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| Augustus II of Poland the Strong @Wikipedia |
(1670-1733)
King of Poland &
Grand Duke of Lithuania
1697-1706; 1709-1733
Elector of Saxony
(Friedrich August I)
1697-1733
Son of: Johann Georg III of Saxony & Anne Sophie of Denmark.
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| Christiane Eberhadine of Brandenburg Queen of Poland @Wikipedia |
Husband of: Christiane Eberhardine von Brandenburg-Bayreuth (1671-1727), mar 1693.
"Frederick Augustus the Second, King of Poland and Elector of Saxony, was born at the electoral palace at Dresden, on the 12th May, 1670, and was the second son of the Elector, John George the Third, by his wife Anna Sophia, Princess of Denmark. As an infant he displayed such uncommon strength, that he was compared to the infant Hercules, and it was confidently trusted that, like his great prototype, he would be able to strangle the serpents in hjis cradle; but when, in his after years, he was assailed by those serpents, flattery and love of pleasure, he proved himself by no means a Hercules." (The Foreign monthly review and continental literary journal: 39)
Augustus the Strong.
"When Peter arrived at Rawa, where the new King was staying, he found in Augustus a young man physically exceptional like himself. Augustus was tall (except in the presence of Peter, whose height was abnormal) and powerfully built; he was called Augustus the Strong, and it was said that he could bend a horseshoe with his bare hands. At twenty-eight, he was bluff and hearty, and had red cheeks, blue eyes, a strong nose, a full mouth and exceptionally heavy and bushy black eyebrows. . . ." (Peter the Great: His Love and World: 230)
" . . . The king of whom it was said he 'left no stern unturned' was known to his subjects as Augustus 'the Strong' for his exceptional physical size and strength, his gluttony, his drinking prowess and his lechery, but most of all for his astonishing virility. Over a period of half a century he fathered 365 bastards, give or take a dozen. It is probably only fair to record that there was also one legitimate heir." (Royal Babylon: The Alarming History of European Royalty: 89)
"Surnamed the Strong, because he could break horseshoes and men as easily as he dispelled care and triumphed over misfortune, Augustus was equally remarkable for the victories he gained over the fair sex, which seldom fails to recognise a master in a prince. But as an excuse for the weakness of all the ladies who found a temporary paradise in his favour, it must be admitted that even without the captivating glamour of his crown he possessed a personal charm which was of itself sufficient to conquer the most rebellious heart. . . ." (A Beau Sabreur: 41)
Royal prowess & potency.
"The king who fathered the most royal bastards was neither English nor French: he was Augustus the Strong (1670-1713), King of Poland and Elector of Saxony. His epithet almost surely came from his performance in the bedchamber, since his military abilities were not particularly notable. He fathered some 365 known children, only one of whom was legitimate (his successor Augustus III). Among the most famous of his illegitimate sons was Maurice de Saxe, who became a marshal of France." (Cross Dressing, Sex, and Gender: 118)
A real dude or a royal dud?.
: "of his mistresses and ministers the most are disappointed in him. His mistresses think he loves them as he professes. In reality he does but hold them for his delight, and since a lust for pleasure is his master passion, his mistresses grow overweening and mistake his patience for proof of his affection, then he bids them a prudent farewell." (Pleasure and Ambition: The Life, Loves and Wars of Augustus the Strong: 260)
A covey of concubines.
"It has been stated that 'he left no stone unturned'. Friedrich Augustus, Elector of Saxony and King of Poland, is said to be the father of some 300 children, including Maurice de Saxe, Marshal of France (1696-1750). His wonderful amours attested both to his catholic taste and his phenomenal stamina. Apart from his wife, Eberhardine of Bayreuth, he cultivated the favours of a covey of concubines---official, confidential, and top-secret. Maurice de Saxe was the son of the Swedish Countess Aurora of Konigsmark; his half-brother, Count Rotowski, was the child of Fatima, a Turkish girl captured at Buda; his half-sister, Countess Orzelska, of Henriette Duval, daughter of a Warsaw wine-merchant. On the official list, the Countess d'Esterle was followed by Mme Teschen, Mme Hoym, Mme Cosel, Maria, Countess Denhoff, but not, exceptionally, by the ex-mistress of the British ambassador in Dresden. Friedrich Augustus would have been a great king if only his political ventures had been half as well-aimed as his spermatozoa. (Spoil-sports estimate his progeny at eight)." (Europe: A History: 596)
How Many Mistresses in All: Who Knows?.
