Someone’s Got Dad Issues
There are many arranged royal marriages in history where both people in the partnership just don’t click and don’t really want to be married. This was unfortunately true for Frederick the Great of Prussia and his wife, Elisabeth von Braunschweig-Wolfenbüttel. The marriage was arranged by Frederick’s father, with whom he didn’t have the best relationship. In fact, Frederick was forced to marry Elisabeth after trying to escape his father’s rule. It was the only way he could regain his freedom.
Frederick’s hatred of his father definitely bled over into his relationship with Elisabeth, because he sent his wife away to another city after he became king. They barely saw each other, and Frederick resented Elisabeth from the very start. Despite the resentment, Elisabeth was actually a very active, beloved queen and became a symbol of resilience during the Seven Years’ War.