Princess Charlotte of Wales
| Princess Charlotte | |||||
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| Princess Leopold of Saxe-Coburg-Saalfeld Duchess in Saxony |
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Portrait by George Dawe, 1817
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| Born |
7 January 1796 Carlton House, London, England |
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| Died | 6 November 1817 (aged 21) Claremont House, Surrey, England |
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| Burial | 19 November 1817 St George's Chapel, Windsor, England |
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| Spouse | Prince Leopold of Saxe-Coburg-Saalfeld (m. 1816) | ||||
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| House | Hanover | ||||
| Father | George IV of the United Kingdom | ||||
| Mother | Caroline of Brunswick | ||||
| Signature |  |
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| Full name | |
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| Charlotte Augusta |
Princess Charlotte Augusta of Wales (7 January 1796 – 6 November 1817) was the only child of George, Prince of Wales (later to become King George IV) and Caroline of Brunswick. Had she outlived both her grandfather King George III and her father, she would have become Queen of the United Kingdom, but she died following childbirth at the age of 21.
Charlotte's parents disliked each other from before their arranged marriage and soon separated. The Prince of Wales left most of Charlotte's care to governesses and servants, but only allowed her limited contact with the Princess of Wales, who eventually left the country. As Charlotte grew to adulthood, her father pressured her to marry William, Hereditary Prince of Orange (later King of the Netherlands), but after initially accepting him, Charlotte soon broke off the intended match. This resulted in an extended contest of wills between her and her father, and finally the Prince of Wales permitted her to marry Prince Leopold of Saxe-Coburg-Saalfeld (later King of the Belgians). After a year and a half of happy marriage, Charlotte died after delivering a stillborn son.
Charlotte's death set off tremendous mourning among the British, who had seen her as a sign of hope and a contrast both to her unpopular father and to her grandfather, whom they deemed mad. As she had been King George III's only legitimate grandchild, there was considerable pressure on the King's unmarried sons to find wives. King George III's fourth son, Prince Edward, Duke of Kent and Strathearn, fathered the eventual heir, Victoria, who was born 18 months after Charlotte's death.
In 1794, George, Prince of Wales, sought a suitable bride. He did not do so out of any particular desire to secure the succession, but because the Prime Minister, William Pitt the Younger, promised him an increased income if he married. George, despite receiving large incomes as Prince of Wales and as Duke of Cornwall, lived well beyond his means, and by 1794, his income was insufficient to cover even the interest on his debt.
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Wikipedia