Princess Antoinette of Brunswick-Wolfenbüttel

Princess Antoinette Amalie of Brunswick-Wolfenbüttel(14 April 1696-6 March 1762) was a Duchess of Brunswick-Wolfenbüttel and Princess of Brunswick-Lüneburg from her marriage to Ferdinand Albert, Duke of Brunswick-Wolfenbüttel. She was the daughter of Louis Rudolph, Duke of Brunswick and Princess Christine Louise of Oettingen-Oettingen. Her sisters were Elisabeth Christine, the Holy Roman Empress, and Charlotte Christine, the Tsarevna of Russia.

 Life 

 Family 

Princess Antoinette Amalie was born in 1696 in Wolfenbüttel to the Duke and Duchess of Brunswick. She was their third daughter, and had two older sisters, Elisabeth Christine and Charlotte Christine.

 Marriage 
Antoinette was sixteen years old in late 1712 when she married her cousin, Ferdinand Albert of Brunswick-Bevern. Even though he spent a lot of time with the military, he and Antoinette had a good relationship and thirteen children.

 Duchess of Brunswick and widowhood 
Antoinette's father died in in early 1735. Since he had no sons, Ferdinand Albert left the military to become the next Duke. However, he also died in 1735, and Antoinette became a widow.

She retired to Antoinettenruh Castle in Wolfenbüttel. But she died in 1762 at the age of 65 in Brunswick. Since her death over 1,000 books from her collection have been owned by the Herzog August Bibliothek.

 Children 
Antoinette Amalie and Ferdinand Albert had many children:

 Charles I, Duke of Brunswick (1 August 1713 - 26 March 1780), became Duke after his father died.
 Duke Anthony Ulrich (28 August 1714 - 4 May 1774), married Grand Duchess Anna Leopoldovna of Russia, died in a Russian prison in 1774.
 Elisabeth Christine (8 November 1715 - 13 January 1797), became Queen of Prussia by her marriage to Frederick II, had no children.
 Louis Ernst (25 September 1718 - 12 May 1788), entered military service under the Holy Roman Emperor.
 Ferdinand (12 January 1721 - 3 July 1792), achieved the rank of field marshal in the military.
 Luise (29 January 1722 - 13 January 1780), married Prince Augustus William of Prussia, had four children; she was the mother of King Frederick William II of Prussia.
 Sophie Antoinette (13 January 1724 - 17 May 1802), became Duchess of Saxe-Coburg-Saalfeld by marrying Duke Ernst Frederick.
 Therese Natalie (4 June 1728 - 26 June 1778), became an Abbess (leader) at Gandersheim Abbey.
 Juliana Maria (4 September 1729 - 10 October 1796), married King Frederick V of Denmark, had one child.
 Frederick Francis (22 December 1732 - 14 October 1758), joined the Prussian army, died after being decapitated by cannon fire in battle.

 References