Elizabeth of Bohemia facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Elizabeth of Bohemia
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| Born | 19 August 1596 |
| Died | 13 February 1662 |
Elizabeth of Bohemia (born Elizabeth Stuart, August 19 1596 – February 13 1662) was a Scottish-born Queen of Bohemia. She was also known as the Electress of Palatine and a princess of Scotland. Elizabeth was the oldest daughter of King James VI of Scotland (who later became James I of England) and his wife, Anne of Denmark. Her brother was Charles I. She was Queen of Bohemia for only a few months, which is why she is sometimes called "The Winter Queen".
Contents
Growing Up: Elizabeth's Early Life
Elizabeth was born at Falkland Palace in Fife, Scotland. Her father named her Elizabeth to please Queen Elizabeth I of England. Queen Elizabeth I had no children. James hoped she would choose him to be the next King of England when she died. She later agreed, and James VI became King James I of England (as well as Wales and Ireland) in 1603. This higher status meant that more important men would want to marry Elizabeth.
The Gunpowder Plot: A Dangerous Plan
During this time, there was a lot of fighting between Catholics and Protestants in England. King James was a strong Protestant. Many Catholics did not like him because he treated them harshly. He made them pay special taxes, banned their religious services, and even executed some people for their beliefs.
In 1605, a group of Catholics decided to try to blow up the English Parliament with gunpowder. King James would be there. This event is known as The Gunpowder Plot. The group also planned to kidnap Princess Elizabeth from Coombe Abbey in Warwickshire. They wanted to make her the Queen. Since she was only nine years old, important Catholics would have had the real power over her kingdoms. Luckily, the group was discovered before they could harm King James or kidnap Elizabeth.
Marriage: A Royal Wedding
On February 14 1613, Elizabeth married Frederick V. He was the Elector of the Palatinate. An Elector was a powerful German prince who helped choose the Holy Roman Emperor. Elizabeth moved to his home at Heidelberg. Frederick was the leader of an important group of Protestant princes called the Evangelical Union. King James wanted Elizabeth to marry someone from this group. This would help him build a stronger friendship with them.
Queen of Bohemia: The Winter Queen
In 1619, Frederick was asked to become King of Bohemia. He and Elizabeth moved to Prague. There was also strong fighting between different religious groups in Bohemia. After only a few months of being King, Frederick had to leave the country. Because she was queen for such a short time, Elizabeth is sometimes called ‘The Winter Queen’. People also called her ‘Queen of Hearts’ because many liked her.
Exile and Death: Life Away from Home
Elizabeth and Frederick lived in exile in The Hague. This meant they could not return to Bohemia. Frederick died in 1632, and Elizabeth lived in Holland for most of the rest of her life. After her brother’s son, Charles, became King of England and Scotland, she went to London to see him. She died there in 1662, when she was 65 years old.
Children: Elizabeth's Family
Elizabeth had thirteen children in total. Charles I Louis became Elector of the Palatine in 1648. Her other children included Frederick Henry von der Pfalz, Elisabeth of Bohemia, Princess Palatine, Prince Rupert of the Rhine, Louise Marie of the Palatinate, Prince Maurice von Simmern, and Edward, Count Palatine of Simmern.
Her youngest daughter, Sophia of Hanover, became very important. After the 1701 Act of Settlement, Electress Sophia and her children were made the next in line to the English and Scottish thrones. This means that all Kings and Queens of Great Britain after George I are Elizabeth’s descendants.
Legacy: Remembering Elizabeth
The Elizabeth River in Southeastern Virginia was named in honour of Princess Elizabeth. Cape Elizabeth, a peninsula and town in the U.S. state of Maine, was also named for her. John Smith explored and mapped New England. He often used names from Native Americans. When Smith showed his map to Charles I, the king changed many of the names to English ones. Only four of these names survive today, and Cape Elizabeth is one of them.
Images for kids
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Elizabeth at age 7 by Robert Peake the Elder
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Coombe Abbey painted in 1797 by Maria Johnson
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Portrait of Frederick believed to have been painted in 1613, the year of his marriage to Elizabeth, by Michiel Jansz. van Mierevelt
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Portrait of Elizabeth by an unknown artist
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Englischer Bau (English Building) left of the "Thick Tower", 1620 by Matthäus Merian
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Elisabethentor (Elizabeth Gate) of Heidelberg Castle
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Gold medal made circa 1616 depicting Elizabeth, Frederick, and their son, Frederick Henry
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Engraving by Balthasar Moncornet of Frederick and Elizabeth as king and queen of Bohemia, 1620
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Detail of 1636 family Triumph portrait, showing Elizabeth's oldest daughter, Elisabeth of the Palatinate, and youngest son, Gustavus Adolphus of the Palatinate
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Triumph of the Winter Queen: Allegory of the Just, 1636, by Gerard van Honthorst.
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Marble bust of Elizabeth, Queen of Bohemia, circa 1641, by François Dieussart.
See also
In Spanish: Isabel Estuardo para niños