" . . . The number of mistresses of Augustus has never been ascertained: it is said that no woman ever resisted him when he had once made up his mind to seduce her. They were of all nations, partly state mistresses, like those at the court of Versailles, partly of a more transient description, and chosen to please for a month, a week, or an hour. Among the state mistresses, the most celebrated was the beautiful Aurora von Konigsmark, the mother of the Marshal of Saxony, and the only human being who ever frightened Charles XII. The principal mistresses next to her were the Countess von Kosel, and the ladies Lubomirska, Kessel, Esterle, Fatime, Dubarc, Duval, Donhoff, Osterhausen, and Dieskau. They cost him enormous sums: the Countess von Kosel alone cost him upwards of twenty million of thalers, a sum admitted to be correct by Bottiger, who had access to the archives at Dresden. . . . " (The Biographical Dictionary of the Society for the Diffusion of Useful Knowledge, Vol. 4: 160)
The politics of mistresses.
"Surnamed the Strong, because he could break horseshoes and men as easily as he dispelled care and triumphed over misfortune, Augustus was equally remarkable for the victories he gained over the fair sex, which seldom fails to recognise a master in a prince. But as an excuse for the weakness of all the ladies who found a temporary paradise in his favour, it must be admitted that even without the captivating glamour of his crown he possessed a personal charm which was of itself sufficient to conquer the most rebellious heart. . . ." (A Beau Sabreur: 41)
Royal prowess & potency.
"The king who fathered the most royal bastards was neither English nor French: he was Augustus the Strong (1670-1713), King of Poland and Elector of Saxony. His epithet almost surely came from his performance in the bedchamber, since his military abilities were not particularly notable. He fathered some 365 known children, only one of whom was legitimate (his successor Augustus III). Among the most famous of his illegitimate sons was Maurice de Saxe, who became a marshal of France." (Cross Dressing, Sex, and Gender: 118)
A real dude or a royal dud?.
: "of his mistresses and ministers the most are disappointed in him. His mistresses think he loves them as he professes. In reality he does but hold them for his delight, and since a lust for pleasure is his master passion, his mistresses grow overweening and mistake his patience for proof of his affection, then he bids them a prudent farewell." (Pleasure and Ambition: The Life, Loves and Wars of Augustus the Strong: 260)
A covey of concubines.
"It has been stated that 'he left no stone unturned'. Friedrich Augustus, Elector of Saxony and King of Poland, is said to be the father of some 300 children, including Maurice de Saxe, Marshal of France (1696-1750). His wonderful amours attested both to his catholic taste and his phenomenal stamina. Apart from his wife, Eberhardine of Bayreuth, he cultivated the favours of a covey of concubines---official, confidential, and top-secret. Maurice de Saxe was the son of the Swedish Countess Aurora of Konigsmark; his half-brother, Count Rotowski, was the child of Fatima, a Turkish girl captured at Buda; his half-sister, Countess Orzelska, of Henriette Duval, daughter of a Warsaw wine-merchant. On the official list, the Countess d'Esterle was followed by Mme Teschen, Mme Hoym, Mme Cosel, Maria, Countess Denhoff, but not, exceptionally, by the ex-mistress of the British ambassador in Dresden. Friedrich Augustus would have been a great king if only his political ventures had been half as well-aimed as his spermatozoa. (Spoil-sports estimate his progeny at eight)." (Europe: A History: 596)
How Many Mistresses in All: Who Knows?.
" . . . The number of mistresses of Augustus has never been ascertained: it is said that no woman ever resisted him when he had once made up his mind to seduce her. They were of all nations, partly state mistresses, like those at the court of Versailles, partly of a more transient description, and chosen to please for a month, a week, or an hour. Among the state mistresses, the most celebrated was the beautiful Aurora von Konigsmark, the mother of the Marshal of Saxony, and the only human being who ever frightened Charles XII. The principal mistresses next to her were the Countess von Kosel, and the ladies Lubomirska, Kessel, Esterle, Fatime, Dubarc, Duval, Donhoff, Osterhausen, and Dieskau. They cost him enormous sums: the Countess von Kosel alone cost him upwards of twenty million of thalers, a sum admitted to be correct by Bottiger, who had access to the archives at Dresden. . . . " (The Biographical Dictionary of the Society for the Diffusion of Useful Knowledge, Vol. 4: 160)
The politics of mistresses.
