| Luise Henriette of Nassau | |
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| Luise Henriette of Nassau | |
| Spouse(s) | Frederick William, Elector of Brandenburg |
| Noble family | House of Nassau |
| Father | Frederick Henry, Prince of Orange |
| Mother | Amalia of Solms-Braunfels |
| Born | 7 December 1627 the Hague |
| Died | 18 June 1667 (aged 39) Cölln |
Louise Henrietta of Nassau (Dutch: Louise Henriëtte van Nassau, German: Luise Henriette von Nassau; December 7, 1627 – June 18, 1667) was a Countess of Nassau, granddaughter of William I, Prince of Orange, "William the Silent", and an Electress of Brandenburg.
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Louise Henriëtte was born in The Hague, the eldest daughter of Frederick Henry, Prince of Orange, and Amalia of Solms-Braunfels. She grew up at the court of her father, the Stadtholder of Holland, Zeeland, Utrecht, Guelders and Overijssel.
Louise Henriëtte had to abandon her love for Henri Charles de La Trémoille, Prince of Talmant, son of Henry de La Trémoille, as her mother had royal ambitions for her. However, attempts to conclude an engagement with King Charles II of England came to nothing. Finally she was forced to marry Frederick William, Elector of Brandenburg (1620-1688), "the Great Elector," at The Hague on 7 December 1646, her nineteenth birthday.
The Electorate of Brandenburg regarded this marriage as beneficial by reason of the connections with the Orange family it created in the hope of obtaining assistance for Brandenburg's struggle for influence in Pomerania.
The couple lived in Cleves for the first years of their marriage, but they moved to Brandenburg, Frederick William's seat, in 1648. During her marriage, Luise Henriette followed her spouse and traveled between The Hague, Königsberg, Berlin and Cleves on campaigns, inspections, war and battle fields in Poland and Denmark. She acted as her husband's political adviser and was described as a pragmatist. She managed, through correspondence with the Queen of Poland, Marie Louise Gonzaga, to make an alliance with Poland in exchange for the Polish recognition of Prussia as a province of Brandenburg. It was said of her : "Few Electresses had been allowed so much influence". Luise Henriette had a new castle in Dutch style built in Bötzow in 1650-52 and called it Oranienburg, which became the name for the entire town in 1653. She was also involved in the design and development of the Lustgarten in Berlin. In 1663, she installed the first porcelain cabinet in Europe. In 1665, she founded an orphanage with places for 24 children. She was described as truly kind and gentle with a sharp intellect: her advice was vital for her spouse, and their marriage was considered a role model. During time of war, she made great efforts to soften the damages upon society.
A Protestant religious community known as the Luise-Henrietten-Stift in nearby Lehnin Abbey was named after her.
With Frederick William, Elector of Brandenburg, she had six children.
Luise Henriette died in Berlin and was buried in the Berliner Dom.
| Luise Henriette, Electress of Brandenburg | Father: Frederick Henry, Prince of Orange |
Paternal Grandfather: William I of Orange |
Paternal Great-grandfather: William, Count of Nassau |
| Paternal Great-grandmother: Juliana of Stolberg |
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| Paternal Grandmother: Louise de Coligny |
Paternal Great-grandfather: Gaspard de Coligny |
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| Paternal Great-grandmother: Charlotte de Laval (1530-1568) |
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| Mother: Amalia of Solms-Braunfels |
Maternal Grandfather: John Albert I of Solms-Braunfels (1592-1623) |
Maternal Great-grandfather: Conrad, Count of Solms-Braunfels |
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| Maternal Great-grandmother: Elisabeth of Nassau-Dillenburg |
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| Maternal Grandmother: Agnes of Sayn-Wittgenstein |
Maternal Great-grandfather: Louis, Count of Sayn-Wittgenstein |
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| Maternal Great-grandmother: Elisabeth of Solms-Laubach |
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Countess Luise Henriette of Nassau
Born: 7 December 1627 Died: 18 June 1667 |
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| German nobility | ||
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| Vacant
Title last held by
Elizabeth Charlotte of the Palatinate |
Electress consort of Brandenburg 7 December 1646 – 18 June 1667 |
Vacant
Title next held by
Sophia Dorothea of Holstein |
| Duchess consort of Prussia 7 December 1646 - 18 June 1667 |
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