Princess Charlotte, George IV's daughter

[Luc]

A new topic about: princess Charlotte of Wales, daughter of King George IV and Caroline of Brunswick. I know her parents had an ill-fated marriage... Let's post info and pictures of her !!

[Luc]

Princess Charlotte Augusta of Wales was born on 7 January 1796 in the Carlton House in London, her fathers reidence. She was the only child of the Prince and Princess of Wales, George IV and Caroline. Who has more info about her and her relationship with her father and mother ?? Please post then !

[Yseult]

Luc, here you have a few well-known images of princess Charlotte Augusta of Wales:







As far as I know, she had a very sad childhood. The marriage between her father and her mother was absolutely unhappy, prince George found his cousin-and-bride Caroline absolutely ugly and unhygienic, and Caroline regarded George as an unattractive man. They had just three sexual intercourses in their marriage, she became pregnant and the couple never lived together afterwards. When Charlotte was a baby, her parents lived apart. George banished his wife to a private residence, The Pagoda, and restricted the time Caroline could spend with their common daughter. So, Charlotte grew up without the warmth tender of both her father and her mother, cause George was involved in his affair with the flamboyant countess of Jersey while it is said that, in The Pagoda, Caroline had an intimate relationship with George Canning.

But Charlotte paternal grand-mother, after whom the girl has been named, tried in vain to supply the parents. Sadly, queen Charlotte was a devoted wife to her husband, mad king George, so she can´t provide her grand-daughter all the time the girl needed. Your princess Charlotte grew up as a rather spoiled creature and she became a headstrong young woman. She rejected her bethrotal to the prince Willem of Netherlands, with the support of a russian grand duchess, Ekaterina Paulovna, beautiful dowager duchess of Oldenburg, who visited England after the defeat of Napoleon by the allies at the Battle of Leipzig. Funny enough: it is said that Ekaterina tried to ensure the split between princess Charlotte and Willen because herself was attached to the Orange prince, but, during her journey in England, the russian energetic grand duchess fell madly in love with her cousin Wilhelm, crown prince of Württemberg.

[Luc]

But... why didn't her grandparents care for their granddaughter? I read somewhere that her father said: "Charlotte have to give up the crazy thought to possess an own will. So long as I live, she has to obey me. Even when she has got 30, 40 or 50 years." And what you said about prince Willem of the Netherlands, he married in 1816 the sister of Catharina Pavlovna, Anna !

[Prince_Christopher]

Here is a link to an interesting page about Charlotte:

http://www.georgianindex.net/Prn_Charlotte/P_Charlotte.html

She has always been one of my favorites, of that period, one of the "what-ifs" that makes history so intriguing.

By all accounts, she was a lively and well-liked girl, but rebellious and headstrong as well.  Considering who her parents were, she turned out rather well and it would have been interesting to see how she lived out her life.  The public loved her fanatically and her death was a terrible shock to the world that existed then.

[Mari]

very interesting article. I think it obvious her Husband was attached to her. I wonder if She was considered a beauty for the time frame?

[Luc]

 There is a book about Charlotte and Leopold about their loveletters. Who were her Charlottes candidates to marry? She was a desirable bride...

[grandduchessella]

