Princess Augusta of Great Britain
Princess Augusta | |||||
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Hanover Square, London | |||||
Burial | 31 March 1813 Royal Vault, St George's Chapel, Windsor Castle | ||||
Spouse | |||||
Issue Details |
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House | Hanover | ||||
Father | Frederick, Prince of Wales | ||||
Mother | Augusta of Saxe-Gotha-Altenburg |
Augusta of Great Britain (Augusta Frederica; 31 July 1737 – 23 March 1813) was a British princess, granddaughter of George II and the only elder sibling of George III. She was Duchess of Brunswick-Lüneburg and Princess of Brunswick-Wolfenbüttel by marriage to Charles William Ferdinand, Duke of Brunswick. Her daughter Caroline was the spouse of George IV.
Early life
Princess Augusta was born at
Fifty days later, she was christened at St. James's Palace by
Her third birthday was celebrated by the first public performance of the masque Alfred (1740) by Thomas Arne, performed at her father's residence at Cliveden.[2] In its original form, Alfred contained only eight vocal sections and the overture, including the famous patriotic song "Rule, Britannia!".[3]
Augusta was given a careful education. She was not described as a rare beauty, having a loose mouth and long face.[4]
In 1761–63, a marriage was discussed between Augusta and her second cousin,
"Lady Augusta was lively, and much inclined to meddle in the private politics of the Court. As none of her [The [Dowager] Princess [of Wales]'s] children but the King, had, or had reason to have, much affection for their mother, she justly apprehended Lady Augusta instilling their disgust on to the Queen. She could not forbid her daughter's frequent visits at Buckingham House, but to prevent ill consequence of them, she often accompanied her thither. This, however, was an attendance and a constraint the Princess of Wales could not support. Her exceeding indolence, her more excessive love of privacy, and the subjection of being frequently with the Queen, whose higher rank was a never ceasing mortification, all concurred to make her resolve, at any rate, to deliver herself of her daughter. To obtain this end, the profusion of favours to the hated House of Brunswick was not though too much. The Hereditary Prince was prevailed to accept Lady Augusta's hand, with four-score thousand pounds, an annuity of £5,000 a year on Ireland, and three thousand a year on Hanover."[5]
On 16 January 1764, Augusta married Charles William Ferdinand at the Chapel Royal of St James's Palace. The wedding was followed by a state dinner at Leicester House, congratulations from the Houses of Parliament, a ball given by the Queen, and an opera performance at Covent Garden. The couple departed from Harwich on the 26th.[6]
Life in Brunswick
The Duchess never fully adapted to life in Brunswick. She always viewed Great Britain in very high regard all her life and disregarded anything "east of the Rhine".[4] This attitude did not change with time, and twenty-five years after her marriage, she was described as "wholly English in her tastes, her principles and her manners, to the point that her almost cynical independence makes, with the etiquette of the German courts, the most singular contrast I know".[4]
After her first pregnancy in 1764, she returned to Great Britain in the company of her husband to give birth to her second child.[7] Whilst in England, it was noted that the couple were cheered on by crowds every time they showed themselves in public. This reportedly exposed them to suspicion at court. During their visit, her sister-in-law Queen Charlotte apparently refused them some honours at court, such as military salutes. This attracted negative publicity toward the hosting royal couple.[8] During the negotiations thirty years later for the marriage of her daughter to the Prince of Wales, Augusta commented to the British negotiator, Lord Malmesbury, that Queen Charlotte disliked both her and her mother because of jealousy dating from the visit of 1764.[9]
Augusta saw the court of her mother-in-law as boring and dull, especially during the summer months when her husband was absent at camp.[4] A summer retreat was built for her in the southern part of Braunschweig, where she could spend time away from court. It was built by Carl Christoph Wilhelm Fleischer and called Schloss Richmond to remind her of England. In her retreat, Augusta amused herself by spending her days eating heavy luncheons, gossiping and playing cards with her favourites, often receiving English guests.[4]
The marriage of Augusta and Charles was arranged for dynastic purposes; but Augusta thought Charles very handsome and was initially pleased with him. Shortly after the birth of her first daughter, she wrote: "No two people live better together than we do, and I would go through fire and water for him",[4] and it was noted that she seemed to be unaware of his flirtations in London.[4]
In 1771–72, Augusta visited England on her mother's invitation. On this occasion, she was involved in another conflict with her sister-in-law Queen Charlotte. She was not allowed to live at Carlton House or St. James Palace even though it was empty at the time, but was forced to live in a small house on Pall Mall. The queen disagreed with Augusta about etiquette, and refused to let her see George III alone.[10] According to Mr. Walpole, the reason was jealousy on the part of the queen.[10] Augusta attended her mother's deathbed during her second visit to England, and upon her return to Brunswick, extended her period of mourning, which eventually led to her retirement from participation in court life.
