Princess Mauritia Eleonora of
Portugal (1609-1674)
Born 1609
Died 25 June 1674 Bergen op Zoom
Married 4 June 1647 's-Gravenhage
Georg Friedrich, Fuerst von Nassau-Siegen, son of Johann
VII, Count von Nassau-Siegen and Princess Margaretha von
Holstein-Sonderburg-Ploen
Born 23 February 1606 Dillenburg
Died 2 October 1674 Bergen op Zoom
Buried Fuerstengruft, Siegen
Due to the scandal caused by the elopement of her eldest sister, Mauritia
Eleonora and her other sisters lost all chances of contracting suitable
marriages. After their mother's death they
returned from Switzerland to The Netherlands. Here Mauritia Eleonora
was welcomed at the court of her great-uncle, Prince Frederik Hendrik of
Orange, and his wife Amalia.
Her cousin, Louise Henriette of Orange, was determined to marry their
penniless French cousin, Henri Charles, Prince de Tarente. However, her
mother, Amalia, was equally determined to marry her off to the future
King Charles II of England and, when it became obvious that Charles had
no intention of settling down, the Elector of Brandenburg would do.
To assist her aunt, Mauritia Eleonora spied on Louise Henriette who,
in December 1646, was forced to marry the Elector of Brandenburg. In 'gratitude',
a marriage was arranged in June 1647 for the thirty-eight-year old Mauritia
Eleonora and Georg Friedrich of Nassau-Siegen. However, this marriage remained
childless and both Mauritia Eleonora and her husband died in 1674.
Source: Leo van de Pas
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