"While Augustus was an outcast from the throne of Poland, the Princess of Teschen (one of his mistresses) had remained at Warsaw, where she contrived to keep together a party favourably disposed towards her dethroned and faithless lover. She it was too, more especially, who after the defeat of his fearful adversary at Pultawa, had urged upon Augustus the necessity of his return to Warsaw. But the Princess deceived herself, when she believed that the King would prove particularly grateful towards her. Field Marshal Flemming combined with Count Vitzthum so to direct the King's choice of a new mistress, that it should fall upon some lady who was entirely devoted to their interests. Whatever might have been the resistance which he first offered, Augustus was soon persuaded to select as his companion the daughter of the Grand Marshal Bielinsky, who was the wife of a Count Donhoff. The only hesitation on the King's part arose from his dread of the Countess Cosel (another of his favourites), of whom every thing was to be feared if he ventured to enter Dresden accompanied by another avowed mistress. Eventually, however, the King lent a ready ear to the representations of Vitzthum, who told him that, as his Majesty had to keep up the state of a double court, it was indispensable that he should have two mistresses, by which means he would please both his countries. 'At present,' said Vitzthum, 'the Poles complain bitterly that you have a Saxon mistress; if you abandon her, you will offend the Saxons; it is therefore better that you should add a Polish mistress to the Saxon one, and thereby gratify both nations.' These reasons overcame all the scruples which Augustus felt'; the Countess Donhoff separated from her husband, and became the recognised mistress of the King. The Countess Cosel no sooner heard of this event, than she set forth on her way to Warsaw. By some unexpected means, however, the King heard of this, and dispatched a lieutenant and six of his body-guards with strict orders to convey her back to Dresden; which was done accordingly. 'The Countess Donhoff,' remarks Pollnitz,' was probably, of all the mistresses the King had, the one whom he loved least, but who cost him the most.' Yet she possessed the extraordinary tact of making herself indispensable to the King, who entreated her in the warmest manner to accompany him to Dresden, an arrangement to which she eventually consented, upon the understanding that she was not to encounter her dreaded rival. Accordingly, the King sent directions to the Prince Furstenberg to take care that the Countess Cosel should leave Dresden before he arrived there. He was glad enough to receive a command which gave him such a victory over a hated and dangerous rival. It was, however, no easy matter to prevail upon the Countess to leave Dresden; and as the Prince of Furstenberg had too great a regard for his eyes to venture to perform in person the King's commands, e left the execution to them to his majesty's adjutant-general, von Tienau. The Countess was cunning enough to employ against this rough soldier only the tender artillery of flattery, persuasion, and tears; and, as soon as she found that had made a favourable impression upon him, she presented him with a brilliant ring, worth four thousand dollars. He therefore undertook to plead her cause with the King, and to defer the execution of his orders on the plea of her indisposition. But Augustus remained firm in the resolution which he had taken; he sent the Marshall of the Court to her, and she found herself compelled, by threats of harsher proceedings against her, to remove from Dresden, though she went no further away from it that Pillnitz." (The Foreign Monthly Review and Continental Literary Journal: 43)
A near-fatal lusty adventure in Madrid?.
"Another of his adventures in Madrid had nearly been attended with more fatal consequences. One of the ladies of the court, the Marchesa Manzera, on whom he had made a deep impression, consented to receive his visits in private. The attention which the prince bestowed upon the lady had not escaped the notice of the jealous husband, who conceived that the shortest way to get rid of so dangerous a rival was by the hands of hired assassins. There was, however, some difficulty in finding persons willing to incur the risk of attacking the victor of the bull-fight; at length, however, four hardened villains were found, who took up their post at the Marchese's garden-gate, and fell upon the prince as he was returning after nis nightly visit. But our resolute Don Juan knew how to deliver himself from such an attack; a pistol-shot stretched the foremost of his assailants on the earth, and the thrust of his dagger the second. Meanwhile his chamberlain, Vitzthum, who, like Leporello, was keeping watch, hastened to the assistance of his master and slew the third, at sight of which the fourth though proper to decamp, and seek his safety in flight. The prince, not deeming it advisable to remain any longer in Madrid, took leave of the King and Queen, and departed on the 31st of January, 1688, for Lisbon, which city he entered on the 19th of February." (The Foreign Monthly Review and Continental Literary Journal: 40)
His lovers were:
1) Marie Elisabeth von Brockdorff.
Lover in 1686.
Lady-in-waiting.
"At the age of 16 he already had his first love experience with the lady-in-waiting Marie Elisabeth von Brockdorf. The liaison, however, was stopped by his pious mother, by the court lady of the court directed. But in this matter Friedrich August turned to his father, who had Marie Elisabeth return to the court again. This was in fact well known for his gallantry and love affairs next to his wife." (Grin)
"One reason why Anna Sophie had taken Augustus to Holstein that summer was to get the 16-year-old prince away from his first known mistress. Marie Elisabeth von Brockdorff was a lady-in-waiting (Hofdame) from Holstein. She had arrived in Saxony in the retinue of Augustus's aunt, Wilhelmine Ernestine von der Pfalz, when that widowed Electress came to live with her sister Anna Sophie in 1685." (Pleasure and Ambition: The Life, Loves and Wars of Augustus the Strong:8)
2) Anna Eleonore von Kessel.
Lover in 1693.
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| Aurora von Konigsmarck |
3) Aurora von Konigsmarck (1662-1728)
Lover in 1694-1696.
Countess von Konigsmarck's physical appearance & personal qualities.
