| Caroline of Brunswick | |
|---|---|
| Queen consort of the United Kingdom (more...) | |
 | |
| Consort | 29 January 1820 – 7 August 1821 |
| Consort to | George IV |
| Issue | |
| Princess Charlotte Augusta of Wales | |
| Full name | |
| Caroline Amalie Elisabeth | |
| Titles and styles | |
| HM The Queen HRH The Princess of Wales HSH Duchess Caroline of Brunswick-Wolfenbüttel | |
| Royal house | House of Hanover House of Welf |
| Father | Karl William, Duke of Brunswick-Wolfenbüttel |
| Mother | Princess Augusta Frederika of Wales |
| Born | 17 May 1768 Brunswick, Holy Roman Empire |
| Died | 7 August 1821 (aged 53) London, England |
| Burial | Brunswick Cathedral |
Caroline of Brunswick-Wolfenbüttel (Caroline Amelia Elizabeth; later Queen Caroline; 17 May 1768 – 7 August 1821) was the queen consort of George IV of the United Kingdom from 29 January 1820 to her death. The precise style of British Sovereigns has varied over the years Events 904 - Sergius III comes out of retirement to take over the papacy from the deposed Antipope Christopher. Year 1820 ( MDCCCXX) was a Leap year starting on Saturday (link will display the full calendar of the Gregorian calendar (or a Leap year Events 322 BC - Battle of Crannon between Athens and Macedon following the death of Alexander the Great. Year 1821 ( MDCCCXXI) was a Common year starting on Monday (link will display the full calendar of the Gregorian Calendar (or a Common year Princess Charlotte Augusta of Wales (7 January 1796 &ndash 6 November 1817 was the only child of the ill-fated marriage between George IV (at the time Prince of Wales A royal house or royal dynasty is a familial designation or Family name of sorts used by Royalty. The House of Hanover (the Hanoverians) is a Germanic royal Dynasty which has ruled the Duchy of Brunswick-Lüneburg See also Elder House of Welf The House of Welf (or House of Guelph) is a European Dynasty that has included many German and British Charles William Ferdinand Duke of Brunswick-Lüneburg Prince of Brunswick-Wolfenbuttel-Bevern ( Karl Wilhelm Ferdinand Herzog zu Braunschweig-Lüneburg Fürst von Braunschweig-Wolfenbüttel-Bevern Princess Augusta (Augusta Frederica 31 August 1737 – 23 March 1813) was a member of the British Royal Family, a granddaughter of Events 1521 - Edward Stafford 3rd Duke of Buckingham, is executed for Treason. Year 1768 ( MDCCLXVIII) was a Leap year starting on Friday (link will display the full calendar of the Gregorian calendar (or a Braunschweig, known as Brunswiek in Low German, is a city of 245810 people (as of 31 December 2007 located in Lower Saxony, Germany. The Holy Roman Empire ( HRE; German Heiliges Römisches Reich (HRR, Latin Sacrum Romanum Imperium (SRI was a union of territories in Events 322 BC - Battle of Crannon between Athens and Macedon following the death of Alexander the Great. Year 1821 ( MDCCCXXI) was a Common year starting on Monday (link will display the full calendar of the Gregorian Calendar (or a Common year London ( ˈlʌndən is the capital and largest urban area in the United Kingdom. England is a Country which is part of the United Kingdom. Its inhabitants account for more than 83% of the total UK population whilst its mainland The Brunswick Cathedral, in the City of Braunschweig (Brunswick Germany, is a large Protestant church dedicated to Saint Blaise Events 1521 - Edward Stafford 3rd Duke of Buckingham, is executed for Treason. Year 1768 ( MDCCLXVIII) was a Leap year starting on Friday (link will display the full calendar of the Gregorian calendar (or a Events 322 BC - Battle of Crannon between Athens and Macedon following the death of Alexander the Great. Year 1821 ( MDCCCXXI) was a Common year starting on Monday (link will display the full calendar of the Gregorian Calendar (or a Common year A queen consort is the title given to the wife of a reigning king. The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, commonly known as the United Kingdom, the UK or Britain,is a Sovereign state located Events 904 - Sergius III comes out of retirement to take over the papacy from the deposed Antipope Christopher. Year 1820 ( MDCCCXX) was a Leap year starting on Saturday (link will display the full calendar of the Gregorian calendar (or a Leap year
Contents |
