Landgravine Elisabeth Amalie of Hesse-Darmstadt

Landgravine Elisabeth Amalie of Hesse-Darmstadt (Elisabeth Amalie Magdalene; 20 March 1635 – 4 August 1709) was a German princess of Hesse-Darmstadt who became Electress Palatine as the second wife of Philip William, Elector Palatine.

Biography
Born at the New Palace in Gießen, Elisabeth Amalie was the daughter of George II, Landgrave of Hesse-Darmstadt and Sophia Eleonore of Saxony. Her siblings included Louis of Hesse-Darmstadt, future Landgrave of Hesse-Darmstadt and Anna Sophia, Abbess of Quedlinburg.

Elisabeth Amalie was brought up strictly by her mother, who was a devout Lutheran. She had an attractive appearance with striking blond hair, a trait she kept until her old age and which was inherited by her daughters Eleonor Magdalene and Dorothea Sophie, the latter being known in particular for her blonde hair.

On 3 September 1653 she was married at Langenschwalbach to Count palatine Philip William of Neuburg, who later became Prince-elector of the Palatinate. Her husband was some twenty years older than her and was the heir to the Electoral Palatinate, which was one of the most important states within the Holy Roman Empire. In the course of her marriage, Elisabeth Amalie was pregnant 23 times in just 24 years.

She converted to Catholicism on 1 November 1653 in the presence of the elector and archbishop of Cologne, Maximilian Henry of Bavaria.

The writer William Nakatenus dedicated his work The Heavenly Palm little garden to her.

Issue
She gave birth to nine sons and eight daughters, 14 of whom lived to adulthood.

Elisabeth Amalie also suffered six miscarriages:
 * A miscarried daughter (16 January 1654)
 * A miscarried daughter (28 October 1660)
 * A miscarried son (1 February 1662)
 * A miscarried daughter (18 July 1671)
 * A miscarried daughter (28 October 1676)
 * A miscarried son (1 February 1678)