by Susan Flantzer
© Unofficial Royalty 2023

Princess Louisa Anne of Wales; Credit – Wikipedia

Born on March 19, 1749, at Leicester House which stood on present-day Leicester Square in London, England. Louisa Anne was the seventh of the nine children and the third of the four daughters of Frederick, Prince of Wales and Princess Augusta of Saxe-Gotha-Altenburg. Her paternal grandparents were King George II of Great Britain and Caroline of Ansbach. Louisa Anne’s maternal grandparents were Friedrich II, Duke of Saxe-Gotha-Altenburg and Magdalene Auguste of Anhalt-Zerbst.

Louisa Anne was christened at Leicester House on April 11, 1749. Her godparents were:

• Prince Friedrich of Hesse-Kassel, her paternal uncle by marriage, the future Friedrich II, Landgrave of Hesse-Kassel
• Queen Louisa of Denmark, her paternal aunt
• Anne, Princess of Orange, Princess Royal, her paternal aunt

Family of Frederick, Prince of Wales painted in 1751 after his death; Front row: Henry, William, Frederick; Back row: Edward, George, Augusta, Dowager Princess of Wales holding Caroline Matilda, Elizabeth, Louisa; Credit – Wikipedia

Louisa Anne had eight siblings:

• Princess Augusta of Wales, Duchess of Brunswick (1737 – 1813) married Karl Wilhelm Ferdinand, Duke of Brunswick, had seven children
• King George III of the United Kingdom (1738 – 1820) married Charlotte of Mecklenburg-Strelitz, had fifteen children
• Prince Edward of Wales, Duke of York (1739 – 1767) died aged 28, unmarried
• Princess Elizabeth of Wales (1740 – 1759) died aged 18, unmarried
• Prince William Henry of Wales, Duke of Gloucester (1743 – 1805) married Maria, Countess Waldegrave, had three children
• Prince Henry of Wales, Duke of Cumberland (1745 – 1790) married Anne Luttrell, no issue
• Prince Frederick of Wales (1750 – 1765) died aged 15, unmarried
• Princess Caroline Matilda of Wales, Queen Consort of Denmark and Norway (1751 – 1775) married Christian VII, King of Denmark and Norway, had two children

Louisa Anne by Jean-Etienne Liotard, 1754; Credit – Wikipedia

In 1751, when Louisa Anne was two-years-old, her father died, leaving a pregnant widow with eight children. Louisa Anne’s thirteen-year-old eldest brother George was now the heir to the throne and was created Prince of Wales by his grandfather King George II.

Louise Anna (left) with her beloved sister Caroline Matilda (right) by Francis Cotes, 1767; Credit – Wikipedia

Louisa Anne was raised with her younger sister Caroline Matilda who was two years younger and was born four months after her father’s death. Caroline Matilda preferred outdoor activities such as horseback riding but Louise Anna, who was in poor health from birth, preferred quieter indoor activities, such as music. Despite this, the two sisters were very close.

In 1764, an agreement had been reached for Louisa Anne to marry Crown Prince Christian of Denmark and Norway, the heir to the Danish and Norwegian thrones, the son of King Frederik V of Denmark and Norway and his wife, born Princess Louise of Great Britain. Louisa Anne and Christian were first cousins – Louisa Anne’s father and Christian’s mother were siblings. However, once the Danish ambassador to Great Britain heard about Louisa Anne’s poor health, it was decided that Louisa Anne’s younger sister Caroline Matilda would marry the future King Christian VII of Denmark and Norway. Later in 1764, Louisa Anne received a marriage proposal from Adolf Friedrich IV, Duke of Mecklenburg-Strelitz, the brother of Queen Charlotte, the wife of King George III. However, the negotiations were once again broken off because of concerns about Louisa Anne’s health.

By the time Caroline Matilda left for Denmark, Louisa Anne’s health was deteriorating due to tuberculosis and she became an invalid. On May 13, 1768, nineteen-year-old Louisa Anne died from tuberculosis at her mother’s home, Carlton House on Pall Mall in London, England. The London Gazette of May 21, 1768, reported: “Last night the corpse of her late Royal Highness the Princess Louisa-Anne was carried from Carlton House to the Prince’s Chamber where the body lay in state this day, and will be privately interred, about ten o’clock at night in the Royal Vault in King Henry the Seventh’s Chapel.” During the 18th century, the Prince’s Chamber (also known as the Old Robing Room) in the old Palace of Westminster adjoining the House of Lords was the usual setting for the lying-in-state of royal family members before their burial.