Early life
Caroline was born on 17 May 1768 at Brunswick (German:Braunschweig) in Germany, daughter of Karl William, Duke of Brunswick-Wolfenbüttel and Princess Augusta Frederika of Wales, eldest sister of George III. Events 1521 - Edward Stafford 3rd Duke of Buckingham, is executed for Treason. Year 1768 ( MDCCLXVIII) was a Leap year starting on Friday (link will display the full calendar of the Gregorian calendar (or a Braunschweig, known as Brunswiek in Low German, is a city of 245810 people (as of 31 December 2007 located in Lower Saxony, Germany. The German language (de ''Deutsch'') is a West Germanic language and one of the world's major languages. Germany, officially the Federal Republic of Germany ( ˈbʊndəsʁepuˌbliːk ˈdɔʏtʃlant is a Country in Central Europe. Charles William Ferdinand Duke of Brunswick-Lüneburg Prince of Brunswick-Wolfenbuttel-Bevern ( Karl Wilhelm Ferdinand Herzog zu Braunschweig-Lüneburg Fürst von Braunschweig-Wolfenbüttel-Bevern Brunswick-Lüneburg (Braunschweig-Lüneburg also Brunswick-Lunenburg was a historical ducal state during the period from the Late Middle Ages through the Princess Augusta (Augusta Frederica 31 August 1737 – 23 March 1813) was a member of the British Royal Family, a granddaughter of George III (George William Frederick 4 June 1738 George III's long reign was marked by a series of military conflicts involving his kingdom much of the rest of Europe and places
Troubled marriage
She married the British king's eldest son, her first cousin, on 8 April 1795 at St. James's Palace in London. cousin in Kinship terminology is a relative with whom one shares a common Ancestor, but in modern usage the term is rarely used when referring to a Events 217 - Roman Emperor Caracalla is Assassinated (and succeeded by his Praetorian Year 1795 ( MDCCXCV) was a Common year starting on Thursday (link will display the full calendar of the Gregorian calendar (or a St James's Palace is one of London's oldest Palaces It is situated on Pall Mall in London, just north of St London ( ˈlʌndən is the capital and largest urban area in the United Kingdom. Her new husband, the future George IV then Prince of Wales, regarded Caroline as unattractive and unhygienic; he also suspected that she was not a virgin when they married. He himself had already secretly married Maria Fitzherbert; however, his marriage to Fitzherbert violated the Royal Marriage Act of 1772 and thus was not legally valid. Maria Fitzherbert (Maria Anne Fitzherbert née Smythe 26 July 1756 – 27 March 1837 was the first woman with whom the future George IV undertook a wedding ceremony and The Royal Marriages Act of 1772 is an Act of the Parliament of Great Britain (12 Geo III c [1]
For Caroline's part, she found her husband equally unattractive, and the prince's correspondence reveals that the couple only had sexual intercourse three times during their marriage: twice during the first night, and once the second night. [1] Princess Charlotte Augusta, George's only legitimate child, was born from one of these unions on 7 January 1796. Princess Charlotte Augusta of Wales (7 January 1796 &ndash 6 November 1817 was the only child of the ill-fated marriage between George IV (at the time Prince of Wales Events 1325 - Alfonso IV becomes King of Portugal. 1558 - France takes Calais, the last continental Year 1796 ( MDCCXCVI) was a Leap year starting on Friday (link will display the full calendar of the Gregorian calendar (or a Leap year The Prince and Princess of Wales never lived together afterwards, and appeared separately in public, both becoming involved in affairs with other lovers. This earned her the nickname 'The Immoral Queen. '
It was alleged that her marriage was made uncomfortable by George IV's affair with royal courtesan Frances Villiers, Countess of Jersey. A courtesan in mid-16th century usage referred to a mistress or trained artisan of dance and singing especially one associated with wealthy powerful or upper-class Frances Villiers Countess of Jersey ( February 25, 1753 &ndash July 23, 1821, Cheltenham) was the most notorious of the many mistresses However, it is more likely that Caroline had little interest in her husband, and thus little interest in who he might be involved with romantically.
