Luise of Mecklenburg-Strelitz (1776-1810), consort of King Friedrich Wilhelm III of Prussia. Daughter of Karl II, Duke of Mecklenburg-Strelitz and his first wife, Princess Friederike of Hesse-Darmstadt. Niece of Queen Charlotte of the United Kingdom. Married in 1793; had nine children, including two future Prussian kings and Empress Alexandra Feodorovna of Russia. Revered by her subjects as the ideal woman: beautiful, virtuous, a supportive wife and a devoted mother. Became an emblem of Prussian nationalism when she unsuccessfully pleaded with Napoleon in Tilsit in 1807 for leniency after Prussia’s defeat by the French, who demanded half of Prussian territory. Died of an unknown ailment.
Figure 1.1. Portrait of Louise of Mecklenburg-Strelitz, Queen of Prussia, by Josef Grassi, 1802. Collection of Charlottenburg Palace, via Wikimedia Commons.
1800s
Her-storic Royal Dress 