"Aurora, Countess of Koenigsmark, possessed a fine intelligence and every possible charm, added to distinguished birth. She was of medium height and elegant figure; her features were of an unequaled delicacy and regularity. Her teeth were even and as white as pearls; her bright black eyes full of fire and tenderness. Her dark hair contrasted admirably with her brilliant complexion, which required no assistance from art. Her throat, arms and hands were of a dazzling whiteness. which put those of others in the shade. In a word, it seemed as though nature had exhausted herself in her favour. . . . " (Royal Lovers and Mistresses: 162)
"Nor did she lack the physical charms which make the empire of a clever woman absolute. Nature, by one of those contrasts she often affects, had clothed her brilliant and almost masculine faculties in the fairest, tenderest, most feminine form. She was moderately tall and possessed a fine figure. Her neck, breast, arms, and hands were of a whiteness whose parallel was never seen. The regularity of her features heightened their unrivaled delicacy. Her teeth were so nicely placed and of so beautiful a colour that they could scarcely be distinguished from a row of pearls. Her sparkling almond-shaped eyes were like two bright, brown stars in whose soft reflection a tender and sensitive soul blended with the lively flash of wit and humour. Her hair, of the same colour as her eyes, set off most exquisitely her beautiful complexion, where blushed in exceeding, fine carnation . In a word, Nature seemed to have exhausted all her charms in her favour. With so much to make her conceited, she was, however, in no way prepossessed in favour of her extraordinary merits." (A Beau Sabreur: 37)
Aurora's looks according to her granddaughter, the author George Sand.
" . . . A few years ago, the German newspapers published a report on excavations in the vaults of Quedlinburg Abbey, where the remains of Abbess Aurora were found perfectly embalmed and intact. She was attired in a sable-lined, velvet cloak over a dress of brocade and embroidered with precious stones. As a matter of fact, I have a hanging in my room in the country a portrait, strikingly beautiful in color, of this lady when she was still young. One can readily see that she was made up to pose for the painter. Her complexion is quite swarthy, which does not at all fit our conception of a beauty from the north. Her jet-black hair is lifted behind by ruby clasps, and her smooth, exposed forehead has no trace of modesty; her thick, loose tresses fall over her bosom; she is wearing the gown of gem-covered, gold brocade and the red velour mantle with sable lining she had on when found in her coffin. I confess that this bold and smiling beauty does not appeal to me, and since learning the story of the exhumation, the portrait makes me even a bit fearful on evenings when it looks at me with its glittering eyes. It seems, then, as though she is saying it to me, 'With what nonsense do you confound your poor brain, degenerate offspring of my proud stock? With what chimers of equality do you fill your dreams? Love is not what you believe it to be; men will never be what you hope for. They are only created to be deceived by kings, by women, and by themselves.'" (Story of My Life: 867)
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Natural offspring:
1. Maurycy Saski
"Aurora von Konigsmark emulated the Electress's deed: in the Imperial city of Goslar. . . the Countess gave birth to Moritz Hermann, who as Maurice de Saxe would later become one of Louis XV's most famous commanders. . . . " (Sharp: 127)
Affair's end & aftermath.
"Aurora von Konigsmarck was granted, in her old age, a position in the Protestant Abbey of Quedlinburg, the same one in which Princess Amelia of Prussia (sister of Frederick the Great and mistress of the celebrated, unfortunate Baron von Trenck) was also to become the abbess. La Konigsmarck died at the abbey and was buried there. . . ." (Story of My Life: 87)
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| Maximiliane von Lamberg Countess Esterle |
Lover in 1696-1699/1704.
Austrian aristocrat & royal mistress.
Daughter of: Kaspar Friedrich von Lamberg-Kunstadt, Austrian aristocrat & Marie Frantiska Terezie Hyzrlova z Chodu, Czech aristocrat.
Wife of:
1. Count Franz Michel Hiserle (Esterle) von Chodau, mar 1695, div 1697
2. Count Gustav Hannibal von Oppersdorff, mar 1698
"As July progressed things remained much the same, save that Augustus was not embroiled with a new mistress. This young lady was related to Harrach and to Count Leopold Lamberg, the favourite of the Emperor's elder son Joseph. Yet, despite the fact that she would remain Augustus's primary paramour until 1701..., we know neither the age nor the Christian name of the Lamberg lass. She enters the mistress list under her more commonly known title of Countess Esterle." (Pleasure and Ambition: 20)
"Augustus had met her as Mlle Lamberg in Vienna in 1695. . . Dipping his quill into mellow venom, Stepney now wrote that 'in order to preserve her reputation with the cloak of matrimony,' the gallant Saxon engaged Count Esterle a Bohemian, by a portion of RT 50,000, to take her to wife, without having anything of a husband but the name'. The Count also acquired some Saxon offices and was 'allowed to travel wherever he pleases'. All of which reads more authentically than the caricature of a brain-dead and cuckolded husband in von Pollnitz's saga." (Pleasure & Ambition: 217)
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| Maria Aurora von Spiegel |
5) Maria Aurora von Spiegel (1681-fl.1733)
Lover in 1701-1706.
