She was the third child and third daughter in the family of Prince Johann Friedrich of Schwarzburg-Rudolstadt and his wife Princess Bernardina Christina Sophia of Saxe-Weimar-Eisenach.

At the age of 15, Wilhelmina was given to the 21-year-old Crown Prince Ludwig of Nassau-Saarbrücken in marriage.

She was unhappy in her marriage and Wihelmina retreated to Halberg Castle, where she raised their son: The married life of the ruling couple turned out to be unhappy, and Wilhelmina and her son settled in the Montplaisir palace on the Halberg mountain.

After her death, in a morganaticly married Katharina Kest, a commoner who Louis created Countess of Ottweiler.

In 1789, Louis XVI of France conferred upon Katharina the title Duchess of Dillange.