Resumen de Philipp der Grosmütige von Hessen und Friedrich wilhelm II. von Preusen: Fürsenehen, Doppelehen und ehen zur linken Hand
In his " Wanderungen durch die Mark Brandenburg", author Theodor Fontane tells of spectacular case of bigamy: The crown Prince and later King Friedrich Wilhem II von Preussen, fell in love with Julie von Voss, a maiden of the Royal court. Since the wedding in May of 1787 they lived in a morganatic marriage, although the Prince was already legally married to Friederike Luise von Hessen-Darmstadt. The exposure of bigamy in the house of Hohenzollern was of more interest to the theologians than to the lawyers of the time. In this matter, the Order of the Rosen kreuzer of which King Friedrich Wilhelm II was a leading member, had profound influence. The most important precedent which was consulted was the case of the landgrave, Philipp der Grosmütige von Hessen, the well-known reformer-prince, who with the approval of Luther and Melanchthon married Margarete von der Saale in 1540, without separating from his legal wife, Christina von Sachsen.
