Elisabeth of Saxony

Elisabeth of Saxony (18 October 1552, at Wolkenstein Castle in Wolkenstein – 2 April 1590, in Heidelberg) was a Saxon princess, and Countess Palatine of Simmern by marriage to John Casimir of the Palatinate-Simmern.

Life Elisabeth was a daughter of the Elector August of Saxony (1526–1586) from his marriage to Anna (1532–1585), daughter of King Christian III of Denmark.

She married on 4 June 1570 in Heidelberg during the Diet of Speyer with Count Palatine John Casimir of Simmern (1543–1592). August opposed the policies of John Casimir, who was a Calvinist and friendly to France. With this marriage, August hoped to woo John Casimir over to the Lutheran side. However, he did not succeed. The Catholics in Germany regarded the marriage as a provocation against the Habsburg dynasty and an attempt to form a united Protestant front.

The Calvinist Johann Casimir tried to break the religious opposition of his Lutheran wife. In October 1585, she was arrested and accused of adultery and a murder plot against her husband. Even her brother, Elector Christian I, was convinced of her guilt. She converted to Calvinism while in captivity, and died shortly afterwards.

Marriage and issue From her marriage with John Casimir, Elizabeth had the following children: Unnamed son (1573) Marie (1576–1577) Elisabeth (1578–1580) Dorothea (1581–1631), married in 1595 Prince John George I of Anhalt-Dessau (1598–1618) Unnamed daughter (1584) Unnamed daughter (1585)

Ancestors

Royal descendants

The current reigning monarchs King Charles III of the United Kingdom, King Carl XVI Gustaf of Sweden, King Felipe VI of Spain, King Harald V of Norway, Willem-Alexander of the Netherlands, King Frederik X of Denmark, King Philippe of Belgium and Grand Duke Guillaume V of Luxembourg are all her direct-line descendants.