A Biographical Dictionary of the Celebrated Women of Every Age and Country/Carolina, (Wilhelmina Dorothea)
Was so much admired for her beauty and fine endowments throughout the empire, that she was solicited to marry Charles III. king of Spain, afterwards emperor of Germany. To bring about this match, she was persuaded to change her religion, but to no purpose; and this was the chief motive which induced the elector of Hanover, (George I.) to chuse her for the wife of his son, the electoral prince, a match which occasioned universal joy among all the protestants, not only of the empire, but of Europe.
She was crowned with her husband, in 1727; and had great political influence in this kingdom; governing his mind by an entire submission to his will, and prompt attention to his comfort or wishes, even at the expence of her own health.—The character given of this princess by the baron de Pollnitz, in the second volume of his memoirs, is as follows:
"The queen is a princess, in whom every thing that challenges respect, at the same time commands affection. Her presence is majestic, but accompanied with modesty and good nature; her behaviour courteous, and her wit both solid and sparkling. She always looked upon trifling amusements with disdain, and never affected ornament in dress. The reading of choice authors was always one of her greatest pleasures; and she might be said to be one of the most learned princesses in Europe. Having lost her father when very young, and her mother, the princess of Saxe–Eysnach, marrying again to George IV. elector of Saxony, she was left under the guardianship of Frederick, elector of Brandenburg, afterwards king of Prussia, by which means she spent part of her early days at the court of Berlin, where the electress, sister to the late king, George I. gave her a tincture of her own politeness and noble sentiments. Not many years after her marriage, she saw her father-in-law and her husband called to the possession of one of the chief thrones in the world. I was then at Hanover, and will venture to assure you, that the whole electoral family heard of this new addition to their greatness, with a moderation that rendered them worthy of their fortune; and the princess in particular demonstrated, that she was thoroughly satisfied in her mind, and could be happy without a crown. When she became princess of Wales, she was so prudent as to keep fair with both the parties, which then divided the royal family. George I. her father-in-law, had a sincere esteem for her; she in return paid him very great respect; and when she became queen, contributed all in her power to make her subjects happy. The king let her into a share of affairs, and left her regent of the kingdom in his absence."
To a large compass of knowledge, and great reach of thought, she joined a polite address, the most easy and elegant manner of adducing the sentiments of others, or conveying her own: she not only studied books, but the nature and reason of things; and was a great proficient in the science, or wisdom of life, both public and private, knowing how to subdue her own passions, and guide those of others.