Christine of Mecklenburg-Güstrow and Darejan Dadiani – The mothers of 23 children

These two Royal mothers are the first royals on the list of women who have had the most children. Christine of Mecklenburg-Güstrow and Darejan Dadiani have both had 23 children and respectively 11 and 13 of those children survived to adulthood.

Christine of Mecklenburg-Güstrow was born on 14 August 1663 to Gustav Adolph, Duke of Mecklenburg-Güstrow and Magdalene Sibylle of Holstein-Gottorp. She herself was one of 11 children. On 14 May 1683 she married Louis Christian, Count of Stolberg-Gedern as his second wife. She gave birth to their 23 children between 1684 and 1705. She was pregnant 19 times and gave birth to four sets of twins.

1. Gustav Adolph, Hereditary Prince of Stolberg-Gedern (born and died Gedern, 17 January 1684).
2. A daughter (born and died Gedern, 17 January 1684), twin of Gustav Adolph.
3. Gustav Ernest, Hereditary Prince of Stolberg-Gedern (Gedern, 10 March 1685 – Gedern, 14 June 1689).
4. Fredericka Charlotte (Gedern, 3 April 1686 – Laubach, 10 January 1739), married on 8 December 1709 to Frederick Ernest, Count of Solms-Laubach.
5. Emilie Auguste (Gedern, 11 May 1687 – Rossla, 30 June 1730), married on 1 October 1709 to Jost Christian, Count ofStolberg-Rossla (her first-cousin).
6. Christiana Louise (Gedern, 6 April 1688 – Gedern, 11 August 1691).
7. Albertine Antonie (Gedern, 15 April 1689 – Gedern, 16 August 1691).
8. Charles Louis, Hereditary Prince of Stolberg-Gedern (Gedern, 15 April 1689 – Gedern, 6 August 1691), twin of Albertine Antonie.
9. Gustave Magdalene (Gedern, 6 April 1690 – Gedern, 22 March 1691).
10. Christian Ernest, Count of Stolberg-Wernigerode (Gedern, 2 April 1691 – Wernigerode, 25 October 1771).
11. Christine Eleonore (Gedern, 12 September 1692 – Büdingen, 30 January 1745), married on 8 August 1708 to Ernest Casimir I, Count of Isenburg-Büdingen in Büdingen.
12. Frederick Charles, Prince of Stolberg-Gedern (Gedern, 11 October 1693 – Gedern, 28 September 1767).
13. Ernestine Wilhelmine (Gedern, 29 January 1695 – Wächtersbach, 7 May 1759), married on 7 December 1725 to Ferdinand Maximilian, Count of Isenburg-Büdingen in Wächtersbach.
14. Fredericka Louise (Gedern, 20 January 1696 – Gedern, 24 April 1697).
15. Louis Adolph (Gedern, 17 June 1697 – Gedern, 6 January 1698).
16. Henry August, Count of Stolberg-Schwarza (Gedern, 17 June 1697 – Schwarza, 14 September 1748), twin of Louis Adolph.
17. Sophie Christiane (Gedern, 17 August 1698 – Gedern, 14 June 1771), unmarried.
18. Ferdinande Henriette (Gedern, 2 October 1699 – Schönberg, Odenwald, 31 January 1750), married on 15 December 1719 to George August, Count of Erbach-Schönberg.
19. Rudolph Lebrecht (Gedern, 17 September 1701 – Gedern, 6 April 1702).
20. Louis Christian (Gedern, 17 September 1701 – Gedern, 22 November 1701), twin of Rudolph Lebrecht.
21. Auguste Marie (Gedern, 28 November 1702 – Herford, 3 July 1768), a nun in Herford, created Princess in 1742.
22. Caroline Adolphine (Gedern, 27 April 1704 – Gedern, 10 February 1707).
23. Philippina Louise (Gedern, 20 October 1705 – Philippseich, 1 November 1744), married on 2 April 1725 to William Maurice II, Count of Isenburg-Philippseich.

Through her 18th child Ferdinande Henriette Christine was the great-great-great-grandmother of Queen Victoria of the United Kingdom. Despite her many pregnancies she lived to the grand age of 85. She died on 3 August 1749.

Darejan Dadiani was born on 20 July 1738. She was Queen Consort of Kakheti, and later Kartli-Kakheti in Eastern Georgia, as the third wife of King Erekle II (or Heraclius II). His first two wives had died young. They had 23 children between 1753 and 1782.

1. Prince Solomon (died 1765)
2. Princess Elene (1753–1786)
3. Princess Mariam (1755–1828)
4. Princess Sophia (born c. 1756, died in childhood)
5. Prince Levan (1756–1781)
6. Prince Ioane (born c. 1759, died in childhood)
7. Prince Iulon (1760–1816)
8. Prince Vakhtang (Almaskhan) (1761–1814)
9. Princess Salome (born 1761, died in childhood)
10. Prince Beri (born 1761 or 1762, died in childhood)
11. Prince Teimuraz (1762–1827)
12. Princess Anastasia (1763–1838)
13. Princess Ketevan (1764–1840)
14. Prince Soslan-David (c. 1764–1767)
15. Prince Mirian (1767–1834)
16. Princess Khoreshan (born 1768, died in childhood)
17. Prince Alexander (1770–1844)
18. Prince Luarsab (born 1772, died in childhood)
19. Princess Ekaterine (1774–1818)
20. Princess Tekle (1776–1846)
21. Prince Parnaoz (1777–1852)
22. Prince Archil (born 1780, died in childhood)
23. Aslamaz-Khan (born 1782, died in childhood)

After her husband’s death Darejan had a difficult relationship with her now reigning stepson. Tensions again grew when he died in 1800 as Darejan wished her eldest son to succeed instead of his eldest son. It all soon proved pointless as Russia annexed the entire Georgian Kingdom, bringing their rule to an end. Darejan was allowed to settle in Russia. She died on 8 November 1807.