Queen Charlotte

Queen Charlotte (19 May 1744 – 17 November 1818) was the queen consort of King George III of Great Britain and Ireland.[2][6] Born Sophia Charlotte of Mecklenburg-Strelitz, she was the youngest daughter of Duke Charles Louis Frederick of Mecklenburg-Strelitz and Princess Elizabeth Albertina of Saxe-Hildburghausen.[2][9] She is the longest-serving female consort and second-longest-serving consort in British history (after Prince Philip, Duke of Edinburgh), having served as such from her marriage (1761) to her death (1818), a total of 57 years and 70 days.[9]

Early Life and Education

Born in 1744 in Mecklenburg-Strelitz, a duchy in what is now northern Germany, the princess had an unremarkable childhood in what other members of the European aristocracy considered to be a mediocre and provincial dukedom.[3] In 1752, when she was eight years old, Sophie Charlotte's father died.[10] She grew up in a religious household in the duchy of Mecklenburg-Strelitz and had an early interest in art.[4] She was schooled essentially by her mother and a few attendants. Brought up in a religious household, Charlotte venerated the church.[4] Her displays of religious respect were apparent. For example, she always removed her jewelry before taking Holy Communion.[4]

Although her level of education compared to many of her counterparts was considered relatively simple, Charlotte continued to learn and educate herself after her marriage to George. When she first arrived in England, she couldn't speak English, but it didn't take long for her to pick up the language.[5]

Marriage to King George III

In 1761 she was selected unseen after the British king asked for a review of all eligible German Protestant princesses.[6] In 1760, George III's grandfather died, making him King of England—and elevating his unmarried status as a matter of national alarm. George needed a wife, and he needed one fast, his advisers decided, so they mounted a desperate search for a Protestant princess to share his life and sire an heir.[3]

On July 8, 1761, the Privy Council formally approved of George's wish to marry Charlotte, who had never met the king. She arrived in court on September 8, 1761, unable to speak English, and was graciously received by George.[4] At 9.00pm the same evening, within six hours of arrival, the wedding of Princess Charlotte and King George III took place at the Chapel Royal, St James's Palace.[2] Their Coronation took place on 22 September that year.[2]

The marriage was a success, and the couple had 15 children, including George IV.[6] The two embarked upon a marriage that lasted for fifty-seven years.[4] The first 25 years of the King and Queen's marriage were happy ones. They would attend plays and concerts together and duet on the harpsichord and flute.[1]

Family Life and Children

Less than a year after marriage, on 12 August 1762, The Queen gave birth to her first child, The Prince of Wales, who would later become King George IV.[2] In the course of their marriage, the couple became parents of 15 children: George, Prince of Wales (b.1762), Prince Frederick, Duke of York and Albany (b.1763), Prince William, Duke of Clarence (b.1765), Charlotte, Princess Royal (b.1766), Prince Edward, Duke of Kent (b.1766), Princess Augusta Sophia (b.1768), Princess Elizabeth (b.1770), Prince Ernest, Duke of Cumberland (b.1771), Prince Augustus Frederick, Duke of Sussex (b.1773), Prince Adolphus, Duke of Cambridge (b.1774), Princess Mary, Duchess of Gloucester (b.1776), Princess Sophia (b.1777), Prince Octavius (b.1779), Prince Alfred (b.1780) and Princess Amelia (b.1783).[2]

Together they had 15 children and the Queen was responsible for their early education, employing and supervising their governesses and tutors.[1] As well as founding multiple orphanages and becoming a patron for various hospitals, Queen Charlotte was greatly impassioned about women's education. She ensured that all of her daughters had the best education available to them at the time.[5]

St James's Palace was the official residence of the Royal couple, but The King had recently purchased a nearby property, Buckingham House. In 1762 The King and Queen moved into this new house, making it Buckingham Palace. Charlotte loved it - 14 of her children were born there and it came to be known as 'The Queen's House'.[2]

Intellectual Pursuits and Scientific Interests

Charlotte was among the most scientifically-minded of British queens. She surrounded herself with serious thinkers such as the botanists Joseph Banks, Daniel Solander and John Lightfoot and the geologist, Jean Andre de Luc. Her circle also included the novelist Fanny Burney, Elizabeth Harcourt and Margaret Cavendish, Duchess of Portland, two women who were, like Charlotte, enthusiastic naturalists.[1] They were part of a wide network of intellectually-minded women known as 'Blue-stockings'. The Queen's own interests focused on botany, cataloguing and drawing the remarkable plants and flowers that were grown in the gardens at Kew.[1]

The Queen was also an amateur botanist, who took a great interest in Kew Gardens.[2] Charlotte's interest in botany led to the South African flower, the Bird of Paradise, being named Strelitzia reginae in her honour.[2] She also held a great amount of interest in natural sciences and would regularly visit Kew Gardens to further her understanding of botany.[5]