Wife of Johann Georg Spiegel (d.1715), mar 1706
Natural offspring:
"Ursula shared her lover with Fatime. . . at least. A year younger than Lubomirska, the Turk presented Augustus with his second acknowledged bastard (Friedrich August, Count Rutowski) in June 1702. . . ." (Pleasure & Ambition: 218)
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| Ursula Katharina von Altenbockum |
6) Ursula Katharina von Altenbockum (1680-1743)
Princess Lubomirska
Lover in 1697-1704.
Daughter of: Johann Heinrich von Altenbockum, Seneschal & Konstancja Tekla Branicka.
Wife of: Jerzy Dominik, Prince Lubomirski, mar 1695
Natural offspring:
a. Jan Jerzy, Chevalier de Saxe
"Her successor was Ursula Catherina von Boccum, Countess Lubomirska (1680-1730), whose relationship with Augustus probably commenced in 1699. Of French and Lithuanian blood, Lubomirska was a niece of Cardinal Rafziejowski and married into an important magnate clan. Mordantly Stepney noted that, as 'a blessed preferment', her husband was named ambassador to Turkey. Yet although Ursula was an intelligent young woman and doubtless attractive (her portrait dates from her later years), there would appear to have been a high political content to her affair with the King. Certainly her charms and excellent riding skills were insufficient to lull Augustus into fidelity. . . Lubomirska produced the third (Johann Georg, Chevalier de Saxe) in August 1704, and a week later was raised to the rank of Imperial Princess. Augustus apparently patched up relations with her and the Lubomirski clan just before he left for Dresden in November. Perhaps he intended returning to Poland, and to Ursula, now Princess of Teschen. However, in Saxony there waited the woman who, as Countess Cosel, was to become Augustus's most famous mistress." (Pleasure and Ambition: 218)
Augustus the Strong's natural offspring.
" . . .It is said that he had three hundred and fifty-two illegitimate children, but this is undoubtedly an exaggeration. The most celebrated of his natural sons were the Marshal of Saxony, the Chevalier de Saxe, the Count von Kosel, and the Count Rutowski, a general well known in the history of the wars of King Frederick II of Prussia. His principal favourite was Field-marshal Count Flemming, who left a fortune of sixteen millions of thalers, half of which his widow was obliged to refund to the treasury. . . . " (The Biographical Dictionary of the Society for the Diffusion of Useful Knowledge, Vol. 4: 160)
"Another rumor -- that the king fathered well over 300 children -- seems to be an exaggeration as well. There are only nine known children of Augustus II. But his nine progeny were born to six different women, suggesting that his reputation as a lady's man was probably more than just the stuff of legends." (Augustus II the Strong: A Legend Lives On in Dresden) [Sachsen-lese]
7) Anna Constantia von Brockdorff (1680-1765)
Countess von Cosel
Lover in 1704-1713.
German noblewoman & royal mistress.
Daughter of: Joachim von Brockdorff, German knight & Anna Margarethe Marselis, daughter of a rich Hamburg citizen.
Wife of: Adolph Magnus Hoym (1668-1723), Saxon privy councillor, Saxon Senior Inspector of Taxes, Son of Augustus's 'fund-raiser', mar 1697.
Natural offspring:
1. Augusta Konstancja Cosel
2. Fryderyka Aleksandra Cosel
3. Fryderyk August Cosel
[Ref2: Retratos de la Historia]
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| Constantia von Cosel |
"Augustus 'the Strong' only fathered one legitimate child, but he sired an impressive number of children by his many mistresses. The most famous of these was Anna Constantia, nee von Brockdorff and divorced, von Hoym (1680-1765). Beautiful and unusually well educated, Anna had already borne an illegitimate child before she married her husband, a Saxon official, who divorced her after three years. She met Augustus in 1704, and he quickly fell in love with her. By 1706 he had granted her the title of Countess von Cosel, and she became his official mistress and unofficial consort. Anna subsequently bore Augustus two daughters and a son. By 1713, however, Anna's political meddling provoked increasing criticism, and Augustus's scandalous written promise to marry her became public knowledge. Anna was banished to Pillnitz Castle. After two years she managed to flee to Berlin but was returned to Saxony by the Prussians. Even after Augustus's death in 1744, Anna remained more or less a prisoner, living in Stolpen Castle a total of 49 years unter her own death in 1765." (The Holy Roman Empire: A Historical Encyclopedia: 186)
"Then in 1704 he met and fell in love with the charismatic, ambitious Anna Constantia von Brochdorff (sic), a former lady-in-waiting who had been married and divorced and had a child out of wedlock. Rather headstrong, she was well-educated, proficient in languages (speaking several) and adept at hunting, firing pistols and sword-fighting. In 1705 she became the 'official mistress' of Augustus II, and in 1706 she was dubbed Imperial Countess of Cosel, expanding, in her mind, her rights in the royal court. She gave birth to three children with Augustus II and asserted her opinions and advice, welcomed or not. . . . " (Romantic Gems of Germany)
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| Constantia von Cosel |
Anna Constantia's personal & family background.
