Maria Eleanor Julich-Cleve-Berg

Maria Eleanor is the eldest daughter of William the Rich from his second marriage with Mary of Austria . She was born on June 16, 1550 in Kleve. In 1573, she was married to the Duke of Prussia Albrecht Friedrich , who since 1572 began to show signs of mental illness, which was hereditary. The marriage was organized by the duke's advisers in order to prove the duke’s legal capacity, Mary’s father did not know about the “mental weakness” of the groom at first.

In 1592, Maria went with her two daughters to Julich to claim the eldest of them the right to inherit from her father, since her brother, Johann Wilhelm , who inherited the duchy of Julich-Cleve-Berg after the death of his father, was childless. At the same time, she wanted to ensure the marriage of her daughters, wanting to find worthy husbands for them. As a result, she managed to marry the eldest daughter for the future Elector of Brandenburg, Johann Sigismund , thanks to which he in the future inherited Prussia and part of Julich-Cleve-Berg.

She married the Duke of Prussia Albrecht Friedrich . They were born:

• Anna (1576-1625), married to Elector of Brandenburg Johann Sigismund
• Mary (1579–1649), married to Margrave Christian Brandenburg of Bayreuth
• Albrecht Friedrich (1580)
• Sofia (1582-1610), married to the Duke of Courland, William Kettler
• Eleanor (1583-1607), married to Elector of Brandenburg Joachim Friedrich
• Wilhelm Friedrich (1585-1586)
• Magdalena Sibylla (1586–1659), married to the elector of Saxony, Johann George I.

• Biography (German)