Sabine VonSimmern

February 24, 2014 — #ancestors #archetypes # insight #history, Germany, Sabine VonSimmern

Sabine VonSimmern

My 12th great-grandmother was born in Germany and died in Belgium.  She had a very long royal name: Sabine von Pfalz-Simmern (Wittelsbach, Pfalz-Simmern) (Sabine von Pfalz-Simmern) durch Heirat Gräfin von Egmond und Fürstin von Gavere.  This did not help her when she begged to spare her knight husband’s life. Such was the fickle finger of royal fate in those days.

Sabine was the daughter of the Count Palatine and Duke John II of simmern (1492-1557) from his marriage to Beatrix (1492-1535), daughter of Margrave Christoph I of Baden. She was a sister of the Elector Friedrich III of the Palatinate.
On April 8, 1544, she married Egmond Lamoral, Prince of Gavre (1522-1568). The wedding was in the Diet of Speyer in the presence of Emperor Charles V and numerous other German imperial princes. The marriage was of great political importance but was described as extremely happy. Due to his link with the German Empire princess (Sabine was called “Bavaria” in the Netherlands), Egmond ranked among the Knights of the Golden Fleece, in 1546.
Sabine begged on her knees to the Duke of Alba to spare the life of her husband but he was beheaded in 1568 in Brussels. After Egmond’s death, Sabine and her children lived in poverty. She was buried beside her husband in Sottegem. The place Oud-Beijerland in the Netherlands is named after Sabine.