The Hesse-Philippsthal-Barchfeld family

[Svetabel]

Does anyone know anything on Landgrafin Luise of Hesse-Philippstal (1829-1901), nee Princess of Prussia, spouse of Landgraf Alexis von Hesse-Philippstal (1828-1905) ? She was daughter of Prince Karl of Prussia and Princess Marie of Saxe-Weimar, and  sister of notorious Red Prince Friedrich Karl (1828-85) of Prussia and Furstin Anna of Hesse-Kassel. Luise was married to Alexis in 1854 and seemed their marriage was unhappy.

While reading a letter of Empress Maria Fedorovna of Russia to her husband Emperor Alexander III I came across such a passage: “Poor Waldemar [brother of MF] was much upset when he squired ugly sister of Aunt Anna, Princess Luise of Prussia. She looked absolutely monstrous, so enormous and pot-bellied, she weared a lilac outfit and a white extra-size mantle. There was an impression that she had been given a dip into a bag of flour ”. This passage is from a letter of May 1884 when Empress MF attended a wedding of her cousin Princess Elisabeth of Hesse-Kassel and Prince Leopold of Anhalt.

I’ve never any seen any picture of this larger-than-life Luise. Can anybody help? Any extra info on her?

[Gretchen]

In the late 1840s Queen Josephine of Sweden and her friend Queen Elisabeth of Prussia planed a possible match between Princess Luise and Crown Prince Carl of Sweden, who also visited Prussia and actually became quite attached to her and wanted to marry her, but then Luise became sick and all future wedding plans were cancelled by the Swedish court (there were rumours that Luise´s illness had provoked infertility) and Carl married another Luise (and another granddaughter of Queen Luise), princess of the Netherlands.

[Svetabel]

Thanks Linnea! If we only can find a picture of Luise...

[grandduchessella]

I couldn't find a picture of her, sorry. The marriage was unhappy though--the Online Gotha lists them as being divorced in 1861, just 7 years after marriage.

I did find some information in an old newspaper at the time of her former husband's death. He was listed as being one of the handsomest royals of the day and she was accorded as being one of the loveliest. She tossed over the Swedish prince (according to the sheets of the day) for the Duke of Genoa, father of the future Queen Margherita of Italy. The Prussian Court refused to consent to the marriage on account of the Duke's Catholicism and later she became affianced to Prince Alexis. Signs of mental instability soon became apparent and the prince asked for a divorce. She lived the rest of her years, mostly in retirement, in Wiesbaden surrounded by her attendants.

[Svetabel]

I couldn't find a picture of her, sorry. The marriage was unhappy though--the Online Gotha lists them as being divorced in 1861, just 7 years after marriage.

I did find some information in an old newspaper at the time of her former husband's death. He was listed as being one of the handsomest royals of the day and she was accorded as being one of the loveliest. She tossed over the Swedish prince (according to the sheets of the day) for the Duke of Genoa, father of the future Queen Margherita of Italy. The Prussian Court refused to consent to the marriage on account of the Duke's Catholicism and later she became affianced to Prince Alexis. Signs of mental instability soon became apparent and the prince asked for a divorce. She lived the rest of her years, mostly in retirement, in Wiesbaden surrounded by her attendants.

Mental instability? Then this is an obvious reason she is not well-known and there is no much info on her. Many thanks, grandduchessella!

I did dig out a picture of a Luise of Preussen (it was on ebay sales). The caption says as you see "Luise, Prinzessin von Preussen", and probably it's her as being a divorced she definitely had her family name and title by birth.

[regensburg]

This is Luise (1829-1901)

[regensburg]

Here she is with her husband, Alexis Landgraf of Hessen-Philippsthal-Barchfeld

[regensburg]

I took these images from the "Hohenzollern Jahrbuch 1909". I enclose the entry with their signatures:-

[grandduchessella]

Those are great, Regensburg. They certainly seem to bear out the reports of what an attractive couple they were.

[HerrKaiser]

The coin profile of Alexis looks almost hauntingly similar to dear Fritz.

With Luise's life being almost matched (in years) by QV's, did they have any relationship?

[Svetabel]

Regensburg, thanks for the pictures of Luise and Alexis!

[Eurohistory]

I believe there is a lovely picture of Luise of Prussia (married Hessen) in Count Wrangel's excellent book, Les Maisons Souvereigns de l'Europe, which was published in the late 1890s.

Arturo

[Marc]

Are there any known jewels of the Hesse-Philippsthal-Barchfeld branch?Were they rich or not?

If you look genealogy tables they have been married very well...with prinsesses of Prussia,Denmark,Anhalt,Meiningen,Bentheim,Hohenlohe,Glücksburg,Solms so I guess there are some jewels left...any known?

[Eric_Lowe]

I thought the Cassel line was the only line that survive. Isn't the other line has a prince (Frederick I think) that supported Anna Anderson

[Marc]

I don't think that there was any Friedrich von Hessen-Philippsthal-Barchfeld at that time...