 1548 | 11 Jul 1553 | 1 Oct 1585 | 1 Oct 1585 | Augustus |
| Agnes Hedwig | | Joachim Ernest of Anhalt-Dessau | 1573 | 3 Jan 1586 | 3 Jan 1586 | 11 Feb 1586 | 1616 | Augustus |
| Sophia | | John George, Elector of Brandenburg | 6 Jun 1568 | 25 Apr 1582 | 11 Feb 1586 | 25 Sep 1591 | 7 Dec 1622 | Christian I |
| Hedwig | | Frederick II of Denmark | 5 Aug 1581 | 12 Sep 1602 | 12 Sep 1602 | 23 Jun 1611 | 26 Nov 1641 | Christian II |
| Magdalena Sibylla (1) | | Albert Frederick, Duke of Prussia | 31 Dec 1586 | 19 Jul 1607 | 23 Jun 1611 | 8 Oct 1656 | 12 Feb 1659 | John George I |
| Magdalena Sibylla (2) | | Christian of Brandenburg-Kulmbach-Bayreuth | 1 Nov 1612 | 13 Nov 1638 | 8 Oct 1656 | 22 Aug 1680 | 20 Mar 1687 | John George II |
| Anna Sophia | | Frederick III of Denmark | 1 Sep 1647 | 9 Oct 1666 | 22 Aug 1680 | 12 Sep 1691 | 1 Jul 1717 | John George III |
| Eleonore Erdmuthe Luise | | John George I, Duke of Saxe-Eisenach | 13 Apr 1662 | 17 Apr 1692 | 17 Apr 1692 | 27 Apr 1694 | 9 Sep 1696 | John George IV |
| Christiane Eberhardine Queen of Poland | | Christian Ernest, Margrave of Bayreuth | 29 Dec 1671 | 20 Jan 1693 | 27 Apr 1694 | 4 Sep 1727 | 4 Sep 1727 | Frederick Augustus I |
| Maria Josepha Queen of Poland | | Emperor Joseph I | 8 Dec 1699 | 20 Aug 1719 | 1 Feb 1733 | 17 Nov 1757 | 17 Nov 1757 | Frederick Augustus II |
| Maria Antonia Walpurgis Symphorosa | | Emperor Charles VII | 18 July 1724 | 20 Jun 1747 | 5 Oct 1763 | 17 Dec 1763 | 23 Apr 1780 | Frederick Christian |
| Maria Amalia Augusta | | Frederick Michael of Zweibrücken-Birkenfeld | 10 May 1752 | 29 January 1769 | 29 January 1769 | 20 Dec 1806 became Queen of Saxony | 15 November 1828 | Frederick Augustus III |
| Name | Image | Father | Born | Married | Became Electress | Ceased to be Electress | Died | Husband |

