Elizabeth Charlotte of the Palatinate

Elizabeth Charlotte was born on 27 May 1652 in the castle of Heidelberg as the second child and only daughter of Charles I Louis, Elector Palatine, and his wife Charlotte of Hesse-Kassel. She was raised in the Reformed Protestant faith and was nicknamed Liselotte. She was a lively and spirited child who enjoyed running and climbing trees. She married Philippe I, Duke of Orléans, the younger brother of Louis XIV of France, on 16 November 1671. She converted to Catholicism for the marriage, but remained privately attached to her Protestant beliefs. She had two children with Philippe: Philippe II, who became the Regent of France during the minority of Louis XV; and Élisabeth Charlotte, who married Leopold, Duke of Lorraine. She was also close to her two stepdaughters, Marie Louise and Anne Marie, who were both queens of Spain. Elizabeth Charlotte was a prolific writer and correspondent. She wrote thousands of letters to her relatives and friends in Germany, England, and elsewhere. Her letters are a valuable source of information about the life and politics of the French court, as well as her own opinions and feelings. She was known for her frankness and wit, as well as her criticism of some aspects of French culture and society. She also wrote memoirs that covered her childhood, her marriage, and the reigns of Louis XIV and Louis XV. Elizabeth Charlotte was a popular and respected figure at court. She had a good relationship with Louis XIV, who treated her kindly and consulted her on some matters. She was also fond of her son and daughter-in-law, Françoise Marie de Bourbon, who often visited her at her residence in Saint-Cloud. She had a more strained relationship with her husband, who was openly homosexual and had several male lovers. She tolerated his affairs, but sometimes expressed her resentment and jealousy in her letters. She also disliked his involvement in the Affair of the Poisons, a scandal that implicated several members of the nobility in witchcraft and murder. Elizabeth Charlotte died on 8 December 1722 at the age of 70 from pneumonia. She was buried at the Basilica of Saint Denis alongside her husband and other members of the royal family.