Christine of Saxony

Christina of Saxony
Landgravine of Hesse
Born	25 December 1505 Dresden
Died	15 April 1549 (aged 43) Kassel
Spouse	Philip I, Landgrave of Hesse
Issue	Agnes Anna William IV, Landgrave of Hesse-Kassel Philipp Ludwig Barbara Louis IV, Landgrave of Hesse-Marburg Elisabeth Philip II, Landgrave of Hesse-Rheinfels Christine George I, Landgrave of Hesse-Darmstadt
House	Wettin
Father	George, Duke of Saxony
Mother	Barbara Jagiellon

Christine of Saxony (25 December 1505 – 15 April 1549) was a German noble, landgravine of Hesse. She was the regent of Hesse in 1547-1549.

She was the daughter of George, Duke of Saxony "the Bearded", Duke of Saxony and Barbara Jagiellon. Her paternal grandparents were Albert, Duke of Saxony and Sidonie of Bohemia. Her maternal grandparents were Casimir IV Jagiellon, king of Poland and Elisabeth of Austria.

On 11 December 1523 in Kassel, she married Landgrave Philip I, Landgrave of Hesse, called "the Magnanimous". They had 10 children. The marriage was arranged to forge an alliance between Hesse and Saxony and was unhappy; Philip claimed to be disgusted by her and only shared her bed by duty.

Whilst married to Christine, Philip practised bigamy and had another nine children with his other (morganatic) wife, Margarethe von der Saale; in 1540, Christine gave her consent to her husband's bigamy with his lover because of her view upon him as her sovereign. Saale, however, was never seen at court. During Philip's absence and captivity in 1547-49, Christine was regent jointly with her son.

Children with Philip of Hesse

1. Agnes (31 May 1527 – 4 November 1555), married:
   1. in Marburg on 9 January 1541 to Maurice, Elector of Saxony;
   2. in Weimar on 26 May 1555 to John Frederick II, Duke of Saxe-Gotha.
2. Anna (26 October 1529 – 10 July 1591), married on 24 February 1544 to Wolfgang, Count Palatine of Zweibrücken.
3. William IV of Hesse-Kassel (or Hesse-Cassel) (24 June 1532 – 25 August 1592).
4. Philipp Ludwig (29 June 1534 – 31 August 1535).
5. Barbara (8 April 1536 – 8 June 1597), married:
   1. in Reichenweier on 10 September 1555 to Duke George I of Württemberg-Mömpelgard;
   2. in Kassel on 11 November 1568 to Count Daniel of Waldeck.
6. Louis IV of Hesse-Marburg (27 May 1537 – 9 October 1604).
7. Elisabeth (13 February 1539 – 14 March 1582), married on 8 July 1560 to Louis VI, Elector Palatine.
8. Philip II of Hesse-Rheinfels (22 April 1541 – 20 November 1583).
9. Christine (29 June 1543 – 13 May 1604), married in Gottorp on 17 December 1564 to Adolf, Duke of Holstein-Gottorp.
10. Georg I of Hesse-Darmstadt, "the Pious" (10 September 1547 – 7 February 1596).

Ancestry

Ancestors of Christine of Saxony

16. Frederick I, Elector of Saxony               8. Frederick II, Elector of Saxony                       17. Catherine of Brunswick-Lüneburg               4. Albert III, Duke of Saxony                             18. Ernest, Duke of Austria               9. Margaret of Austria, Electress of Saxony                       19. Cymburgis of Masovia               2. George, Duke of Saxony                                   20. Victor of Kunštát and Poděbrady               10. George of Poděbrady                       21. Anna of Wartenberg               5. Sidonie of Poděbrady                             22. Smil of Sternberg               11. Kunigunde of Sternberg                       23. Barbara of Pardubice               1. Christine of Saxony                                         24. Algirdas of Lithuania               12. Władysław II Jagiełło                       25. Uliana of Tver               6. Casimir IV Jagiellon                             26. Andrew of Halshany               13. Sophia of Halshany                       27. Alexandra Drucka               3. Barbara Jagiellon                                   28. Albert IV, Duke of Austria               14. Albert II of Germany                       29. Johanna Sophia of Bavaria               7. Elisabeth of Austria                             30. Sigismund, Holy Roman Emperor               15. Elizabeth of Luxembourg                       31. Barbara of Cilli

Sources