▁Louise ▁Maria ▁August e ▁of ▁Baden ▁of ▁the ▁House ▁of ▁Z ähr ingen . ▁She ▁was ▁the ▁third ▁of ▁seven ▁children ▁of ▁Charles ▁Louis , ▁Her edit ary ▁Prince ▁of ▁Baden , ▁and ▁his ▁wife , ▁Land gra v ine ▁Am al ie ▁of ▁H esse - D arm stadt . ▁At ▁birth , ▁the ▁child ▁was ▁so ▁small ▁and ▁weak ▁that ▁do ctors ▁fe ared ▁that ▁she ▁would ▁not ▁live . ▁ ▁Louise ▁grew ▁up ▁in ▁a ▁close , ▁warm ▁family ▁environment . ▁She ▁would ▁remain ▁particularly ▁attached ▁to ▁her ▁mother , ▁with ▁whom ▁she ▁maintained ▁an ▁int imate ▁correspond ence ▁until ▁her ▁death ▁( The ▁Mar gra v ine ▁of ▁Baden ▁out l ived ▁her ▁daughter ). ▁She ▁received ▁a ▁thought ful ▁education ▁at ▁the ▁Baden ▁court . ▁She ▁spoke ▁and ▁wrote ▁both ▁in ▁French ▁and ▁German ; ▁studied ▁history , ▁ge ography , ▁philosophy , ▁and ▁French ▁and ▁German ▁literature . ▁Thanks ▁to ▁the ▁close ▁proxim ity ▁between ▁Baden ▁and ▁France , ▁she ▁was ▁well ▁acquaint ed ▁with ▁French ▁culture ▁and ▁ref in ements , ▁as ▁was ▁the ▁custom ▁of ▁that ▁era . ▁Because ▁her ▁grand father , ▁the ▁reign ing ▁Mar gra ve ▁of ▁Baden , ▁was ▁not ▁rich , ▁the ▁family ▁lived ▁mod est ly ▁by ▁royal ▁standards . ▁ ▁Catherine ▁the ▁Great ▁was ▁looking ▁for ▁a ▁b ride ▁for ▁her ▁el dest ▁grand son , ▁the ▁future ▁Alexander ▁I , ▁and ▁set ▁her ▁eyes ▁on ▁the ▁Princess es ▁of ▁Baden ▁who ▁were ▁the ▁nie ces ▁of ▁the