Report of possible brides for William III (1696)
Having just preached at a wedding on the weekend, I was amused to find this as I studied for Church History:
“List of princesses, royal, electoral and of other most distinguished houses of marriageable age.
The princess royal of Sweden, fifteen years of age. She is very tiny, and a Lutheran.
The princess royal of Denmark, eighteen years of age, tall, of excellent disposition, well-bred and graced with the best qualities of her sex. She is a Lutheran, like the king her father; but the queen her mother, who is Reformed, has inspired her with the same opinions.
The princess electoral of Brandenburg, fourteen years of age, very well-bred, of a sweet-tempered disposition, extremely devout, and of the Protestant religion.
The princess of Hesse-Cassel, sixteen years of age, well endowed both in mind and body, of moderate height, of a gentle and kindly disposition and of the Reformed religion.
The princess of Saxe-Eisenach, twenty-five years of age, with a striking appearance and charming temper; Lutheran.
The princess of Holstein-Gottorp, twenty years of age, of excellent reputation; Lutheran.”
And none of them made the cut – William never remarried after Mary’s death!
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Tags: church history, college, revolution
Any reason why not Mark?
Well some scholars maintain maintain that he was gay, and others decline to speculate. Apparently, he had a mistress during his marriage but all went strangely quiet after his wife died. Looks like a bit of a mystery, but perhaps he was simply looking for an older woman?!