Princess Charlotte Augusta of Wales
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| Princess Charlotte Augusta of Wales | |
|---|---|
| Princess Leopold of Saxe-Coburg-Saalfeld, Duchess in Saxony | |
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| A portait of Charlotte by George Dawe | |
| Spouse | Prince Leopold of Saxe-Coburg-Saalfeld |
| House | House of Wettin House of Hanover |
| Father | George IV of the United Kingdom |
| Mother | Caroline of Brunswick |
| Born | 7 January 1796 Carlton House, London |
| Died | 6 November 1817 (aged 21) |
| Burial | St George's Chapel, Windsor |
Princess Charlotte Augusta of Wales (7 January 1796 – 6 November 1817) was the only child of King George IV of the United Kingdom (Prince of Wales for Charlotte's lifetime), and Caroline of Brunswick-Wolfenbüttel. Charlotte, as the only child of the Prince of Wales, was heir in the next generation to the throne of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland.[1] Charlotte had a troubled childhood, her parents’ marriage was fraught with tribulation. And they largely ignored Charlotte, primarily using her to spite each other.[2] Charlotte married Leopold of Saxe-Coburg-Saalfield on May 2 1816 at Carlton House, London.[3] Charlotte’s life would unexpectedly be cut short, when she died on November 6, 1817, after giving birth to a stillborn son the day before. [4]
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[edit] 1796 – 1805
[edit] Birth
Charlotte was born in Carlton House, on January 7, 1796. Charlotte was the only child of George, Prince of Wales and Caroline of Brunswick. George was delighted by the birth of his daughter. Charlotte’s grandfather, King George III, was smitten with her. The people of the United Kingdom rejoiced at the news of her nativity.[5]
The Princess of Wales, demanded concessions in her favour after her daughter’s birth, arguing that she now deserved more reverence. This did not fare well with The Prince of Wales, who was already revolted by his wife. He left London shortly after Charlotte’s birth, and dictated a new will, which left the baby princess, to her grandparents: King George III, and his Queen, Charlotte of Mecklenburg-Strelitz. Charlotte’s new household, was headed by a woman by the name of Lady Dashwood. On 11 February 1797, Charlotte was christened "Charlotte Augusta", after her two grandmothers, Queen Charlotte, and Duchess Augusta of Brunswick.[6] She was christened in the Great Audience Chamber at Carlton House by John Moore, The Archbishop of Canterbury, and her godparents were her paternal grandparents The King and Queen, and her maternal grandmother The Duchess of Brunswick-Lüneburg (who was represented by a proxy, Charlotte's aunt and the Duchess' niece, The Princess Royal).[7]
[edit] Infancy
When Parliament refused to increase George’s annual allowance, he referred his rage to his wife. The Princess of Wales was now only allowed to visit her daughter daily, in the presence of a member of Charlotte's household.[8]Charlotte's governess, Lady Dashwood, died in October 1796, and was replaced in her capacity as governess by Maria, Countess of Elgin. Charlotte, as a young girl suffered from violent mood swings and was neglected by her parents, her mother often paraded her about, to gain the public’s sympathy for her.[9] Charlotte’s violent moods, are thought to be the product of a lack of affection.[10]
The Prince of Wales would only occasionally visit Charlotte every few weeks. In late 1797, the Princess of Wales moved into Montague House.[11] Charlotte moved to Shrewsbury House, to be nearer to her mother. [12] Charlotte enjoyed a very close relationship with George III, who played often with her.[13] Charlotte was kept away from George on the onset of his “madness”. The Countess of Elgin, resigned in 1804, die to her advanced age. She was replaced by the Dowager Baroness de Clifford. Charlotte was greatly upset at the loss of her cherished governess, who she called “Eggy”[14]
Charlotte had an allowance of £10 per week in her youth. She often visited stores with her governess, disguised as one of her grandchildren. She benevolently purchased toys for her playmates, the Baroness de Clifford’s real grandchildren. Charlotte’s father still barely visited her, and she rarely saw the King anymore.[15] Charlotte’s education, was of relatively poor standards.[16]
