Adelaide of Scharrau
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Adelaide of Scharrau (7 January 1507 - 3 December 1526) was a German noblewoman who was princess consort of Kollstansze from 1525 - 1526 under the name Maleen of Adlkofen.
Adelaide was the daughter of Viscount Frederick of Scharrau, a member of a powerful family related to the prince of Scharrau, and his wife, Maria, of whom relatively little is known. She is described as tall, with long blonde hair and blue eyes. She was highly educated and supposed to be married into Italian or British nobility. Her father, brought up alongside the other noble children of Scharrau in conditions of intense cruelty, was unkind to her and to her mother.
In 1525, she accompanied her father and cousin Maleen of Adlkofen to Kollstansze for Maleen's marriage. Sometime during this journey, Maleen and Adelaide switched places. Adelaide was presented as Maleen of Adlkofen, and Maleen herself as Frederick’s daughter, under the name “Maleen of Scharrau”. Adelaide married Prince Ludvik in October of 1525.
In 1525, she accompanied her father and cousin Maleen of Adlkofen to Kollstansze for Maleen's marriage. Sometime during this journey, Maleen and Adelaide switched places. Adelaide was presented as Maleen of Adlkofen, and Maleen herself as Frederick’s daughter, under the name “Maleen of Scharrau”. Adelaide married Prince Ludvik in October of 1525.
Adelaide was not especially popular around court. Her parents, afraid of the secret getting out, kept her under close guard, preferring ladies from Adlkofen as her ladies-in-waiting and snubbing Kollstansze ladies. This was in particular an affront because her possibly schizophrenic and illegitimate half sister Federica was chosen as one of her ladies.
In October of 1526, when Ludvik was at a summit in Willmars, Adelaide delivered a stillborn son and died in early December.
After Adelaide's death, it was believed that she or her mother had cursed Maleen. People of Kollstansze believed that Adelaide was jealous of her cousin and did not want Maleen's sons to inherit the throne, as they did not know about the switch. Maleen may also believed that she was cursed, although the reasons for this are unclear.
In George Powell's TV show "The Cursed Queen", Adelaide is depicted as particularly cruel to Maleen. However, as critics of the show and of most accounts point out, most knowledge of the events come from Conrad's point of view, and since he was married to Maleen, he was likely to be on her side. Events could have been greatly exaggerated. The show also emphasizes the curse placed on Maleen and suggests that it was Adelaide's mother who placed it on Maleen, for having a living baby while Adelaide died.
Some attention is given to Adelaide in Elizabeth Raye-Muller's "The Cursed Queen"
A fictional account is in Natalie Andrew's "As Alike As Two Suns", where Adelaide is a major antagonist.
Another fictional account is in Laura Gillespie's "A Time Traveler at Court", where where she receives more sympathetic treatment
Some attention is given to Adelaide in Elizabeth Raye-Muller's "The Cursed Queen"
A fictional account is in Natalie Andrew's "As Alike As Two Suns", where Adelaide is a major antagonist.
Another fictional account is in Laura Gillespie's "A Time Traveler at Court", where where she receives more sympathetic treatment