Elisabeth Christine is the eldest daughter of…

Elisabeth Christine is the eldest daughter of Louis Rudolph, Duke of Brunswick-Lüneburg and his wife Princess Christine Louise of Oettingen-Oettingen.

Elisabeth Christine had become engaged at age thirteen to the future Charles VI, Holy Roman Emperor through negotiations between her ambitious grandfather, Anthony Ulrich, Duke of Brunswick-Wolfenbüttel and Charles' sister-in-law, Empress Wilhelmina Amalia, whose father is John Frederick, Duke of Brunswick-Lüneburg and thus belongs to another branch of the Guelph dynasty.

However, the Protestant bride opposes the marriage at first, since it involves her switching to Catholicism, but finally she had given in and on May 1, 1707, was converted in Bamberg, Germany.

Charles, at the time of the wedding, is fighting for his rights to the Spanish throne against the French-born King Philip V of Spain, so he is living in Barcelona.

Elisabeth Christine arrives in Spain on July 1708 and marries Charles on August 1, 1708, in the church of Santa Maria del Mar in Barcelona.