Princess Charlotte and Prince Leopold Saxe-Coburg,
1816. Royal Collection Trust, Wordpress
The debauched prince was described as an indebted, disgraced libertine, too fond of wine and women. King George III correctly complained endlessly about his son’s behaviour. By 1795 George’s debts had spiralled to a HUGE £630,000 (£48m now), at a time when Britain was fighting a brutally expensive war with Napoleonic France!
The Prince of Wales reluctantly agreed to leave his secret Roman Catholic mistress, Maria Fitzherbert, and marry a wealthy princess i.e his cousin German Princess Caroline of Brunswick. They hated each other on sight, but married in Ap 1795 and conceived on their wedding night. When Princess Charlotte was born, Caroline was thrown out and the baby princess was established in her own household.
Charlotte was an affectionate, pretty and high-spirited girl, capturing hearts wherever she went. Increasingly concerned for his only legitimate grandchild, George III played a greater role in his grand daughter’s upbringing. In 1804 he appointed a governess who taught an extensive curriculum eg Latin, history, drawing and music. The princess was not a model pupil but she excelled in piano & equestrianism.
King George IV in his coronation robes, 1821
by Thomas Lawrence
The teenage princess enjoyed immense popularity, contrasting with her mad grandfather George III and her profligate father. When her father became Prince Regent in 1811 upon his father’s madness, he used his new powers to harshly restrict Charlotte’s lifestyle.
Charlotte wanted romance and even the Prince Regent appreciated the need for a suitable husband. And he was motivated by a desire to secure Britain an ally against Napoleon. His first choice was Prince William of Orange. But Charlotte wouldn’t live in Holland post-marriage, arguing that a future British queen shouldn’t marry a foreigner. To dad’s fury, the teenager broke off the engagement herself.
In Aug 1814 Charlotte visited dad and public sympathy with the persecuted princess peaked. Wherever her coach stopped en route, huge crowds cheered: Hail Princess Charlotte, Europe’s Hope and Britain’s Glory!
In early 1815, Charlotte saw Prince Leopold of Saxe-Coburg, a dashing Napoleonic Wars soldier. She made contact with Leopold via intermediaries and liked him. But her father was uncertain; it took months before he’d invite him to Britain.
In Feb 1816, the Prince Regent hosted a dinner for Leopold and his daughter at Brighton, when Charlotte became enraptured. George was also impressed, agreeing that Prince Leopold was perfect. The engagement was celebrated in the House of Commons in Mar 1816 and enormous crowds gathered to celebrate their wedding at Carlton House in May 1816. Princess Charlotte’s sumptuous silver wedding dress cost £10,000.
The loved-up Coburgs became a popular fixture on the London social scene; public appearances prompted wild applause and anthem singing. Public interest in the couple reached fever pitch when Charlotte’s pregnancy was announced in Ap 1817. But Charlotte went into labour 3 weeks late, superintended by male midwife Sir Richard Croft. Two days later, the fearful princess was still pregnant. An obstetrician was called, but Croft refused to admit him; neither did Croft consent to using forceps. After 50 excruciating hours, Charlotte delivered a large, stillborn boy.
Memorial to Prince Leopold and Princess Charlotte
by Thomas Lawrence
Charlotte wanted romance and even the Prince Regent appreciated the need for a suitable husband. And he was motivated by a desire to secure Britain an ally against Napoleon. His first choice was Prince William of Orange. But Charlotte wouldn’t live in Holland post-marriage, arguing that a future British queen shouldn’t marry a foreigner. To dad’s fury, the teenager broke off the engagement herself.
In Aug 1814 Charlotte visited dad and public sympathy with the persecuted princess peaked. Wherever her coach stopped en route, huge crowds cheered: Hail Princess Charlotte, Europe’s Hope and Britain’s Glory!
In early 1815, Charlotte saw Prince Leopold of Saxe-Coburg, a dashing Napoleonic Wars soldier. She made contact with Leopold via intermediaries and liked him. But her father was uncertain; it took months before he’d invite him to Britain.
In Feb 1816, the Prince Regent hosted a dinner for Leopold and his daughter at Brighton, when Charlotte became enraptured. George was also impressed, agreeing that Prince Leopold was perfect. The engagement was celebrated in the House of Commons in Mar 1816 and enormous crowds gathered to celebrate their wedding at Carlton House in May 1816. Princess Charlotte’s sumptuous silver wedding dress cost £10,000.
