Agnes of Hesse

Agnes of Hesse
Electress of Saxony Duchess of Saxony
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Born	(1527-05-31)31 May 1527 Marburg
Died	Weimar
Spouse	Maurice, Elector of Saxony John Frederick II, Duke of Saxony
Issue	Anna, Princess of Orange Prince Albert
House	House of Hesse
Father	Philip I, Landgrave of Hesse
Mother	Christine of Saxony
Religion	Protestantism

Agnes of Hesse (31 May 1527 – 4 November 1555) was a princess of Hesse by birth and by marriage Electress of Saxony.

Life

Agnes was a daughter of Landgrave Philip of Hesse and his first wife Christine of Saxony. She married the Duke and later Elector Maurice of Saxony on 9 January 1541. From this marriage, she had two children: Anna of Saxony (born: 23 December 1544 – died 18 December 1577) and Albert (born: 28 November 1545 – died: 12 April 1546). The marriage between the two was not arranged by their parents but was initiated by Maurice and Agnes themselves, which at the time was highly unusual. Their surviving letters document the continuing friendship and mutual trust between the spouses. Agnes was also informed about the political plans of her husband. After her mother Christine's death in 1549, she took on the education of her younger siblings. Elector Maurice died on 9 July 1553 from his injuries in the battle of Sievershausen.

On 26 May 1555, Agnes married her second husband, Duke John Frederick II of Saxony. She was already of poor health at the time, and died six months later from a miscarriage. In the choir of the church St. Peter und Paul in Weimar, however, an unknown author states her death was due to poisoning. We can only speculate about the actual cause of her death. The fact that Agnes of Hesse had married into a rival family is consistent with the murder theory: members of the Albertine branch of the House of Wettin may have suspected her of revealing state secrets to the rival Ernestine branch.

References

• Political correspondence of the Duke and Elector Maurice of Saxony, 6 vols, Berlin 1902-2006

Footnotes

Agnes of Hesse House of Hesse Born: 31 May 1527 Died: 4 November 1555
German royalty
Preceded by Catherine of Mecklenburg	Duchess consort of Saxony (Albertine) 18 August 1541 – 24 April 1547	Succeeded by Sybille of Cleves
Preceded by Sybille of Cleves	Electress consort of Saxony 24 April 1547 – 24 April 1547	Succeeded by Anne of Denmark
Preceded by Catherine of Mecklenburg	Duchess consort of Saxony (Ernestine) 26 May 1555 – 4 November 1555	Vacant Title next held by Elisabeth of the Palatinate