Louisa Anne’s grave marker; Credit – www.findagrave.com

Louisa Anne was buried on May 21, 1768, at Westminster Abbey in the Hanover Vault under the central part of the Henry VII Chapel. There is a memorial marker in the black and white pavement of Westminster Abbey that reads: Louisa Anne 3rd da. of Fred. P. of Wales, 1768

Works Cited

• Funeral of Princess Louisa-Anne… (no date) Timothy Hughes Rare & Early Newspapers – Historic Newspapers. Available at: https://www.rarenewspapers.com/view/620653 (Accessed: 14 May 2023).
• Луиза Анна Великобританская (2019) Wikipedia (Russian). Available at: https://ru.wikipedia.org/wiki/%D0%9B%D1%83%D0%B8%D0%B7%D0%B0_%D0%90%D0%BD%D0%BD%D0%B0_%D0%92%D0%B5%D0%BB%D0%B8%D0%BA%D0%BE%D0%B1%D1%80%D0%B8%D1%82%D0%B0%D0%BD%D1%81%D0%BA%D0%B0%D1%8F (Accessed: 14 May 2023).
• Princess Louisa of Great Britain (2023) Wikipedia. Available at: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Princess_Louisa_of_Great_Britain (Accessed: 14 May 2023).
• Reagles (2018) ‘A Noble Sight’: The Prince’s Chamber and Royal Lyings in State in the Eighteenth Century, The History of Parliament. Available at: https://thehistoryofparliament.wordpress.com/2018/05/03/a-noble-sight-the-princes-chamber-and-royal-lyings-in-state-in-the-eighteenth-century/ (Accessed: 14 May 2023).
• Weir, Alison. (1989) Britain’s Royal Families: The Complete Genealogy. London: Vintage Books.
• Williamson, David. (1996) Brewer’s British Royalty: A Phrase and Fable Dictionary. London: Cassell.

This article is the intellectual property of Unofficial Royalty and is NOT TO BE COPIED, EDITED, OR POSTED IN ANY FORM ON ANOTHER WEBSITE under any circumstances. It is permissible to use a link that directs to Unofficial Royalty.

by Susan Flantzer
© Unofficial Royalty 2023

Prince Henry of Wales, Duke of Cumberland and Strathearn; Credit – Wikipedia

The marriage of Prince Henry of Wales, Duke of Cumberland and Strathearn to a commoner was the cause of the Royal Marriages Act in 1772. Henry was born on November 7, 1745, at Leicester House which stood on present-day Leicester Square in London, England. He was the sixth of the nine children and the fourth of the five sons of Frederick, Prince of Wales and Princess Augusta of Saxe-Gotha-Altenburg. His paternal grandparents were King George II of Great Britain and Caroline of Ansbach. William Henry’s maternal grandparents were Friedrich II, Duke of Saxe-Gotha-Altenburg and Magdalene Auguste of Anhalt-Zerbst. He was christened Henry Frederick on November 30, 1745, at Leicester House.

Family of Frederick, Prince of Wales painted in 1751 after his death; Front row: Henry, William, Frederick; Back row: Edward, George, Augusta, Dowager Princess of Wales holding Caroline Matilda, Elizabeth, Louisa; Credit – Wikipedia

Henry had eight siblings:

• Princess Augusta of Wales, Duchess of Brunswick (1737 – 1813) married Karl Wilhelm Ferdinand, Duke of Brunswick, had seven children
• King George III of the United Kingdom (1738 – 1820) married Charlotte of Mecklenburg-Strelitz, had fifteen children
• Prince Edward of Wales, Duke of York (1739 – 1767) died aged 28, unmarried
• Princess Elizabeth of Wales (1740 – 1759) died aged 18, unmarried
• Prince William Henry of Wales, Duke of Gloucester (1743 – 1805) married Maria, Countess Waldegrave, had three children
• Princess Louisa of Wales (1749 – 1768) died aged 19, unmarried
• Prince Frederick of Wales (1750 – 1765) died aged 15, unmarried
• Princess Caroline Matilda of Wales, Queen Consort of Denmark and Norway (1751 – 1775) married Christian VII, King of Denmark and Norway, had two children including King Frederik VI of Denmark and Norway