"Anna Constantia von Brockdorff was born in Holstein on 17/27 October 1680 into a family of minor nobility. Her father, a soldier, not only turned Constantia into an excellent rider, but taught her to shoot with pistol and carbine, as well as to fight with the sword. After serving as a lady-in-waiting to the eldest daughter of the Duchess of Holstein-Gottorp (the latter another sister of Augustus's mother), Constantia married in June 1703." (Pleasure and Ambition: 219)
" . . . She was the daughter of the Danish colonel Brockdorf, and married the Saxon minister Van Hoym; but on forming an illicit connection with Augustus she was divorced from her husband, assumed the name of Madame de Cosel, was presented by the emperor Joseph I with the title of countess, and by her lover with a magnificent palace at Dresden (still known there under her name), and held for a number of years sovereign sway over the heart and the councils of Augustus, to whom she bore three children, until her extravagance, arrogance and jealousy caused her to be imprisoned in the fortress of Stolpen (1716). . . ." (Conant: 390)
". . . .Anna Constantia von Brockdorff, of a good Holstein family, was born in 1680, and married in 1699 Baron von Hoym, an influential courtier in Saxony, from whom she was divorced in 1706, having become the recognised mistress of the King of Poland. At the request of the King she was created by the Emperor, in 1706, Countess von Cosel. Her favour lasted till 1713, when, her imperious character having created many enemies, she fell into disgrace, took refuge in Prussia, but had to return to Saxony in 1716. She was imprisoned in the Castle of Stolpen, and there resided, more or less a prisoner, till her death in 1765." (Mew: 25)
"The park around the castle was founded in 1539 by building the castle church. In 1693 Elector John George IV of Saxony acquired the palace as a present to his mistress Magdalena Sibylla of Neidschutz-Brockdorff, one of his numerous women, only to retract it after Anna Constantia had fled to Berlin in 1715." (tinyint, 2010)
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Constantia von Cosel, 18th c @ Stolpen Castle |
Taschenberg Palace
" . . . Augustus the Strong had it originally built for his longtime mistress, Countess Cosel, between 1705 and 178 with an underground passage conveniently connecting it to the nearby royal palace." (Romantic Gems of Germany)
Pillnitz Castle & Park
"Elector Augustus the Strong once acquired the castle for his favorite Anna Constantia Countess von Cosel. When Saxony's best-known mistress fell out of favor and the castle became his property again, Augustus had the hillside and waterside palaces erected according to plans by the famous architect Matthaeus Daniel Poeppelman." (Schlosserland)
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| Anna Constantia von Cosel by Unknown, 18th c @ Stolpen Castle |
Affair's end & aftermath.
" . . . The relationship's novelty (with Countess von Cosel) was wearing off for Augustus II, as well, and he tired of her jealousy, threats, and temper tantrums. Besides, he had fallen in love with Maria Magdalena Bielinski, Countess von Donhoff, so it was convenient for him, in 1713, to evict Anna and send her packing to Pillnitz Castle on the banks of the Elbe River." (Romantic Gems of Germany)
" . . . The relationship's novelty (with Countess von Cosel) was wearing off for Augustus II, as well, and he tired of her jealousy, threats, and temper tantrums. Besides, he had fallen in love with Maria Magdalena Bielinski, Countess von Donhoff, so it was convenient for him, in 1713, to evict Anna and send her packing to Pillnitz Castle on the banks of the Elbe River." (Romantic Gems of Germany)
" . . . (O)n Christmas Eve 1716, at age 36, she was exiled to Stolpen Castle and imprisoned for more than 48 years. She died there on March 31, 1765, at age 84, outliving Augustus II by 32 years, and her tomb is in the former castle chapel." (Romantic Gems of Germany)
Countess von Cosel's other lovers.
Ludwig Rudolf of Brunswick-Lüneburg
Lover in 1701-1702?.
"Thus, at fourteen, she was found a position as a companion to Princess Sophie Amalie, daughter of Duke Christian Albrecht of Holstein-Gottorp and his wife, born Frederika Amalie of Denmark. After twelve months, Sophie Amalie had to leave the family home to address her fiance, Prince August Wilhelm, heir to the house of Brunswick-Lüneburg. Of course, Anna Constantia accompanied Sophie Amalie.
