The Unfulfilled Life of Princess Caroline of Great Britain

Princess Caroline of Great Britain (Caroline Elizabeth; Hanover, Germany, 10th June 1713 - London, England, 28th December 1757)

Princess Caroline Elizabeth by Jacopo Amigoni

It is once again time to meet one of the princesses of Great Britain. Today we welcome Princess Caroline, daughter of the man who would become George II and Caroline of Ansbach and a young lady who lived a life that was far from settled, though she was beloved by her family and friends.

Her Serene Highness Princess Caroline of Hanover was born in Herrenhausen Palace, Hanover, just a year before her grandfather became George I. Although her family delayed their travel to England due to her sickly health, they eventually took up residence in St James's Palace and the young princess began a new life in the English court. She was adored by her parents and when Lady Mary Wortley Montagu brought variolation against smallpox to England, Caroline’s mother ensured that her children were treated against the infection.

However, Princess Caroline never found happiness in her personal life. Infatuated with our old friend, Lord Hervey, she was never able to win his affection despite rumours that he was having affairs not only with her own brother, but with a number of ladies within her circle. Though she and Hervey were close friends, her apparent love for him went unreturned. He died when Caroline was just 30 and she was inconsolable, retiring into mournful seclusion at her home.

Although she involved herself in religion and philanthropy, the princess did not emerge from her reclusive lifestyle and never married. Her health was fragile for many years and she died aged just 44, with her remains laid to rest at Westminster Abbey.

Life in the Georgian Court, true tales of 18th century royalty, is available at the links below.

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The Frail Life of Princess Louisa of Great Britain

Princess Louisa of Great Britain (Louise Anne; London, England, 19th March 1749 -  London, England, 13th May 1768)

Roll out the red carpet and be careful with the best china because once again we welcome a royal lady today. Princess Louisa of Great Britain lived a short life, not marked by any great marriage or scandal; she did not fall victim to a revolution nor did she rule a country, she was simply a young lady who was destined to die tragically young.

HRH Princess Louisa was born at Leicester House, Westminster, to Frederick, Prince of Wales, and Augusta of Saxe-Gotha. Her grandparents were George II and Caroline of Ansbach and she joined a large family, counting future kings and queens amongst her siblings.

Louisa was a bright and cheerful child yet, around the time of the death of her sister, Elizabeth, her health began to fail. She grew weak and frail and would never recover her precarious well being. Because of her health issues, Louise was frequently confined to her bed and was unable to fully participate in court life, nor were any plans made to secure the young lady a marriage.

The young princess passed away at Carlton House aged just 19, the fourth among her siblings to meet an early death.

Life in the Georgian Court, true tales of 18th century royalty, is available at the links below.

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The Eventful Life of Princess Mary of Great Britain

Princess Mary of Great Britain (London, England, 5th March 1723 - Hanau, Germany, 14th January 1772)

Princess Mary of Great Britain by George Desmarées

Well it's time to roll out the red carpet and get the best china out of the dresser as we welcome a most noble lady to the salon. Princess Mary of Great Britain's life was not always happy but she faced her domestic strife bravely, proving herself a devoted mother and sister.

Princess Mary was born at Leicester House to Caroline of Ansbach and the Prince of Wales, later to become King George II. On his coronation, Mary took the title of HRH the Princess Mary. Raised by her mother and and elder sister, Caroline, Mary was a bookish and academic girl devoted to books and education, with little interest in high society.

Nevertheless, as a princess of Great Britain it was a given that she would make a good noble marriage and when Mary was 17, it was agreed that she would marry Frederick, later to be Landgrave of Hesse-Kassel. Mary was granted £40,000 by parliament for the marriage and the proxy marriage took place on 8th May 1740, with the young bride travelling to Kassel the following month for a lavish ceremony. There she found a domineering and, according to Walpole, brutish husband waiting for her and from the start, the marriage was deeply unhappy for Mary. Indeed, before they had been married a decade, Mary holidayed in England for an extended period to escape her husband.  Despite their differences the couple did have four children, three of whom survived childhood.

Frederick II, Landgrave of Hesse-Kassel by Johann Heinrich Tischbein the Elder

However, the marriage remained strained and by 1755 the couple were formally separated, with Mary happy to use her husband's conversion to Catholicism as an excuse to leave. Mary moved to Denmark to care for the family of her late sister, Louise, raising her own sons at the Danish court and here she remained for some time, despite her father's entreaties to come home to England.

Eventually Mary and her children took up residence in Hanau, with the support of her father in law, Landgrave Wilhelm VIII. When Wilhelm died in1760, he left instruction that Mary should serve as regent as Hanau until her eldest son came of age and could take his place as Count of Hanau.

