Princess Mary, Duchess of Gloucester and Edinburgh
Princess Mary | |
---|---|
Duchess of Gloucester and Edinburgh | |
Born | Buckingham House, London, England | 25 April 1776
Died | 30 April 1857 Gloucester House, Mayfair, London | (aged 81)
Burial | 8 May 1857 |
Spouse | |
House | Hanover |
Father | George III |
Mother | Charlotte of Mecklenburg-Strelitz |
Signature |
Princess Mary, Duchess of Gloucester and Edinburgh (25 April 1776 – 30 April 1857) was the eleventh child and fourth daughter of
She married her first cousin,
Early life and family
Princess Mary was born on 25 April 1776, at
Mary was baptised on 19 May 1776, in the Great Council Chamber at
- Landgrave Frederick of Hesse-Cassel (her first cousin once-removed, for whom The Earl of Hertford, Lord Chamberlainstood proxy)
- The Duchess of Argyll, Lady of the Bedchamber to The Queen, was proxy)
- Princess Charles of Mecklenburg-Strelitz (her third cousin once-removed, for whom The Dowager Countess of Effingham, Lady of the Bedchamber to The Queen, stood proxy).
The king was a devoted father, finding time to regularly visit the royal nursery. Engaging in active play with his young children, he behaved quite informally in contrast to the dignified Queen Charlotte, who had more difficulty abandoning the formal behaviour expected of their class. Despite her outer reserve, however, Charlotte took a role as conscientious as her husband in their children's upbringing. For the royal princesses, the queen carefully oversaw their welfare, education, and development of moral values. Faced with less time due to her public duties and close marriage to the king, she appointed Lady Charlotte Finch to manage the royal nursery and administer her ideas.[2]
According to
Mary's youngest sister and beloved companion Princess Amelia called her "Mama's tool" because of her obedient nature. Amelia's premature death in 1810 devastated her sister, who had nursed her devotedly during her painful illness.
Princess Mary was quite close to her eldest brother, and she shared his antipathy toward his wife, their cousin Caroline of Brunswick. When the latter left for Italy, Princess Mary congratulated her brother "on the prospect of a good riddance. Heaven grant that she may not return again and that we may never see more of her."[4]
Marriage and later life
Mary's upbringing was very sheltered and she spent most of her time with her parents and sisters. King George and Queen Charlotte were keen to shelter their children, particularly the girls.[
William Frederick had initially sought to marry Mary's niece Princess Charlotte of Wales.[6] Charlotte, while interested, was berated by her father, who subsequently also expressed his displeasure to Gloucester and the courtship ended.[7] The historian A. W. Purdue suggests that Mary's motive for marrying her cousin sprang from her dislike of Queen Charlotte's restrictive household.[8] Princess Charlotte observed that the duke "is much in love, & and tells me he is the happiest creature on earth. I won't say [Mary] does as much, but being her own mistress, having her own house, & being able to walk in the streets all delights her in their several ways."[9]
The couple lived at
Death
Princess Mary died on 30 April 1857 at Gloucester House, Mayfair, aged 81. She was the last-surviving and longest-lived child of George III and Queen Charlotte.[8]
Arms
As of 1789, as a daughter of the sovereign, Mary had use of the arms of the kingdom, differenced by a label argent of three points, the centre point bearing a rose gules, the outer points each bearing a canton gules.[10]
Ancestry
Ancestors of Princess Mary, Duchess of Gloucester and Edinburgh Princess Christiane Emilie of Schwarzburg-Sondershausen | |||||||||||||
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3. Princess Charlotte of Mecklenburg-Strelitz | |||||||||||||
14. Ernest Frederick I, Duke of Saxe-Hildburghausen | |||||||||||||
7. Princess Elisabeth Albertine of Saxe-Hildburghausen | |||||||||||||
15. Countess Sophia Albertine of Erbach-Erbach | |||||||||||||
See also
- List of British princesses
References
- ^ Weir 2008, p. 299.
- ^ Hadlow 2014, pp. 203–07.
- ^ a b Lane, Henry M. (1911). The Royal Daughters of England. London. p. 191.
{{cite book}}
: CS1 maint: location missing publisher (link) - ^ John van der Kiste: George III's Children, p. 106
- ^ Weir 2008, pp. 281, 299.
- ^ Purdue 2004b.
- ^ Plowden 1989, p. 132.
- ^ a b c d Purdue 2004a.
- ^ Williams 2016, p. 130.
- ^ 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. 5.
Sources
- ISBN 978-1-4088-4481-6.
- ISBN 978-0-8050-9656-9.
- ISBN 978-0-283-99489-0.
- Purdue, A.W. (2004a). "George III, Daughters of (act. 1766–1857)". doi:10.1093/ref:odnb/59209. (Subscription or UK public library membershiprequired.)
- Purdue, A.W. (2004b). "William Frederick, Prince, second duke of Gloucester and Edinburgh (1776–1834)". doi:10.1093/ref:odnb/29457. (Subscription or UK public library membershiprequired.)
- ISBN 978-0-09-953973-5.
- ISBN 978-0-345-47239-7.