Charlotte was desperately sick. By the time Croft arrived, he found his patient bleeding heavily and cold. Before Leopold was woken up, Charlotte was dead and 2 generations of the British monarchy had been wiped out! Never before in British history had there been such heartfelt and widespread mourning for a royal death. Every shop closed up for 2 weeks, as did the Royal Exchange, Law Courts and docks. She was buried in St George’s Chapel Windsor.
This widespread grief resulted in many commemorative works of art, all eagerly eagerly purchased. MC Wyatt’s monument was erected in St George’s Chapel and Henry Howard painted posthumous portraits. Others produced commemorative prints, ceramics and medals, depicting the princess on her ascent to heaven.
This widespread grief resulted in many commemorative works of art, all eagerly eagerly purchased. MC Wyatt’s monument was erected in St George’s Chapel and Henry Howard painted posthumous portraits. Others produced commemorative prints, ceramics and medals, depicting the princess on her ascent to heaven.
Eventually anger emerged, mostly directed against the royal family. Prince George was accused of showing scarce sorrow at his daughter’s death. Nonetheless he was crowned as King George IV in July 1821.
made by Francis John Williamson in marble.
St George's Church, Esher, Surrey
St George's Church, Esher, Surrey
Charlotte’s death, meanwhile, urged George III’s sons to sire an heir. None of them had ever wanted to marry, but the king’s fourth son, Edward Duke of Kent, wed German Princess Victoria of Saxe-Coburg in May 1818. A year later Princess Victoria was born at Kensington Palace and enjoyed popularity like Charlotte had. On becoming Queen Victoria in 1837, memories of her tragic cousin had faded from public memory. Victoria had rescued the monarchy.
**Now a similar, modern story in our own lifetime. This time the princess was Diana, ex-wife of Prince Charles who died in Paris in 1997. Daughter of Viscount Althorp, Diana saw her parents’ marriage ended in divorce in 1969 and Spencer won custody of the children. Diana had a difficult, unhappy family life.
From the moment teenage Ldy Diana Spencer was suggested as a potential bride for Prince Charles, she became a figure of intense public interest, very popular for her gentleness and beauty. Soon she was the royal family’s own global superstar. Huge crowds gathered to witness her every public appearance, and her 1981 marriage intensified public interest. The royals were the most glamorous couple on earth, Diana more popular than Charles. She represented a bright new future for the monarchy, compared to the stiffly formal Windsors.
Few events in British history have prompted the national dismay that followed Princess Diana’s death in Aug 1997. [I am not a royalist yet I wept]. When she died in a hideous car accident, c1.3 million bouquets arrived at Buckingham and Kensington palaces. The Westminster Abbey funeral was watched by c2.5 billion worldwide. Grief turned to anger, mostly directed against the royal family. But even if Diana’s long-term impact fades, note that Diana left behind beautiful sons to inherit the throne.
Princess Diana and her two much loved sons, Princes Harry and William
Stylecaster
Stylecaster
Read of an exhibition devoted to the short life and tragic death of Princess Charlotte Augusta of Wales, Daughter of England.
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26 comments:
There are clear parallels between Charlotte and Diana. A whole generation has now grown up who don't have a direct memory of Diana and who don't remember where they were on that fateful day in 1997.
Female, attractive, dedicated to the job, family oriented, loyal and hard working.. what was there to remember?
Andrew
My oldest grandson, normally a well educated lad, had _no_ idea who Princess Diana had been. I would have been very upset, until I realised I remembered _nothing_ about Princess Charlotte except her father's name. Does a person have to have witnessed a major event to remember and absorb it?
Deb
Female, attractive, dedicated to the job, family oriented, loyal and hard working must be almost irrelevant, apparently. I wasn't even alive when Tsar Nicholas II was executed in 1918, but I remember every detail of his family and career. Even though he was male, despotic, insensitive to his people, racist etc.
Hello Hels, Ivor Noel Hume detailed the sad scandal over Caroline in one of his books. He showed an 1820 ceramic pitcher with her portrait and the motto "God Save Queen Caroline." Apparently the public sympathy was all with Caroline, and perhaps the bad karma generated over this presaged the future tragedy.
--Jim
Gracias por tan exhaustivo y didáctico trabajo sobre estas dos princesas, y que como fondo tiene a la casa real británica, que nunca estuvo exenta de polémicas, incluso hoy en día.