The Landgravine Consort of Hesse-Kassel lived happily in Hanau for many years, retiring from public life as her health began to fail. She died peacefully at home and was buried in the Marienkirche, mourned by her family and the people of her adopted land.

Life in the Georgian Court, true tales of 18th century royalty, is available at the links below.

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Frederick Louis, A Cricketing Prince

Frederick Louis, Prince of Wales (Friedrich Ludwig; Hanover, Germany, 1st February 1707 – London, England, 31st March 1751) 

Frederick, Prince of Wales by Jacopo Amigoni, 1735

My grandpa Gilflurt likes a bit of sport and always has the time for cricket. Another man who liked the sound of leather on willow was our own Frederick, Prince of Wales, and in honour of his birthday today,  I thought I would share the tale of his love of the game.

Frederick arrived in England from his home in Hanover at the age of 21 to join his mother and father, George II and Caroline of Ansbach, with whom he had a relationship that can politely be described as fraught and, less politely, downright hostile. A keen sportsman who was looking for some way to fit into his adopted country, Frederick turned his eye to cricket and soon found it very much to his taste.

The young man threw himself into his new interest, learning all he could about the game and happily gambling on matches along with his fellow enthusiasts. He was soon something of an expert on the sport and was often in attendance at matches, making friends among the players and followers of the game.

Eventually Frederick's spectator interest began to develop into a wish to do more than just watch the game and on 28th September 1731 he took up the bat on Kennington Common to take part in a Surrey versus London match. No record exists of the Prince's performance, but his appearance was sufficiently novel to be reported in the advertisements for the match and his appearance at other games was documented by the popular press.

By 1733 Frederick was an avowed cricket fanatic. Often on hand to present prizes to winning teams, he also awarded players from his own pocket now and again and formed his own team, the Prince of Wales' XI, for competitive and recreational matches.  His enthusiasm never dimmed and he captained the team with enthusiasm and passion, watching from the sidelines when not actually playing on the field.

There was to be a dark twist to the Prince's love of the game though and popular gossip claimed that it was cricket that eventually caused Frederick's early death and that a cricket ball had struck him in the chest and caused the abscess that killed him. Whether a cricket ball struck the fatal blow is debatable but one thing is for sure and that is the fact that the Prince of Wales loved cricket to his dying day and on his death the practitioners of the game honoured him in turn, playing games dedicated to the memory of their regal patron.

Life in the Georgian Court, true tales of 18th century royalty, is available at the links below.

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The Short Life of Princess Elizabeth of Great Britain

Princess Elizabeth Caroline (London, England, 10th January 1741 - Kew, Surrey, England, 4th September 1759)

Princess Elizabeth by Jean-Étienne Liotard, 1754

Today's entry is a short and sad one, as we meet a young lady who lived for only 18 years and suffered from ill health throughout her short life. Despite being born into a royal household, nothing could be done for the unfortunate girl.

Princess Elizabeth was born at Norfolk House, St James's Square, to Prince Frederick, Prince of Wales, and Princess Augusta of Saxe-Gotha; her grandparents were, of course, King George II and Caroline of Ansbach. The infant princess was christened in the first week of February and was conducted by Thomas Secker,  Bishop of Oxford. 

The little girl suffered from ailments that left her physically weak yet she was a cheery and enthusiastic child, loved by her siblings and keen to take part in their entertainments. However, she was destined to live a short life and at the age of 18 was laid low by an inflammation of the bowels.

Within days of falling ill, Princess Elizabeth passed away at Kew Palace. As her family mourned, the unfortunate girl was laid to rest in Westminster Abbey.

Life in the Georgian Court, true tales of 18th century royalty, is available at the links below.

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Louise of Great Britain, A Well-Loved Queen

Louise of Great Britain (London, England, 7th December 1724 - Copenhagen, Denmark, 19th December 1751)

Queen Louise of Denmark in her Coronation Robes by Carl Gustaf Pilo, 1747

I’ve got the best china out again today to welcome another daughter of the house of Hanover. Louise of Great Britain was a sister to our previous guest, Anne, Princess Royal, and like her, left England behind for the courts of Europe. Like her sibling, Louise made a good marriage and even became a queen, yet her life was to be a short one.

Louise was the youngest surviving daughter of George II and Caroline of Ansbach, then Prince and Princess of Wales. Her christening took place on 22nd December 1724 at Leicester House and among her godparents she counted yet another lady who has previously featured at the Guide, Louisa Ulrika of Prussia.

