Margarethe von der Saale

Margarethe von der Saale (1522 – 6 July 1566) was a German noblewoman, lady-in-waiting and morganatic spouse by bigamy to Philip I, Landgrave of Hesse.

When she came to Hessian court to serve as lady in waiting, Margarethe met the married Landgrave Philip at the age of seventeen.

Philip wished to marry von der Saale morganatically rather than keep her as a mistress, as adultery would blacken his religious reputation, but he did not wish to divorce his consort, Christine of Saxony, as he believed that a divorce was equally sinful.

On 10 December 1539, he received support from Martin Luther, with the argument that of two evil things, bigamy was better than divorce.

The bigamous wedding ceremony took place on 4 March 1540 in Rotenburg Castle in the presence of Martin Bucer and Philipp Melanchthon.