Author Topic: King George II and his family  (Read 18129 times)

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Offline Prince_Lieven

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King George II and his family
« on: December 24, 2006, 01:53:33 PM »
John van der Kiste's book 'Georgian Princesses' is a good source of info on these ladies.

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1. Anna (1709-1759) m. Prince William IV of Orange-Nassau

She was intelligent but extremely bossy. When her mother, Queen Caroline, found out that Anna (or Anne) had been forcing her maid to read aloud to her for hour's on end, she made her daughter do the same till Anna had learned her lesson! Her husband, William IV, was very ugly, but she said she'd marry him even if he was a baboon. Her father said 'Well, there is baboon enough for you'.

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2. Amelia (1711-1786)

She was the family flirt. Her family called her 'Emily'. She was George III's favourite aunt and his children visited her often. He was annoyed, however, to find she left all her money to the children of her sister Mary.

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4.Mary (1723-1772) m. Friedrich II of Hessen-Cassel

There was some scandal with her husband . . . he abandoned her or something and she had to raise their children alone. I'm afraid I can't remember the details!

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5.Louise (1723-1766) m. King Frederick V of Denmark

Louise (or Louisa) was supposedly the only one of the daughter to inherit Queen Caroline's looks and quick mind. She was a popular queen of Denmark, as far as I know.


« Last Edit: May 09, 2013, 06:23:38 AM by Svetabel »
"How often have I said to you that when you have eliminated the impossible, whatever remains, however improbable, must be the truth?"
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Offline Prince_Lieven

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Re: King George II and his family
« Reply #1 on: December 24, 2006, 01:56:21 PM »

Queen Louisa of Denmark (George II's daughter)


Frederick Louis, Prince of Wales, and his three sisters, Anne, Amelia and Caroline.

« Last Edit: May 09, 2013, 06:07:51 AM by Svetabel »
"How often have I said to you that when you have eliminated the impossible, whatever remains, however improbable, must be the truth?"
-Sherlock Holmes

"Men forget, but never forgive; women forgive, but never forget."

LenelorMiksi

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Re: King George II and his family
« Reply #2 on: December 25, 2006, 03:57:10 PM »




Princess Caroline (1713-1786)... the 2nd one is a detail from the group portrait Pc_Lieven posted earlier. 

Offline Prince_Lieven

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Re: King George II and his family
« Reply #3 on: December 30, 2006, 09:17:02 AM »
http://www.royalcollection.org.uk/egallery/object.asp?category=AAPICTURES&object=405741&row=309

If you magnify the image, I believe the girl to the right of Augusta & the baby is Princess Elizabeth.  Elizabeth & Louisa were the invalids of the family, according to a web source I have forgotten, & perhaps Elizabeth was generally not strong enough to sit for a portrait... I don't know.

I just looked Elizabeth and Louisa up in van der Kiste's book. Elizabeth's health was so bad that she had not been taught to read by the age of eight. She was artistic though, and loved taking part in theatrical performances. Sadly she couldn't stand upright unaided but learned her parts in plays simply by hearin her siblings rehearse them. It was inflammation of the bowels that killed her.

Louisa was at first chosen to follow in the footsteps of her namesake aunt and become Queen of Denmark, but the Danish envoy thought she didn't look long for this world so chose Caroline Matilda instead. Since their sister Augusta's marriage the two had become much closer, and Caroline Matilda was very sad to leave the tubercular Louisa, probably knowing they would never meet again.

Some interesting things about other family members too - Anne, the Princess of Orange, was always on the look out for husbands for her sisters Amelia and Caroline, whether they wanted them or not, so much so that Amelia wrote to her: 'I sometimes believe you think that unmarried women have no places in heaven, for you think nobody can have the least happiness without being tied from morning to night to a creature which may tire one's life out.' Anne was clever and hardworking, but had no charm whatsoever - she died of dropsy. Their sister Mary, Landgravine of Hesse, was abandoned by her husband, who wrote to her saying that before their marriage he had been in love with a well born Catholic lady who wouldn't marry him because of his faith. However, on her death bed this lady begged him to convert so their 'souls might be together in heaven'. This he did, of course. George II was furious and ordered Mary to come back to England, but she refused, saying 'it was her duty to remain in the situation in which it had pleased God to place her'.

Amelia, of course, remained a spinster, though she acted as hostess to her brother the Duke of Cumberland, and they were often invited to parties together. She was the only one of George II's family with him when she died, though she was ill herself and almost deaf and blind.

Augusta, eldest sister of George III, was very bold, quick witted and argumentative, though apparently had a tendency to over eat, and paid no attention to her mother's pleas to be careful about her figure.
« Last Edit: December 30, 2006, 09:24:57 AM by Prince_Lieven »
"How often have I said to you that when you have eliminated the impossible, whatever remains, however improbable, must be the truth?"
-Sherlock Holmes

"Men forget, but never forgive; women forgive, but never forget."

Offline Prince_Lieven

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Re: King George II and his family
« Reply #4 on: December 31, 2006, 11:49:34 AM »
'Butcher' Cumberland:



"How often have I said to you that when you have eliminated the impossible, whatever remains, however improbable, must be the truth?"
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"Men forget, but never forgive; women forgive, but never forget."

Offline TampaBay

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Re: King George II and his family
« Reply #5 on: January 01, 2007, 07:42:50 AM »
Were the marriages of the Georgian Princesses considered "good matches" ?????

