As the eldest daughter of the duke of Braunschweig, a granddaughter of Frederik II, and a cousin of Christian IV (these latter two both kings of Denmark), Sophia was raised at the ducal court in Wolffenbüttel. In 1607 she married count Ernst Casimir…

Map of the battle at Malplaquet, where the French were defeated by the allied forces, on September 11th, 1709. Illustration in: J. Lamigue, Het leven van Zyne Hoogheit Johan Willem Friso, dl. II, p. 142/143.

Only three letters survive from Constantijn Huygens to Mary Stuart, the daughter of James II and herself the future queen of England, Scotland, and Ireland. In January 1687, when this particular letter was written, Mary and her husband Willem were…