73-531: Charlotte of Mecklenburg-Strelitz (Sophia Charlotte; 19 May 1744 – 17 November 1818) was Queen of Great Britain and Ireland as the wife of King George III from their marriage on 8 September 1761 until her death in 1818. The Acts of Union 1800 unified Great Britain and Ireland into the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland . As George's wife, she was also Electress of Hanover until becoming Queen of Hanover on 12 October 1814. Charlotte
146-465: A canopy. They have also been anointed with holy oil and been crowned. Traditionally, male consorts are not crowned or anointed during the coronation ceremony. An unusual case was Caroline of Brunswick-Wolfenbüttel , who had separated from her husband, George IV , before his accession, became queen consort by law but had no position at court and was forcibly barred from attending his coronation and being crowned. The earliest surviving consort's crown
219-465: A good morning, in the pretty blue and white room where I had the pleasure to sit and read with you The Hermit , a poem which is such a favourite with me that I have read it twice this summer. Oh! What a blessing to keep good company! Very likely I should not have been acquainted with either poet or poem was it not for you. Charlotte did have some influence on political affairs through the King. Her influence
292-643: A great interest in Kew Gardens . In an age of discovery, when such travellers and explorers as Captain James Cook and Sir Joseph Banks were constantly bringing home new species and varieties of plants, she ensured that the collections were greatly enriched and expanded. Her interest in botany led to the South African flower, the bird of paradise, being named Strelitzia reginae in her honour. Queen Charlotte has also been credited with introducing
365-465: A limited circle from six to ten o'clock. Johann Christian Bach , eleventh son of the great Johann Sebastian Bach , was then music-master to the Queen. He put difficult works of Handel, J. S. Bach, and Carl Friedrich Abel before the boy: he played them all at sight , to the amazement of those present. Afterwards, the young Mozart accompanied the Queen in an aria which she sang, and played a solo work on
438-569: A marriage between King George and Charlotte of Mecklenburg-Strelitz (Princess Charlotte), whom he conducted to England. He held a number of appointments at court and in the diplomatic service. He was the British ambassador to Paris from 1768 to 1772. He was promoted to the rank of general in 1772; and in October of the same year he succeeded Lord Townshend as Lord Lieutenant of Ireland , an office which he held until 1777. His proposal to impose
511-799: A porcelain service that was later renamed "Royal Lily" in her honour. Another well-known porcelain service designed and named in her honour was the "Queen Charlotte" pattern. The Queen founded orphanages and, in 1809, became the patron (providing new funding) of the General Lying-in Hospital, a hospital for expectant mothers. It was subsequently renamed as the Queen's Hospital, and is today the Queen Charlotte's and Chelsea Hospital . Up until 1788, portraits of Charlotte often depict her in maternal poses with her children, and she looks young and contented; however, that year, her husband fell seriously ill and became temporarily insane. It
584-678: A post was the client of a woman who sold offices. Charlotte particularly interested herself in German issues. She took an interest in the War of the Bavarian Succession (1778–1779), and it is possible that it was due to her efforts that the King supported British intervention in the continuing conflict between Joseph II and Charles Theodore of Bavaria in 1785. When the King had his first temporary bout of mental illness in 1765, her mother-in-law and Lord Bute kept Charlotte unaware of
657-642: A protracted dispute between her granddaughter Queen Victoria , who claimed the jewels as the property of the British Crown, and Charlotte's now eldest-surviving son Ernest Augustus, King of Hanover , who claimed the jewels by right of being the most senior male member of the House of Hanover . The dispute would not be resolved in Ernest's lifetime. Eventually in 1858, over twenty years after the death of William IV and nearly forty years after Charlotte's death,
730-413: A reigning queen does not share the regal title and style of his wife, and the three men who served as consort held various titles. The title of "Prince Consort" has only been held by Queen Victoria's husband Prince Albert . Queens consort participate in the coronation ceremony, undertaking many of the same ceremonies as the monarch. Queens traditionally wear elaborate robes and walk in the procession under
803-596: A tax of 10% on the rents of absentee landlords had to be abandoned owing to opposition in England; but he succeeded in conciliating the leaders of Opposition in Ireland, and he persuaded Henry Flood to accept office in the government. Resigning in January 1777, he retired to Nuneham Park . He died there shortly afterwards by accidentally drowning in a well while trying to rescue his favourite dog, which had fallen into
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#1732766309921876-485: A tendency to embrace them and refuse to let them go. During the 1788 illness of the King, a conflict arose between the Queen and the Prince of Wales, who were both suspected of desiring to assume the regency should the illness of the King become permanent, resulting in him being declared unfit to rule. Charlotte suspected her son of a plan to have the King declared insane with the assistance of Doctor Warren, and to take over
949-492: Is that created in 1685 for Mary of Modena . In the early-20th century, new crowns were created for each queen consort in turn. However, Queen Camilla did not have a new crown created for her coronation in 2023 and she was crowned using the 1911 Crown of Queen Mary . The Queen Consort's Ring was first created for the coronation of Queen Adelaide in 1831, and has been used by queens consort ever since. The Queen Consort's Rod with Dove represents 'equity and mercy' and
