Charlotte was a daughter of
Prince George William of Hesse-Darmstadt (1722-1782) from his marriage to
Countess Maria Louise Albertine of Leiningen-Falkenburg-Dagsburg (1729-1818), daughter of Count
Christian Karl Reinhard of Leiningen-Dachsburg-Falkenburg-Heidesheim. The princess was first engaged with the hereditary prince
Peter Frederick William of Oldenburg, but the engagement was dissolved again as a result of the onset of Peter's mental illness. Charlotte married
Charles of Mecklenburg-Strelitz (who later became the Duke of Mecklenburg-Strelitz), on 28 September 1784 in Darmstadt. He was previously married to Charlotte's older sister
Friederike, who had died in childbirth. She thus became stepmother for her sister's five surviving children - her nieces and nephews. The couple lived in
Hanover, where Charles served as
Governor-General for his brother-in-law, King
George. Charlotte was delivered of a healthy boy in late 1785, but the birth was difficult and Charlotte died as a result. Charles resigned from his post in Hanover and moved to Charlotte's mother in Darmstadt, who then took care of his children (both Frederike's and Charlotte's). == Offspring ==