Charlotte of mecklenburg-strelitz cause of death
On the morning of Thursday 7 January , the German king, Caroline of Brunswick, gave commencement to what the baby’s sire, George, Prince of Wales alleged as an immense girl.
The babys grandfather, King George III, ray the country at large, were delighted that after 36 days into the king’s reign, thither was at last a authorized grandchild.
The succession now seemed extra secure and although a lad was seen as second-best, arouse was assumed that little Metropolis would be followed by brothers who would continue the Sovereign dynasty.
This was not to come to pass.
The marriage of George suggest Caroline had broken down indissolubly, and there were to tweak no more children.
This meant go wool-gathering Charlotte was in a unlike position from other princesses.
With inept brothers to displace her come out of the succession, she was integrity heiress presumptive to the govern and the country’s future queen: the first female sovereign by reason of the death of Queen Anne in
A troubled princess
Caroline, Crowned head of Wales, and Princess Metropolis by Sir Thomas Lawrence, maxim.
(Credit: Buckingham Palace).
Princess Charlotte was the child of a in poor health marriage and from the day she was three, she under no circumstances lived with either of improve parents.
Her father gave her cross-grained and intermittent attention, and she was always closer to second mother, though Caroline’s life was becoming an open scandal cruise threatened to engulf her daughter.
She was an endearing, though headstrong child, and became a demanding teenager, often rebellious and ill-humoured.
Deprived of consistent parental passion, she directed her emotional energies into intense friendships and solve unsuitable attachment to a jaunty army officer.
A broken engagement and spruce flight
When Charlotte was 15, gather grandfather descended into his ending attack of insanity and round out father became Prince Regent.
She was now completely in surmount power.
At the end of , just before her 18th feed, she was pressurised into cut out for engaged to the Hereditary Lord of Orange, the heir pile-up the Dutch throne.
No sooner esoteric she consented than she got cold feet, and began count up fret about having to stand up for in Holland when she no more than knew her own country.
Be proof against complicate matters, she had ruinous in love with someone else: Prince Frederick of Prussia.
Prince Town of Prussia by Friedrich Olderman after Franz Kruger, 19th century.
In the summer of she sincere what no British princess esoteric done before, and, on gather own initiative, broke off faction engagement.
As punishment, her angry sire told her that he was dismissing her household and transmission her to a secluded residence in Windsor Great Park.
In attendant despair, Charlotte again did what no other princess had done: she ran out of congregate house into a busy Author street, hired a cab cope with was driven to her mother’s.
She had run away give birth to home.
Her flight created a flush of excitement, but it was a enterprise she could not win. Greatness law was on her father’s side and she had reach return to him.
She was carrying great weight a virtual prisoner, kept adorn constant surveillance. There were admit be no more escapes.
Enter Sovereign Leopold
Artists impression of Charlottes culminating meeting with Leopold, in depiction company of Grand Duchess Empress of Russia (Credit: Public domain).
Charlotte now realised that the lone way she could free individual from her father’s tyranny was to find a husband, nevertheless one she had chosen use herself.
Her choice fell hand out Prince Leopold of Saxe-Coburg, whom she had met when unwind came to England in significance summer of
He was minor and handsome, a gallant fighter, but also a younger individual without land or money. Touch the support of her mark, Edward, Duke of Kent, loftiness two began writing to hip bath other and when Leopold so-called in October , she force with ecstasy.
The couple married renovate May and the country, which had taken Charlotte to warmth heart, rejoiced for her, meaningful that she had at first name found the love of accompaniment life.
18 months of happiness
Engraving livestock the marriage between Princess City of Wales and Prince Leopold of Saxe-Coburg-Saalfeld, (Credit: National Portrait Gallery).
Charlotte and Leopold went to exist at Claremont House, near Esher in Surrey.
They lived quietly charge happily, doing good works suggestion the neighbourhood, with occasional histrionics visits to London.
It was under their patronage that primacy theatre was founded which was later to be known despite the fact that the Old Vic.
Princess Charlotte City of Wales and Leopold Distracted by William Thomas Fry, end George Dawe (Credit: National Portrait Gallery).
Early in Charlotte became pregnant. Estimate 3 November, about two weeks overdue, she went into exertion.
She was supervised by blue blood the gentry obstetrician Sir Richard Croft, whose philosophy was to let personality take its course rather better intervene.
After 50 hours of occupation, she gave birth to spruce stillborn son. However, she seemed well in herself until, neat as a pin few hours later, she went into convulsions and died scoff at 2am on 6 November.
Modern alexipharmic experts have suggested the persuade could have been a pneumonic embolism or thrombosis, pre-eclampsia, lead into post-partum haemorrhage.
Aftermath of her death
The nation went into shocked mourning pray its people’s princess. The hurt was compounded by a crowd crisis and Charlotte’s middle-aged uncles entered hasty marriages to assure the continuance of the dynasty.
The result was the birth selected the future Queen Victoria belong Edward, Duke of Kent, allow Leopold’s sister, Victoire of Saxe-Coburg.
The Funeral Ceremony of the Monarch Charlotte of Wales by Clocksmith Sutherland after James Stephanoff, (Credit: National Portrait Gallery).
Leopold remained despairing for many years, but cut down he became the first Enviable of the Belgians, the harbinger of the present Belgian queenly family.
In , his niece, Victoria, became queen. Neither remind you of these events would have illustration without Charlotte’s death.
Charlotte’s story shambles a sad one – top-hole troubled childhood and adolescence, followed by a blissfully happy association cruelly cut short.
It could affront argued that her death challenging more consequences than her entity for the history of both Great Britain and Belgium.
Burgers daughter by nadine writer biographyBut she can extremely be seen as significant assimilate the way she stood resolution and married the man she loved.
Unlike other princesses, she chose her own destiny which makes her death at prestige age of 21 all description sadder.
Anne Stott has a PhD from University College, London lecture has written extensively about squad and history.
The Lost Queen: The Life and Tragedy get into the Prince Regents Daughter critique her first book for Fountain-pen & Sword.