Princess Caroline of Hesse-Rotenburg

1.1. Birth and family

Born at Rotenburg an der Fulda in Hesse, Germany, Caroline was the fifth daughter and eighth of ten children of Ernest Leopold, Landgrave of Hesse-Rotenburg, who was the head of the Roman Catholic branch of the House of Hesse. Her mother was Countess Eleonore of Löwenstein-Wertheim-Rochefort.

1.2. Childhood and education

Caroline was reputed to be a beautiful young girl. Her lineage, stemming from a Roman Catholic branch of the prestigious House of Hesse, made her a significant candidate for marriage into European royalty. She was considered one of the leading potential brides for Louis XV of France. However, her candidacy was ultimately dismissed for various reasons. Reports from the time suggest that she was removed from consideration due to a perceived "bad temper." Additionally, there were concerns related to her family's genetics, specifically the prevalence of daughters among her siblings and the birth of a brother with a cleft lip and palate, which raised apprehensions about inherited conditions.

2.1. Marriage to Louis Henri

On 23 July 1728, just a month before her 14th birthday, Caroline married Louis Henri, Duke of Bourbon, at Sarry in France. Louis Henri was a French Prince of the Blood Royal and the head of the House of Condé, a prominent branch of the House of Bourbon. Through his mother, Louise Françoise de Bourbon, one of King Louis XIV's legitimated daughters, he was a grandson of the Sun King. At the time of their marriage, Louis Henri was 22 years her senior and a widower. He had lost sight in one eye and the attractive slenderness that had characterized his youth, impacting his overall appearance. Due to his temporary disfavor with the King, Louis XV, the newlywed couple initially resided at the Château de Chantilly, outside the immediate royal court.

2.2. Life at the French court

Upon her marriage, Caroline became known at the French court as Madame la Duchesse or Duchesse de Bourbon. Her predecessor as Princess of Condé, Marie Anne de Bourbon, had died eight years before Caroline's marriage to Louis Henri, leaving the position vacant. In 1730, after her husband reconciled with King Louis XV, they were permitted to return to the royal court in Versailles and settled quietly at the Hôtel de Condé in Paris.

Eight years into their marriage, Caroline and Louis Henri had their only child, Louis Joseph de Bourbon. Louis Henri died at the Château de Chantilly on 27 January 1740. In the same year, the future Marquis de Sade was born at the Hôtel de Condé in Paris. His mother, Marie Éléonore de Maillé (1712-1777), was a relative of Caroline's and served as her lady-in-waiting, highlighting a notable connection between the Condé household and a figure who would later become infamous. After her husband's death, the upbringing of her young son, Louis Joseph, was entrusted to her profligate brother-in-law, Louis, Comte de Clermont.

3.1. Issue

Caroline had only one child with Louis Henri, Duke of Bourbon:

• Louis Joseph de Bourbon (9 August 1736 - 13 May 1818); he succeeded his father as the next Prince of Condé.

3.2. Notable family connections

After Caroline's death, two of her nieces notably entered the French court, creating further connections between the House of Hesse-Rheinfels-Rotenburg and prominent French aristocratic families and historical events.

• In 1745, her niece, Princess Viktoria of Hesse-Rheinfels-Rotenburg, married Charles, Prince of Soubise, a leading figure of the junior branch of the House of Rohan. Charles was also the father of Charlotte de Rohan, who would later marry another Prince of Condé.
• In 1767, another niece, Princess Maria Luisa of Savoy, came to France to marry Louis Alexandre de Bourbon, a member of the royal family's extended branch. Princess Maria Luisa became widely known as the princesse de Lamballe and was a close friend and confidante of Marie Antoinette. Tragically, she was murdered by a revolutionary mob in Paris during the September Massacres of 1792, an event that underscores the perilous environment faced by the nobility during the French Revolution.