Apparently, Anna Constantia was immediately allowed to drag a relationship with a younger brother of August Wilhelm, Louis Rudolf, who was already married to Christine de Oettingen. The story broke when Anna Constantia remained pregnant: she was immediately expelled from the court and returned to her parents, who were still residing in Gut Depenau. Predictably, the von Brockdorff felt ashamed and furious at having to take in that daughter who had not known how to take care of herself. It is not known what happened with the pregnancy, if it was interrupted or if it came to term." (Foro Dinastias)
Spouse & children:
"Some time later, Anna Constantia had left her parents' house to settle in the castle of Burgscheidungen with her new lover, Baron Adolph Magnus von Hoym. The flagrant concubinage resulted in a marriage after four years, but three years after the wedding they had already divorced. Anna Constantia, who continued to use the title of Baroness von Hoym, then went to the court of Dresden." (Foro Dinastias)
Countess von Cosel's other lovers.
Ludwig Rudolf of Brunswick-Lüneburg
Lover in 1701-1702?.
"Thus, at fourteen, she was found a position as a companion to Princess Sophie Amalie, daughter of Duke Christian Albrecht of Holstein-Gottorp and his wife, born Frederika Amalie of Denmark. After twelve months, Sophie Amalie had to leave the family home to address her fiance, Prince August Wilhelm, heir to the house of Brunswick-Lüneburg. Of course, Anna Constantia accompanied Sophie Amalie.
Apparently, Anna Constantia was immediately allowed to drag a relationship with a younger brother of August Wilhelm, Louis Rudolf, who was already married to Christine de Oettingen. The story broke when Anna Constantia remained pregnant: she was immediately expelled from the court and returned to her parents, who were still residing in Gut Depenau. Predictably, the von Brockdorff felt ashamed and furious at having to take in that daughter who had not known how to take care of herself. It is not known what happened with the pregnancy, if it was interrupted or if it came to term." (Foro Dinastias)
Spouse & children:
"Some time later, Anna Constantia had left her parents' house to settle in the castle of Burgscheidungen with her new lover, Baron Adolph Magnus von Hoym. The flagrant concubinage resulted in a marriage after four years, but three years after the wedding they had already divorced. Anna Constantia, who continued to use the title of Baroness von Hoym, then went to the court of Dresden." (Foro Dinastias)
"Her husband was the Saxon privy councillor Adolph Magnus Hoym (1668-1723), the son of Augustus's 'fund-raiser' in 1697. . . The younger Hoym was also involved in finance: as director of the General Excise Authority. . . he oversaw Augustus's tax plans. Hoym was also involved with another woman, who lived and worked in the same house as his new bride. Not being the submissive type, when Hoym refused to evict his shadowy lover Constantia withheld conjugal relations. In response, Hoym threatened her with divorce. This blissful situation still pertained, when Augustus arrived back in Dresden at 2 a.m. on 30 November 1704." (Pleasure and Ambition: 219)
1. Adolf Magnus von Hoym (1668-1723)
Lover in 1699.
Saxon official
"Ten years later, on January 29, 1705, the Supreme Consistory (Oberkonsistorium) of Dresden heard a petition from Adolf Magnus von Hoym, Saxon privy councillor, who wished to divorce his wife, Anna Constantia, nee Brockdorff (1680-1765). . . . Hoym justified his action with his wife's 'aversion'; she refused him marital intercourse. When the consistory next questioned Constantia, she explained her aversion by telling the brief story of their marriage. Following their wedding at her parent's estate of Depenau in Holstein, she discovered in her husband's house in Dresden a 'person' who was his lover. Hoym did not wish to send this person away and continued to visit her chamber. On several occasions this person fumigated Constantia's room during her absence, after which she became sick and developed a strong aversion to her husband." (Wunder: 143) [Ref1:si-games]
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| Adolf Magnus von Hoym |
Lover in 1699.
Saxon official
"Ten years later, on January 29, 1705, the Supreme Consistory (Oberkonsistorium) of Dresden heard a petition from Adolf Magnus von Hoym, Saxon privy councillor, who wished to divorce his wife, Anna Constantia, nee Brockdorff (1680-1765). . . . Hoym justified his action with his wife's 'aversion'; she refused him marital intercourse. When the consistory next questioned Constantia, she explained her aversion by telling the brief story of their marriage. Following their wedding at her parent's estate of Depenau in Holstein, she discovered in her husband's house in Dresden a 'person' who was his lover. Hoym did not wish to send this person away and continued to visit her chamber. On several occasions this person fumigated Constantia's room during her absence, after which she became sick and developed a strong aversion to her husband." (Wunder: 143) [Ref1:si-games]
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| Henriette Renard |
8) Henriette Renard (1685-1724)
Lover in 1706-1707.