Prince Henry, 1754; Credit – Wikipedia

In 1751, when Henry was not five years old, his father died, leaving a pregnant widow with eight children. Henry’s thirteen-year-old eldest brother George was now the heir to the throne and was created Prince of Wales by his grandfather King George II. Upon the death of King George II in 1760, Henry’s eldest brother succeeded as King George III. In 1766, just before his twenty-first birthday, his brother King George III created Henry Duke of Cumberland and Strathearn and Earl of Dublin, and named him a Privy Councillor. Henry was made a Knight of the Order of the  Garter the following year. He also served as Ranger of Windsor Forest and Great Park, from 1766 until he died in 1790.

In 1768, Henry entered the Royal Navy as a midshipman and was initially sent to Corsica in HMS Venus. Although Henry was forbidden from assuming any command, he was named a Rear Admiral in 1769, a Vice Admiral in 1779, an Admiral in 1778, and Admiral of the White in 1782. In 1775, Henry founded the Cumberland Fleet, which would later become the Royal Thames Yacht Club, the oldest continuously operating yacht club in the world. He was also instrumental in Brighton‘s development as a popular seaside resort.

In 1770, Henry caused some embarrassment to his brother King George III. Richard Grosvenor, 1st Earl Grosvenor accused Henry of criminal conversation (adultery) with his wife Henrietta Vernon, resulting in a lawsuit. Grosvenor was awarded damages of £10,000, which together with legal costs, amounted to an award of £13,000 (more than £3,000,000 in 2023) which King George III was obliged to pay.

Anne, Duchess of Cumberland and Strathearn; Credit – Wikipedia

Henry further annoyed his brother King George III when, on October 2, 1771, he married Anne Horton, daughter of Simon Luttrell, 1st Earl of Carhampton, and the widow of Christopher Horton of Catton Hall. King George III did not approve of the marriage as Anne was a commoner and previously married. This marriage led to the passing of the Royal Marriages Act in 1772. The act stipulated that no descendant of King George II under the age of 25, with the exception of descendants of princesses who married into foreign families, could marry without obtaining the sovereign’s consent. Over the age of 25, those wishing to marry without obtaining consent needed to inform the Privy Council of their intention. They would then be free to marry in a year if no objection had been raised by Parliament. The Royal Marriages Act was repealed on March 26, 2015, as a result of the 2011 Perth Agreement. The Royal Marriages Act’s provisions were replaced by less limited restrictions that apply only to the first six people in the line of succession to the British throne.

However, King George III did not know that his brother William Henry, Duke of Gloucester and Edinburgh had secretly married Maria Waldegrave, Countess Waldegrave, née Walpole in 1766. For six years, King George III believed that his brother William Henry was a bachelor and that Maria was his mistress. In September 1772, five months after the Royal Marriages Act was passed, William Henry found out Maria was pregnant and confessed to his brother that he was married. King George III was quite upset not only by the marriage but also by William Henry’s deception. The King appointed a committee consisting of Frederick Cornwallis, Archbishop of Canterbury, Richard Terrick, Bishop of London, and Henry Bathurst, 2nd Earl Bathurst, Lord High Chancellor to investigate the validity of the marriage. Because the provisions of the Royal Marriages Act could not be applied retroactively, William Henry and Maria’s marriage was considered valid. Their children were styled His/Her Highness Prince/Princess and used the territorial designation of Gloucester as great-grandchildren in the male line of King George II. However, due to the anger of King George III, Maria, now Duchess of Gloucester, was never received at court.

Cumberland House, circa 1896

Henry and Anne, whose marriage was childless, moved to York House, renamed Cumberland House, on Pall Mall in London. King George III refused to allow Anne to use the title of Duchess of Cumberland although she was commonly addressed as Duchess of Cumberland. Henry, Anne, and anyone who visited their home were not received at court. Some of the time, Henry and Anne lived in continental Europe to avoid creditors. In 1780, both Henry and his brother William Henry were partially reconciled with their brother King George III.

