Charles of Hesse

Charles of Hesse (German: Karl von Hessen-Kassel) (19 December 1744 – 17 August 1836) was not ruling Landgrave of Hesse-Kassel.

He was born in Kassel as the second surviving son of Kassel's then hereditary prince, the future Frederick II, Landgrave of Hesse-Kassel and his first wife Princess Mary of Great Britain. His mother was a daughter of King George II of Great Britain and Caroline of Ansbach.

His father, the future landgrave (who reigned from 1760 and died in 1785) had in 1747 left the family and soon converted Catholicism, and in 1755 formally ended the marriage. The young prince Charles, together with his two brothers, were with their mother the landgravine Mary and became since 1747 fostered by Protestant relatives and soon moved to Denmark, to the care of her sister Louise, queen of Denmark and Norway who however died in 1751. His elder brother married in 1763 a Danish princess, their first cousin. Charles followed suit in 1766.

They remained in Denmark, becoming its important lords and royal functionaries. Only his eldest brother returned to Hesse, in 1785 when ascending the landgraviate.

Prince Charles of Hesse acted as royal governor of Schleswig-Holstein on behalf of the government of his brother-in-law, king Christian VII of Denmark and Norway.

On 30 August 1766, Charles married Princess Louise of Denmark and Norway, his first cousin, the youngest daughter of king Frederick V of Denmark and Norway who died the same year. The couple had the following children:

1. Marie Sophie, Princess of Hesse (20 October 1767 – 21 March 1852), married on 31 July 1790 her first cousin the future King Frederick VI of Denmark and Norway
2. Wilhelm, Prince of Hesse (15 January 1769 – 14 July 1772)
3. Prince Frederik of Hesse (24 May 1771 – 24 February 1845), a general, married only morganatically
4. Juliane, Princess of Hesse (19 January 1773 – 11 March 1860), protestant Abbess of Itzehoe
5. Prince Christian of Hesse (14 August 1776 – 14 November 1814)
6. Princess Louise Caroline of Hesse (28 September 1789 – 13 March 1867), married on 28 January 1810 Wilhelm, Duke of Glücksburg

Prince Charles died in castle Luisenlund in Güby, Schleswig.