[edit] 1806 - British Regency
Charlotte experienced her first vacation, in the summer of 1807. She visited Weymouth Beach with the Baroness de Clifford. Princess Charlotte greatly enjoyed her visit, frolicking in the surf. Charlotte’s appearance around this time is described by a contemporary as flirting with the overweight, and likely to get fatter, and of average height. Charlotte had a white complexion, and blue eyes. Her behaviour was thought to be unsuitable for someone of her rank and dignity.[17]
Charlotte was a huge fan of Mozart, and was infatuated with poet and adventurer Lord Byron, commenting on his portrait “something [Byron] so very much above the common sort of beauty”. The Prince of Wales refused to recognise that his daughter was growing up. He refused to allow her to frequent anything but children’s balls. He also refused to increase her meagre apparel stipend. The Prince raised Charlotte under extremely strict terms.[18]
On October 25, 1810, King George began to act strangely. This was due to his favourite daughter, Princess Amelia of the United Kingdom’s, impending death. She died on November 2, and George had to be restrained on November 4, paving way for the regency, of his eldest son, the Prince of Wales.[19]
[edit] Death
After two miscarriages in the early months of their marriage, she conceived a third time in February 1817. Although she was healthy at the beginning of the pregnancy, medical staff took extra precautions; medical practice at the time was bloodletting and a strict diet that reduced her food intake, which only served to weaken Charlotte.
On the evening of 3 November, her water broke and labour commenced. After a 50-hour labour at Claremont House, she delivered a stillborn 9-pound son on 5 November 1817. The second stage of labour had lasted 24 hours.[20] Initially following delivery, Charlotte seemed to do well, but after several hours she became restless, had difficulty breathing, and her pulse grew fast and feeble. Five and a half hours after the delivery, she died, presumably from an undetected post-partum haemorrhage, on 6 November.[20]
Prince Leopold wrote to Sir Thomas Lawrence:
| “ | Two generations gone — gone in a moment! I have felt for myself, but I have also felt for the prince regent. My Charlotte is gone from the country — it has lost her. She was a good, she was an admirable woman. None could know my Charlotte as I did know her. It was my study, my duty, to know her character, but it was also my delight. | ” |
The obstetrician, Sir Richard Croft, who had correctly diagnosed a transverse lie of the baby during labour but failed to use a forceps, was distraught. Three months later, he shot himself during another woman's childbirth. Thus, Charlotte's single pregnancy is known in medical history as “the triple obstetrical tragedy”.[20]
The Princess was buried in St. George's Chapel, Windsor with her son at her feet. Her death was mourned nationally, on a scale similar to that which followed the death of Diana, Princess of Wales in 1997. On the other hand, in An Address to the People on The Death of the Princess Charlotte (1817), Percy Bysshe Shelley argued that while her death was very sad, the execution the following day of three men incited to lead the Pentrich Rising was the greater tragedy.
Charlotte's death left the Prince of Wales without any direct heirs and meant that her paternal grandfather, George III, had no legitimate grandchildren from his twelve surviving children; most, if not all, of his daughters were either sterile or past childbearing. The death resulted in a mad dash towards matrimony by most of Charlotte's bachelor uncles; the marriage of Prince Edward, Duke of Kent and Strathearn to Leopold's sister Princess Victoria of Saxe-Coburg-Saalfeld eventually produced the heir, Queen Victoria. Charlotte's father, even after the death of his wife, made no attempt to remarry or father any more children. Given his poor health by the time his estranged wife died in 1821, he may not have been capable of becoming a father again.
Prince Leopold, who would later become the first King of the Belgians, remarried, to Louise-Marie (1812-1850) of Orléans, and had three sons and a daughter. The girl was named Charlotte in honour of his first wife and would later become Empress Carlota of Mexico.