On September 18, 1790, Prince Henry, Duke of Cumberland and Strathearn suddenly died in Pall Mall, just outside his home, Cumberland House, in London, aged 44. He was buried in Westminster Abbey in London, in the Hanover vault under the central part of the Henry VII Chapel, the last royal burial in Westminster Abbey. A small inscribed stone in the black and white pavement of Westminster Abbey reads: Henry Fred. D. of Cumberland 4th son of Frederick P. of Wales 1790.

Henry’s grave marker; Credit – www.findagrave.com

Henry left large debts and Anne was given a small pension by King George III, which emphasized that he did not consider her a member of the royal family. Pursued by creditors, Anne sold Henry’s collection of manuscripts and other possessions. In 1800, she surrendered Cumberland House to the banks that held mortgages on it. Anne moved to the small town of Gorizia in the Austrian Empire, now in Italy. She died in Gorizia on December 28, 1808, at the age of sixty-five, and was buried there.

This article is the intellectual property of Unofficial Royalty and is NOT TO BE COPIED, EDITED, OR POSTED IN ANY FORM ON ANOTHER WEBSITE under any circumstances. It is permissible to use a link that directs to Unofficial Royalty.

Works Cited

• Anne, Duchess of Cumberland and Strathearn (2023) Wikipedia. Available at: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Anne,_Duchess_of_Cumberland_and_Strathearn (Accessed: 14 May 2023).
• Bloks, Moniek. (2018) Anne Horton & Maria Walpole – The Royal Marriages Act 1772, History of Royal Women. Available at: https://www.historyofroyalwomen.com/anne-horton/anne-horton-maria-walpole-the-royal-marriages-act-1772/ (Accessed: 14 May 2023).
• Prince Henry, Duke of Cumberland and Strathearn (2023) Wikipedia. Available at: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Prince_Henry,_Duke_of_Cumberland_and_Strathearn (Accessed: 14 May 2023).
• Royal Marriages Act 1772 (2023) Wikipedia. Available at: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Royal_Marriages_Act_1772 (Accessed: 14 May 2023).
• Weir, Alison. (1989) Britain’s Royal Families: The Complete Genealogy. London: Vintage Books.
• Williamson, David. (1996) Brewer’s British Royalty: A Phrase and Fable Dictionary. London: Cassell.

by Susan Flantzer
© Unofficial Royalty 2023

Prince William Henry, Duke of Gloucester and Edinburgh; Credit – Wikipedia

Prince William Henry, Duke of Gloucester and Edinburgh was born on November 25, 1743, at Leicester House which stood on present-day Leicester Square in London, England. He was the fifth of the nine children and the third of the five sons of Frederick, Prince of Wales and Princess Augusta of Saxe-Gotha-Altenburg. His paternal grandparents were King George II of Great Britain and Caroline of Ansbach. William Henry’s maternal grandparents were Friedrich II, Duke of Saxe-Gotha-Altenburg and Magdalene Auguste of Anhalt-Zerbst.

William Henry was christened on December 6, 1743, at Leicester House. His godparents were:

• Willem IV, Prince of Orange, his paternal uncle by marriage
• Prince William Augustus, Duke of Cumberland, his paternal uncle
• Princess Amelia of Great Britain, his paternal aunt

Family of Frederick, Prince of Wales painted in 1751 after his death; Front row: Henry, William, Frederick; Back row: Edward, George, Augusta, Dowager Princess of Wales holding Caroline Matilda, Elizabeth, Louisa; Credit – Wikipedia

William Henry had eight siblings:

• Princess Augusta of Wales, Duchess of Brunswick (1737 – 1813) married Karl Wilhelm Ferdinand, Duke of Brunswick, had seven children
• King George III of the United Kingdom (1738 – 1820) married Charlotte of Mecklenburg-Strelitz, had fifteen children
• Prince Edward of Wales, Duke of York (1739 – 1767) died aged 28, unmarried
• Princess Elizabeth Caroline of Wales (1740 – 1759) died aged 18, unmarried
• Prince Henry of Wales, Duke of Cumberland (1745 – 1790) married Anne Luttrell, no children
• Princess Louisa of Wales (1749 – 1768) died aged 19, unmarried
• Prince Frederick of Wales (1750 – 1765) died aged 15, unmarried
• Caroline Matilda of Wales, Queen Consort of Denmark and Norway (1751 – 1775) married her first cousin Christian VII, King of Denmark and Norway, had two children

In 1751, when William Henry was not quite eight-years-old, his father died, leaving a pregnant widow with eight children. William Henry’s thirteen-year-old eldest brother George was now the heir to the throne and was created Prince of Wales by his grandfather King George II. Upon the death of King George II in 1760, William Henry’s eldest brother succeeded as King George III. William Henry was made a Knight of the Order of the Garter in 1762. Two years later, in 1764, King George III created his brother William Henry Duke of Gloucester and Edinburgh, and Earl of Connaught and named him a Privy Councilor.

William Henry had his heart set on an active career in the military but due to issues with his health causing an inability to adequately train, this was impossible. When the American Revolutionary War (1775 – 1783) started, William Henry hoped for a field command, but King George III refused. He then requested to serve in the army of King Friedrich II (the Great) of Prussia during the War of Bavarian Succession (1777 – 1779), but Friedrich II denied the request. William Henry had military appointments but in name only. In addition, William Henry was Ranger of Hampton Court, Keeper of Windsor Forest and Cranborne Chase, Warden of New Forest, and Chancellor of Trinity College in Dublin, Ireland. William Henry had a shy nature, and he deliberately avoided society functions and took no interest in politics.

William Henry’s military appointments:

• Colonel of the 13th Regiment of Foot: 1766 – 1767
• Colonel of the 3rd Foot Guards: 1767 – 1770
• Colonel of the 1st Foot Guards: 1770 – 1805
• Major General: 1767
• Lieutenant-General: 1770
• Field Marshal: 1793

William Henry’s wife Maria, Duchess of Gloucester and Edinburgh; Credit – Wikipedia

On September 6, 1766, William Henry married Maria Waldegrave, Countess Waldegrave, née Walpole, at her father’s home in Pall Mall, London, England. Mary was the widow of James Waldegrave, 2nd Earl Waldegrave and the illegitimate daughter of politician Sir Edward Walpole, who never married, and his mistress Dorothy Clement. William Henry and Maria’s marriage was held in secret as William Henry’s marriage to a widow of non-royal rank and illegitimate birth would not have been acceptable. King George III was unaware of this marriage until 1772.

William Henry became the stepfather of Maria’s children:

• Lady Elizabeth Waldegrave (1760 – 1816), married her paternal first cousin George Waldegrave, 4th Earl Waldegrave, had six children
• Lady Charlotte Waldegrave (1761 – 1808), married George FitzRoy, 4th Duke of Grafton, had ten children
• Lady Anne Horatia Waldegrave (1762 – 1801), married Lord Hugh Seymour, had seven children; Anna’s and Hugh’s descendants include Charles Spencer, 6th Earl Spencer; Diana, Princess of Wales; Prince William, Prince of Wales and Prince Harry, Duke of Sussex.

In 1771, William Henry’s younger brother Prince Henry, Duke of Cumberland and Strathearn married a commoner and a widow, Anne Horton (born Anne Luttrell) without the permission of his brother King George III who did not approve of the marriage as Anne was a commoner and previously married. The marriage of Prince Henry, Duke of Cumberland led to the passing of the Royal Marriages Act in 1772. The act stipulated that no descendant of King George II under the age of 25, with the exception of descendants of princesses who married into foreign families, could marry without obtaining the consent of the sovereign. Over the age of 25, those wishing to marry without obtaining consent needed to inform the Privy Council of their intention. They would then be free to marry in a year if no objection had been raised by Parliament. The Royal Marriages Act was repealed on March 26, 2015, as a result of the 2011 Perth Agreement. The Royal Marriages Act’s provisions were replaced by less limited restrictions that apply only to the first six people in the line of succession to the British throne.

