Landgrave William of Hesse-Cassel

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Prince William of Hesse (24 December 1787, Biebrich – 5 September 1867, Copenhagen), son of Prince Frederick of Hesse and Caroline of Nassau-Usingen.

His paternal grandparents were Frederick II, Landgrave of Hesse-Kassel and Princess Mary of Great Britain.

[edit] Ancestry

16. Charles I, Landgrave of Hesse-Kassel

8. William VIII, Landgrave of Hesse-Kassel

17. Maria Amalia of Courland

4. Frederick II, Landgrave of Hesse

18. Maurice Wilhelm, Duke of Saxe-Zeitz

9. Dorothea Wilhelmine of Saxe-Zeitz

19. Marie Amalie of Brandenburg

2. Prince Frederick of Hesse

20. George I of Great Britain

10. George II of Great Britain

21. Sophia Dorothea of Celle

5. Princess Mary of Great Britain

22. Johann Friedrich, Margrave of Brandenburg-Ansbach

11. Caroline of Brandenburg-Ansbach

23. Eleanor Erdmuthe Louise of Saxe-Eisenach

1. William of Hesse

24. Wilhelm Heinrich of Nassau-Usingen

12. Karl, Prince of Nassau-Usingen

25. Charlotte Amalie of Nassau-Dillenburg

6. Karl Wilhelm, Prince of Nassau-Usingen

26. John William III, Duke of Saxe-Eisenach

13. Christiane Wilhelmine of Saxe-Eisenach

27. Magdalene Sibylle of Saxe-Weissenfels

3. Princess Caroline Polyxene of Nassau-Usingen

28. Johann Karl August of Leiningen-Dagsburg-Heidesheim

14. Christian Karl Reinhard, Count of Leiningen-Dagsburg-Falkenburg

29. Johanna Magdalena of Hanau-Lichtenberg

7. Caroline Felizitas of Leiningen-Dagsburg-Falkenburg

30. George Ludwig, Count of Solms-Rödelheim

15. Katharina Polyxena of Solms-Rödelheim and Assenheim

31. Charlotte Sibylle of Ahlefeld-Langeland

[edit] Marriage and children

On 10 November 1810, William was married in Amalienborg Palace to Princess Louise Charlotte of Denmark (1789-1864) daughter of Hereditary Prince Frederick of Denmark and Norway (1753-1805) and Sophia Frederica of Mecklenburg-Schwerin (1758-1794).

Children of marriage:

• Karoline Friederike Marie of Hesse-Kassel (15 August 1811 - 10 May 1829).
• Marie Luise Charlotte of Hesse-Kassel (9 May 1814 - 28 July 1895). Married Friedrich August of Anhalt-Dessau.
• Louise of Hesse (7 September 1817- 29 September 1898). Married King Christian IX of Denmark.
• Friedrich Wilhelm (26 November 1820 - 14 October 1864). Head of House of Hesse-Kassel. Married first Grand Duchess Alexandra Nikolaievna of Russia, a daughter of Nicholas I of Russia and Charlotte of Prussia, and second Anna of Prussia.
• Auguste Sophie Friederike of Hesse-Kassel (30 October 1823 - 17 July 1899. Married Charles Frederick, Baron of Nasbyholm (Blixen-Fineke).
• Sophie Wilhelmine of Hesse-Cassel (18 January - 20 December 1827).

Mayer Amschel Rothschild and Prince William:

• The early fortunes of the Rothschild family were made through a conjunction of financial intelligence and the wealth of Prince William. In 1785 the Landgrave of Hesse-Kassel died, leaving his immense wealth (largely gained through the loan of Hessian mercenaries,not least to Great Britain during the American Revolution) to the young Prince William. During the Napoleonic wars the Prince saw necessary to have his fortune hidden from Napoleon by using his long standing Jewish friend's home in Frankfurt. This money then saw its way through to Nathan Mayer, (N.M.) in London, where it helped fund the British movements through Portugal and Spain. The interest made from this venture was reaped by the budding jewish bankers and swiftly developed their fortune and prestige in Europe and Britain. It was not long before their riches outweighed that of their benefactors; the Prince William of Hesse-Kassel.