Background
She was the youngest daughter of landgrave George II of Hesse-Darmstadt (1605-1661) and his wife Sophia Eleonore (1609-1671), the daughter of Elector John George I of Saxony.
She was the youngest daughter of landgrave George II of Hesse-Darmstadt (1605-1661) and his wife Sophia Eleonore (1609-1671), the daughter of Elector John George I of Saxony.
In 1676, the couple took up residence in Ichtershausen. Bernhard built a castle here, which he named Marienburg, after Marie Hadwig. His newly created duchy consisted of the former principality of Henneberg.
The coat of arms of Henneberg showed a black hen.
Shortly before the scheduled move from their residence in Ichtershausen to Meiningen, Marie Hedwig stated that she would never enter the land of the black hen. She was only 32 years old, and died 9 weeks before the scheduled move to Meiningen.
She was buried in the crypt of the city church in Meiningen. Bernhard I decorated the Hesse hall in Elisabethenburg Palace in Meiningen in a baroque style in her memory, and hung portraits of the two dynasties in this hall.
Ernest Louis (October 1672 in Gotha – 24 November 1724 in Meiningen)
Bernhard (28 October 1673 in Gotha – 25 October 1694 in Brussels)
John Ernest (29 December 1674 in Gotha – 8 February 1675 in Gotha)
Marie Elisabeth (11 August 1676 in Ichtershausen – 22 December 1676 in Ichtershausen)
John George (3 October 1677 in Ichtershausen – Ichtershausen, 10 October 1678 in Ichtershausen)
Frederick Wilhelm (16 February 1679 in Ichtershausen – 10 March 1746 in Meiningen).
George Ernest (26 March 1680 in Ichtershausen – 1 January 1699 in Meiningen). He died of smallpox.