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« Last Edit: January 01, 2007, 07:44:38 AM by TampaBay »
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Offline Prince_Lieven

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Re: King George II and his family
« Reply #6 on: January 01, 2007, 11:19:19 AM »
Not all of them. To start with George II's daughters, Anne, Princess Royal, could have done better - she was the eldest daughter. At least William IV was royal though, and Holland had previous ties with the UK via William III. I think Mary's match (to the Landgrave of Hesse-Kassel) was a good match for the daughter of the Elector of Hanover (which her father was also) but not too good for a king's daughter. Louisa's marriage to the King of Denmark was, I should think, quite respectable. So were Augusta's (to the Duke of Brunswick) and Caroline Matilda's. As for George III's daughters, Charlotte probably married a little below herself (like Anne) since her husband was a mere duke at the time of marriage, though he eventually became a king. Elizabeth's marriage (to the Landgrave of Hesse-Homburg) also seems pretty small fry, but she was 48 at the time and couldn't have expected much better. Mary, who married her cousin the Duke of Gloucester, did marry royalty, but dubious royalty - because the duke's parent's marriage wasn't thought well of, his status could be questioned.
"How often have I said to you that when you have eliminated the impossible, whatever remains, however improbable, must be the truth?"
-Sherlock Holmes

"Men forget, but never forgive; women forgive, but never forget."

Offline CountessKate

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Re: King George II and his family
« Reply #7 on: January 01, 2007, 11:38:08 AM »
George I's daughter Sophia Dorothea made a 'good' match, marrying Friedrich Wilhelm I King of Prussia.

Offline Prince_Lieven

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Re: King George II and his family
« Reply #8 on: January 01, 2007, 01:52:53 PM »
Yes, a very good marriage, though she's not usually considered a Georgian princess, since she married before her father became king.
"How often have I said to you that when you have eliminated the impossible, whatever remains, however improbable, must be the truth?"
-Sherlock Holmes

"Men forget, but never forgive; women forgive, but never forget."

LenelorMiksi

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Re: King George II and his family
« Reply #9 on: January 07, 2007, 09:51:33 AM »


Princess Mary, daughter of George II.



Her husband, Friedrich II of Hesse-Kassel.

LenelorMiksi

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Re: King George II and his family
« Reply #10 on: January 27, 2007, 12:50:55 PM »
I've recently come to admire George II's wife, Caroline of Ansbach, or Wilhelmine Karoline of Brandenburg-Ansbach.  His aunt Queen Sophia Charlotte of Prussia educated her, & she became highly intelligent & cultured.  Her early portraits show a pretty, blonde & lively young woman.



She grew much heavier in later life & exerted a lot of influence over her husband, who realized her capabilities.  In public he would not listen to her opinions, which was intelligent considering the effect that would have on their reputations, but in private she usually convinced him of her point of view.
« Last Edit: May 09, 2013, 06:32:29 AM by Svetabel »

Offline Prince_Lieven

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Re: King George II and his family
« Reply #11 on: January 27, 2007, 12:56:39 PM »
I share your admiration; she was a great queen. When she died, George called for a portrait of her that was said to be the best possible likeness, and stared at it for two hours. More famously, when she urged him to remarry, he replied 'non, j'aurai les maitresses' (no, I will have mistresses). They worked well as a couple. A popular rhyme said 'You may strut, dapper George, but twill all be in vain; We know it is Queen Caroline, not you, that reign'. She was a firm supporter of Robert Walpole.
"How often have I said to you that when you have eliminated the impossible, whatever remains, however improbable, must be the truth?"
-Sherlock Holmes

"Men forget, but never forgive; women forgive, but never forget."

LenelorMiksi

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Re: King George II and his family
« Reply #12 on: January 28, 2007, 04:42:21 PM »


A beautiful portrait of Queen Caroline.  She got on well with her father-in-law, King George I, & attempted to bridge the difficulties between him and her husband.  She was shocked by the state of prisons in Britain, and she acted to let minor offenders have lighter sentences.  She was more popular than George I or George II, which annoyed her father-in-law.

Yseult

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Re: King George II and his family
« Reply #13 on: August 01, 2007, 12:18:05 PM »
I need your help ;)
I would be pleased to know more info about queen Caroline of England, born princess of Brandenburg-Ansbach. She had been the first great love of her cousin the king of Prussia, before her marriage to George II of England. I know she lived a very interesting life.
If anyone of you have portraits, please, include them here ;)

Offline Rosamund

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Re: King George II and his family
« Reply #14 on: August 03, 2007, 10:04:40 AM »
Caroline was orphaned at the age of thirteen.  The King of Prussia, a distant cousin, became her guardian.  As he had no daughters of his own he intended to make use of her for an advantageous dynastic alliance and therefore was unlikely to want her for his own son.  Connected to the two expanding royal houses of Prussia and Saxony, Caroline was an attractive marriage proposition and she received an offer from Archduke Charles.  She gained much credit for turning him down on the grounds that she did not want to become a Catholic.  King Friedrich would have preferred the union with Austria but did not compel Caroline to accept the future Emperor.  Queen Sophia Charlotte had a high opinion of Caroline and now the latter, an advocate of Protestantism, was perceived as suitable bride for the Queen’s nephew Prince George of Hanover.

George supposedly fell in love with Caroline at first sight.  They had a very close relationship, being little apart during the whole of their married life.