### Electresses of Brandenburg

| Name | Image | Father | Born | Married | Became Electress | Ceased to be Electress | Died | Husband |
| Wittelsbach Dynasty |||||||||
| Cunigunde | | Casimir III of Poland | 1334-5 | 1 Jan 1352 | 1356 | 1357 | 1357 | Louis |
| Ingeborg | | Albert II, Duke of Mecklenburg | 1340 | 15 Feb 1360 | 15 Feb 1360 | 17 May 1365 | 1395 | Louis |
| Catherine | | Emperor Charles IV | 19 Aug 1342 | 19 Mar 1366 | 19 Mar 1366 | 1373 | 26 Apr 1395 | Otto |
| Luxemburg Dynasty |||||||||
| Joan | | Albert I, Duke of Bavaria | 1362 | 29 Sep 1370 | 1373 | 1378 | 31 Dec 1386 | Wenceslaus |
| Mary | | Louis I of Hungary | 1371 | Oct 1385 | Oct 1385 | 1388 | 17 May 1395 | Sigismund |
| Agnes | | Bolko II of Opole | 1360? | 1374 | 1388 | 18 Jan 1411 | 1413? | Jodocus |
| Barbara | | Hermann II, Count of Celje | 1390–1395 | 1406–1408 | 18 Jan 1411 | 30 Apr 1415 | 11 Jul 1451 | Sigismund |
| Hohenzollern Dynasty |||||||||
| Elizabeth | | Frederick, Duke of Bavaria | 1383 | 18 Sep 1401 | 30 Apr 1415 | 20 Sep 1440 | 13 Nov 1442 | Frederick I |
| Catherine | | Frederick I, Elector of Saxony | 1421 | 11 June 1441 | 11 June 1441 | 10 Feb 1470 | 23 Aug 1476 | Frederick II |
| Anne | | Frederick II, Elector of Saxony | 7 Mar 1437 | 12 Nov 1458 | 10 Feb 1470 | 11 Mar 1486 | 31 Oct 1512 | Albert III |
| Margaret | | William III, Duke of Luxembourg | 1449 | 25 Aug 1476 | 11 Mar 1486 | 9 Jan 1499 | 13 Jul 1501 | John Cicero |
| Elizabeth | | John of Denmark | 24 Jun 1485 | 10 Apr 1502 | 9 Jan 1499 | 11 Jul 1535 | 10 Jun 1555 | Joachim I Nestor |
| Hedwig | | Sigismund I of Poland | 15 Mar 1513 | 1 Sep 1535 | 1 Sep 1535 | 3 Jan 1571 | 7 Feb 1573 | Joachim II Hector |
| Sabina | | George of Ansbach | 12 May 1529 | 12 Feb 1548 | 3 Jan 1571 | 2 Nov 1575 | 2 Nov 1575 | John George |
| Elizabeth | | Joachim Ernest of Anhalt-Dessau | 15 Sep 1563 | 6 Oct 1577 | 6 Oct 1577 | 8 Jan 1598 | 8 Nov 1607 | John George |
| Catherine | | John, Margrave of Brandenburg-Küstrin | 10 Aug 1549 | 8 Jan 1570 | 8 Jan 1598 | 10 Oct 1602 | 10 Oct 1602 | Joachim Frederick |
| Eleanor | | Albert Frederick, Duke of Prussia | 21 Aug 1583 | 2 Nov 1603 | 2 Nov 1603 | 9 Apr 1607 | 9 Apr 1607 | | Joachim Frederick |
| Anne | | Albert Frederick, Duke of Prussia | 3 Jul 1576 | 30 Oct 1594 | 18 Jul 1608 | 23 Dec 1619 | 30 Aug 1625 | John Sigismund |
| Elizabeth Charlotte | | Frederick IV, Elector Palatine | 19 Nov 1597 | 24 Jul 1616 | 23 Dec 1619 | 1 Dec 1640 | 26 Apr 1660 | George William |
| Louise Henriette Duchess of Prussia | | Frederick Henry, Prince of Orange | 7 Dec 1627 | 7 Dec 1646 | 7 Dec 1646 | 18 Jun 1667 | 18 Jun 1667 | Frederick William I |
| Sophia Dorothea Duchess of Prussia | | Philip of Holstein | 28 Sep 1636 | 14 Jun 1668 | 14 Jun 1668 | 29 Apr 1688 | 6 Aug 1689 | Frederick William I |
| Sophia Charlotte Queen in Prussia | | Ernest Augustus, Elector of Hanover | 30 Oct 1668 | 8 Oct 1684 | 29 Apr 1688 | 1 Feb 1705 | 1 Feb 1705 | Frederick III (I) |
| Sophia Louise Queen in Prussia | | Frederick, Duke of Mecklenburg-Schwerin | 6 May 1685 | 28 Nov 1708 | 28 Nov 1708 | 25 Feb 1713 | 29 Jul 1735 | Frederick III (I) |
| Sophia Dorothea Queen in Prussia | | George I of Great Britain | 16 Mar 1687 | 28 Nov 1706 | 25 Feb 1713 | 31 May 1740 | 28 Jun 1757 | Frederick William II (I) |
| Elizabeth Christine Queen of Prussia | | Ferdinand Albert II of Brunswick | 8 Nov 1715 | 12 Jun 1733 | 31 May 1740 | 17 Aug 1786 | 13 Jan 1797 | Frederick IV (II) |
| Frederica Louise Queen of Prussia | | Ludwig IX of Hesse | 16 Oct 1751 | 14 Jul 1769 | 17 Aug 1786 | 16 Nov 1797 | 25 Feb 1805 | Frederick William III (II) |
| Louise Augusta Wilhelmina Amalie Queen of Prussia | | Charles II of Mecklenburg-Strelitz | 10 Mar 1776 | 24 Dec 1793 | 16 Nov 1797 | 1806 | 9 Jul 1810 | Frederick William IV (III) |
| Name | Image | Father | Born | Married | Became Electress | Ceased to be Electress | Died | Husband |