Queen consort
Caroline was prevented from seeing her daughter on a day-to-day basis, and was eventually banished in 1799 to a private residence ('The Pagoda') in Blackheath, where she allegedly had affairs with the politician George Canning and the admiral Sir Sidney Smith. Year 1799 ( MDCCXCIX) was a Common year starting on Tuesday (link will display the full calendar of the Gregorian calendar (or a Blackheath is an area in southeast London centred around a section of open public grassland ('the Heath' and straddling the boundary of the London Borough of Lewisham and the George Canning (11 April 1770 &ndash 8 August 1827 was a British statesman and Politician who served as Foreign Secretary and is at present the shortest serving Sir William Sidney Smith KCB ( 21 June 1764 &ndash 26 May 1840) usually known as Sir Sidney Smith, was the British
In 1806, it was rumoured that a child living with her was her son, in which case he would have a right of succession, if his father were the Prince of Wales. Year 1806 ( MDCCCVI) was a Common year starting on Wednesday (link will display the full calendar of the Gregorian calendar (or a Common A secret investigation was set up, the "Delicate Investigation", but did not prove the allegation, although it showed that her conduct was improper. In 1814, the Princess left the country and went to live abroad, running up large debts throughout Europe and taking other lovers. Year 1814 ( MDCCCXIV) was a Common year starting on Saturday (link will display the full calendar of the Gregorian calendar (or a Common During this period, the couple's daughter, who had married Prince Leopold of Saxe-Coburg-Saalfeld, died after giving birth to her only child, a stillborn son. Leopold I ( Leopold George Christian Frederick (in German Leopold Georg Christian Friedrich) Prince of Saxe-Coburg-Saalfeld, later She was notified of the tragedy by a private letter from her grieving son-in-law. [1]
Her estranged husband's accession to the Throne in 1820 brought Caroline back to Britain. Year 1820 ( MDCCCXX) was a Leap year starting on Saturday (link will display the full calendar of the Gregorian calendar (or a Leap year She had declined monetary offers to stay away. When she arrived in England on 6 June, riots broke out in support of her. Events 1508 - Maximilian I Holy Roman Emperor, is defeated in Friulia by Venetian forces; he is forced to sign a three-year The King asked his ministers to get rid of her. The Pains and Penalties Bill 1820 was introduced in Parliament in order to strip Caroline of the title of queen consort and dissolve her marriage. The Pains and Penalties Bill 1820 was a bill introduced to the British Parliament in 1820, at the request of King George IV, who had ascended the throne It was claimed that Caroline had been involved with a low-born man, Bartolomeo Pergami, on the continent. The bill passed the House of Lords, but was not submitted to the House of Commons as there was little prospect that the Commons would pass it. The House of Lords is the second house of the Parliament of the United Kingdom and is also commonly referred to as "the Lords" The House of Commons' is the Lower house of the Parliament of the United Kingdom, which also comprises the Sovereign and the House of Lords Caroline indicated that she had indeed committed adultery with one man - the husband of Mrs. Fitzherbert (referring to the King). [1] Caroline was turned away from the coronation on 21 July 1821 at the doors of Westminster Abbey. Events 356 BC - Herostratus sets fire to the Temple of Artemis in Ephesus, one of the Seven Wonders of the World Year 1821 ( MDCCCXXI) was a Common year starting on Monday (link will display the full calendar of the Gregorian Calendar (or a Common year Despite the King's best attempts, Caroline retained a very strong popularity amongst the masses, and therefore wielded considerable power in spite of his disliking her.