Musical Patronage and Cultural Contributions

Queen Charlotte, along with her husband was a connoisseur of music, with special taste for German artists and composers such as Handel. The Queen's music-master was Johann Christian Bach, who was the eleventh son of the great composer Johann Sebastian Bach.[2] An eight year old Mozart performed for The Queen and was invited to perform to at the celebration of the fourth anniversary of The King's accession in 1764. Mozart's Opus 3 was dedicated to The Queen when it was published on 18 January 1765.[2]

As well as her charity work, Queen Charlotte was a lover and patron of the arts and showed particular interest in musicians and artists from her home country. She was friends with Johann Christian Bach and even invited a young Mozart to play at the Royal Palace when he was just eight years old.[5]

Relationship with Josiah Wedgwood

Queen Charlotte played a pivotal role in establishing the reputation of one of Britain's most renowned pottery manufacturers. His variation won a national competition in the 1760s, which challenged potters to design a complete tea set for Queen Charlotte. Wedgwood capitalized on this name recognition, branding his product as Queen's Ware.[12] Wedgwood's enduring appeal among the world's Royal Families and Heads of State began with Queen Charlotte, who ordered a set of cream-colored earthernware. It pleased her so much that Josiah Wedgwood was granted permission to style himself 'Potter to Her Majesty' and call his innovative Creamware 'Queen's Ware'.[11]

Wedgwood's innovative cream-coloured earthenware was a popular success both in Britain and elsewhere, even finding a royal admirer in Queen Charlotte, wife of King George III of Great Britain (r. 1760-1820). Charlotte went so far as to describe Wedgwood as the "Queen's potter". The association with the monarchy meant that Wedgwood's simple cream designs became known as Queen's ware, and the brand became well known after featuring in the popular press and monthly magazines.[15] Josiah understood something that other potters didn't: Queen Charlotte was the ultimate influencer. Josiah understood something that other potters didn't: Queen Charlotte was the ultimate influencer.[20]

King George III's Mental Illness and Its Impact

In 1789, when the King became ill, his inappropriate behaviours terrified and upset the Queen. Their relationship was never the same and they led increasingly separate lives.[1] Queen Charlotte was kept unaware when King George III suffered his first, although temporary, bout of mental illness in 1765. However, The Regency Bill of 1765 stated that if The King should become permanently unable to rule, Charlotte would become Regent.[2]

During the 1788 illness of The King there was conflict between The Queen and The Prince of Wales about a Regency. In the Regency Bill of 178, The Prince of Wales was declared Regent, should The King become permanently insane, but it also placed The King himself, his court and minor children under the guardianship of The Queen.[2] After the onset of George III's permanent madness in 1811, The Prince of Wales became Regent, but Charlotte remained her husband's guardian until her death in 1818.[2]

Personal Interests and Habits

Queen Charlotte was an avid user of snuff before she arrived in England, and it was a habit that she continued throughout her life. Wanting to appease his new bride, King George was said to have tried a pinch on the second day of their marriage but couldn't stop sneezing. Queen Charlotte owned over 90 snuff boxes and had a collection of over 350 different bottles of snuff from the Royal Manufactory of Seville.[5]

Queen Charlotte and Marie Antoinette might never have crossed paths in person, but they were avid pen pals. In their letters, they would regularly discuss their mutual love of art and music, and when the French Revolution first broke out, Marie shared her concerns for her and her husband's future.[5]

Later Years and Death

By 1818, George III was so ill that he was shut away in Windsor Palace. Charlotte's own health had deteriorated so badly that she was confined to Kew Palace. She suffered from dropsy, which causes painful swelling and eventual organ failure.[1] Because she couldn't travel, the imminent weddings of her sons William, Duke of Clarence (later William IV) and Edward, Duke of Kent had to take place at Kew in a double ceremony. An altar was set up in the Drawing Room of Kew Palace, and afterwards the Queen retired to her bedroom while the wedding party enjoyed a sumptuous meal in the dining room before travelling to Queen Charlotte's Cottage for tea.[1]

The Queen died in the presence of her eldest son, The Prince Regent, at Dutch House (now Kew Palace) on 17 November 1818 and was buried at St George's Chapel, Windsor Castle.[2] Charlotte died a few months later, surrounded by her children and sitting in her black horsehair armchair – it's still in her bedroom at Kew Palace today.[22]

Legacy and Commemorations

Many places around the world have been named after Queen Charlotte: Charlottetown (Prince Edward Island, Canada), Queen Charlotte Bay (West Falkland), Queen Charlotte Sound (South Island, New Zealand), Charlottesville (Virginia, USA), Charlotte (North Carolina, USA) and Mecklenburg County (Virginia, USA).[2] Charlotte has been commemorated with a group of islands named for her (the Queen Charlotte Islands off the coast of British Columbia, Canada) as well the city of Charlotte, North Carolina. Queen's College in New Jersey, now Rutgers University, was also named in her honor.[4]

A number of orphanages were founded by Queen Charlotte, and in 1809 she came became Patron of the General Lying-in Hospital, which was subsequently renamed as The Queen's Hospital.[2] The Queen Charlotte Maternity Hospital was established in London as a charitable institution, representing England's oldest maternity care institution.