| The Last Margrave of Ansbach |
Pretty and popular Lady Elizabeth Craven was warmly welcomed and could not
have come at a more opportune time. The youngest daughter of the Earl of
Berkeley, she and the Hon. William Craven had six children, but the marriage
was unsuccessful and mildly scandalous. They separated and she embarked
upon a tour of Austria, Poland, Russia, Turkey and Greece, publishing an
account of her travels, Journey through the Crimea to Constantinople. During
this time, she came to Ansbach and would entertain and enchant the Margrave
with her little plays written in French for the Court theater, Apparently she was
not quite "treated like a sister". When her husband died in Switzerland in 1791,
Elizabeth married the Margrave within sixteen days.
have come at a more opportune time. The youngest daughter of the Earl of
Berkeley, she and the Hon. William Craven had six children, but the marriage
was unsuccessful and mildly scandalous. They separated and she embarked
upon a tour of Austria, Poland, Russia, Turkey and Greece, publishing an
account of her travels, Journey through the Crimea to Constantinople. During
this time, she came to Ansbach and would entertain and enchant the Margrave
with her little plays written in French for the Court theater, Apparently she was
not quite "treated like a sister". When her husband died in Switzerland in 1791,
Elizabeth married the Margrave within sixteen days.
The Margrave left the family palace in Ansbach, left,
and he and his bride settled in England, purchasing
Brandenburg House in Hammersmith and the house
and estate of Benham Park in Berkshire, which had
long been possessed by the Craven family, Right.
and he and his bride settled in England, purchasing
Brandenburg House in Hammersmith and the house
and estate of Benham Park in Berkshire, which had
long been possessed by the Craven family, Right.
The Margrave died at age 69 of a "pulmonary complaint" on January 5, 1806 and was buried at
nearby Speen Church. By the next month, the small market town of Ansbach had fallen to imperial
French control, and three months later, in May of 1806, Bavarian banners flew as Prussia ceded
ancient, Protestant Ansbach and Bayreuth to Catholic Bavaria. After the Margrave's death, Elizabeth
travelled again, buying a villa in Naples in 1817. Her six children never forgave her adultery. A few
years before her death in 1828, she published her autobiography under the title "Memoirs of the
Margravine of Anspach" (by her marriage to the Margrave of Anspach, Lady Craven became
formally Princess Berkeley of the Holy Roman Empire). She remarried again, and ended her days
with the enchanting title of Princess Elizabeth of Bohemia. She died on January 13, 1828 in Naples.
nearby Speen Church. By the next month, the small market town of Ansbach had fallen to imperial
French control, and three months later, in May of 1806, Bavarian banners flew as Prussia ceded
ancient, Protestant Ansbach and Bayreuth to Catholic Bavaria. After the Margrave's death, Elizabeth
travelled again, buying a villa in Naples in 1817. Her six children never forgave her adultery. A few
years before her death in 1828, she published her autobiography under the title "Memoirs of the
Margravine of Anspach" (by her marriage to the Margrave of Anspach, Lady Craven became
formally Princess Berkeley of the Holy Roman Empire). She remarried again, and ended her days
with the enchanting title of Princess Elizabeth of Bohemia. She died on January 13, 1828 in Naples.
This was not the only Ansbach-English connection, however. Some time before our adventurous
Last Margrave, Karoline Von Brandenburg-Ansbach was born on March 1, 1683. The wife of
George II of Great Britain (reigned 1727–60) was also a German, and beautiful and intelligent. She
exercised a great influence over her husband. After her German father-in-law became King George
I in 1714, she helped ease the difficult situation created by the bitter quarrel between the king and
her husband during the three years (1717–20) when her husband was banned from court, and she
made their London residence a lively center of opposition to the crown until George II's accession
to the throne in 1727. In 1737, she died from complications of a ruptured uterus. She had given
birth to ten children during their marriage. George II, at the age of 60, was the last British sovereign
to fight along side his soldiers, at the Battle of Dettingen in 1743 in Germany, against the French.
Last Margrave, Karoline Von Brandenburg-Ansbach was born on March 1, 1683. The wife of
George II of Great Britain (reigned 1727–60) was also a German, and beautiful and intelligent. She
exercised a great influence over her husband. After her German father-in-law became King George
I in 1714, she helped ease the difficult situation created by the bitter quarrel between the king and
her husband during the three years (1717–20) when her husband was banned from court, and she
made their London residence a lively center of opposition to the crown until George II's accession
to the throne in 1727. In 1737, she died from complications of a ruptured uterus. She had given
birth to ten children during their marriage. George II, at the age of 60, was the last British sovereign
to fight along side his soldiers, at the Battle of Dettingen in 1743 in Germany, against the French.
In spring, when the trees were barely dressed in new leaves, and buds were springing forth from
the damp earth in the clean German air, a lively English lady paid a visit to the Ansbach royal palace
where she wrote to her husband that she was "to be treated as the Margrave's sister." She would
entertain and amuse the attractive, romantic, widowed Margrave of Anspach-Baireuth, Christian
Friedrich Karl Alexander. Born in 1736, the second son of the "Wild Margrave", he was Duke of
Prussia, Count of Sayn, ruler of Markgraftum Brandenburg-Kulmbach and Brandenburg-Bayreuth,
becoming Margrave after the sudden death of his older brother on August 3, 1757.
the damp earth in the clean German air, a lively English lady paid a visit to the Ansbach royal palace
where she wrote to her husband that she was "to be treated as the Margrave's sister." She would
entertain and amuse the attractive, romantic, widowed Margrave of Anspach-Baireuth, Christian
Friedrich Karl Alexander. Born in 1736, the second son of the "Wild Margrave", he was Duke of
Prussia, Count of Sayn, ruler of Markgraftum Brandenburg-Kulmbach and Brandenburg-Bayreuth,
becoming Margrave after the sudden death of his older brother on August 3, 1757.
