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Elizabeth Charlotte of the Palatinate, Duchess of Orléans

Heidelberg Castle, 27 May 1652 – Château de Saint-Cloud, 8 Dec 1722

9 facts3 sources

Facts and their sources

A life in time

  1. 27 May 1652

    Born in Heidelberg Castle

  2. 1674–1676

    2 children are born

  3. 8 Dec 1722

    Dies in Château de Saint-Cloud, aged 70

Family

See the tree

Parents

Partner

Children · 2

During her lifetime

She lived through 8 decades. Pick one to hear and see what it was like around Heidelberg Castle.

General history, not a record about the family: each item says where it comes from.

The 1650s · Elizabeth is born in Heidelberg Castle

In the news1654

Legally binding serfdom in Mecklenburg

The Servants Law of 1654 legally anchored serfdom in Mecklenburg, divesting serfs of personal freedoms and allowing them to be sold with property.

Getting around

Mounted post speeds in Germany

Mounted postal services in Central Europe utilized horse relay stations to reach speeds of up to 84 kilometers per day, allowing the 422-kilometer journey between Cologne and Hamburg to be completed in five days.

In the news1656

Royal Edict on Beggars (1656)

In 1656, a royal edict established the Hopital General in Paris, forcing over six thousand beggars into labor as part of a policy to clear the streets.

Daily life

Limited and seasonal schooling

Schooling was not compulsory, and rural children often only attended in winter because they had to work on farms during the summer. Instruction focused primarily on memorizing the Bible to learn how to pray and read scripture.

What people wore

Hat with a hidden storage bag

The Scheessel Winkelmann hat was designed with a secret fabric bag inside, which allowed the wearer to carry a hymnal, bread, and a flask while on the go.

Music

Musical Cradle Devotions and Festive Processions

During Christmas, Jesuits organized cradle devotions, where a constructed cradle containing a figure of the Christ child was rocked to the sound of music. Music was also used in processions, often involving bells, trumpets, military drums, and even the discharge of muskets and cannons.

At the table

Avoiding Contaminated Water

Water was rarely drunk, as people relied on beer or watered-down vinegar for safer hydration. Often, drinking water was avoided entirely due to the high risk of contamination from nearby cesspools.