Biography of Princess Elizabeth Palatine

Year	Month/Circa	Event
1618	26 December	Princess Elizabeth is born at Heidelberg to Elizabeth Stuart, daughter of King James I of England and Elector Palatine Frederick V. She was the third child and eldest girl of the couple's thirteen children
1618-1626		For the first nine years of her life, she lives with her grandmother and her father's sister Elizabeth-Charlotte in Silesia
1619		Frederick becomes King of Bohemia. Before Elizabeth turns two, he loses his throne, his Palatine lands and the majority of his possessions. He and Elizabeth Stuart flee to Germany, leaving Elizabeth with her grandmother.
1627	(approx.)	Elizabeth rejoins her parents who are exiled in Holland. She is tutored with her siblings at the Prinsenhof in Leiden in court etiquette, scripture, mathematics, history, the sciences, jurisprudence, French, English, German, Dutch, Latin, and Greek. She earns the nickname "La Grecque" for her impressive knowledge of classical languages.
1629		Elizabeth's oldest brother drowns in a boating accident. King Frederick is devastated and never quit recovers his spirits.
1630	14 October	Princess Sophie is born at The Hague. She is the twelfth child and the youngest sister of Princess Elizabeth.
1631		Frederick, Elizabeth's father, dies.
1636		Due to the poverty of her family and her Protestant beliefs, Elizabeth gives up any thought of marriage. According to Beatrice Zedler, this was not distressing to Elizabeth, because "she was more interested in the life of study than marriage." (Hyp . 30)
1642		Elizabeth reads Descartes' Meditations on First Philosophy. A family friend tells Descartes, who is also residing in Holland. Descartes has already heard of her mental abilities and wishes to meet her. Although it is certain the meeting took place, there is no record of it.
1643		Elizabeth writes to Descartes to express regret that they are unable to meet and poses some questions regarding his theory of the dualism of the body and soul. This begins their correspondence which lasts until Descartes’ death in 1650.
1645		Elizabeth's brother, Edward, renounces the Protestant faith, becomes a Catholic and marries Anne of Gonzaga. Elizabeth unhappily writes of the conversion to Descartes, evidently forgetting he is a Catholic. Descartes replies that God uses different means to draw souls to himself.
1646		Another brother, Philip stabs Monsieur L'Espinay to death in public. Philip flees the country and joins the Spanish army. Although she disagrees with his actions, Elizabeth defends her brother's intentions. In doing so, she angers her mother, who sends her to Germany to stay with her aunt.
1646		During her stay, Elizabeth tutors her cousin Hedwig and introduced Descartes work to German professors. She attempts to arrange a visit to Queen Kristina of Sweden to request support for the return of her late father's Palatinate lands. Queen Kristina invites Descartes instead.
1649		Descartes accepts Kristina's invitation, in part to plead the case for Elizabeth's family.
1650	February	Descartes dies in Sweden.
1667		Elizabeth enters a Protestant convent at Herford in Westphalia. She serves as a coadjutrix or assistant to the abbess, then as abbess. During her reign as abbess, she oversees the principality of the abbey, which includes about seven thousand people, and the abbey farms, vineyards, mills and factories. She also offers refuge to people whose religion is much different than hers, such as the followers of Jean de LaBadie, William Penn, Robert Barclay and other Quakers.
1680	8 February	Elizabeth dies after a long and painful illness. Before death, she orders her coffin, makes her will and writes a farewell letter to her sister, Louise.
	Back to Home	Elisabeth Timeline Sources Timeline taken from this website: Princess Elizabeth of Bohemia (1630-1714)