| Louise Caroline of Hochberg | |
|---|---|
| Louise Caroline, Countess of Hochberg. Contemporary Painting, 1800 | |
| Spouse(s) | Charles Frederick, Grand Duke of Baden |
| Noble family | Geyer of Geyersberg |
| Father | Lieutenant Colonel Baron Louis Henry Philipp Geyer of Geyersberg |
| Mother | Countess Maximiliana Christiane of Sponeck |
| Born | 26 May 1768 Karlsruhe |
| Died | 23 June 1820 (aged 52) Karlsruhe |
Louise Caroline of Hochberg, born Baroness Geyer of Geyersberg, from 1787 Baroness of Hochberg, from 1796 Countess of Hochberg (26 May 1768 in Karlsruhe – 23 June 1820, Karlsruhe) was the morganatic second wife of the Margrave and later Grand Duke Charles Frederick of Baden.
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Louise Caroline Geyer Geyer of Geyersberg was the daughter Lieutenant Colonel Baron Louis Henry Philipp Geyer of Geyersberg, who died soon after her birth. Her godparents were Margrave Charles Frederick of Baden and his first wife, Caroline Louise. Louise Caroline was given a befitting education and attended a private school in Colmar. Later she attended the court of Baden-Durlach as a lady in waiting to Hereditary Princess Amalie.
On 24 November 1787, she married Margrave (since 1806 Grand Duke), Charles Frederick (1728–1811), who had been widowed since 1783 – but only " morganatically" because she was not of equal rank. From the days of her marriage she was given the title of Baroness of Hochberg. In 1796, she was elevated to Imperial Countess of Hochberg by Francis II. She never obtained the rank of Margravine, the rank Charles Frederick's first wife had had.
Since their children were of lower rank, they were initially excluded from the succession. In 1796 her sons were granted the rank of the Counts of Hochberg. Charles Frederick also decreed that in the event that the male line from his first marriage would die out, her sons would be entitled to inherit. That order was confirmed by his descendants from his first marriage and by the Emperor of the Holy Roman Empire.
Finally, when neither the legitimate grandson and heir, Grand Duke Charles, nor the other sons from his first marriage had surviving male descendants, Grand Duke Charles Frederick asked the princely congress in Aachen on 20 November 1818, just weeks before his death, to award the Margrave dignity to the sons of Louise Caroline. Louise Caroline herself still held only the rank of Countess. Finally, in 1830, ten years after Louise's death, after the death of Louis I (who was the last ruler of the old line), her son Leopold ascended the throne as Grand Duke. Their succession rights were reinforced when Baden was granted a constitution in 1818, and recognised by Bavaria and the Great Powers in the Treaty of Frankfurt, 1819. Louise's descendants ruled the Grand Duchy of Baden until 1918. The current pretenders are descendants of Louise Caroline.
It was alleged that Louise Caroline had replace the first-born son of Grand Duke Charles and Grand Duchess Stephanie by a dead child, in order the secure the throne for her own sons. When Kaspar Hauser was found, rumour had it that he was just this first-born prince of Baden. Modern historians consider this legend as refuted.[1]
Her marriage to Charles Frederick had the following children: