Category Archives: German Royals

Princess Frederica of Hanover, Queen of the Hellenes

by Scott Mehl  © Unofficial Royalty 2016

Embed from Getty Images 

Queen Frederica was the wife of King Paul of the Hellenes, and the mother of the last Greek king, Constantine II. She was born Princess Frederica Louisa Thyra Victoria Margareta Sophie Olga Cécilie Isabelle Christa of Hanover, on April 18, 1917, in Blankenburg am Harz, in the Duchy of Brunswick, now in Saxony-Anhalt, Germany, the daughter of Prince Ernst August of Hanover, Duke of Brunswick, and Princess Viktoria Luise of Prussia. Her father was the senior male-line descendant of King George III of the United Kingdom via his son Ernest Augustus, King of Hanover and Duke of Cumberland. Her mother was the only daughter of Wilhelm II, German Emperor and a great-granddaughter of Queen Victoria.

Frederica had four brothers:

Although known as Princess Frederica of Hanover, this was merely by courtesy. The Kingdom of Hanover ceased to exist after being annexed by Prussia in 1866. She was, however, a Duchess of Brunswick, as her father had been the reigning Duke of Brunswick since 1913. This title would also become merely a courtesy after her father was forced to abdicate in 1918. And to confuse things further, at the time of her birth she was also a British princess. In 1914, King George V of the United Kingdom issued Letters Patent granting the title of Prince/Princess of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland, with the style of Highness, to any children born to The Duke and Duchess of Brunswick. (You can read the Letters Patent here.)

Wedding of Paul and Frederica, 1938. source: Greek Royal Family

Wedding of Paul and Frederica, 1938. source: Greek Royal Family

While studying in Florence, Italy in 1935, Frederica began a romance with the future King Paul of the Hellenes. First cousins once removed, they had first met in 1927, and again in 1934 at the wedding of Princess Marina of Greece and Prince George, Duke of Kent. Paul soon asked her father for permission to marry, but the Duke of Brunswick refused, based on Frederica’s age. However, in 1936, while both were attending the Olympic Games in Berlin in 1936, Paul proposed again and this time the answer was yes. Their engagement was formally announced on September 28, 1937, and the couple married at the Metropolitan Cathedral of Athens on January 8, 1938. They soon settled at a villa in the Psychiko district of Athens, and went on to have three children:

 

In 1941, the Greek royal family was evacuated to Crete and then forced to flee the German invasion. She and her children eventually settled in South Africa and then Egypt. They returned to Greece in September 1946, following a referendum to restore King George II to the throne. Just seven months later, on April 1, 1947, King George died and Paul became King of the Hellenes. As the country was in the midst of civil war, Queen Frederica set up a group of camps around Greece, to provide shelter, food, and education for orphans and needy children.

Following the war, Frederica and her husband traveled extensively, building support for the monarchy and promoting Greece. Despite this, there was always a faction against the monarchy, and Queen Frederica in particular. Her membership, as a child, in the Bund Deutscher Mädel (League of German Girls) – a branch of the Hitler Youth – made her a target of the anti-monarchists. In addition, she was known for publicly straying into politics, even campaigning against the election of Prime Minister Papagos in 1952. Many historians feel that Frederica’s foray into politics contributed to the instability of the monarchy. In 1974 when her son was campaigning for a restoration of the monarchy, he promised to keep his mother out of Greece and its politics.

On March 6, 1964, King Paul died of cancer and was succeeded by his son King Constantine II. Later that year, Constantine married Princess Anne Marie of Denmark, giving Greece a new Queen. Frederica stepped aside, allowing her new daughter-in-law to take center stage. However, she was accused in the media of being the ‘power behind the throne’. In response, the Dowager Queen relinquished her appanage from the State and retired from public life. While she remained active in family and social events, she stayed out of the official, and political, spotlight.

 

In 1967, the Greek Royal Family was once again forced to leave the country following a failed counter-coup led by King Constantine II. They settled in Rome, and Queen Frederica and her daughter Irene spent some time living in India. In later years, Frederica would divide her time between her son’s home in the United Kingdom and the home of her elder daughter Sofia in Spain.

On February 6, 1981, after undergoing cataract surgery in Madrid, Spain, Queen Frederica died from a massive heart attack. After receiving permission from the Greek government, she was buried beside her late husband in the Royal Cemetery at Tatoi Palace in Greece. Her son and his family were permitted to attend but had to leave immediately after the burial.

Grave of King Paul and Queen Frederica; Photo Credit – Wikipedia

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Greece Resources at Unofficial Royalty

Princess Eleonore Reuss of Köstritz, Tsaritsa of Bulgaria

by Scott Mehl  © Unofficial Royalty 2016

Eleonore Reuss of Köstritz, Tsaritsa of Bulgaria source: Wikipedia

Princess Eleonore Reuss of Köstritz (Eleonore Caroline Gasparine Louise) was the second wife of Tsar Ferdinand I of Bulgaria (born Prince Ferdinand of Saxe-Coburg-Gotha-Koháry). She was born on August 22, 1860, in Trebschen, a village in the Province of Brandenburg, now part of Poland, to Prince Heinrich IV Reuss of Köstritz and Princess Luise Caroline Reuss of Greiz.

Eleonore had three siblings:

  • Prince Heinrich XXIV Reuss of Köstritz (1855 – 1910), married his cousin Princess Elisabeth Reuss of Köstritz, had five children
  • Helene Reuss of Köstritz (1864 – 1876)
  • ElisabethReuss of Köstritz  (1865 – 1937)

From an early age, Eleonore was involved in helping others. In 1905, she traveled to the Far East to work as a nurse during the Russo-Japanese War. Two years later, following a bit of match-making by Grand Duchess Maria Pavlovna of Russia, Eleonore became engaged to Ferdinand of Bulgaria in December 1907.  Ferdinand’s first wife, Princess Maria Luisa of Bourbon-Parma, died on January 31, 1899, after the birth of the youngest of their four children.

source: Wikipedia

Following extensive negotiations, due primarily to their different religions, Eleonore and Ferdinand were married in a Catholic ceremony at St. Augustine’s Church in Coburg, Duchy of Saxe-Coburg and Gotha, now in the German state of Bavaria, on February 28, 1908. The following day, a Protestant ceremony was held at Schloss Osterstein in Gera, Principality of Reuss-Gera, now in the German state of Thuringia. At the time, Ferdinand was the reigning Prince (Knyaz) and Eleonore became Princess of Bulgaria. Later that year, Eleonore would become the first Tsaritsa of Bulgaria after Ferdinand declared the country a kingdom.

Eleonore and Ferdinand did not have any children however, Eleonore was instrumental in raising her four stepchildren:

With very little attention or affection from her husband, Eleonore focused on the welfare of the Bulgarian people. She quickly became involved with the Bulgarian Red Cross, and later set up the Queen Eleonore Fund in 1910 to raise funds to build institutes for children who were blind and deaf. She also founded an orphanage for Jewish children, which still exists today as The Queen Eleonore Orphanage.

Eleonore also took a great interest in the medieval Boyana Church, on the outskirts of Sofia, Bulgaria. The small church dating as far back as the 10th century was too small to accommodate the needs of the village and it was planned to tear it down and build a new church. However, Eleonore dreaded the loss of such a historic building, and purchased a plot of land for a new church, allowing the original building to remain and be restored.

Eleonore as a nurse with the Red Cross during the Balkan Wars. source: Wikipedia

During the Balkan Wars and World War I, Eleonore worked tirelessly as a nurse on the front lines. Sadly, after a serious illness, the Tsaritsa died on September 12, 1917, at Euxinograd Palace. near Varna, Bulgaria. Per her wishes, she was buried in a very modest grave next to the medieval Boyana Church she had helped save.

Grave of Tsaritsa Eleonore. source: Wikipedia, photo by Elena Chochkova

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Bulgaria Resources at Unofficial Royalty

Tsar Ferdinand I of Bulgaria

by Scott Mehl  © Unofficial Royalty 2016

Tsar Ferdinand I of Bulgaria – source: Wikipedia

Tsar Ferdinand I of Bulgaria was born on February 26, 1861, at the Palais Coburg in Vienna, Austria. At birth, he was Prince Ferdinand Maximilian Karl Leopold Maria of Saxe-Coburg-Gotha-Koháry, a member of the Catholic Koháry branch of the House of Saxe-Coburg and Gotha. He was the son of Prince August of Saxe-Coburg-Gotha-Koháry and Princess Clémentine of Orléans, daughter of King Louis Philippe I of the French.

Ferdinand had four older siblings:

Ferdinand with his mother, c1866. source: Wikipedia

The Koháry branch began with Ferdinand’s grandfather who married Princess Maria Antonia Koháry de Csábrág et Szitnya, who was Catholic. She was the daughter and heiress of one of the largest landowners in Hungary. Upon her father’s death in 1826, the couple inherited his estates and fortune, at which point her husband and the rest of the family converted to Roman Catholicism and added Koháry to the family name.

Prince Ferdinand grew up in Vienna, where his father was a General in the Austrian military. He attended and graduated from the Theresianum Academy and became a Colonel in the Second Regiment of the Austrian Hussars, where he would remain until 1887. From a young age, he developed an interest in ornithology, entomology, and botany – subjects that fascinated him his entire life. During his schooling, he and his brother Ludwig August embarked on a scientific expedition on the Amazon River, after which Ferdinand published a study, ‘Description of Birds by Prince Ferdinand Saxe-Coburg and Gotha’ in 1884.

source: Wikipedia

In 1886, after the abdication of Alexander of Battenberg as reigning Knyaz (Prince) of Bulgaria, a search began for a new prince. While many European princes refused, fearing the same fate as Alexander Battenberg, Prince Ferdinand’s name was put forth by his mother. Following a vote by the National Assembly, Ferdinand was elected Knyaz of Bulgaria on July 7, 1887, although he remained unrecognized by the Great Powers.

Ferdinand and Maria Luisa, 1893. source: Wikipedia

Knowing that establishing a royal house and ensuring the succession would be crucial in order to be recognized as sovereign, Ferdinand married Princess Maria Luisa of Bourbon-Parma on April 20, 1893. She was the daughter of Robert I, Duke of Parma and Princess Maria Pia of Bourbon-Two Sicilies. Ferdinand’s mother arranged the marriage before the couple had met each other. Despite Ferdinand’s complete disinterest in his wife, the couple had four children:

The early years of Ferdinand’s reign brought Bulgaria to the forefront of the Balkan countries, primarily due to the efforts of Prime Minister Stefan Stambolov. However, Russia had severed diplomatic relations, and Alexander III, Emperor of All Russia was strongly opposed to recognizing Ferdinand as Prince. After Alexander’s death, his son Nicholas II, Emperor of All Russia, who was much more moderate, proposed a reconciliation providing that Ferdinand’s heir was raised in the Eastern Orthodox Church. Despite the feelings of Ferdinand’s Catholic family, he realized that formal recognition from Russia would be necessary before any European country would recognize him. On February 2, 1896, Ferdinand had his son Boris baptized in the Bulgarian Orthodox Church, with Tsar Nicholas II as a godparent. Soon after, Ferdinand was recognized as Prince of Bulgaria by the Sultan of the Ottoman Empire. Ferdinand quickly began to bring Bulgaria to the level of other European monarchies.

Prince Ferdinand, c1897. source: Wikipedia

The Bulgarian army became one of the most powerful in the Balkan region and Ferdinand established Universities, an Arts Academy, a Seminary, and technical schools around the country. He founded the Institute of Natural Sciences with a museum, zoo, and botanical gardens. The nation’s railway and road network was developed, and post offices and telegraph stations opened across the country.

Ferdinand and his second wife, Eleonore, on their wedding day. source: Wikipedia

Having given birth to three children, and expecting a fourth within five years had taken a toll on Maria Louise’s already frail health. She developed pneumonia while pregnant with her youngest child, and died on January 31, 1899, just a day after giving birth. Nine years later, on February 28, 1908, Ferdinand married Princess Eleonore Reuss of Köstritz. She stepped in as a mother to his children, although the couple did not have any children.

Since its establishment as a principality, Bulgaria had been under the sovereignty of the Ottoman Empire. However, on October 5, 1908, Ferdinand proclaimed independence, elevating Bulgaria to a kingdom and becoming Tsar Ferdinand I. Much of the next ten years was consumed by war. The First Balkan War in 1912 saw significant land gains, but these were nearly all negated by losses during the Second Balkan War the following year, and soon, World War I began. In the beginning, Bulgaria remained neutral while being courted by both sides due to the country’s location and strong military. Having entered the war in the fall of 1915, siding with the Central Powers, initial successes were soon overshadowed by significant losses and defeats. On October 3, 1918, taking full responsibility for the loss of the war, Tsar Ferdinand abdicated in favor of his son Boris. Ferdinand settled in Coburg, where he devoted his time to his favorite pastimes – art, gardening, travel, and history.

In 1943, his son Tsar Boris III died after visiting Hitler in Germany and was succeeded by his son Simeon who was just six years old. In 1945, Ferdinand’s other son Kyril was executed, and in 1946, the young Simeon was deposed, and the Bulgarian monarchy was abolished. Heartbroken at the loss of his family and his kingdom, Ferdinand died in Coburg on September 10, 1948. Unable to be buried in Bulgaria at the time, his remains were temporarily placed in the crypt of St. Augustine’s Church in Coburg, besides those of his parents. They remain there to this day.

The casket of Tsar Ferdinand I, at the foot of the tomb of his parents, St. Augustine’s Church, Coburg. source: Wikipedia

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Bulgaria Resources at Unofficial Royalty

Marie of Hesse and by Rhine, Maria Alexandrovna, Empress of All Russia

by Susan Flantzer  © Unofficial Royalty 2016

Marie of Hesse and by Rhine, Maria Alexandrovna, Empress of All Russia; Credit – Wikipedia

Maximiliane Wilhelmine Auguste Sophie Marie, Her Grand Ducal Highness Princess Marie of Hesse and by Rhine, was the first wife of Alexander II, Emperor of All Russia.  She was born on August 8, 1824, in Darmstadt, Grand Duchy of Hesse and by Rhine, now in Hesse, Germany. Marie was the youngest child of Wilhelmine of Baden, wife of Ludwig II, Grand Duke of Hesse and by Rhine. She was officially Ludwig’s daughter, but the last four of Wilhelmine’s children were probably the children of August von Senarclens de Grancy, her longtime lover, with whom Wilhelmine had lived since 1820. Wilhelmine and Ludwig had lived apart since 1809.

Marie’s siblings were:

Marie’s mother was responsible for her education, and her mother’s preference for French culture and literature was evident in her education which placed a special emphasis on literature and history. When Marie was 11 years old, her mother died and Marianne Gransi, a lady-in-waiting to Marie’s mother, took over the responsibility of Marie’s education.

In 1839, when Marie was 14, the heir to the Russian throne, Alexander Nikolaevich, the Tsarevich, visited Hesse while on a tour of Europe. Alexander fell in love with Marie despite the stigma of her birth. There was already a connection with the Russian Imperial Family. Marie’s maternal great-aunt Louise of Baden (Empress Elizabeth Alexeievna)  had married Alexander I, Emperor of All Russia. Alexander Nikolaevich’s mother Empress Alexandra Feodorovna, born Princess Charlotte of Prussia, was against the marriage. In a letter to his mother, Alexander wrote: “I love her, and I would rather give up the throne, than not marry her. I will marry only her, that’s my decision!” Finally, after being persuaded by her husband Nicholas I, Emperor of All Russia, Empress Alexandra Feodorovna went to Darmstadt to meet Marie. The Empress liked what she saw and gave her permission for the marriage.

A Russian Orthodox priest came to Darmstadt and instructed Marie in the Russian Orthodox religion. In September 1840, Marie arrived in Russia and shared her impressions of St. Petersburg in a letter to his family: “St. Petersburg is much more beautiful than I thought. The Neva River is wonderful. I think it is difficult to find a greater city. The view from the Winter Palace on the Neva is wonderful!” Marie was received into the Russian Orthodox Church on December 5, 1840, and became Grand Duchess Maria Alexandrovna. The next day, the official betrothal was held in the presence of the Imperial Family, the whole court, the Russian nobility, many notable foreign guests, and representatives of foreign states.

The wedding took place on April 16, 1841, in the Grand Church of the Winter Palace in St. Petersburg. Maria Alexandrovna wore a white dress richly embroidered with silver and diamonds. Over one shoulder lay a red ribbon and a crimson velvet robe with white satin and fine ermine was fastened on her shoulders. She was bedecked with a diamond tiara, diamond earrings, a diamond necklace, and diamond bracelets. Her future mother-in-law, Empress Alexandra Feodorovna could not resist the desire to decorate the bride’s hair with flowers, the symbols of purity and innocence. The Empress ordered orange blossoms to be brought to her and she stuck them between the diamonds in Maria Alexandrovna’s tiara and pinned a small branch on her chest.

Maria Alexandrovna and Alexander; Credit – Wikipedia

Alexander and Maria Alexandrovna had eight children:

Tsar Alexander II and his children; Photo Credit – Wikipedia

Alexander always treated his wife with respect, but he had numerous mistresses and illegitimate children. His most prominent mistress was Catherine Dolgorukova with whom he had four children. During the last years of Maria Alexandrovna’s life, Catherine and her children lived in the Winter Palace. After his wife’s death, Alexander made a morganatic marriage with Catherine.

In 1855, Alexander became Emperor and Maria Alexandrovna became Empress. During their coronation on August 26, 1856, in the Assumption Cathedral, Moscow Kremlin in Moscow, Russia, the crown fell from Maria’s head, which was seen as a bad omen.

Coronation of Alexander II, Alexander crowns Maria Feodorovna; Credit – Wikipedia

In cooperation with Queen Victoria’s daughter Princess Alice of the United Kingdom, the wife of Ludwig IV, Grand Duke of Hesse and by Rhine who was Maria’s nephew, Maria arranged the marriage of her only daughter Maria Alexandrovna to Queen Victoria’s second son Alfred, Duke of Edinburgh, a marriage that Queen Victoria had resisted.

Maria Alexandrovna had a close relationship with her brother Prince Alexander of Hesse and by Rhine, who had made a morganatic marriage with Countess Julia Hauke, one of his sister’s ladies-in-waiting. Their children were the start of the Battenberg (and later the Mountbatten) family. Maria’s frequent stays at her brother’s Hessian home Schloss Heiligenberg resulted in the subsequent marriage of Maria’s son Grand Duke Sergei Alexandrovich with Princess Elisabeth of Hesse and by Rhine, and also the ultimate marriage of Maria’s grandson Nicholas II, Emperor of All Russia with Princess Alix of Hesse and by Rhine.  Both Hesse princesses were granddaughters of Queen Victoria.

Hessian family at Schloss Heiligenberg in 1864, Women: Countess Julia Hauke, Princess Elisabeth of Prussia (wife of Prince Karl), Empress Maria Feodorovna, Princess Alice of the United Kingdom (wife of Prince Ludwig); Men: Prince Karl of Hesse and by Rhine, Prince Wilhelm of Hesse and by Rhine, Prince Ludwig of Hesse and by Rhine (future Grand Duke), Prince Gustaf Wasa of Sweden, Prince Alexander of Hesse and by Rhine; Credit – Wikipedia

In 1863, Maria Alexandrovna contracted tuberculosis. Frequent childbirth, her husband’s infidelity, and the death of her eldest son Tsarevich Nicholas Alexandrovich in 1865 from meningitis at the age of 21, completely undermined Maria’s already weak health. Since the 1870s, Maria had spent the autumn and the fall in the warmer climates of Crimea and Italy. Her health worsened after two assassination attempts on her husband’s life in 1879 and another one in 1880. Empress Maria Alexandrovna died at the Winter Palace in St. Petersburg on June 3, 1880, at the age of 55. She was interred at the Peter and Paul Cathedral in the Peter and Paul Fortress in St. Petersburg. Her husband, who married his mistress Catherine Dolgorukova within a month of Maria’s death, died on March 13, 1881, the victim of an assassination by a bomb that blew off his legs.

Europe_August 5 to 18 514

Tomb of Alexander II (on left) and Maria Alexandrovna, his wife (on right); Photo Credit – Susan Flantzer

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Romanov Resources at Unofficial Royalty

King William IV of the United Kingdom

by Susan Flantzer  © Unofficial Royalty 2015

King William IV of the United Kingdom; Credit – Wikipedia

The third son and third child of the fifteen children of King George III of the United Kingdom and Charlotte of Mecklenburg-Strelitz, His Royal Highness The Prince William Henry was born at Buckingham House (now Buckingham Palace) in London, England on August 21, 1765. At the time of his birth, it seemed highly unlikely that William would be anything more than a royal duke as he had two elder brothers. William was christened on September 18, 1765, at St James’s Palace In London, England by Thomas Secker, Archbishop of Canterbury and had three godparents:

William had 14 siblings:

George III children

Queen Charlotte painted by Benjamin West in 1779 with her 13 eldest children; Credit – http://www.royalcollection.org.uk

William was brought up with his brother Edward at Kew Palace where they were educated by Dr. John James Majendie, a classical scholar, and Major General Budé, a Swiss officer in the Hanover Army. King George III decided that William would have a career in the navy. In 1879, at the age of 13, William went to sea with his tutor Mr. Majendie, serving under Captain (later Admiral) Robert Digby on the HMS Prince George. On his father’s orders, William received no privileges and was treated the same as his fellow sailors.

William age 13 (left) and his younger brother Edward; Credit – Wikipedia

During his naval career, William, nicknamed Sailor Bill, served on several ships and in many places. In 1789, his ship saw action in the Battle of Cape St Vincent. He was then stationed in the West Indies and Nova Scotia. William was transferred to HMS Warwick and saw action in the Delaware Bay in the American Revolution. In 1785, William was made the third lieutenant of the frigate HMS Hebe. The following year, William was made captain of the HMS Pegasus.  The Pegasus was stationed in the West Indies under the command of Admiral Horatio Nelson, who became William’s close friend. When Admiral Nelson married in 1787, William gave away the bride. William returned to England in December of 1787 and was subsequently appointed to command the frigate HMS Andromeda in the West Indies. In 1789, William was appointed Rear Admiral and commanded the HMS Valiant in home waters, his last command afloat. Prince William received the Order of the Garter in 1782 and was created Duke of Clarence and St Andrews and Earl of Munster in 1789. He was appointed Vice-Admiral in 1799 and Admiral of the Fleet in 1811, both honorary positions.

by Sir Martin Archer Shee, oil on canvas, circa 1800

King William IV in naval dress uniform by Sir Martin Archer Shee, oil on canvas, circa 1800, NPG 2199 © National Portrait Gallery, London

In 1790, Dorothea Jordan, an actress, attracted William’s attention. Dorothea was born Dora or Dorothy Bland in 1761 in Ireland. Her father had been an actor, and she followed in her father’s footsteps, first acting in Dublin. In 1782, she came to England, adopted the name “Mrs. Jordan”, and had a daughter by Irish actor and theatrical manager Richard Daly.  Starting in 1786, Dorothea had another relationship with Sir Richard Ford, a police magistrate and a lawyer, and had three more children. She began her affair with William, once she realized Ford would not marry her. Dorothea and William had a happy relationship that lasted over 20 years and produced ten children. The couple resided at Clarence Lodge in Roehampton near London and at William’s apartments at St James’ Palace. When William became Ranger of Bushy Park, they lived at Bushy House near Hampton Court Palace.

by and published by John Jones, after John Hoppner, mezzotint, published 1 March 1791 (exhibited 1791)

Dorothy Jordan as Hypolita by and published by John Jones, after John Hoppner, mezzotint, published 1 March 1791, (exhibited 1791) NPG D3324 © National Portrait Gallery, London

King William IV and Dorothea Jordan had ten children. Nine of the ten children were named after nine of William’s fourteen siblings. The tenth child was given William’s middle name Henry.

The children of King William IV and Dorothea Jordan had an elder half-brother, William Henry Courtney, born around 1788 to an unknown mother, and named after his father whose given names were William Henry. Dorothea Jordan cared for William, and she was fond of him and he was fond of her. William served in the Royal Navy from 1803 until 1807 when his ship HMS Blenheim was lost in a gale off Madagascar. Despite an extensive search, no trace of the ship was ever found. 590 men were lost aboard HMS Blenheim, including King William IV’s eldest illegitimate son nineteen-year-old William Henry Courtney.

William and Dorothea’s children married into the British aristocracy and their many descendants include these notable people:

In 1811, William had an invalid father and saw that only three people stood between him and the throne: his brother George, George’s teenage daughter Charlotte, and his childless brother Frederick. William had always boasted that his healthier habits would cause him to outlive his elder brothers. Because of the possibility of ascending the throne and his mounting debts William decided to marry.

Dorothea was on tour with a play when she received a letter from William asking her to meet him so they could discuss the terms of a separation. She was so upset that on stage that night instead of laughing heartily as the script required, she burst into tears. In January 1812, a settlement was drawn up giving Dorothea an annual allowance of £1500 and £600 annually for a house and coach. In addition, she was to be given £800 per year for her two daughters from previous relationships and £1500 for the maintenance of her youngest daughters by William. However, if Dorothea returned to the stage, she would lose the £1500 and the custody of the youngest daughters. A few months later, Dorothea did return to the stage and the custody of the youngest daughters reverted to William.

In 1815, Dorothea made her last appearance on the stage. She retired to France in a terrible financial situation having settled the debts of the husband of her elder daughter by a previous relationship. Dorothea died in poverty on July 5, 1816, at the age of 54 and was buried in Cimetière de Saint-Cloud in Saint-Cloud, France.

On November 6, 1817, a great tragedy struck the British Royal Family.  Twenty-one-year-old Princess Charlotte of Wales died after delivering a stillborn son. Charlotte was mourned by the British people like the mourning of Diana, Princess of Wales. Charlotte’s pregnancy and delivery were grossly mismanaged and the doctor in charge later died by suicide. At the time of her death, Charlotte, who was second in line to the throne, was the only legitimate grandchild of King George III, even though eleven of his fifteen children were still living. Charlotte’s death left no legitimate heir in the second generation and prompted the aging sons of King George III to begin a frantic search for brides to provide for the succession. William, and his unmarried brothers Edward, Duke of Kent and Adolphus, Duke of Cambridge, all married.

Soon after Princess Charlotte of Wales died, negotiations began for the marriage of William to Princess Adelaide of Saxe-Meiningen, and the engagement was announced on April 19, 1818. William was 52 and Adelaide was 25. William and Adelaide were married on July 14, 1818, at Kew Palace in the presence of an ailing Queen Charlotte who died in November of the same year.

by Sir William Beechey, oil on canvas, circa 1831

Queen Adelaide (Princess Adelaide of Saxe-Meiningen) by Sir William Beechey, oil on canvas, circa 1831, NPG 1533 © National Portrait Gallery, London

Adelaide loved children but was destined not to have one of her own. Her first child was born prematurely on March 27, 1819, as a result of Adelaide being ill with pleurisy. The baby girl was christened Charlotte Augusta Louisa and died the same day. Adelaide suffered a miscarriage on September 5, 1819. On December 10, 1820, Adelaide gave birth to a girl, Elizabeth Georgiana Adelaide, six weeks prematurely. Princess Elizabeth, who had been healthy despite being premature, died 12 weeks later on March 4, 1821, of the then-inoperable condition of a strangulated hernia. Twin boys were stillborn on April 23, 1822. A child of William and Adelaide would have succeeded to the throne as William’s two elder brothers, George IV and Frederick, Duke of York, had no surviving children. Adelaide wrote to her widowed sister-in-law the Duchess of Kent, “My children are dead, but your child lives, and she is mine too.” That child was Queen Victoria.

Recumbent effigy of Princess Elizabeth of Clarence in the Grand Corridor of Windsor Castle; Credit – Wikipedia

William’s brother King George IV died on June 26, 1830, and William succeeded to the throne. His coronation on September 8, 1831, was rather low-key due to government economics and was nicknamed “the half-crownation”. The traditional procession from Westminster Hall to Westminster Abbey and the coronation banquet were eliminated and have never again occurred. Adelaide had to provide the jewels for her crown and other jewels had to be hired.

William IV in his coronation robes; Credit – Wikipedia

Queen Adelaide; Credit – Wikipedia

William’s heiress presumptive was his niece Princess Victoria of Kent, the only child of his brother Prince Edward, Duke of Kent and the Duchess of Kent, born Princess Victoria of Saxe-Coburg-Saalfeld. William and Adelaide were very fond of their niece and wanted to be closer to her.  However, the Duchess of Kent did not allow this. In addition, she was rude to Queen Adelaide by refusing to recognize the Queen’s precedence, ignoring her letters, and taking space in royal stables and apartments for her own use.

In August 1836 at a dinner in honor of his 71st birthday, William publically insulted the Duchess of Kent in a speech. After his health had been toasted, he replied with this:

“I trust in God that my life may be spared for nine months longer, after which period, in the event of my death, no regency would take place. I should then have the satisfaction of leaving the royal authority to the personal exercise of that young lady [pointing to the Princess Victoria], the Heiress Presumptive of the Crown, and not in the hands of a person now near me, who is surrounded by evil advisers and who is herself incompetent to act with the propriety in the station in which she would be placed. I have no hesitation in saying that I have been insulted – grossly and continually insulted – by that person, but I am now determined to endure no longer a course of behaviour so disrespectful to me. Among many other things I have particularly to complain of the manner in which that young lady has been kept away from my court: she has been repeatedly kept from my drawing room at which she ought always to have been present, but I am fully resolved that this shall not happen again. I would have her know that I am king, and that I am determined to make my authority respected, and for the future I shall insist and command that the Princess do upon all occasions appear at my court, as is her duty to do so.”

William IV drawn by his daughter Sophia de L’Isle and Dudley in early 1837; Credit – Wikipedia

William’s wish that his life would be spared for nine months was granted. Princess Victoria turned 18 on May 24, 1837, and a regency would no longer be required. William became ill with asthma or hay fever in May 1837, and pneumonia soon developed. King William IV died peacefully at 2:15 AM on June 20, 1837, at Windsor Castle and Princess Victoria ascended to the throne. An autopsy showed that heart disease and cirrhosis of the liver had contributed to his death. William was buried in the Royal Tomb House at St. George’s Chapel at Windsor Castle. His wife Adelaide survived William by twelve years, dying on December 2, 1849, at the age of 57.  She was buried after a simple funeral, following her wishes, in the Royal Tomb House beneath St. George’s Chapel at Windsor Castle where her husband had been buried.

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House of Hanover Resources at Unofficial Royalty

Caroline of Brunswick, Queen of the United Kingdom

by Susan Flantzer  © Unofficial Royalty 2015

Caroline of Brunswick, Queen of the United Kingdom; Credit – Wikipedia

Her Highness Princess Caroline Amelia Elizabeth, Duchess of Brunswick-Wolfenbüttel, known as Caroline of Brunswick, was the third child of the seven children of Karl Wilhelm Ferdinand, Duke of Brunswick-Wolfenbüttel and Augusta of Great Britain, the elder sister of King George III of the United Kingdom. Born in Brunswick, Duchy of Brunswick-Wolfenbüttel now in the German state of Lower Saxony, on May 17, 1768.

Caroline had six siblings:

Caroline was rebellious and a tomboy who preferred playing with her brothers instead of with girls. She grew up not very educated in her mother’s uncultured court. Caroline’s mother, the elder sister of King George III, spent her time knitting and doing embroidery with her ladies at her palace outside of Brunswick, Caroline’s father lived in Brunswick with his mistress. Like many German princesses, she was brought up with no religious instructions to keep her options open for marriage to a prince of any religion.

Caroline in 1795, shortly before her marriage; Credit – Wikipedia

In 1794, over the British Channel in Great Britain, the eldest son of King George III, George, Prince of Wales was once again severely in debt. If he married, Parliament would settle his debts and his allowance would be increased by £ 100,000. In 1784, George had fallen in love with Maria Fitzherbert, a twice-widowed Catholic Irish woman. A marriage with a Catholic would mean that George would lose his place in the succession as stipulated by the Act of Settlement 1701. In addition, the Royal Marriages Act 1772 prohibited marriage without the consent of the King, which would never have been granted. Nevertheless, the couple went through with a legally void marriage at Maria Fitzherbert’s home on December 21, 1785. Maria Fitzherbert was convinced she was the lawful wife of the Prince of Wales as she viewed church law to be superior to the law of the state. For political reasons, the marriage remained secret, although there were rumors spreading all over London, and Maria Fitzherbert had promised not to let anything about it be announced in public.

On June 23, 1794, Maria Fitzherbert was informed by letter that her relationship with the Prince of Wales was over. Caroline, his first cousin, was selected George’s bride. Great Britain was at war with revolutionary France and eager to obtain allies on the European mainland. Caroline and George were married on April 8, 1795, at the Chapel Royal, St. James’ Palace, in London.

George and Caroline’s wedding; Credit – Wikipedia

This marriage is one of the worst ever royal marriages. Upon first seeing Caroline, George said to his valet, “Harris, I am not well; pray get me a glass of brandy.” Caroline said George was fat and not as handsome as his portrait. It is doubtful that the couple spent more than a few nights together as husband and wife. Their only child, Princess Charlotte of Wales, was born nine months later.  They found each other equally unattractive and never lived together nor appeared in public together. To make matters worse, George’s mistress, Frances Villiers, Countess of Jersey, was appointed Caroline’s Lady of the Bedchamber. Caroline was ignored at the court and lived basically under house arrest, and after two and a half years, she left the court and lived for ten years in a Montagu House in Blackheath, London. She was denied any part in the raising of her daughter Charlotte and was allowed to see her only occasionally.

Caroline, Princess of Wales, 1798 by Sir Thomas Lawrence; Credit – Wikipedia

At Montagu House, Caroline provided a home for nine orphan children. In 1802, she adopted one of the children, William Austin, and rumors circulated that he was Caroline’s child. Caroline retorted, “Prove it, and he shall be your King!” A secret commission was set up, known as the “Delicate Investigation”, to investigate the claim that William Austin was Caroline’s son, but the commissioners found there was no real evidence for the allegation.

King George III became so ill that it was necessary for Parliament to pass the Regency Act of 1811.  George acted as Regent until his father died in 1820 and was known as The Prince Regent. Caroline was increasingly unhappy with her situation and treatment and negotiated a deal with the Foreign Secretary to allow her to leave the country in exchange for an annual allowance of £35,000. On August 8, 1814, Caroline left Great Britain and spent several years traveling in Germany, Switzerland, Italy, Tunis, and Palestine. In Italy, she hired Bartolomeo Pergami as a courier and he soon became the head of her household, and rumors circulated that they were lovers. Caroline said that she had committed adultery only once – with Mrs. Fitzherbert’s husband.

A caricature mocking Caroline for her supposed affair with Pergami; Credit – Wikipedia

Caroline’s daughter Charlotte married Prince Leopold of Saxe-Coburg-Saalfeld (the uncle of Queen Victoria and Prince Albert and the future King of the Belgians), but she predeceased both her parents, dying in childbirth in 1817 at the age of 21, along with her son. Had Charlotte lived, she would have succeeded her father on the throne. Caroline, who had started receiving letters from her daughter once she was married, was devastated.

Caroline with her daughter Charlotte; Credit – Wikipedia

When King George III died in January of 1820, Caroline was determined to return to England and assert her rights as queen. On her way back to England, she received a proposal from George offering her £50,000 per year if she would continue to live outside of England. Caroline rejected the proposal and received a royal salute of 21 guns from Dover Castle when she set foot again in England. George was determined to be rid of Caroline and his government introduced a bill in Parliament, the Pains and Penalties Bill 1820, to strip Caroline of the title of queen consort and dissolve her marriage. The reading of the bill in Parliament was effectively a trial of Caroline. On November 10, 1820, a final reading of the bill took place, and the bill passed by 108–99. Prime Minister Robert Jenkinson, 2nd Earl of Liverpool then declared that since the vote was so close, and public tensions so high, the government was withdrawing the bill.

The Trial of Queen Caroline, 1820 by Sir George Hayter; Credit – Wikipedia (Caroline is sitting in a chair in the lower middle of the painting)

King George IV’s coronation was set for July 19, 1821, but no plans had been made for Caroline to participate. On the day of the coronation, Caroline went to Westminster Abbey, was barred at every entrance, and finally left. Three weeks later on August 7, 1821, Caroline died at the age of 53, most likely from a bowel obstruction or cancer. Prior to her death, Caroline had requested that she be buried in her native Brunswick. The official route of Caroline’s cortege through London was to avoid major streets. However, members of the public blocked those streets and forced a new route through the major streets. Caroline was buried at Brunswick Cathedral in Brunswick, Duchy of Brunswick, now in the German state of Lower Saxony, alongside her father. Her casket bears the inscription, “Here lies Caroline, the Injured Queen of England.”

Tomb of Queen Caroline: Credit – www.findagrave.com

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.

Recommended book: The Unruly Queen: The Life of Queen Caroline by Flora Fraser (non-fiction)

House of Hanover Resources at Unofficial Royalty

King George IV of the United Kingdom

by Susan Flantzer    © Unofficial Royalty 2015

King George IV of the United Kingdom; Credit – Wikipedia

King George IV, the eldest child of the fifteen children of King George III of the United Kingdom and Charlotte of Mecklenburg-Strelitz, was born at St James’ Palace in London, England on August 12, 1762. George’s birth marked the first time an heir had been born to a reigning monarch since the birth of King James II’s son in 1688. At birth, George was automatically Duke of Cornwall as the eldest son of the reigning monarch. Five days after his birth, George was created Prince of Wales. He was christened at St James’s Palace by Thomas Secker, Archbishop of Canterbury, and given the names George Augustus Frederick. His godparents were:

George (left) with his mother Queen Charlotte and younger brother Frederick, painted by Allan Ramsay in 1764; Credit – Wikipedia

George had fifteen siblings and he was 21 years older than his youngest sibling, Princess Amelia.

George III children

Queen Charlotte painted by Benjamin West in 1779 with her 13 eldest children; Credit – http://www.royalcollection.org.uk

George was created a Knight of the Garter at age three and was introduced to ceremonial functions at an early age. He was brought up and educated with his brother Prince Frederick at Kew Palace. Robert Darcy, 4th Earl of Holderness was their governor, and William Markham, Bishop of Chester was their chief tutor. After Markham became Archbishop of York, Richard Hurd, Bishop of Worcester became the princes’ chief tutor. The young princes spent eight hours a day with their tutors and learned to ride and fence.

Even as a young child, George irritated his father, starting another occurrence of Hanover heirs not getting along with their fathers. When he was a teenager, George increasingly rebelled against his parents. He became associated with prominent Whigs such as Charles James Fox, who were in opposition to the Conservative government of King George III. These Whig circles also promoted George’s gambling, his tendency to womanizing, and his extravagant lifestyle. Even before he came of age, George attracted the attention of London society by having an affair with Mary Robinson, actress, poet, dramatist, and novelist. Mary had gained fame portraying Perdita in Shakespeare’s The Winter Tale and was nicknamed Perdita. George was then nicknamed Florizel, Perdita’s love interest in the play. Caricatures and satires of the couple as Perdita and Florizel were popular at the time.

Caricature of the Prince of Wales as Florizel and Mary Robinson as Perdita, 1783; Credit – Wikipedia

Upon his 21st birthday in 1783, George became of age and received a grant from Parliament of £60,000 to pay his debts (£6,451,000 today) and an annual income of £50,000 (£5,376,000 today) from his father. To evade the strict lifestyle of his parents, George set up his own household at Carlton House, a residence on the Pall Mall in London. George’s lavish redecoration of Carlton House once again put him in debt and once again, Parliament and his father bailed him out.

Prince of Wales, Miniature by Richard Cosway, 1792; Credit – Wikipedia

In 1784, George fell in love with Maria Fitzherbert, a twice-widowed Catholic Irish woman. A marriage with a Catholic would mean that George would lose his place in the succession as stipulated by the Act of Settlement 1701. In addition, the Royal Marriages Act 1772, prohibited the marriage without the consent of the King, which would never have been granted. Nevertheless, the couple went through with a legally void marriage at Maria Fitzherbert’s home on December 21, 1785. Maria Fitzherbert was convinced she was the lawful wife of the Prince of Wales as she viewed church law to be superior to the law of the state. For political reasons, the marriage remained secret, although there were rumors spreading all over London, and Maria Fitzherbert had promised to not let anything about it be announced in public.

Maria Fitzherbert; Credit – Wikipedia

By 1794, George was again severely in debt. If he married, Parliament would settle his debts and his allowance would be increased by £ 100,000. On June 23, 1794, Maria Fitzherbert was informed by letter that her relationship with the Prince of Wales was over. Caroline of Brunswick, his first cousin, was selected as the bride. Her father Karl Wilhelm Ferdinand, Duke of Brunswick-Wolfenbüttel, was a favorite nephew of Frederick the Great, King of Prussia, and had distinguished himself as a commander in the Seven Years’ War. Britain was at war with revolutionary France and eager to obtain allies on the European mainland. Caroline’s mother Augusta was a sister of George III. Caroline and George were married on April 8, 1795, at the Chapel Royal, St. James’ Palace, in London.

George and Caroline’s wedding; Credit – Wikipedia

This marriage is one of the worst ever royal marriages.  Upon first seeing Caroline, George said to his valet, “Harris, I am not well. Pray get me a glass of brandy.”  Caroline said George was fat and not as handsome as his portrait.  It is doubtful that the couple spent more than a few nights together as husband and wife.  Their only child, Princess Charlotte of Wales, was born nine months later.  They found each other equally unattractive and never lived together nor appeared in public together.  Caroline was prevented from seeing her daughter. Their daughter Charlotte married Leopold of Saxe-Coburg-Saalfeld (the uncle of Queen Victoria and Prince Albert and the future King of the Belgians), but she predeceased both her parents, dying in childbirth in 1817 at the age of 21, along with her son. Had Charlotte lived, she would have succeeded her father on the throne.

Caroline eventually went to live abroad where she ran up debts and had lovers. She returned to England when George became king and he promptly started divorce proceedings.  However, a parliamentary bill dissolving the marriage and stripping Caroline of her title of Queen failed.  Caroline was turned away from Westminster Abbey during her husband’s coronation in 1821.  She died a few weeks later and her remains were shipped back to her native Brunswick where she was buried at Brunswick Cathedral.  The inscription on her tomb reads, “Here lies Caroline, the Injured Queen of England.”

During the reign of King George III, he suffered attacks of illness and there has been speculation that he suffered from porphyria. The American Revolutionary War and the loss of the American colonies was a great blow to George III and in 1788, he suffered another attack. This attack was more serious and George III was terribly deranged for a period of six months. At this time, Parliament had introduced a Regency Bill which made the Prince of Wales the Regent, but before it could be passed King George III recovered.

By 1805, King George III was almost completely blind. On October 25, 1809, a golden jubilee for the 50th year of his reign was held. Princess Amelia, George III’s youngest child, died on November 10, 1810, and this hastened his final decline. George III became so ill that Parliament needed to pass the Regency Act of 1811.  The Prince of Wales acted as Regent until his father died in 1820 and was known as The Prince Regent. Queen Charlotte was her husband’s legal guardian, but could not bring herself to visit him due to his violent outbursts and erratic behavior.

Upon the death of King George III on January 29, 1820, The Prince Regent succeeded to the throne as King George IV. At the time of his succession, George IV was obese and probably addicted to laudanum. His coronation, on July 19, 1821, despite being expensive and lavish, was popular with the British people.

King George IV’s coronation; Credit – Wikipedia

King George IV in his coronation robes; Credit – Wikipedia

George IV was the first British monarch to visit Ireland (in August 1821) since the reign of King Richard II in the 14th century and the first British Hanover monarch (the British Hanover kings were also Kings of Hanover) to visit Hanover (in September 1821) in 66 years. His 21-day visit to Scotland in 1822, organized by author Sir Walter Scott, was the first by a British monarch since the reign of King Charles II. On his trip to Scotland, George IV frequently wore a kilt and this helped to make the traditional garb of Highland Scotland popular during the 19th century.

King George IV during his 1822 trip to Scotland; Credit – Wikipedia

The trip to Scotland was the last major trip that George IV took. After that, suffering from gout, arteriosclerosis, and edema, he spent more and more time in seclusion at Windsor Castle. Because of his excessive lifestyle, he had become so fat (his weight in 1830 was 130 kg/280 lbs) that he increasingly was an object of ridicule when he appeared in public. George IV’s final illness began in January 1830 with a severe cough. He improved slightly in March 1830 but continued to have respiratory problems, faintness, and urinary tract pain. King George IV died at the age of 67 on June 26, 1830, at Windsor Castle and the throne passed to the next surviving son of King George III, Prince William, Duke of Clarence who reigned as King William IV. George IV was buried in the Royal Tomb House at St. George’s Chapel, Windsor Castle.

Lithograph of George IV in profile, by George Atkinson, printed by C. Hullmandel, 1821; Credit – Wikipedia

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House of Hanover Resources at Unofficial Royalty

Caroline of Ansbach, Queen of Great Britain

by Susan Flantzer  © Unofficial Royalty 2015

Caroline of Ansbach, Queen of Great Britain; Credit – Wikipedia

Her Serene Highness Markgräfin (Margravine) Wilhelmina Charlotte Caroline of Brandenburg-Ansbach, known as Caroline of Ansbach, was the wife of King George II of Great Britain. Born on March 11, 1683, at the Residenz Ansbach in Ansbach, Margraviate of Brandenburg-Ansbach, now in Bavaria, Germany, Caroline was the eldest of the three children of Johann Friedrich, Margrave of Brandenburg-Ansbach and his second wife Princess Eleonore Erdmuthe of Saxe-Eisenach,

Caroline had two younger siblings:

Caroline also had five older half-siblings from her father’s first marriage to Margravine Johanna Elisabeth of Baden-Durlach:

Ansbach in the 17th century; Credit -Wikipedia

When Caroline was three years old, her father died of smallpox, causing her mother and her siblings to live in poor circumstances in Crailsheim now in the German state of Baden-Württemberg. Her mother Eleonore Erdmuthe remarried in 1692 to Johann Georg IV, Elector of Saxony, and Caroline and her brother Wilhelm Friedrich accompanied their mother to Saxony. The marriage was not a happy one. Johann Georg had been forced to marry by his mother to produce heirs and to end the affair between Johann Georg and his mistress. However, Johann Georg refused to give up his mistress and attempted to murder Eleonore Erdmuthe so he would be able to marry his mistress. The murder was averted by Johann Georg’s younger brother (known as Augustus II the Strong, Elector of Saxony), who parried the murder weapon, a sword, away from Eleonore Erdmuthe. Two years after the marriage, Johann Georg died of smallpox, and Caroline moved with her mother and brother to Schloss Pretzsch,  the residence of the widow of the Elector of Saxony.

In 1696, Eleonore Erdmuthe died and the 13-year-old orphaned Caroline was placed in the care of Friedrich, Elector of Brandenburg and his wife Sophia Charlotte of Hanover (later King and Queen in Prussia), who had been a friend of Eleonore Erdmuthe. Sophia Charlotte was the only daughter of Electress Sophia of Hanover, the grandmother of Caroline’s future husband, so Caroline became acquainted with the Hanover family. Sophia Charlotte was intelligent and attracted many scholars to her court including the mathematician and philosopher Gottfried Leibniz. Caroline was exposed to this intellectual environment and developed into quite a scholar.

Caroline, considered beautiful and well-educated, had several suitors, and Electress Sophia put her on a list of suitable wives for her grandson, the future King George II of Great Britain. George, whose title at the time was Electoral Prince of Hanover, traveled incognito to inspect his potential bride because his father did not want his son to repeat the disaster of his marriage. George immediately liked Caroline and the couple married on August 22, 1705, at the palace chapel at Schloss Herrenhausen in Hanover. The marriage was a successful, happy one although George had mistresses which Caroline knew about. The couple had eight children and through their children’s marriages, George and Caroline are the ancestors of many European royal families including the British, Danish, Dutch, Greek, Norwegian, Romanian, Russian, Spanish, and Swedish Royal Families.

George II and his family; Credit – Wikipedia

George’s father had a change in fortune when the British House of Stuart failed to produce a legitimate Protestant heir. His mother Electress Sophia of Hanover was the closest Protestant heir and was named the heiress presumptive to the British throne. However, Sophia of Hanover died two months before Queen Anne of Great Britain died and George’s father succeeded to the British throne as King George I in 1714 upon the death of Queen Anne. George was automatically Duke of Cornwall, Duke of Rothesay, and Earl of Carrick. On September 27, 1714, King George I created his eldest son Prince of Wales and Earl of Chester. Caroline was styled with the feminine versions of her husband’s titles.

George and Caroline made a concerted effort to learn English and acquire knowledge about Britain’s people, politics, and customs. George had a very poor relationship with his father. The first big rift occurred because of a disagreement over the choice of godparents for the Prince and Princess of Wales’ short-lived son George William, born in 1717. The disagreement grew out of proportion, and George was placed under arrest. The result was that George and Caroline were exiled from St. James’ Palace. They moved into Leicester House in Leicester Square, London which became their chief residence for the rest of King George I’s reign. However, their children were kept at St. James’ Palace in the custody of their grandfather. Caroline acted as a mediator, and in cooperation with Prime Minister Robert Walpole, she finally reconciled King George I and his son.

On June 11, 1727, King George I died and was buried in Hanover, and his son succeeded him as King George II. George and Caroline were crowned at Westminster Abbey on October 22, 1727.

studio of Charles Jervas, oil on canvas, 1727

Caroline Wilhelmina of Brandenburg-Ansbach, studio of Charles Jervas, oil on canvas, 1727, 86 in. x 50 1/4 in. (2185 mm x 1276 mm), Purchased, 1873, Primary Collection, NPG 369 © National Portrait Gallery, London

Queen Caroline played a greater role in governmental affairs than any queen consort since the Middle Ages. King George II had initially dismissed Robert Walpole, his father’s Prime Minister, but Caroline persuaded her husband to recall Walpole. During the absences of her husband, Caroline led the affairs of state, together with Prime Minister Robert Walpole. She initiated a reform of English criminal law when an investigation uncovered widespread abuses. Many historians have concluded that King George II was largely led by his queen. Caroline’s influence is illustrated in a poem popular at the time:

You may strut, dapper George, but ’twill all be in vain,
We know ’tis Queen Caroline, not you, that reign.
You govern no more than Don Philip of Spain.
Then if you would have us fall down and adore you,
Lock up your fat spouse, as your dad did before you.

Caroline had many scientific and artistic interests. She corresponded with several intellectuals including mathematician Gottfried Leibniz, whom she had met when she was a child, and Christian Thomasius, German jurist and philosopher. Caroline supported French philosopher Voltaire during his exile in England from 1726-1729. Voltaire thanked her by dedicating his epic poem La Henriade to her. Caroline was also considered one of the greatest promoters of the composer George Frideric Handel, who had come to England with King George I. Handel dedicated his famous Water Music to her.

by Jacopo Amigoni, oil on canvas, 1735

Caroline Wilhelmina of Brandenburg-Ansbach by Jacopo Amigoni, oil on canvas, 1735, NPG 4332 © National Portrait Gallery, London

In 1724, during the birth of her youngest child, Caroline sustained an umbilical hernia. She ignored the condition until it became acute in November 1737. Then she was bled, purged, and operated on, without anesthetic, but there was no improvement in her condition. Gangrene set in and she died on November 20, 1737, at St. James’ Palace in London, England at the age of 54. As she lay dying, she begged her grief-stricken husband to marry again. George replied, “Never, never. I shall have only mistresses.” When George died, he left instructions that the sideboards of their coffins be removed so the two could be joined together in death.

Caroline was buried in Westminster Abbey in London, England, the last Queen Consort to be buried there. George Frideric Handel, who had been her friend for more than 30 years, composed, within a week, The Ways of Zion Do Mourn / Funeral Anthem for Queen Caroline, which was performed at her funeral on December 17, 1737.

Inscription on the floor of the Henry VII Chapel at Westminster Abbey marking the grave of Caroline of Ansbach; Credit – www.findagrave.com

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.

House of Hanover Resources at Unofficial Royalty

King George II of Great Britain

by Susan Flantzer  © Unofficial Royalty 2015

King George II of Great Britain; Credit – Wikipedia

The last British monarch born outside of Great Britain, King George II was born at Schloss Herrenhausen in Hanover, Duchy of Brunswick and Lüneburg, now in the German state of Lower Saxony, on November 10, 1683. He was the elder of the two children of Georg Ludwig, Hereditary Prince of Brunswick-Lüneburg (later King George I of Great Britain), and his wife and first cousin, Sophia Dorothea of Celle.  Georg Ludwig had a change in fortune when the British House of Stuart failed to produce a legitimate Protestant heir. His mother Sophia of Hanover was the closest Protestant heir and was named the heiress presumptive to the British throne. However, Sophia of Hanover died two months before Queen Anne of Great Britain died and Georg Ludwig succeeded to the British throne as King George I in 1714 upon the death of Queen Anne.

George had one sister:

George with his mother and sister, circa 1691; Credit – Wikipedia

George’s parents both committed adultery and their marriage was dissolved in 1694 when George was 11 years old. His mother was considered the guilty party and was confined in the Castle of Ahlden in Celle, Principality of Celle, now in Lower Saxony, Germany, for the rest of her life and George never saw her again. George and his sister Sophia were raised by their grandmother, the Dowager Electress of Hanover Sophia with the help of her Mistress of the Robes, Frau von Harling. The Dowager Electress provided English tutors for her grandchildren and great-grandchildren as soon as she was declared heiress presumptive to the British throne by the 1701 Act of Settlement. George also studied German and Italian, and particularly enjoyed studying genealogy, military history, and battle tactics. In 1705, George was naturalized as a British citizen via the Sophia Naturalization Act and was created a Knight of the Garter in 1706. On November 9, 1706, he was created Baron Tewkesbury, Viscount Northallerton, Earl of Milford Haven, and Duke and Marquess of Cambridge.

George’s father was keen on his marrying a woman he loved, so George traveled incognito to inspect a potential bride, Caroline of Ansbach, the daughter of Johann Friedrich, Margrave of Brandenburg-Ansbach and his wife Princess Eleonore of Saxony-Eisenach. George immediately liked Caroline and the couple married on August 22, 1705, at the palace chapel at Schloss Herrenhausen. The marriage was a successful, happy one although George had mistresses which Caroline knew about. The couple had eight children and through their children’s marriages, George and Caroline are the ancestors of many European royal families including the British, Danish, Dutch, Greek, Norwegian, Romanian, Russian, Spanish, and Swedish Royal Families.

George II and his family; Credit – Wikipedia

Queen Anne died on August 1, 1714, shortly after the death of the Electress Sophia on June 8, 1714, and Sophia’s son succeeded to the British throne as King George I, the first monarch of the House of Hanover. His eldest son George was automatically Duke of Cornwall, Duke of Rothesay, and Earl of Carrick. On September 27, 1714, King George I created his eldest son Prince of Wales and Earl of Chester.

George as Prince of Wales; Credit – Wikipedia

George had a very poor relationship with his father. The first big rift occurred because of a disagreement over the choice of godparents for the Prince and Princess of Wales’ short-lived son George William, born in 1717. The disagreement grew out of proportion, and George was placed under arrest. The result was that George and Caroline were exiled from St. James’ Palace. They moved into Leicester House in Leicester Square, London which became their chief residence for the rest of King George I’s reign. However, their children were kept at St. James’ Palace in the custody of their grandfather.

On June 11, 1727, King George I died in Hanover and was buried there, and his son succeeded him as King George II. George II was crowned at Westminster Abbey on October 22, 1727. The composer George Frederick Handel was commissioned to write four new anthems for the coronation, including the rousing Zadok the Priest which has been played at every British coronation ever since. You can see it performed at the link below.

studio of Charles Jervas, oil on canvas, circa 1727

King George II, studio of Charles Jervas, oil on canvas, circa 1727 NPG 368 © National Portrait Gallery, London

Like his father, George had a negative relationship with his eldest son Frederick, Prince of Wales. Upon his father’s accession, George and his wife Caroline went to live in Great Britain as Prince and Princess of Wales. They left seven-year-old Frederick, now second in the line of succession to the British throne, in Hanover in the care of his great-uncle Ernest Augustus, Prince-Bishop of Osnabrück, and they did not see their son again for 14 years. Certainly, this long separation during childhood was a factor in the negative relationship Frederick had with his parents as an adult. In 1728, Frederick, who automatically became Duke of Cornwall and Duke of Rothesay at his father’s accession, was summoned to London.  There was more evidence of the feud between Frederick and his parents.  He was the heir to the throne but was not even met by any officials when he first arrived in London and had to take a hackney carriage to St. James’ Palace.

Frederick, Prince of Wales; Credit – Wikipedia

When Frederick’s wife Augusta went into labor with her first child at Hampton Court Palace where the King and Queen were in residence, Frederick insisted that Augusta endure a bumpy carriage ride back to St. James’ Palace in London just to prevent his hated parents from being present at the birth.  This event created an even larger rift between Frederick and his parents. Frederick predeceased his father, dying in 1751 at the age of 44. King George II was playing cards with his mistress when he was told of Frederick’s death.  He continued playing cards and later said, “I have lost my eldest son, but I am glad,” so the feud between father and son did not even end with death. Frederick’s eldest son George was now the heir apparent and was created Prince of Wales.

Queen Caroline played a greater role in governmental affairs than any queen consort since the Middle Ages. She gave her support to Prime Minister Robert Walpole and found a great mentor in John Hervey, 2nd Baron Hervey, a Whig Member of Parliament. Caroline’s influence is illustrated in a couplet popular at the time:

You may strut, dapper George, but ’twill all be in vain,
We know ’tis Queen Caroline, not you, that reign.

On November 20, 1737, Queen Caroline died of gangrene following an operation. As she lay dying, she begged her grief-stricken husband to marry again. George replied, “Never, never. I shall have only mistresses.” When George died, he left instructions that the sideboards of their coffins be removed so the two could be joined together in death.

