She belonged to an impoverished Huguenot family, one of the minor 
        nobility of France. The Princesse de Tarente offered her a post in her 
        household and, with her beauty and grace, Eleonore was much admired.
        With the Prince de Tarente and his family she went to Holland where 
        she met Georg Wilhelm, Duke of Brunswick. 
              Georg Wilhelm was thirteen years older and with a reputation of 
        being unreliable, irresponsible and the last man in the world to have 
        honourable intentions. However, he gave her jewels, proposals and 
        invited her to join him in Germany to attend his brother's funeral. 
        She followed him to Iburg where Georg Wilhelm's family received her 
        kindly. 
              Eleonore behaved with decorum and modesty and Georg Wilhelm, 
        wildly in love, did not wait to bury his brother before entering into 
        a 'marriage de conscience' with her. A contract was drawn up, giving 
        her an annual income, and this contract was signed by Georg Wilhelm, 
        his brother Ernst August, Ernst August's wife, and Eleonore who 
        regarded herself to be 'a wife in the eyes of God' and became known as 
        'Frau von Harburg'. A year later the cordiality with her in-laws 
        soured when she, being pregnant, tried to legalise her relationship 
        with Georg Wilhelm. Her influence on Georg Wilhelm surpassed all 
        expectations, as did the couple's mutual caresses, which were and 
        remained 'forts violents'. In September 1666 Eleonore gave birth to a 
        daughter, Sophia Dorothea, and almost died of it. However, she 
        recovered but was 'all skin and bone' and, apparently, never regained 
        her former beauty, but Georg Wilhelm remained devoted to her. 
             On 22 July 1674 the Emperor created her Countess von Wilhelmsburg 
        and, after a second marriage ceremony on 20 December 1675, from 24 
        April 1676 onwards she was regarded to be Duchess of Brunswick-Celle. 
        In Paris Eleonore had an elaborate family-tree drawn up which cost her 
        thousands but linked her with Hughes Capet, King of France. Her 
        sister-in-law, Sophie, maintained she was tempted to have one done for 
        her chambermaid. 
             Anton Ulrich, Duke of Brunswick-Wolfenbuettel, who had supported 
        Eleonore's quest for legitimacy, offered his eldest son as a husband 
        for Sophia Dorothea who, legitimised, would be a very wealthy heiress. 
        Once the engagement was accomplished, Eleonore announced that she was 
        again pregnant, and this time the child would be undoubtedly 
        legitimate. However, three months after the engagement the young Duke 
        died on the battlefield and the new baby, a girl, followed 'the long 
        line of her little sisters into a better world'. 
             Anton Ulrich, Duke of Brunswick-Wolfenbuettel, who had done so 
        much to legitimise Eleonore's marriage and child, then proposed his 
        second son as a husband for Eleonore's daughter. However, Eleonore 
        didn't think him good enough and announced that another cousin, Prince 
        George of Denmark, had offered for her daughter's hand. However, the 
        Danish Queen was quick in denying this story. It was Georg Ludwig, the 
        future George I, King of Great Britain, who married Sophia Dorothea. 
        According to George's mother, "he would marry a cripple if it were to 
        benefit 'la maison'." 
              After Eleonore had become the grandmother of two, the marriage 
        failed when Sophia Dorothea fell in love with Count von Koenigsmarck. 
        Eleonore endeavoured to obtain a separation for which she tried to 
        raise money, but Georg Ludwig refused. On 15 July 1694 Koenigsmarck 
        disappeared, probably murdered, and a few days later Sophia Dorothea 
        was placed under arrest and removed to Hannover. For the rest of her 
        life Sophia Dorothea was locked up in the Castle of Ahlden and 
        Eleonore, who visited her occasionally, was to be the only family 
        member she would see during the rest of her life. 

Source: Leo van de Pas