When Louise was just two years old her father was crowned king and the little girl was raised and educated to make a good marriage. Gregarious, sociable and cultured, she had a charming personality and found it easy to make friends so the family must have been confident that a likely groom would be easy to find. Meanwhile in Denmark the hunt was on to find a bride for the future King Frederick V, son of Christian VI and Sophie Magdalene. Christian hoped that a good dynastic marriage would secure English support for his claim to the Swedish throne and after negotiations, George agreed to marry his daughter to the hedonistic Frederick. The young man was known for his love of women and he had no intentions of settling to married life but he agreed to the match, though impending marriage did nothing to curb his gadding about!

King Christian VI with his family (L to R, Crown Prince Frederick, King Christian VI, Queen Sophie Magdalene, Crown Princess Louise) by Carl Marcus Tuscher, 1744

The couple were married at Altona, Holstein, on 11th December 1743 and eventually had five children, four of whom survived childhood. Louise and Frederick became good friends though he continued to have numerous mistresses and fathered several illegitimate children. If Louise was distressed by her husband’s behaviour she never showed it nor discussed the matter and instead it appears she turned a blind eye, instead throwing herself into life at court.  

Louise and Frederick had been married for almost three years when they became King and Queen of Denmark and Norway on 6th August 1746 and Louise was very popular with the people thanks to her efforts to fit into Danish life. She studied the culture and tradition of her adopted country and learned to speak Danish, ensuring that her children were also raised speaking their native language, an unusual decision in the German-speaking court. 

Louise of Great Britain by Carl Gustaf Pilo, 1751

Under their stewardship the court that had been so dour and stern rang once more to the sound of music and song, Louise invited theatre companies to perform for courtiers and was tirelessly cheerful and charming. Her popularity helped her husband win the favour of his subjects and she was as well-liked at court as she was with the people of Denmark.

The life of this vibrant young woman was to come to an abrupt end in December 1751. Aged just 27, Louise suffered a traumatic miscarriage at Christiansborg Palace and died as a result of complications. Her burial took place at Roskilde Cathedral, the young queen mourned deeply by the nation that had taken her to its heart.

Life in the Georgian Court, true tales of 18th century royalty, is available at the links below.

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An Abrasive Regent: Anne, Princess Royal and Princess of Orange

Anne, Princess Royal and Princess of Orange (Hanover, Germany, 2nd November 1709 – The Hague, The Netherlands, 12th January 1759) 

Anne, Princess Royal and Princess of Orange, 1736

Not so long ago we met the well-meaning if not always successful William IV, Prince of Orange and today I'm pleased to introduce his wife, Anne, Princess Royal and Princess of Orange. A lady of illustrious lineage, Anne was the daughter of the future King George II and granddaughter to the man who would become King George I. A woman of strong will and no small amount of political talent, she endured personal trials on the road to power.

When Anne was born to George and Caroline of Ansbach at Herrenhausen Palace, her grandfather was not yet King of Great Britain and she was titled Duchess Anne of Brunswick-Lunenburg, named in honour of her grandfather's second cousin Queen Anne. As was usual for a young lady of her station, Anne enjoyed a comprehensive education and excelled in music under the illustrious tuition of our old friend, Handel. These lessons with the composer left Anne with a lifelong appreciation for music and she was particularly fond of the work of her tutor, who would later provide the music to accompany her own words at her wedding to William.

Anne, Princess Royal and Princess of Orange by Johann Valentin Tischbein, 1753

The young Duchess spent much of her childhood in England and at the age of eleven Anne was laid low by smallpox; her suffering caused Caroline of Ansbach to have her other daughters inoculated but by then, it was too late for the young Duchess. Permanently scarred by the disease, Anne was not cowed by her misfortune and returned to her studies as she recovered, her parents already on the lookout for a suitable match. She was named Princess Royal in 1727 by her father, becoming the second holder of the title.

Anne was one of the many potential candidates on the shortlist of possible brides for King Louis XV of France but nothing came of this particular negotiation. Instead, she was married to William IV, Prince of Orange on 25th March 1734 in the Chapel Royal at St James's Palace. The couple formed an immediate fondness for one another and once their honeymoon at Kew was over, the newlyweds sailed for Holland. As we will see, their life was not always picture-perfect but they eventually had five children, two of whom would survive into adulthood.

Anne, Princess Royal and Princess of Orange by Bernard Accama, 1736

Although happy in the company of her husband, when William left his bride at home and travelled to the Rhineland on military business, Anne found herself utterly at sea in her new home and became dreadfully homesick for the familiar surroundings she had left behind. Absolutely convinced that she was pregnant, she travelled back to England and remained there until her father and husband decided that enough was enough, and told her to return to Holland. In fact, there was no pregnancy and Anne returned to her husband and tried once again to settle into married life, finally establishing herself at court and creating a home of her own. A force to be reckoned with, Anne was politically astute and opinionated, two traits that would certainly come to the fore in later years.

