February 13, 1662 death of Elizabeth Stuart, Queen of Bohemia.
https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/12344990/elizabeth-stuart#view-photo=2296135
Elizabeth was born August 19, 1596 in Dunfermline Palace in Fife Scotland. Her father was James VI of Scotland at the time (becoming James I of England in 1603). Her mother was Anne of Denmark, a daughter of Frederick II. Elizabeth was second of her parents seven children, two years younger then Henry. Beyond Elizabeth, only Henry who died at 18, and Charles who succeeded his father as Charles I, made it out of childhood. Three sisters and one brother ranged in age from a day old to 2 years old when they died.
Elizabeth was named in honor of Elizabeth I who her father would succeed, who stood as her godmother. She was baptized November 28, 1596.
While in Scotland her childhood was spent at Linlithgow Palace in the care of Lord Livingstone and his wife. She was quite close to her brother Henry.
In 1603 when her godmother died, her father succeeded to the throne. Elizabeth and Henry accompanied their mother on her arrival into London. The royal children though were soon moved to Oatlands, before the coronation.
Elizabeth eventually was placed into the care of Lord Harrington at Coombe Abbey and his wife for her education. There she became close friends with Anne Dudley who was a lifelong friend. Anne's mother was a sister of Lord Harrington. She was among a number of young ladies Elizabeth was educated with while in the home.
Elizabeth was well educated for a woman in her time. She studied history, geography, theology, languages, music and more. She spoke several languages fluently especially French and was an accomplished rider.
Elizabeth was a sought after prize as a wife. Many young men were sent to court her. The future Gustav II Adolf of Sweden was among them but as Sweden was at war with Denmark, he was not considered.
Instead the choice fell on Frederick V of the Palatinate. Having succeeded his father as ruler of the Palatinate at the age of 14 in 1610, his pedigree and standing was considered acceptable. The 16 year old arrived in October 1612 and the match seemed to please both Frederick and Elizabeth. Frederick's friendship with her beloved brother Henry helped her opinion of him. Anne was not happy with the choice as she wanted her daughter to be a queen.
When Henry died Elizabeth's stock went up as she was one step closer to the throne. Her mother wished for them to find a higher husband for Elizabeth. But Elizabeth stood by her commitment to marry Frederick. Deeply saddened by the loss of her beloved older brother, Frederick's friendship with Henry was a strong influence on that.
They were married on Valentine's day in 1613 at Whitehall. Many foreign royals attended and the marriage was seen as a very popular union. It was celebrated with lavish parties both in London and later in Heidelberg.
Frederick set out to transform Heidelberg Castle for his beloved wife. They added gardens in the Renaissance style, menagerie and even a monkey-house.
Her relationship with her mother in law was not a good one. The widowed Louise Juliana of Nassau had not been expecting to come second to her young daughter in law. But Frederick had promised his father in law that Elizabeth would not be placed second. It cased tension between the two women.
In 1619 her husband was offered the throne of Bohemia. King Matthias had died in March and the Bohemians had been faced with his heir Archduke Ferdinand. The Hapsburg was feverent catholic, and the Bohemians who had enjoyed religious freedom, feared Ferdinand's rule. They chose to depose him and selected a new ruler. Her husband was crowned November 9 in Prague castle and she was crowned three days later.
Their rule only lasted a year. The Hapsburgs were not about to allow Bohemia to go without a fight. Ferdinand was now Emperor Ferdinand II seized back the throne in the Battle of White Mountain in 1620. The couple are known as the Winter king and queen for their short rule.
Elizabeth had been in Berlin at the time. The couple were unable to return to the Palatinate as it was under the Catholic league at the time, despite aid from her father. They were extended an invitation by the Prince of Orange and settled in the Hague. Life was comfortable though never great in the Hague where she would spend the rest of her life.
Sadly she was widowed in 1632 when her husband was returning from Sweden and died from an infection.Deeply in love with her husband, Elizabeth was over come with grief when she learned of his death. Her brother offered for her to come home to England but she chose to remain, fighting for her eldest son's rights. Even when he reclaimed the Palatinate his mother remained in the Hague. She not only out lived many of her children, but she saw the execution of her brother Charles and exile of her family from England.
In 1660 she saw her nephew Charles restored to the throne as Charles II. She decided it was time to return home to England. In January 1662 she moved to Leicester house where she would die from hemorraghing in the lungs brought on by pneumonia which she had been suffering when she moved.
Her son Rupert was the only one of her children to walk in her funeral procession. She was buried near her beloved brother Henry in Westminster.
https://www.westminster-abbey.org/abbey-commemorations/royals/elizabeth-stuart-queen-of-bohemia
Her death was little attention at the time due to her status. But she would be the grandmother of the future George I.
Elizabeth and her husband had 13 children together. 9 reached adulthood.
-Henry Frederick: died at age 15 from drowning
-Charles Louis: reclaimed the Palatinate as Charles I Louis. Married three times. He had three children with Charlotte of Hesse-Kassel, including his heir Charles II. A morgantic second marriage to Marie Luise von Degenfeld, produced 13 children. His third marriage to Elisabeth Hollander von Bernau produced one son.
-Elisabeth: lived to 61 but never married. Was a philosopher who was known for her writings to Rene Descartes.
-Rupert: known as Rupert of the Rhine, the only child to attend her funeral. He came to prominence as a royalist in the calvary during the English civil war. He He was involved with but never married actress Peg Hughes. They had a daughter Ruperta together. He also had a son Dudley with a previous mistress Frances Bard. His estate was left to Peg and Ruperta. Ruperta would marry Emanuel Scrope Howe.
-Maurice: he served with Rupert in the military. He later became a vice-admiral of the navy. He died at age 31 while sailing to the New world.
-Louise Hollandine: died at 86, and like her elder sister, never married. She was a talented artist.
-Louis: second to die in childhood, he died at four months old.
-Edward: Count Palatine of Simmern. He married Anna Gonzaga, the daughter of the Duke of Mantua who was 9 years older. The couple had three daughters.
-Henriette Marie: She was married to Sigismund, a brother of George Rákóczi II, Prince of Transylvania. She died at the age of 25, and her husband died a few months after her. They had no children.
-Philip Frederick: He became a soldier of fortune after he killed a man in duel and refused to answer to the Dutch courts. He died in battle in service of the Duke of Lorraine at 23.
-Charlotte: died at age 2 a year before her father died.
-Sophia: the only sister to marry and have children. She married Ernest Augustus, Elector of Hanover. They had seven children who reached adulthood. Her eldest would succeed as George I of England. She died several months before Queen Anne, why her son and not her inherited the throne.
-Gustavas Adolphus: died at the age of eight.
Of her 9 children who reached adulthood, she outlived Maurice, Henriette and Philip. She out lived Edward by barely a year.