Wilhelmine of Hesse-Darmstadt

As some of you have no doubt noticed, I'm on a roll with 18th century Russian questions:D. And it seems to be one of the more neglected areas of althistory. So if my questions are repeats of previously asked questions - it has more to do with the fact that they previously dead-ended inconclusively than anything else.

My question has to do with the Emperor Paul. He married Princess Wilhelmine of Hesse-Darmstadt (Natalie Alexeïevna) who died in childbed with a stillborn child. Soon after, his mother insisted on him marrying Sophie Dorothea of Württemberg (Marie Feodorovna) by whom he had a further ten kids - what can I say, clearly they had nothing to do once the lights went out:p.

Now, what would have happened if Wilhelmine's baby had been born alive? Catherine wasn't too fond of Wilhelmine,

"The Empress, though initially delighted with her daughter-in-law, realized that there was something wrong. Natalia was interested in French poetry, theater and most of all, politics. Being brought up in the free spirit of Europe
, Natalia manifested independence in her statements, adhering to liberal ideas, and every now and then spoke in favor of the release of the peasants. This certainly didn't please the Empress. She commented that Natalia "loves extremes in all things" and that "she listens to no advice". Natalia's disappointment in her marriage prompted her to influence Paul to keep him distant to all, except to a small circle of friends."​


Many contemporaries regarded Natalia as ambitious, arrogant, and egoistic. Maybe she was not the righthttp://arrayedingold.blogspot.com/2011/07/hessian-princess-in-russia-wilhelmine.html# wife for Paul nor the right woman to become the Empress of Russia someday...Perhaps, she thought that what she was doing at that time was right and people misunderstood her. Nevertheless, she had a very unhappy life in Russia which ended tragically.

and this would be the first occasion since Alexei I died, where a monarch would have two families - would maybe we see court parties forming around the new crown princess (Marie Feodorovna) and Wilhelmine's child?​
 
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So, I'm thinking that a common use of forceps might have saved not only Wilhelmine/Natalia but her stepdaughter, Alexandra, and Princess Charlotte since all had a protracted labor (in the last case with a nitwit accoucheur).
 
Now, what would have happened if Wilhelmine's baby had been born alive? Catherine wasn't too fond of Wilhelmine, and this would be the first occasion since Alexei I died, where a monarch would have two families - would maybe we see court parties forming around the new crown princess (Marie Feodorovna) and Wilhelmine's child?

Is the child male or female? If male, he has a stronger claim then if he was female.
So on 13th April 1776, Louis IX, Landgrave of Hesse-Darmstadt sends a German doctor to his daughters bedside, this doctor performs a Caesarian, as the infant is enormous and will not pass safely, the young Imperial Highness, Grand Duke Aleksandr Vil'hel'm of Russia is born in the early morning of 15th April 1776, through out the day, doctors try and care for Natalia, but to no avail, the princess was too weak and died later that day.

After her death, Paul, is mad with grief and insisted on keeping her with him, and promises to the Lord almighty that he will care and cherish for the young son, she gave her life to give him.

On 26th September 1776, only 5 months after the death of his first wife, Paul marries Sophie Dorothea of Württemberg, who changes her religion and becomes Duchess Maria Feodorovna.

There are rumours of jealousy between Maria Feodorovna and the young Tsarevich, who was becoming known around the palace as William.
 
Some sources say that it was a stillborn son, but most refer to it simply as a stillborn child.

I think Maria Feodorovna (who IMHO seems to have been a good mother and a maternal figure) would've made every attempt to include this child due to her knowing how important he was to Paul ("my darling" or "my angel"). Ekaterina II OTOH might've followed one of two courses, either the upbringing she gave to OTL Alexander, or a complete disinterest giving that it was common gossip at court that the child was more likely Andrei Razumovsky's than her grandson.
 
Some sources say that it was a stillborn son, but most refer to it simply as a stillborn child.

I think Maria Feodorovna (who IMHO seems to have been a good mother and a maternal figure) would've made every attempt to include this child due to her knowing how important he was to Paul ("my darling" or "my angel"). Ekaterina II OTOH might've followed one of two courses, either the upbringing she gave to OTL Alexander, or a complete disinterest giving that it was common gossip at court that the child was more likely Andrei Razumovsky's than her grandson.

But would she be happy to raise a future Emperor over her own children who she thinks should have more right to be Tsar.

Also there will only be a year and a half between William and his half-brother Alexander.
 
Why Wilhelm? The names of Russian Royal Family were all from canon of Russian Orthodox Church. William is not one of them (yes, the version you've used is the spelling for naturalized Germans/Brits but nobody will have the guts to name the son like this).
If Ekaterina I gets her way, he'll be Aleksandr (no second names - they do not exist in Russian naming convention), but I can see Paul overriding his mother and naming the boy Peter as the sign of defiance to her.
 
Also, there is a major difference between the court of Alexis I and TTL descendants of Paul I - both princesses are foreign, thus the children are not the figureheads for some Russian political clans (which was the case for Ivan V vs Perer I).
 