### Electresses Palatine (junior line)

| Name | Image | Father | Born | Married | Became Electress | Ceased to be Electress | Died | Husband |
| Line of Simmern |||||||||
| Charlotte | | William V, Landgrave of Hesse-Kassel | 20 Nov 1627 | 22 Feb 1650 | 22 Feb 1650 | 14 Apr 1657 | 26 Mar 1686 | Charles I Louis |
| Wilhelmina Ernestine | | Frederick III of Denmark | 20 Jun 1650 | 20 Sep 1671 | 28 Aug 1680 | 26 May 1685 | 22 Apr 1706 | Charles II |
| Line of Neuburg |||||||||
| Elizabeth Amalia Magdalena | | George II, Landgrave of Hesse-Darmstadt | 20 Mar 1635 | 3 Sep 1653 | 26 May 1685 | 2 Sep 1690 | 4 Aug 1709 | Philip William |
| Anna Maria Luisa | | Cosimo III de' Medici, Grand Duke of Tuscany | 11 Aug 1667 | 5 Jun 1691 | 5 Jun 1691 | 8 Jun 1716 | 18 Feb 1743 | John William |
| Line of Sulzbach |||||||||
| Elizabeth Maria Augusta | | Joseph Charles Emmanuel, Prince of Palatinate-Sulzbach | 17 Jan 1721 | 17 Jan 1742 | 31 Dec 1742 | 30 Dec 1777 became Electress of Bavaria | 17 Aug 1794 | Charles IV Theodore |
| Name | Image | Father | Born | Married | Became Electress | Ceased to be Electress | Died | Husband |

### Electresses of Bavaria

| Name | Father | Born | Married | Became Electress | Ceased to be Electress | Died | Husband |
| Wittelsbach Dynasty |||||||||
| Elisabeth Renata | Charles III, Duke of Lorraine | 9 Oct 1574 | 6 Feb 1595 | 23 Feb 1623 | 4 Jan 1635 | 4 Jan 1635 | Maximilan I |
| Maria Anna | Emperor Ferdinand II | 13 Jan 1610 | 15 Jul 1635 | 15 Jul 1635 | 27 Sep 1651 | 25 Sep 1665 | Maximilan I |
| Henriette Adelaide | Victor Amadeus I, Duke of Savoy | 6 Nov 1636 | 8/11 Dec 1650 | 27 Sep 1651 | 13 Jun 1676 | 13 Jun 1676 | Ferdinand Maria |
| Maria Antonia | Emperor Leopold I | 1669 | 15 Jul 1685 | 15 Jul 1685 | 24 Dec 1692 | 24 Dec 1692 | Maximilian II |
| Teresa Kunegunda | John III of Poland | 4 Mar 1676 | 2 Jan 1695 | 2 Jan 1695 | 26 Feb 1726 | 10 Mar 1730 | Maximilian II |
| Maria Amalia Holy Roman Empress 1742–1745 | Emperor Joseph I | 22 Oct 1701 | 5 Oct 1722 | 26 Feb 1726 | 20 Jan 1745 | 11 Dec 1756 | Charles Albert |
| Maria Anna Sophia | Augustus III of Poland | 29 Aug 1728 | 9 Jul 1747 | 9 Jul 1747 | 30 Dec 1777 | 17 Feb 1797 | Maximilian III |
| Elizabeth Maria Augusta | Joseph Charles of Sulzbach | 17 Jan 1721 | 17 Jan 1742 | 30 Dec 1777 | 17 Aug 1794 | 17 Aug 1794 | Charles Theodore |
| Maria Leopoldine of Austria-Este | Ferdinand of Austria | 10 Dec 1776 | 15 Feb 1795 | 15 Feb 1795 | 16 Feb 1799 | 23 Jun 1848 | Charles Theodore |
| Frederica Caroline Wilhelmina | Charles Louis of Baden | 13 Jul 1776 | 9 Mar 1797 | 16 Feb 1799 | 1 Jan 1806 became Queen of Bavaria | 13 Nov 1841 | Maximilian IV |