In 1751 the 40 year old William died, leaving his widow as regent for their three year old son, William V. She served in this role until her death, proving herself as a leader even as her somewhat abrasive personality made her less than popular. Not all of her policies were successful though and she was not able to secure Dutch support for England in the Seven Years' War, finding increasing antagonism between her adopted homeland and that of her childhood difficult to reconcile.

The formidable regent finally succumbed to dropsy at the age of 49; more regents would follow until William V finally reached majority in 1766, beginning an eventful reign and a story for another time!

Life in the Georgian Court, true tales of 18th century royalty, is available at the links below.

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A Routine Trip to the Closet: The Death of George II

George II (George Augustus; Hanover, Electorate of Brunswick-Luneburg, Holy Roman Empire, 9th November 1683 – London, England, 25th October 1760)

George II  by Thomas Hudson, 1744

Today is a somewhat subdued day in the salon as we mark the anniversary of the death of King George II. My grandmother Gilflurt has oft told a tale of two of this particular monarch but none are really suitable for sharing with our guests, as she can get a little ribald once she's got a gin inside her. Still, it seemed only right the mark the passing of a this long-serving, not always popular, monarch!

In the 33rd year of his reign, the once-lively king had slowed considerably. He had retired from the active political life he had once lived, even his famously hot-temper had perhaps quelled just a little and despite his scandalous love life, more than two decades after the death of his wife, he still mourned her passing. Now in the later years of his life, George's health was failing and he was frustrated by the partial loss of his sign and hearing, though he remained intellectually vibrant.

George II by Charles Jervas, 1727

By the age of 76, George had quite naturally become a creature of habit and on the morning of his death he left his bed in Kensington Palace at six o'clock as was his routine, seeing in the day with his usual cup of chocolate. Suitably refreshed, he retired to perform his toilet and it was then that his valet heard a noise that brought him running to his master's aid. The king had fallen and was prone on the floor, barely alive. As George was carried to bed and settled as well as he could be, Princess Amelia was summoned to her ailing father's side but by the time the princess arrived at Kensington Palace, King George II was dead. George's physician, Frank Nicholls, made preparations to embalm the late monarch and found that the cause of death had been an aortic dissection. 

According to his wishes, George was buried beside his beloved wife, Caroline of Ansbach, at Westminster Abbey on 11th November 1760. As was his wish, the sides of their coffins were removed to allow their bodies to rest together.

Life in the Georgian Court, true tales of 18th century royalty, is available at the links below.

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An Unsuccessful Reformer: William IV, Prince of Orange-Nassau

William IV, Prince of Orange-Nassau (Willem Karel Hendrik Friso, Leeuwarden, The Netherlands, 1st September 1711 – Huis ten Bosch, The Netherlands, 22nd October 1751)

William IV, Prince of Orange-Nassau by Joseph Aved, 1751

Another royal sort today, this time a gentleman of the Netherlands in the shape of William IV, Prince of Orange-Nassau.

Six weeks after the death of John William Friso, Prince of Orange, his wife, Landgravine Marie Louise of Hesse-Kassel, gave birth to a son, Willem Karel. Upon his birth the boy immediately assumed his late father's position as Stadtholder of Friesland. He was also Stadtholder of Groningen although Marie Louise would remain Regent until William turned 20 and at the age of 11 he was elected Stadtholder of Guelders. Under his mother's watchful eye he took the reins of leadership, proving a well-liked if somewhat indecisive ruler. 

Anne, Princess Royal and Princess of Orange by Bernard Accama, 1736

Highly-educated, witty and attractive, William enjoyed enormous popularity with his people and court alike. He was considered one of the most eligible young men on the European continent and, accordingly, was married to a highly eligible young lady in the form of Anne, Princess Royal. The eldest daughter of King George II and Caroline of Ansbach, Anne took an instant shine to William and the couple were wed on 25th March 1734 in the Chapel Royal at St James's Palace. A honeymoon at Kew followed after which the newlyweds sailed for Holland. Their life together was not always settled and Anne struggled to adapt to her new surroundings but they eventually had five children, two of whom would survive into adulthood.

When French troops marched into Flanders in 1747 during the War of Austrian Succession, William was appointed General Stadtholder of the United Provinces, giving him control of the Netherlands. Initially hugely popular with the people due to his taxation reforms, his star faded somewhat when it became apparent that his skills as a leader were considerably less than had been hoped. Although he attempted to deal with corruption and abuse of office and patronage, upon his death many of the problems that had beset his territories remained, his somewhat uncertain efforts at reform mostly unsuccessful.

Life in the Georgian Court, true tales of 18th century royalty, is available at the links below.

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