THE ALTE PALAIS, HANOVER. _From a photograph by the ” ” 74 Author_ KÖNIGSMARCK. _From the painting at Herrenhausen_ ” ” 94 THE LEINE SCHLOSS, HANOVER ” ” 110 THE UNIVERSITY LIBRARY, LUND, SWEDEN ” ” 128 FACSIMILE OF ONE OF KÖNIGSMARCK’S LETTERS TO THE ” ” 146 PRINCESS. _Photographed from the original manuscript in the University Library of Lund_ FACSIMILE OF ONE OF SOPHIE DOROTHEA’S LETTERS TO ” ” 174 KÖNIGSMARCK. _Photographed from the original manuscript in the University Library of Lund_ SOPHIE DOROTHEA. _From a painting formerly at ” ” 190 Ahlden, now at Herrenhausen_ FACSIMILE OF ONE OF THE PRINCESS’S LETTERS TO ” ” 206 KÖNIGSMARCK. _Photographed from the original manuscript in the University Library at Lund_ PHILIP CHRISTOPHER COUNT KÖNIGSMARCK. _From a painting ” ” 224 in the possession of Count Gustav Lewenhaupt_ THE COUNTESS AURORA KÖNIGSMARCK. _From the painting in ” ” 244 the possession of Count C. G. von Rosen_ HERRENHAUSEN ” ” 270 THE ELECTOR ERNEST AUGUSTUS OF HANOVER. _From an old ” ” 290 print in the British Museum_ THE MURDER OF KÖNIGSMARCK. _From an old print_ ” ” 348 THE CASTLE OF AHLDEN AS IT WAS WHEN SOPHIE DOROTHEA ” ” 362 WAS IMPRISONED THERE. _From an old engraving in the Castle_ THE CASTLE OF AHLDEN AS IT IS TO-DAY ” ” 376 SOPHIE DOROTHEA’S WING OF THE CASTLE OF AHLDEN. _From ” ” 400 a photograph by the Author_ SOPHIE DOROTHEA, SECOND QUEEN OF PRUSSIA (DAUGHTER OF ” ” 424 SOPHIE DOROTHEA AND GEORGE I.). _From the painting by Johann L. Hirschmann_ THE CHURCH AT CELLE, WHERE SOPHIE DOROTHEA IS BURIED ” ” 438 THE CASTLE OF OSNABRÜCK ” ” 442 CHAPTER I. THE ROMANCE OF THE PRINCESS’S PARENTAGE. Life, like a dome of many coloured glass, Stains the white radiance of Eternity. SHELLEY. Sophie Dorothea of Celle, the uncrowned queen of the first of our Hanoverian kings, came of the ancient and illustrious family of Brunswick, which was descended from Henry the Lion, Duke of Bavaria and Saxony, who, it is interesting to note, married Matilda, eldest daughter of King Henry II. of England. It is not necessary to dwell upon the glories of the House of Brunswick, but the immediate ancestry of Sophie Dorothea may be of interest.