Elisabeth Simmern van Pallandt was born in Heidelberg on December 26, 1618, the third child and eldest daughter of Frederick V of Bohemia and Elisabeth Stuart, daughter of James I of England. Her parents' marriage represented the rising political strength of Protestantism. In August of 1620, Elisabeth's father, Frederick, departed Heidelberg for Prague to assume the position of Emperor of the Holy Roman Empire. In November 1620, Frederick lost the battle of White Mountain and with it his empire; he was forced into exile. This event is usually taken as the onset of the Thirty Years War. In the late 1620s Elisabeth joined her parents in The Hague. There, she was tutored by the Dutch humanist Constantijn Huygens and the mathematician Johan Stampioen. She also interacted with Anna Maria van Schurman. She was accomplished in Greek, Latin, German, English and French. Throughout her life...