Daughter of: André Rénard, a wine merchant from Lyon & an unknown mother who was perhaps the sister of Henri Duval
Wife of:
1. Francois Drian
2. Claude Henri Morel.
Natural offspring:
1. Anna Orzelska.
"Maurice . . . was said to be in such a sad condition that he had sent for his favourite half-sister, Countess Orzelska, to minister to him. This lady, who was supposed to have been her father's mistress and had certainly been the mistress of her half-brother, Count Rutowski, was far from being the conventional type of ministering angel. Nevertheless the tales that were spread abroad were eagerly accepted at their face value." (Marshal of France: The Life and Times of Maurice, Comte de Saxe: 170)
"Henriette was a daughter of a wine merchant Henri Duval. She met the King and become his mistress when he lead a bombing of Warsaw during the Northern War in 1706. He finally captured the city with Russian support, but in 1708 it was recaptured by Swedes and again in 1708 by Germans and Russians. The city changed hands many times in a short period of time from 1704. So Anna was born in a very hard times and her mother was left in a low situation. The city and its economy was ruined by the war and Swedish enormous contributions." (Countess Anna Orzelska)
"She was the daughter of André Rénard, a wine merchant from Lyon, and an unknown mother who was perhaps the sister of Henri Duval. This may explain why some sources call her Henriette Rénard-Duval...." (Wikipedia)
"...Henriette Renard presented Augustus with another girl. Henriette was the wife or daughter of a French wine-merchant in Warsaw..." (Sharp: 252)
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| Angelique Duparc |
9) Angelique Duparc (d.1724)
Lover in 1708.
French ballerina, actress & royal mistress.
Wife of: Charles Debargues, French dancer, choreographer & ballet master.
Angelique's other lover was:
Lover in 1708.
French ballerina, actress & royal mistress.
Wife of: Charles Debargues, French dancer, choreographer & ballet master.
Angelique's other lover was:
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| Aleksander Benedykt Sobieski |
1) Aleksander Benedykt Sobieski (1677-1714)
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| Maria Magdalene von Denhoff @Wikipedia |
10) Maria Magdalene von Denhoff (1685-1730).
Lover in 1713-1719.
Wife of:
1. Boguslav Ernst Dönhoff, div.
2. Prince Jerzy Ignacy Lubomirski.
"After much deliberation, the ministers settled on a suitable candidate: Polish Countess Maria Magdalena von Denhoff, who was said to be 'sufficiently amiable to be capable of pleasing but . . . not so exalted as to be able to rule. ' Augustus was indeed pleased, and the countess was duly installed." (Germany's Kings)
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| Erdmuthe Sophie von Dieskau |
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| Henriette von Osterhausen @Wikipedia |
12) Henriette von Osterhausen (d. c1737)
Lover in 1721-1722.
Augustus the Strong's Other Lovers.
Eleonore von Klengel (1674-1755)
"According to Gurlitt, John George III counted Eleonore, a lady-in-waiting to his wife, among his conquests. Presumably Augustus took over where his father left off, although when the affair began is unknown. Stepney first identifies a 'Fraulein Clingel (later spelt 'Klengel') as a mistress of Augustus in April 1692. He mentions her several times, before telling Blathwayt in May 1694 that 'she is a very beautiful black woman'. What we are to understand by 'black' isn't clear; von Pollnitz describes her as a 'beautiful brown'. Obviously her colour was not a factor in Stepney's assessment of her status. Whether it weighed in the court, in addition to her non-noble birth, is impossible to establish." (Pleasure and Ambition: The Life, Loves and Wars of Augustus the Strong:86)
Friederike
A black woman.
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Magdalena Sibylla Grafin von Rochlitz |
Natural offspring: "'On Sunday night', Colt briefed Stepney from Frankfurt two days later, 'the Countess of Rochlitz was delivered of a daughter a few hours after my arrival, and yesterday I have been Godfather'. He stood along with Augustus, the Saxon commander Fieldmarshal Chauvet, Ursula von Neitschutz and a Madame Arnheim. The baby was christened Wilhelmina aria Friederika. . . As to the child's status, she was heiress as of right to her mother, since the patent elevating Billa to countess applied also to her spring, whether born in or out of wedlock. And she was also a legitimate daughter of John George, inasmuch as he considered himself married to Billa, as well as to Eleonore." (Pleasure and Ambition: 37)
Sophie von Zinzendorf:
References for Augustus the Strong.
Anna Constantia von Cosel and August the Strong @ sachsen-lese.de
Countess Cosel - The King's Mistress @ Schloesserland
The Mistress of the King: Princess of Teschen and August the Strong @ sachsen-lese.de
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