Queen Caroline, circa 1735, by Joseph Highmore; Credit – Wikipedia

In 1743, King George II became the last British monarch to lead an army into battle at the Battle of Dettingen during the War of the Austrian Succession. The Jacobites once again attempted to put a Catholic Stuart on the British throne in 1745-1746 during the Jacobite Rising of 1745.  The Stuart in rebellion this time was Charles Edward Stuart, “Bonnie Prince Charlie” or “the Young Pretender.” Charles Edward was the son of the Old Pretender, James Francis Edward Stuart and the grandson of King James II. The rebellion failed and the Jacobites were defeated once and for all at the Battle of Culloden in 1746 by an army led by King George II’s son Prince William, Duke of Cumberland who gained the nickname “Butcher of Culloden.”

King George II at the Battle of Dettingen; Credit – Wikipedia

The British National Anthem has its origins during King George II’s reign. The earliest version, God Save Great George Our King, was first heard in 1745 when King George II attended a gala performance at Drury Lane Theater in London in celebration of the defeat of Charles Edward Stuart, “Bonnie Prince Charlie” or “the Young Pretender.” King George II is related to another famous musical work, Handel’s Hallelujah Chorus. No one knows why or when the custom of standing during the Hallelujah Chorus began. The most common theory is that King George II, attending the London premiere of “The Messiah’’ in March 1743, was so moved by the Hallelujah Chorus that he stood up. If the king stands, everybody stands. However, there is no contemporary evidence he was at the concert.

King George II, circa 1753 by Thomas Worlidge; Credit – Wikipedia

On October 25, 1760, King George II woke up early at Kensington Palace and had his usual cup of chocolate. He asked about the direction of the wind as he was anxious about receiving his overseas mail, and then he entered his water closet. A few minutes later, his valet heard a crash and found George lying on the floor. He was put into bed and asked for his favorite daughter Princess Amelia, but he died before the princess reached him. An autopsy showed that he died of a ruptured aortic aneurysm. King George II was buried in Westminster Abbey, the last monarch buried there. He was succeeded by his grandson, King George III.

Inscription on the floor of the Henry VII Chapel at Westminster Abbey marking the grave of George II, Credit: www.findagrave.com

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.

House of Hanover Resources at Unofficial Royalty

Sophia Dorothea of Celle, Electoral Princess of Hanover

by Susan Flantzer  © Unofficial Royalty 2015

Sophia Dorothea of Celle, Electoral Princess of Hanover; Credit – Wikipedia

Sophia Dorothea of Celle was never Queen, but she was the wife of King George I of Great Britain before he became King, the mother of King George II of Great Britain, and the ancestor of the current British Royal Family. She was born on September 15, 1666, in Celle, Principality of Celle now in Lower Saxony, Germany, the only child of Georg Wilhelm, Prince of Celle and his mistress Éléonore d’Esmier d’Olbreuse.  Sophia’s mother was from a noble, but untitled French Huguenot family. Éléonore was a lady-in-waiting to Marie de la Tour d’Auvergne, Duchess of Thouars whose son had married into the Hesse-Kassel family. During a visit to Hesse-Kassel in 1664, Éléonore met Georg Wilhelm who immediately fell in love with her. Éléonore became Georg Wilhelm’s mistress and received the title Frau (Lady) von Harburg. In 1674, their daughter Sophia Dorothea was legitimized by Holy Roman Emperor Leopold I who granted Éléonore the titles Gräfin (Countess) von Harburg and Wilhelmsburg. Éléonore and Georg Wilhelm married morganatically in 1676. Because of her mother’s background, Sophia Dorothea was not considered as a marriage prospect by many of the German ruling houses.

Georg Ludwig, Hereditary Prince of Brunswick-Lüneburg; Credit – Wikipedia

At the age of 16, in a marriage arranged by the bride and groom’s fathers (who were brothers), Sophia Dorothea was married to her first cousin, 22-year-old Georg Ludwig, Hereditary Prince of Brunswick-Lüneburg, the eldest son of Ernst August, Elector of Hanover, Duke of Brunswick-Lüneburg and Sophia of the Palatinate (commonly referred to as Electress Sophia of Hanover), whose mother was Elizabeth Stuart, the second child and eldest daughter of King James VI of Scotland/King James I of England. The couple had two children:

Sophia Dorothea with her two children; Credit – Wikipedia

At first, the marriage was happy, but soon George and Sophia Dorothea found affection elsewhere. George fell in love with one of his mother’s ladies-in-waiting, Melusine von der Schulenburg.  Sophia Dorothea fell in love with a Swedish Count, Philip Christoph von Königsmarck, an officer in the Hanoverian army. Despite warnings, from her mother and friends, Sophia Dorothea and her lover wrote letters to each other, met secretly, and planned to escape Hanover together. On the morning of July 2, 1694, after a meeting with Sophia Dorothea, von Königsmarck disappeared from Leineschloss Castle in Hanover and was never seen again. It was widely believed that George ordered von Königsmarck’s death. There is some speculation that the letters were forgeries, and the question of Sophia Dorothea’s guilt is still debated. On December 28, 1694, a tribunal of judges and Lutheran Church officials declared the marriage of George and Sophia Dorothea dissolved on the grounds of Sophia Dorothea’s desertion.

Philip Christoph von Königsmarck; Credit – Wikipedia

Meanwhile, Sophia Dorothea had been moved to the Castle of Ahlden in her father’s territory of the Principality of Celle now in Lower Saxony, Germany. She hoped to be reunited with von Königsmarck, whose disappearance had not been made known to her. Finally, Sophia Dorothea was told about the terms of the marriage dissolution. Because she was considered the guilty party, she was not allowed to remarry, would never again see her children, and would be kept as a prisoner at the Castle of Ahlden for the remainder of her life. The Castle of Ahlden had a guard unit of 40 soldiers with five to ten soldiers guarding the castle around the clock. Sophia Dorothea had a household consisting of two maids of honor, several maids, and other staff for the household and kitchen, who were all chosen for their loyalty to Hanover.

Castle of Ahlden; Photo Credit – Wikipedia

Sophia Dorothea’s former husband had a change in fortune when the British House of Stuart failed to provide a legitimate Protestant heir. His mother Sophia of Hanover was the closest Protestant heir and was named the heiress presumptive to the British throne. Sophia of Hanover died two months before Queen Anne of Great Britain died and Sophia Dorothea’s former husband succeeded to the British throne as King George I in 1714 upon the death of Queen Anne.

Although Sophia Dorothea spent 32 years in captivity, she received an income that allowed her to live in the style of a princess and she was able to go for drives in her coach with an escort. Her father refused to visit her, but her mother Éléonore did make visits. During the last years of Sophia Dorothea’s life, Éléonore cared for her daughter and unsuccessfully tried to obtain her release. Éléonore asked Queen Anne to assist in obtaining Sophia Dorothea’s release as her situation was not befitting the mother of a future king of Great Britain.

When her former father-in-law died in 1698, Sophia Dorothea expressed her condolences in a letter to her former husband, saying that she would pray for him every day, begging him to forgive her error, and asking, in vain, to be allowed to see her two children. As Sophia Dorothea’s father was on his deathbed in 1705, he wanted to see his daughter one last time to make peace with her, but Prime Minister Count Bernstorff refused and the dying man did not have the strength to stand up to him. In 1722, Sophia Dorothea’s mother died, and surrounded only by enemies, Sophia Dorothea hoped to see her daughter once again. Her daughter, now Queen of Prussia, came to Hanover to see her father, King George I, in 1725, when he was on one of his visits to Hanover. Sophia Dorothea, who heard the news that her daughter was in Hanover, dressed more carefully than usual and waited in vain at the window every day for a visit from her daughter.

Sophia Dorothea apparently drowned her sorrows in the pleasure of eating, and became quite corpulent, increasingly suffering from fevers and indigestion. She suffered a stroke in August 1726 and never again left her bed. Sophia Dorothea refused medical attention and food and died on November 13, 1726, at the age of 60. King George I would not allow mourning at the British court and was furious when he learned that his daughter had ordered court mourning in Prussia.

Because the guards at the Castle of Ahlden had no funeral or burial instructions, Sophia Dorothea’s remains were placed in a lead coffin and stored in the castle cellar. In January 1727, orders came from London to bury the remains without any ceremony in the cemetery of Ahlden. However, this was impossible because of weeks of heavy rains and the coffin remained in the castle cellar. Finally, in May 1727, Sophia Dorothea was buried in the middle of the night beside her parents at the Stadtkirche St. Marien in Celle, Principality of Celle now in Lower Saxony, Germany. Her former husband King George I died four weeks later after receiving a deathbed letter from Sophia Dorothea cursing him, and their son acceded to the British throne as King George II.

Stadtkirche St. Marien in Celle, Germany; Credit – Wikipedia

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