If Ekaterina I gets her way, he'll be Aleksandr (no second names - they do not exist in Russian naming convention), but I can see Paul overriding his mother and naming the boy Peter as the sign of defiance to her.

i always wondered why Paul didn't name his younger sons Pyotr, I know Catherine more or less named the older two before theey were born, but from what I can find Nikolai's not exactly a family name, and bby the time of their births, Catherine was alreadyy plotting Alex and Tino's futures. Speaking of Konstantin, diidn't she receive overtures from the Neapolitan court for him to be married to OTL grand duchess of Tuscany?

But AFAIK Catherine forced Paul to remarry asap after Natalia's death to produce a son; here with Alt-Sasha, maybe she won't be AS insistent and Maria Feodorovna will marry Natalia's brother as planned. I wonder who might be replacement goldfish then?
 
i always wondered why Paul didn't name his younger sons Pyotr, I know Catherine more or less named the older two before theey were born, but from what I can find Nikolai's not exactly a family name, and bby the time of their births, Catherine was alreadyy plotting Alex and Tino's futures. Speaking of Konstantin, diidn't she receive overtures from the Neapolitan court for him to be married to OTL grand duchess of Tuscany?

But AFAIK Catherine forced Paul to remarry asap after Natalia's death to produce a son; here with Alt-Sasha, maybe she won't be AS insistent and Maria Feodorovna will marry Natalia's brother as planned. I wonder who might be replacement goldfish then?
Nikolai was named after a popular saint - he was never expected to be the heir to the throne and thus was the first Romanov to be named like this. The names of two older sons reflected Byzantine ambitions of their Granny, the third one got named after popular Orthodox saint and the fourth one got named after the dynasty founder.
The "no morganatic marriages" law did not exist back then (it was introduced only by Paul), though Paul is very unlikely to marry his mistress Nelidova (mom won't approve this to begin with).
Also, there was great role of Frederick II in OTL second marriage of Paul - and that push won't be butterflied by the surviving son from first marriage.
 
As noted by me in several other 18th-century Russian history threads, having Paul have a lot of kids (of whatever gender) is very important at this point, because, other than the imprisoned/exiled Antonovich siblings (whom Catherine has no intention of allowing anywhere near the throne), he is the only surviving Romanov heir. (I don't count Catherine herself, as she had no actual Romanov ancestry.)

So, if Paul has a son but the wife still dies, he probably still will have to remarry.
 
As noted by me in several other 18th-century Russian history threads, having Paul have a lot of kids (of whatever gender) is very important at this point, because, other than the imprisoned/exiled Antonovich siblings (whom Catherine has no intention of allowing anywhere near the throne), he is the only surviving Romanov heir. (I don't count Catherine herself, as she had no actual Romanov ancestry.)

So, if Paul has a son but the wife still dies, he probably still will have to remarry.

Who would marry this young Prince?
A Prussian like his mother and grandmother?
Princess Frederika Louisa Wilhelmina
Princess Augusta of August

A russian noble woman?
Grand Duchess Alexandra Pavlovna of Russia? (His half sister)
Natalia Alexandrovna, daughter of Generalissimo Alexander Suvorov Count of Rymnik?

Or foreign nobility such as:
Princess Sophia of the United Kingdom?
Princess Mary of the United Kingdom?
Duchess Louise of Mecklenburg-Strelitz?
Princess Hermine of Anhalt-Bernburg-Schaumburg-Hoym?
Archduchess Maria Anna of Austria?
Archduchess Maria Clementina of Austria?
Archduchess Maria Leopoldine of Austria-Este?
Princess Louise of Baden
Princess Adélaïde of Orléans

After the French Revolution:
Elisa, Pauline or Caroline Bonaparte?
Princess Amelia of Nassau-Weilburg?
 
An interesting list, and one I'd like to add two names to:

Amalie of Baden (sister of Luise of Baden/Elizabeth Alexeievna). The poor woman went through so many failed engagements it's truly sad, with everyone from the tsarevich to Emperor Franz I to Queen Victoria's father turning her down.
Maria Luisa of Naples and Sicily (OTL Grand Duchess of Tuscany). I find it an odd match, but considering how her older sister married the one emperor in Europe, I could see Maria Caroline determining that her next daughter should marry the other.
 
Amalie of Baden (sister of Luise of Baden/Elizabeth Alexeievna). The poor woman went through so many failed engagements it's truly sad, with everyone from the tsarevich to Emperor Franz I to Queen Victoria's father turning her down.
Is it sadder to feel bad for a woman who has been dead for nearly 200 years :(

Maria Luisa of Naples and Sicily (OTL Grand Duchess of Tuscany). I find it an odd match, but considering how her older sister married the one emperor in Europe, I could see Maria Caroline determining that her next daughter should marry the other.
Weirder things have happened, if Maria Caroline, works her magic on Catherine, the marriage is as good as done.
 
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