### Electresses of Hanover

| Name | Father | Born | Married | Became Electress | Ceased to be Electress | Died | Husband |
| Hanover |||||||||
| Sophia | Frederick V, Elector Palatine | 14 Oct 1630 | 30 Sep 1658 | 1692 | 23 Jan 1698 | 8 Jun 1714 | Ernest Augustus |
| Wilhelmina Charlotte Caroline Queen of Great Britain | John Frederick, Margrave of Ansbach | 1 Mar 1683 | 22 Aug 1705 | 11 Jun 1727 | 20 Nov 1737 | 20 Nov 1737 | George II |
| Sophia Charlotte Queen of Great Britain | Charles Louis Frederick of Mecklenburg-Strelitz | 19 May 1744 | 8 Sep 1761 | 8 Sep 1761 | 12 Oct 1814 became Queen of Hanover | 17 Nov 1818 | George III |

### Electresses of Württemberg and Hesse

| Name | Father | Born | Married | Became Electress | Ceased to be Electress | Died | Husband |
| Württemberg |||||||||
| Charlotte Augusta Matilda | George III of the United Kingdom | 29 Sep 1766 | 18 May 1797 | 25 February 1803 | 1 Jan 1806 became Queen of Württemberg | 5 Oct 1828 | Frederick I |
| Hesse |||||||||
| Wilhelmina Caroline | Frederick V of Denmark | 10 July 1747 | 1 Sep 1764 | 1803 | 14 Jan 1820 | 14 Jan 1820 | William I |
| Augusta Christina Frederica | Frederick William II of Prussia | 1 May 1780 | 13 Feb 1797 | 27 Feb 1821 | 19 Feb 1841 | 19 Feb 1841 | William II |

## Morganatic spouses of Electors

| Name | Father | Born | Married | Died | Husband |
| Clara Tott | ? | ? | 1471 | 29 Apr 1520 | Frederick I, Elector Palatine |
| Maria Susanna Loysa, Raugravine | Christoph Martin von Degenfeld | 28 Nov 1634 | 6 Jan 1658 | 18 Mar 1677 | Charles I Louis, Elector Palatine |
| Elizabeth Höllander von Bernau | ? | 1659 | 11 Dec 1679 | 8 Mar 1702 | Charles I Louis, Elector Palatine |
| Violante Maria Theresa, Countess of Thurn and Taxis | Count Philipp-Wilhelm of Thurn and Taxis | 1 Apr 1683 | 1729 | 2 Nov 1734 | Charles III Philip, Elector Palatine |
| Louise Caroline, Countess of Hochberg | Ludwig Heinrich Philipp Geyer von Geyersberg | 26 May 1768 | 24 Nov 1787 | 23 Jun 1820 | Charles Frederick of Baden |
| Emilie Ortlöpp, Countess of Reichenbach | Johann Christian Ortlöpp | 13 May 1791 | 8 July 1841 | 12 Feb 1843 | William II, Elector of Hesse |
| Caroline of Berlepsch, Baroness of Bergen | Hermann Ludwig von Berlepsch | 1820 | 28 Aug 1843 | 1877 | William II, Elector of Hesse |
| Gertrude, Princess of Hanau | Johann Gottfried Falkenstein | 1805 | 26 June 1831 | 1882 | Frederick William, Elector of Hesse |