Un saludo.
Boa tarde minha querida amiga. Obrigado pela excelente matéria. Bom início de semana.
Parnassus
Royal scandals all over the place, yes! I can imagine that at the time people were talking about the terrible behaviour of the Prince Regent/later King George IV, and perhaps also about Queen Caroline's behaviour. But I wonder if the public sympathy you described included the royal treatment of Princess Charlotte.
Manuel
royal families are never free from controversy, as you say, especially if they really have behaved politically, sexually or financially very badly. The only difference was that most newspapers swore never to reveal nasty royal secrets! Now every event appears in social media before the royal has even pulled his knickers up. Voluntary censorship by the media is a concept nobody has abided by in the last few decades.
Luiz
Do citizens of nations that are not part of a monarchy understand the public's response to bad royal behaviour and loss? I understand that football stars and film stars can behave really badly in all countries, but people tend to let those scandals slip by.
By the way, Australia should have another referendum about leaving the monarchy. It might succeed this time.
I was only seven when this happened, I don't have a great memory. But obviously it's hard for me to know, like everyone else. I hope to see the movie that came out about it and that justice is finally done! Hugs and kiss my dear
eudaniela28.blogspot.pt
Daniela
I am not a conspiracy theorist, but until horrible deaths are properly explained, justice is never fully done. People to this very day still argue about who commissioned the assassinations of President Kennedy and of Prime Minister Benazir Bhutto.
Not all buy into the wonderful sweet innocent girl that Diana is perceived to have been by many. I suppose if there were over a million flowers there were at home many more millions of people who did not wish to send her a bouquet. The funeral was watched as a spectacle by most who watched it. Although many businesses closed, many also did not. She produced a wonderful son in William and for that we are truly grateful, the other one is best forgotten.
Rachel
thanks for your detailed comment. I might have to rethink whether my post was accurate for _all_ Brits and British Commonwealth citizens equally.
I would like to know what happened to the arrogant shit who was supposed to deliver her baby . Yet another man lording it over a female body at her MOST vulnerable .
As for Dianna , She seemed to me to be a damaged and naïve girl who learned pretty quickly that fairy tales are just that . I think the reaction to her death was about the disillusionment that people felt as well as the tragedy . I often wonder if Dianna had been ugly whether the response would have been the same .
mem
the story of the male midwife Sir Richard Croft who superintended Princess Charlotte's labour and delivery was a disaster. He was a over-confident, self-centred prick who wouldn't allow any medical assistance, even though Croft was way out of his depth. Perhaps health care staff were always thus, but Sir Richard must have felt worse than average - he suicided within a year of Princess Charlotte's death.
Princess Diana was loved by the entire British Commonwealth. She was not just beautiful, but gave her heart and soul to the needy across the world. I am not a royalist, but I was sooo proud of her spending quality time in hospitals, with patients who were normally shunned.
Boa semana com muita saúde e paz minha querida amiga.
Luiz
it has been a rather horrible time for the whole world, so I thank you.
Hi Hels - I'd forgotten about Charlotte - so thanks for the overview. Two sad ladies who changed Britain's royal history, and continue to do so. Cheers Hilary
I knew the story of Princess Charlotte but didn't know all the details. I was obsessed with Princess Diana as a young girl and still have the scrapbooks filled with pictures of her. It was such a beautiful love story that... was all fake :(
Diana played the media like a well tuned violin but she also did so much for numerous good causes which were not always publicised. One of her greatest achievements was getting people to accept HIV victims in a more positive way. It seemed inconceivable at the time that someone so protected could have been involved in a fatal car crash.
Hilary
Despite a history degree and then a Masters, I am embarrassed to say I also knew precious little about Princess Charlotte. That leads me to think we read history guided by the largely male historians who wrote the books back in the day. (I was at Uni in the mid 60a
s)
Handmade
of course you were besotted.. many little girls wanted to be a princess, and what better role model was there than Diana?
Re the great love story.. you were too young to understand real royal goals and real royal requirements. So was Diana, apparently :(
Funny
Diana might have been dazzled by all the glamour and influence, but she was a huge success in supporting the vulnerable and the sick.
I too have no idea why the police didn't protect her from the press sticking microphones up her nose and cars chasing her at great speeds.
Business Technology
thank you for reading the post. But no advertising please.
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