| Styles of Queen Caroline | |
 | |
| Reference style | Her Majesty |
| Spoken style | Your Majesty |
| Alternative style | Ma'am |
Untimely death
On the night of the coronation, Caroline fell ill, vomiting, with an erratic pulse. A style of office, or honorific, is a term which by Tradition or Law precedes a reference to a person who holds a post or Title, or to the Majesty is an English word derived ultimately from the Latin Maiestas, meaning Greatness. She died three weeks later. Even up till her last moments, she was being reported on by a man named Stephen Lushington, who conveyed his insights to the King’s loyal supporter, the Prime Minister, Lord Liverpool. Robert Banks Jenkinson 2nd Earl of Liverpool (7 June 1770 &ndash 4 December 1828 was a British politician and the longest-serving Prime Minister of the Exactly why this deathbed surveillance was carried out remains unclear, and the surviving documentation is patchy in the extreme. The exact cause of her death has never been ascertained, but Caroline was certain that she had been poisoned. Her physicians thought it to be an intestinal obstruction. [1] Caroline, knowing she would die, forbade an autopsy. She died at age 53 on 7 August 1821. Events 322 BC - Battle of Crannon between Athens and Macedon following the death of Alexander the Great. Year 1821 ( MDCCCXXI) was a Common year starting on Monday (link will display the full calendar of the Gregorian Calendar (or a Common year She legally remained queen consort of the United Kingdom, but she was buried in her native Brunswick. Her tomb is inscripted "Here lies Caroline, the Injured Queen of England". [1]
References in popular culture
- The story of Caroline's marriage to George and her battle to be recognized as Queen Consort served as the basis for the 1996 BBC docudrama A Royal Scandal. A Docudrama is a Dramatization of actual historical events Generalities Docudramas tend to demonstrate some or most of the following characteristics A Royal Scandal is a 1996 British Television Docudrama produced and directed by Sheree Folkson Susan Lynch played Caroline of Brunswick and Richard E. Grant played George IV. Susan Lynch (born 5 June 1971) is an Irish actress. Lynch was born in Corrinshego, Newry, County Down, Richard E Grant (born May 5 1957 is an English Actor, Screenwriter and director, perhaps most famous for portraying the world-weary drug-crazed
- Caroline is mentioned in the third series of the BBC comedy Blackadder, which focused on the time of her future husband's life while he was Prince Regent, before he met her. Blackadder is the generic name that encompasses four series of an acclaimed BBC One historical sitcom, along with several one-off instalments For the station on the Docklands Light Railway, see Prince Regent DLR station. Blackadder, the Prince's butler, is searching for a possible wife for the prince, and mentions Caroline of Brunswick as the only one suitable to marry him, but then dismisses her because she "has the worst personality in Germany. Edmund Blackadder Esq. (1762–1830 was the main character in the third series of the BBC Sitcom Blackadder. "
Titles, styles, honours and arms
Titles and styles
- 17 May 1768 – 8 April 1795: Her Serene Highness Duchess Caroline of Brunswick-Wolfenbüttel
- 8 April 1795 – 29 January 1820: Her Royal Highness The Princess of Wales
- 29 January 1820 – 7 August 1821: Her Majesty The Queen
At her death, Caroline's official title was Her Majesty Caroline, Queen of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland, Queen of Hanover, Duchess of Brunswick and Lunenburg
Issue
| Name | Birth | Death | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Princess Charlotte Augusta of Wales | 7 January 1796 | 6 November 1817 | married 1816, Prince Leopold George Frederick of Saxe-Coburg-Saalfield; no surviving issue |
Ancestry
References
- ^ a b c d e f Shingleton (November-December 2006). "The Tumultous Marriage of The Prince and The Princess of Wales". ACOG Clinical Review 11: 13-16.
- ^ Lundy, Darryl, thePeerage, <http://www.thepeerage.com/p10934.htm#i109331>. Retrieved on 24 October 2007
- ^ a b c Lundy, Darryl, thePeerage, <http://www.thepeerage.com/p10934.htm#i109332>. Retrieved on 24 October 2007
- ^ Lundy, Darryl, thePeerage, <http://www.thepeerage.com/p10097.htm#i100969>. Retrieved on 24 October 2007
- ^ Lundy, Darryl, thePeerage, <http://www.thepeerage.com/p298.htm#i2978>. Retrieved on 24 October 2007
External links
- Pictures of Caroline of Brunswick from London’s National Portrait Gallery
| British royalty | ||
|---|---|---|
| Preceded by Charlotte of Mecklenburg-Strelitz | Queen Consort of the United Kingdom 1820-1821 | Succeeded by Adelaide of Saxe-Meiningen |
| German royalty | ||
| Preceded by Charlotte of Mecklenburg-Strelitz | Queen Consort of Hanover 1820-1821 | Succeeded by Adelaide of Saxe-Meiningen |
| Peerage of Great Britain | ||
| Vacant Title last held by Augusta of Saxe-Gotha | Princess of Wales 1795 – 1820 | Vacant Title next held by Alexandra of Denmark |
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