King George III did not know that his brother William Henry had secretly married Maria in 1766. For six years, King George III believed that his brother William Henry was a bachelor and that Maria was his mistress. In September 1772, five months after the Royal Marriages Act was passed, William Henry found out Maria was pregnant and confessed to his brother that he was married. King George III was quite upset not only by the marriage but also by William Henry’s deception. The King appointed a committee consisting of Frederick Cornwallis, Archbishop of Canterbury, Richard Terrick, Bishop of London, and Henry Bathurst, 2nd Earl Bathurst, Lord High Chancellor to investigate the validity of the marriage. Because the provisions of the Royal Marriages Act could not be applied retroactively, William Henry and Maria’s marriage was considered valid. Their children were styled His/Her Highness Prince/Princess and used the territorial designation of Gloucester as great-grandchildren in the male line of King George II. However, due to the anger of King George III, Maria, now Duchess of Gloucester, was never received at court.

William Henry’s children Sophia and William Frederick; Credit – Wikipedia

• Princess Sophia of Gloucester (1773 – 1844), unmarried
• Princess Caroline of Gloucester (1774 – 1775), died in infancy following a smallpox inoculation, intended to protect her from the disease
• Prince William Frederick, Duke of Gloucester and Edinburgh (1776 – 1834), married his first cousin Princess Mary of the United Kingdom, fourth daughter of King George III, no children

Prince William Henry in the year before his death; Credit – Wikipedia

On August 25, 1805, Prince William Henry, Duke of Gloucester and Edinburgh, died, aged sixty-one, at Gloucester House on Upper Grosvenor Street in London. His funeral was held at St. George’s Chapel at Windsor Castle in Windsor, England, where he was interred in the Gloucester Vault. The Gloucester Vault is located in the South Quire Aisle and was built by William Henry for his family. His wife Maria, Duchess of Gloucester survived him by two years, dying on August 22, 1807, aged 71. She was buried with her husband in the Gloucester Vault. Also buried in the Gloucester Vault are William Henry’s daughter Princess Sophia of Gloucester, his son Prince William, Duke of Gloucester, and Prince William’s wife and first cousin Princess Mary, Duchess of Gloucester, daughter of King George III.

This article is the intellectual property of Unofficial Royalty and is NOT TO BE COPIED, EDITED, OR POSTED IN ANY FORM ON ANOTHER WEBSITE under any circumstances. It is permissible to use a link that directs to Unofficial Royalty.

Works Cited

• Flantzer, Susan. (2019) Prince William Frederick, Duke of Gloucester, Unofficial Royalty. Available at: https://www.unofficialroyalty.com/prince-william-frederick-duke-of-gloucester/ (Accessed: 13 May 2023).
• Prince William Henry, Duke of Gloucester and Edinburgh (2023) Wikipedia. Available at: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Prince_William_Henry,_Duke_of_Gloucester_and_Edinburgh (Accessed: 13 May 2023).
• Royal Marriages Act 1772 (2023) Wikipedia. Available at: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Royal_Marriages_Act_1772 (Accessed: 13 May 2023).
• Weir, Alison. (1989) Britain’s Royal Families: The Complete Genealogy. London: Vintage Books.
• Williamson, David. (1996) Brewer’s British Royalty: A Phrase and Fable Dictionary. London: Cassell.

by Susan Flantzer
© Unofficial Royalty 2023

Princess Elizabeth Caroline of Wales by Jean-Étienne Liotard, 1754; Credit – Wikipedia

Born on January 10, 1741, at Norfolk House, 31 St James’s Square, Westminster, London, England, Princess Elizabeth Caroline of Wales was the fourth of the nine children and the second of the four daughters of Frederick, Prince of Wales and Princess Augusta of Saxe-Gotha-Altenburg. Her paternal grandparents were King George II of Great Britain and Caroline of Ansbach. Elizabeth Caroline’s maternal grandparents were Friedrich II, Duke of Saxe-Gotha-Altenburg and Magdalene Auguste of Anhalt-Zerbst.

The infant princess was christened on February 7, 1741, at Norfolk House by Thomas Secker, then Bishop of Oxford, later Archbishop of Canterbury.