Here's a bit about Charlotte's romantic life from janeaustenworld.com

"When Charlotte was sixteen, the government proposed a marriage to Prince William of Orange (1792-1849), the son of King William I of the Netherlands. It would strengthen the alliance between Great Britian and the Netherlands and get the rebellious Charlotte off the Regent's hands so he favored the marriage. Charlotte, at first, acquiesced and the engagement was announced after their meeting at a dinner at Carlton House on December 11, 1813. While she was spinning out the negotiations with the Prince of Orange, the allied sovereigns arrived in London in June 1814 to celebrate their victory over Napoleon. Among them, in the suite of the Emperor of Russia, was the young and handsome Prince Leopold of Saxe-Coburg. He made several attempts to attract the notice of the Princess, but she, with her heart elsewhere, paid very little attention. She had already met Prince Frederick, the King of Prussia's 19 year old nephew, at a dinner party at Carlton House and fallen in love with him. She determined to break off the engagement. Charlotte announced on June 16th,1814 that she would have none of the Prince of Orange. This was hardly surprising as his looks had earned him the nickname of 'the Young Frog.' This was not Charlotte's first love affair, for she had previously carried on a clandestine correspondence with Captain Hess, a handsome officer of the 18th Light Dragoons. Lady de Clifford, Princess Charlotte's governess, had allowed Hess who was reputed to be an illegitimate son of the Duke of York and therefore a cousin to often ride beside Charlotte's open carriage in the autumn of 1812. Miss Cornelia Knight, one of Charlotte's ladies, helped her meet Prince Frederick privately at Warwick House during his June 1814 visit to London. Next month, July 1814, the Prince Regent, heard rumors that his daughter was having secret meetings with a man. He didn't find out about Frederick but thought it was his disreputable 35 year old cousin Prince Augustus of Prussia. The Prince Regent suddenly appeared upon the scene and, after dismissing her Warwick household, sentenced Princess Charlotte to a strict seclusion in Windsor Park. "God Almighty grant me patience!" she exclaimed, falling on her knees in an agony of agitation: then she jumped up, ran down the backstairs and out into the street, hailed a passing cab, and drove to her mother's house in Connaught Place. She was discovered, pursued, and at length, yielding to the persuasions of her uncles, the dukes of York and Sussex, of Brougham, and of the Bishop of Salisbury, she returned to Carlton House at two o'clock in the morning. She was immured at Cranbourne Lodge in Windsor Great Park, but no more was heard of the Prince of Orange. In spite of the watch kept on her, Charlotte managed to carry on a secret correspondence with Frederick until he returned her portrait and broke off their relationship in January 1815. The way was at last open to Prince Leopold of Saxe-Coburg. "

[grandduchessella]

Her wedding dress:

Princess Charlotte's wedding dress was silver lamé on net, over a silver tissue slip, embroidered at the bottom with silver lama in shells and flowers. Body and sleeves to correspond, elegantly trimmed with point Brussels lace. The manteau was of silver tissue lined with white satin, with a border of embroidery to answer that on the dress, and fastened in front with a splendid diamond ornament.

Another description:

"Princess Charlotte's Dresses. --- 1. The wedding dress, composed of a most magnificent silver lama on net, over a rich silver tissue slip, with a superb border of silver lama embroidery at the bottom, forming shells and bouquets above the border; a most elegant fullness tastefully designed, in festoons of rich silver lama, and finished with a very brilliant rollio of lama; the body and sleeves to correspond, trimmed with a most beautiful point Brussels lace, in a peculiar elegant style. The manteau of rich silver tissue lined with white satin, trimmed round with a most superb silver lama border, in shells to correspond with the dress, and fastened in front with a most brilliant and costly ornament of diamonds. The whole dress surpassed all conception in the brilliancy and richness of its effects. Head dress, a wreath of rose buds and leaves, composed of the most superb brilliants. "



Charlotte & Leopold



Her tomb at St George's Chapel

[Luc]

The book that I mean is from Reinout Goddyn, the title is 'Charlotte and Leopold. The loveletters from princess Charlotte of Wales to prince Leopold of Saxe-Coburg'. You can find it on www.bol.com.

[Luc]

If you go to that site, you can look into the book. Warning: it is in Dutch! If you want some translation, I will try.
But how was her relationship with her father and her grandparents ? Did they hate Charlotte ?

[Luc]

Charlotte said about her mother: "My mother was bad, but she wouldn't have been so bad if my father wasn't much more bad."

[trentk80]

I'd like to know what her relationship was like with her grandmother, Queen Charlotte. Does anybody know?

[Prince_Christopher]

I think Charlotte must have been well aware of her parents' shortcomings early on.  That in itself was indicitive of her character.  I think she was highly spoiled, probably by her grandmother more than anyone.  Her father considered her a nuisance, even though he loved her, and once she reached adulthood was eager to get her off his hands. 

[Luc]

I read in an article:

"Charlotte is a capricious, neglected girl, grown up without family, friends or discipline. Despite all quarrels and hatred, she grew up in a bright and sensitive child. She is also nervous and exuberant. That causes her in problems with her family; they think that only 'royal dignity' is the right attitude for a future queen."

By whom Charlotte was brought up ? In no case by her parents...