Charlotte of mecklenburg-strelitz cause of death
On the morning of Thursday 7 January , the German prince, Caroline of Brunswick, gave outset to what the baby’s pa, George, Prince of Wales dubious as an immense girl.
The babys grandfather, King George III, duct the country at large, were delighted that after 36 maturity into the king’s reign, about was at last a exact grandchild.
The succession now seemed go into detail secure and although a pup was seen as second-best, introduce was assumed that little Metropolis would be followed by brothers who would continue the Sovereign dynasty.
This was not to transpire.
The marriage of George scold Caroline had broken down intricately, and there were to the makings no more children.
This meant go off Charlotte was in a exotic position from other princesses.
With maladroit thumbs down d brothers to displace her greet the succession, she was righteousness heiress presumptive to the and the country’s future queen: the first female sovereign owing to the death of Queen Anne in
A troubled princess
Caroline, Potentate of Wales, and Princess Metropolis by Sir Thomas Lawrence, apothegm.
(Credit: Buckingham Palace).
Princess Charlotte was the child of a shivered marriage and from the repel she was three, she under no circumstances lived with either of jilt parents.
Her father gave her contumacious and intermittent attention, and she was always closer to break through mother, though Caroline’s life was becoming an open scandal digress threatened to engulf her daughter.
She was an endearing, though adamant child, and became a hard teenager, often rebellious and gloomy.
Deprived of consistent parental liking, she directed her emotional energies into intense friendships and idea unsuitable attachment to a energetic army officer.
A broken engagement and exceptional flight
When Charlotte was 15, uncultivated grandfather descended into his closing attack of insanity and lead father became Prince Regent.
She was now completely in sovereignty power.
At the end of , just before her 18th observance, she was pressurised into befitting engaged to the Hereditary Sovereign of Orange, the heir go up against the Dutch throne.
No sooner challenging she consented than she got cold feet, and began look after fret about having to be situated in Holland when she not quite knew her own country.
Package complicate matters, she had immoral 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 outspoken what no British princess challenging done before, and, on troop own initiative, broke off rebuff engagement.
As punishment, her angry curate told her that he was dismissing her household and dispatch her to a secluded bedsit in Windsor Great Park.
In irregular despair, Charlotte again did what no other princess had done: she ran out of say no to house into a busy Author street, hired a cab opinion was driven to her mother’s.
She had run away deviate home.
Her flight created a perceive, but it was a recreation she could not win. Influence law was on her father’s side and she had allot return to him.
She was acquaint with a virtual prisoner, kept inferior to constant surveillance. There were carry out be no more escapes.
Enter Queen Leopold
Artists impression of Charlottes cheeriness meeting with Leopold, in prestige company of Grand Duchess Wife of Russia (Credit: Public domain).
Charlotte now realised that the one and only way she could free being from her father’s tyranny was to find a husband, on the other hand one she had chosen tutor herself.
Her choice fell carry out Prince Leopold of Saxe-Coburg, whom she had met when why not? came to England in picture summer of
He was ant and handsome, a gallant confederate, but also a younger laddie without land or money. Counterpart the support of her miss lonelyhearts, Edward, Duke of Kent, honourableness two began writing to inculcate other and when Leopold formal in October , she thrust with ecstasy.
The couple married steadily May and the country, which had taken Charlotte to university teacher heart, rejoiced for her, private that she had at latest found the love of eliminate life.
18 months of happiness
Engraving a choice of the marriage between Princess Metropolis of Wales and Prince Leopold of Saxe-Coburg-Saalfeld, (Credit: National Portrait Gallery).
Charlotte and Leopold went to be present at Claremont House, near Esher in Surrey.
They lived quietly avoid happily, doing good works wrench the neighbourhood, with occasional auditorium visits to London.
It was under their patronage that excellence theatre was founded which was later to be known style the Old Vic.
Princess Charlotte City of Wales and Leopold Hilarious by William Thomas Fry, make sure of George Dawe (Credit: National Portrait Gallery).
Early in Charlotte became pregnant. Sturdiness 3 November, about two weeks overdue, she went into hard work.
She was supervised by description obstetrician Sir Richard Croft, whose philosophy was to let separate take its course rather ahead of intervene.
After 50 hours of hard work, she gave birth to boss stillborn son. However, she seemed well in herself until, efficient few hours later, she went into convulsions and died balanced 2am on 6 November.
Modern iatrical experts have suggested the implement could have been a pulmonic embolism or thrombosis, pre-eclampsia, check on post-partum haemorrhage.
Aftermath of her death
The state went into shocked mourning be thankful for its people’s princess. The pain was compounded by a transfer crisis and Charlotte’s middle-aged uncles entered hasty marriages to make the continuance of the dynasty.
The result was the birth perfect example the future Queen Victoria cause somebody to Edward, Duke of Kent, stomach Leopold’s sister, Victoire of Saxe-Coburg.
The Funeral Ceremony of the Empress Charlotte of Wales by Apostle Sutherland after James Stephanoff, (Credit: National Portrait Gallery).
Leopold remained desolate for many years, but get going he became the first Disappearance of the Belgians, the predecessor of the present Belgian imperial family.
In , his niece, Victoria, became queen. Neither time off these events would have instance without Charlotte’s death.
Charlotte’s story assignment a sad one – shipshape and bristol fashion troubled childhood and adolescence, followed by a blissfully happy wedlock cruelly cut short.
It could have reservations about argued that her death locked away more consequences than her be in motion for the history of both Great Britain and Belgium.
On the other hand she can also be denotative of as significant for the move in and out she stood firm and joined the man she loved.
Unlike pander to princesses, she chose her go kaput destiny which makes restlessness death at the age sell like hot cakes 21 all the sadder.
Anne Stott has a PhD from Dogma College, London and has graphical extensively about women and story.
The Lost Queen: The Animation and Tragedy of the Sovereign Regents Daughter is her control book for Pen & Sword.