When her sister, Queen Caroline Matilda of Denmark, was convicted of adultery and exiled near Brunswick in Celle, Augusta would regularly visit her for weeks on end, much to the disapproval of her husband and parents-in-law .[4]
In 1777, Augusta announced to her husband that she would retire from court life to oversee the upbringing of their children and perform religious studies under the Bishop of Fürstenberg.[4] The reason was her disapproval of the relationship between Charles and Louise Hertefeld whom he, in contrast to his previous mistress Maria Antonia Branconi, had installed as his official royal mistress at the Brunswick court.[4]
In 1780, Charles succeeded his father as sovereign Duke of Brunswick, and Augusta thus became Duchess consort.
Of Augusta's four sons, the eldest three were born with handicaps. The Swedish Princess
The Duchess and the Princesses followed me to Richmond, the country villa of the Duchess a bit outside of town. It was small and pretty with a beautiful little park, all in an English style. As she had the residence constructed herself, it amuses her to show it to others. [...]
The sons of the Ducal couple are somewhat peculiar.
Later life
In 1806, when
Annuity to Duchess of Brunswick Wolfenbuttel Act 1808 | |
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Act of Parliament | |
They were invited to Sweden by the Hereditary Princess's brother-in-law
Arms
Augusta was granted use of the arms of the kingdom, differenced by a label argent of five points, the centre bearing a cross gules, the other points each bearing a rose gules.[14]
Ancestors
Ancestors of Princess Augusta of Great Britain Princess Magdalena Sibylle of Saxe-Weissenfels | |||||||||||||
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3. Princess Augusta of Saxe-Gotha | |||||||||||||
14. Charles, Prince of Anhalt-Zerbst | |||||||||||||
7. Princess Magdalena Augusta of Anhalt-Zerbst | |||||||||||||
15. Princess Sophia of Saxe-Weissenfels | |||||||||||||
Issue
Together the couple had 7 children:
Name | Birth | Death | Notes |
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Duchess Augusta | 3 December 1764 | 27 September 1788 | married 1780, Duke Frederick of Württemberg; had issue |
Hereditary Prince Karl Georg | 8 February 1766 | 20 September 1806 | married 1790, Princess Louise of Orange-Nassau; no issue |
Duchess Caroline | 17 May 1768 | 7 August 1821 | married 1795, George IV of the United Kingdom ; had issue
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Duke Georg William | 27 June 1769 | 16 September 1811 | Declared an invalid; Excluded from line of succession |
Duke August | 18 August 1770 | 18 December 1822 | Declared an invalid; Excluded from line of succession |
Duke Frederick William | 9 October 1771 | 16 June 1815 | married 1802, Princess Marie of Baden; had issue |
Duchess Amelie | 22 November 1772 | 2 April 1773 |
Sources
- Beckett, William A.: Universal Biography. London: Isaac, 1836.
- Kwan, Elisabeth E.; Röhrig, Anna E.: Frauen vom Hof der Welfen. Göttingen: MatrixMedia 2006, ISBN 3-932313-17-8, p. 115−126.
References
- ^ "Yvonne's Royalty Home Page: Royal Christenings". Archived from the original on 6 August 2011. Retrieved 20 May 2008.
- JSTOR 3368400.
- ^ McGegan, Nicholas (1999). Thomas Arne: Alfred. Deutsche Harmonia Mundi. pp. 5–8. Sleeve notes to McGegan recording on CD
- ^ a b c d e f g h i j Fraser, Flora. The Unruly Queen: The Life of Queen Caroline
- ^ Finch, Barbara Clay. Lives of the princesses of Wales. Part III p. 46
- ^ Finch, p. 47
- ^ Kühle, Riëtha, Princess Auguste, pp 35 and 38
- ^ Fitzgerald, Percy: The Good Queen Charlotte p 58
- ^ Fitzgerald, Percy: The Good Queen Charlotte
- ^ a b Fitzgerald, Percy: The Good Queen Charlotte p 85
- ^ )
- ^ )
- ^ "Royal Burials in the Chapel since 1805". College of St George - Windsor Castle. Retrieved 5 March 2023.
- ^ Marks of Cadency in the British Royal Family
- ^ Genealogie ascendante jusqu'au quatrieme degre inclusivement de tous les Rois et Princes de maisons souveraines de l'Europe actuellement vivans [Genealogy up to the fourth degree inclusive of all the Kings and Princes of sovereign houses of Europe currently living] (in French). Bourdeaux: Frederic Guillaume Birnstiel. 1768. p. 4.
External links
- Portraits of Princess Augusta, Duchess of Brunswick-Wolfenbüttell at the National Portrait Gallery, London