Her godparents were:

• Karl Wilhelm Friedrich, Margrave of Brandenburg-Ansbach, her first cousin once-removed by marriage, for whom Charles Calvert, 5th Baron Baltimore, Gentleman of the Bedchamber to her father stood proxy
• Sophie Magdalene of Brandenburg-Kulmbach, Queen of Denmark and Norway, for whom Anne, Viscountess Irwin stood proxy
• Luise Dorothea of Saxe-Meiningen, Duchess of Saxe-Gotha-Altenburg, her maternal aunt by marriage, for whom Lady Jane Hamilton stood proxy

Family of Frederick, Prince of Wales painted in 1751 after his death; Front row: Henry, William, Frederick; Back row: Edward, George, Augusta, Dowager Princess of Wales holding Caroline Matilda, Elizabeth, Louisa; Credit – Wikipedia

Elizabeth Caroline had eight siblings:

• Princess Augusta of Wales, Duchess of Brunswick-Wolfenbüttel (1737 – 1813) married Karl Wilhelm Ferdinand, Duke of Brunswick-Wolfenbüttel, had seven children
• King George III of the United Kingdom (1738 – 1820) married Charlotte of Mecklenburg-Strelitz, had fifteen children
• Prince Edward of Wales, Duke of York and Albany (1739 – 1767), unmarried
• Prince William Henry of Wales, Duke of Gloucester (1743 – 1805) married Maria, Countess Waldegrave, had three children
• Prince Henry of Wales, Duke of Cumberland (1745 – 1790) married Anne Luttrell, no children
• Princess Louisa of Wales (1749 – 1768) died from tuberculosis, aged 19, unmarried
• Prince Frederick of Wales (1750 – 1765) died aged 15, unmarried
• Princess Caroline Matilda of Wales, Queen Consort of Denmark and Norway (1751 – 1775) married Christian VII, King of Denmark and Norway, had two children

Leicester House where Elizabeth Caroline grew up in a 1748 engraving; Credit – Wikipedia

In November 1742, the family of Frederick, Prince of Wales moved to Leicester House which stood on present-day Leicester Square in London. In 1751, when Elizabeth Caroline was ten-years-old, her father died, leaving a pregnant widow with eight children. Elizabeth Caroline’s thirteen-year-old eldest brother George was now the heir to the throne and was created Prince of Wales by his grandfather King George II.

According to Horace Walpole, 4th Earl of Orford, an English writer, art historian, and Whig politician, Elizabeth Caroline was extremely delicate and backward. A letter to Sir Horatio Mann, 2nd Baronet, dated September 13, 1759, from Letters of Walpole states:

We have lost another Princess, Lady Elizabeth. She died of an inflammation in her bowels in two days. Her figure was so very unfortunate, that it would have been difficult for her to be happy, but her parts and application were extraordinary. I saw her act in “Cato” at eight years old, (when she could not stand alone, but was forced to lean against the side-scene,) better than any of her brothers and sisters. She had been so unhealthy, that at that age she had not been taught to read, but had learned the part of Lucia by hearing the others study their parts. She went to her father and mother, and begged she might act. They put her off as gently as they could—she desired leave to repeat her part, and when she did, it was with so much sense, that there was no denying her.

Nine days before Walpole wrote the letter, on September 4, 1759, Princess Elizabeth Caroline, aged 18, had died at Kew Palace in London. She was interred privately on September 14, 1759, in the Hanover vault under the central part of the Henry VII Chapel at Westminster Abbey in London.

This article is the intellectual property of Unofficial Royalty and is NOT TO BE COPIED, EDITED, OR POSTED IN ANY FORM ON ANOTHER WEBSITE under any circumstances. It is permissible to use a link that directs to Unofficial Royalty.

Works Cited

• Princess Elizabeth of Great Britain (2023) Wikipedia. Wikimedia Foundation. Available at: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Princess_Elizabeth_of_Great_Britain (Accessed: May 2, 2023).
• Weir, Alison. (1989) Britain’s Royal Families: The Complete Genealogy. London: Vintage Books.
• Williamson, David. (1996) Brewer’s British Royalty: A Phrase and Fable Dictionary. London: Cassell.