[edit] Ancestors
[edit] Titles, styles, honours and arms
| British Royalty |
|---|
| House of Hanover |
 |
| George III |
| George IV |
| Frederick, Duke of York |
| William IV |
| Charlotte, Queen of Württemberg |
| Edward, Duke of Kent |
| Princess Augusta Sophia |
| Elizabeth, Landgravine of Hesse-Homburg |
| Ernest Augustus I of Hanover |
| Augustus Frederick, Duke of Sussex |
| Adolphus, Duke of Cambridge |
| Mary, Duchess of Gloucester |
| Princess Sophia |
| Prince Octavius |
| Prince Alfred |
| Princess Amelia |
| Grandchildren |
| Charlotte, Princess Leopold of Saxe-Coburg-Saalfeld |
| Princess Charlotte of Clarence |
| Princess Elizabeth of Clarence |
| Victoria |
| George V, King of Hanover |
| George, Duke of Cambridge |
| Augusta, Grand Duchess of Mecklenburg-Strelitz |
| Mary Adelaide, Duchess of Teck |
[edit] Titles and styles
- 7 January 1796 – 2 May 1816: Her Royal Highness Princess Charlotte Augusta of Wales
- 2 May 1816 – 6 November 1817: Her Royal Highness Princess Leopold of Saxe-Coburg-Saalfeld, Duchess in Saxony
[edit] Arms
For her marriage in 1816, the Prince Regent granted Charlotte personal arms — those of the kingdom, difference by a label argent of three points, the centre point bearing a rose gules.[21] The label of three points is usually reserved for the children of a monarch — Charlotte was the daughter of the Prince Regent.
[edit] Legacy
[edit] Regiment
In 1815 the Royal Berkshire Regiment (amalgamated in 1994, but to be de-amalgamated and merged along with the Princess of Wales's Royal Regiment in the Prince of Wales Division announced in restructuring plans on 16 December 2004) was titled the Princess Charlotte's of Wales Regiment when, on their return to England from service in Canada, the 49th (Hertfordshire) Regiment were assigned to guard the royal family in residence. Princess Charlotte, on seeing these polished men in their new uniforms, with scarlet coats and white breeches, pleaded that the regiment should be made "hers", and later the title was officially granted.
Princess Charlotte also gave her name to the 5th (Princess Charlotte of Wales's) Dragoon Guards; her widower Prince Leopold was later Colonel of the Regiment.
[edit] Memorial
An obelisk to her memory stands in Red House Park in Great Barr, Sandwell, England.
The Chapel at Windsor Castle shows her crypt, with Princess Charlotte's hand emerging from beneath a shroud.
[edit] References
- ^ Becoming Queen, Kate Williams, Arrow Books, IBSN 978-0-099-45182-2, Page 17
- ^ Williams, p 19
- ^ Williams, 106 – 109
- ^ Williams, 118 – 119
- ^ Williams, p 15
- ^ Williams, p 16
- ^ Yvonne's Royalty Home Page: Royal Christenings
- ^ Williams, p 17
- ^ Williams, 19
- ^ Williams, 24
- ^ Williams, 20
- ^ Williams 25
- ^ Williams, 23
- ^ Williams, 26
- ^ Williams, 35
- ^ Williams, 36
- ^ Williams, 37 - 38
- ^ Williams, 39 – 40
- ^ Williams, 43
- ^ a b c Shingleton, Hugh M (July-August 2005). "A Famous Triple Death Tragedy". ACOG Clinical Review 10 (4): 14–16.
- ^ Heraldica – British Royalty Cadency
[edit] Further reading
- Holme, Thea (1976). Prinny's Daughter. Hamilton. ISBN 0241892988. OCLC 2357829.
- Plowden, Alison (1989). Caroline and Charlotte. Sidgwick & Jackson. ISBN 0283994894a.
- Chambers, James (2008). Charlotte and Leopold. Old Street Publishing. ISBN 1905847238. OCLC 148321739.
[edit] External links and references
- Royal House of Great-Britain
- Ducal House of Saxe-Coburg-Gotha
- Royal House of Belgium
- The Wardrobe, the Museum of the Royal Gloucestershire, Berkshire and Wiltshire Regiment (Salisbury)
- The Percy Bysshe Shelley Resource Page
- Georgian Index
- E. Littell, "Claremont, and Princess Charlotte", p. 370, Living Age Vol. 66, Littell, Son, and Company, Boston, 1860,
- Frogmore Lodge press
- Archival material relating to Princess Charlotte Augusta of Wales listed at the UK National Register of Archives
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