As mentioned, his father's extravagances with building, birds and beautiful girls cost the Margaveship
dearly. Thus in 1792, the Margrave, his popularity at a low, sold his principality which included the
two counties of Anspach-Bayreuth to the King of Prussia for a yearly pension of 300,000 Florin. On
January 2, 1792, the Prussian coat of arms was attached to the Ansbach city hall, ending the rule of
the Margraves. He took a bit of home with him, however. Horses were the Margrave's favorite
hobby and when he left, he took 26 favorites of his 500 Ansbach horses in with him to England.
dearly. Thus in 1792, the Margrave, his popularity at a low, sold his principality which included the
two counties of Anspach-Bayreuth to the King of Prussia for a yearly pension of 300,000 Florin. On
January 2, 1792, the Prussian coat of arms was attached to the Ansbach city hall, ending the rule of
the Margraves. He took a bit of home with him, however. Horses were the Margrave's favorite
hobby and when he left, he took 26 favorites of his 500 Ansbach horses in with him to England.
At their house on the banks of the Thames, Elizabeth had a theater built to enable her to stage her
own plays. Her lavish parties included one set on water with the dance floor arranged on a barge with
an orchestra following in another. Because of her scandalous lifestyle, Elizabeth Craven was
generally shunned by polite society, in and out of court circles. The audience at the Margravine's
productions, many of which were in French, consisted mainly of invited friends who recently
emigrated from the continent and an assortment of rowdy party crashers, though the Prince of Wales
was said to have been in attendance when the theater gave its first public performance. As she wrote
in her Memoirs, published in 1826: "My taste for music and poetry and my style of imagination in
writing, chastened by experience, were great sources of delight to me. Our expenses were
enormous." The Margravine often took part in the performances and also composed the music.
own plays. Her lavish parties included one set on water with the dance floor arranged on a barge with
an orchestra following in another. Because of her scandalous lifestyle, Elizabeth Craven was
generally shunned by polite society, in and out of court circles. The audience at the Margravine's
productions, many of which were in French, consisted mainly of invited friends who recently
emigrated from the continent and an assortment of rowdy party crashers, though the Prince of Wales
was said to have been in attendance when the theater gave its first public performance. As she wrote
in her Memoirs, published in 1826: "My taste for music and poetry and my style of imagination in
writing, chastened by experience, were great sources of delight to me. Our expenses were
enormous." The Margravine often took part in the performances and also composed the music.
He inherited a huge debt of 2.3 million Reichstalern from his eratic father's
excesses, while his illegitimate half brothers, the Barons von Falkenhauses,
had not only received titles, but their own castles with no hounding debtors.
The young Margrave quickly set about trying to pay down the principality's
debts by various means. In 1758, he founded a porcelain factory in Ansbach
and then ventured into agriculture by importing sheep. In 1780, he set himself
up as a private banker, founding his own bank in order to avoid the money
lenders who had plagued his father. He finally resorted to renting his soldiers
as mercenaries to England, and even rented troops to Holland.
excesses, while his illegitimate half brothers, the Barons von Falkenhauses,
had not only received titles, but their own castles with no hounding debtors.
The young Margrave quickly set about trying to pay down the principality's
debts by various means. In 1758, he founded a porcelain factory in Ansbach
and then ventured into agriculture by importing sheep. In 1780, he set himself
up as a private banker, founding his own bank in order to avoid the money
lenders who had plagued his father. He finally resorted to renting his soldiers
as mercenaries to England, and even rented troops to Holland.
His royal palace was the Ansbach Residenz, but Karl
Alexander preferred his hunting estate in Triesdorf.
Here, he renovated the "White Castle" for his lover
Hippolyte Clairon, the "Red Castle" for himself,
and the Villa Sandrina for his lover "Fräulein
Kurz". He would build the "Round Villa" (Villa
Rotunda) for his new guest, Lady Craven.
Alexander preferred his hunting estate in Triesdorf.
Here, he renovated the "White Castle" for his lover
Hippolyte Clairon, the "Red Castle" for himself,
and the Villa Sandrina for his lover "Fräulein
Kurz". He would build the "Round Villa" (Villa
Rotunda) for his new guest, Lady Craven.
His sending of local soldiers to fight England's wars caused great hardship to the soldiers and their
families, and this severely impacted his popularity. On March 3, 1777, two infantry regiments with
artillery, a total of 2,500 troops, left Ansbach for the colonies where they were immediately thrown
into battle. As a sign of appreciation, the Margrave sent several barrels of Sauerkraut to his Ansbach
mercenaries. It disgusted the British soldiers who then coined the nickname “krauts” for the Germans.
families, and this severely impacted his popularity. On March 3, 1777, two infantry regiments with
artillery, a total of 2,500 troops, left Ansbach for the colonies where they were immediately thrown
into battle. As a sign of appreciation, the Margrave sent several barrels of Sauerkraut to his Ansbach
mercenaries. It disgusted the British soldiers who then coined the nickname “krauts” for the Germans.
The White Castle