1022-624: Is believed she did not visit him again after June 1812. However, Charlotte remained supportive of her spouse as his illness worsened in old age. While her son, the Prince Regent , wielded the royal power, she was her spouse's legal guardian from 1811 until her death in 1818. Due to the extent of the King's illness, he was incapable of knowing or understanding that she had died. During the Regency of her son, Queen Charlotte continued to fill her role as first lady in royal representation because of
1095-472: Is likely to have enhanced the emotional strain felt by Charlotte. Her eldest son, George, was appointed prince regent in 1811 due to the increasing severity of the King's illness. Charlotte died in November 1818, with her son George at her side. George III died a little over a year later, probably unaware of his wife's death. Princess Sophia Charlotte of Mecklenburg-Strelitz was born on 19 May 1744. She
1168-489: Is named for Charlotte's native Mecklenburg-Strelitz. The royal coat of arms of the United Kingdom are impaled with her father's arms as a Duke of Mecklenburg-Strelitz . The arms were: Quarterly of six, 1st, Or, a buffalo's head cabossed Sable, armed and ringed Argent, crowned and langued Gules ( Mecklenburg ); 2nd, Azure, a griffin segreant Or ( Rostock ); 3rd, Per fess, in chief Azure, a griffin segreant Or, and in
1241-466: Is now thought that the King had porphyria , though bipolar disorder has also been named as another possible underlying cause for his condition. Sir Thomas Lawrence 's portrait of Charlotte at this time marks a transition point, after which she looks much older in her portraits; the assistant keeper of Charlotte's wardrobe, Charlotte Papendiek , wrote that the Queen was "much changed, her hair quite grey". The French Revolution of 1789 probably added to
1314-454: Is referred to as "Her Majesty" and addressed as "Your Majesty". Since her coronation in 2023, the current royal consort, Queen Camilla, has also been styled as "Her Majesty The Queen" per tradition. Camilla was styled as "Her Majesty The Queen Consort" preceding the coronation to distinguish her from her then recently deceased mother-in-law, Queen Elizabeth II, who as a queen regnant was also styled as "Her Majesty The Queen". The husband of
1387-420: Is the longest-lived consort. Since the accession of Charles III on 8 September 2022, his wife Camilla has held the position of queen consort. Since the union of England and Scotland in 1707 , there have been eleven consorts of the British monarch. Queens between 1727 and 1814 were also Electresses of Hanover , as their husbands all held the title of Elector of Hanover . Between 1814 and 1837, queens held
1460-484: Is the spouse of a reigning monarch. Consorts of British monarchs have no constitutional status or power but many have had significant influence, and support the sovereign in their duties. There have been 11 royal consorts since the Acts of Union in 1707, eight women and three men. Prince Philip , the husband of Queen Elizabeth II , is the longest-serving consort, whilst his mother-in-law Queen Elizabeth The Queen Mother
1533-616: The Allan Ramsay portrait of Queen Charlotte hangs in the main lobby of the hospital. The Queen Charlotte's Ball , an annual debutante ball that originally funded the hospital, is named after her. A lead statue probably of Queen Charlotte, dating to c. 1775 , stands on Queen Square in Bloomsbury , London, and there are two statues of her in Charlotte , North Carolina: at Charlotte Douglas International Airport and at
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#17327663099211606-483: The Christmas tree to Britain and its colonies. Initially, Charlotte decorated a single yew branch, a common Christmas tradition in her native Mecklenburg-Strelitz, to celebrate Christmas with members of the royal family and the royal household. She decorated the branch with the assistance of her ladies-in-waiting and then had the court gather to sing carols and distribute gifts. In December 1800, Queen Charlotte set up
1679-519: The Jacobite Rebellion , the 76th Foot (Lord Harcourts Regiment) , he received a commission as a colonel in the army. The regiment was disbanded on 10 June 1746. In 1749, he was created Earl Harcourt of Stanton Harcourt. He was appointed governor to the prince of Wales, afterward George III , in 1751; and after the accession of the latter to the throne, in 1761, he was appointed as special ambassador to Mecklenburg-Strelitz , to negotiate
1752-1128: The Queen Charlotte Islands (now known as Haida Gwaii ) in British Columbia , Canada, and Queen Charlotte City (now known as Daajing Giids ) on Haida Gwaii; Queen Charlotte Sound (not far from the Haida Gwaii Islands); Queen Charlotte Channel (near Vancouver , Canada); Queen Charlotte Bay in West Falkland; Queen Charlotte Sound , South Island, New Zealand; several fortifications , including Fort Charlotte, Saint Vincent ; Charlottesville, Virginia ; Charlottetown, Prince Edward Island ; Charlotte, North Carolina ; Mecklenburg County, North Carolina ; Mecklenburg County, Virginia ; Charlotte County, Virginia ; Charlotte County, Florida ; Port Charlotte, Florida ; Charlotte Harbor, Florida ; and Charlotte, Vermont . The proposed North American colonies of Vandalia and Charlotina were also named for her. In Tonga,
1825-612: The Royal Lodge . Certain personal assets that the Queen had brought from Mecklenburg-Strelitz were to revert to the senior branch of that dynasty, while the remainder of her assets, including her books, linen, art objects and china, were to be evenly divided among her surviving daughters. At the Queen's death, the Prince Regent claimed Charlotte's jewels, and on his death, they were in turn claimed by his heir, William IV . On William's death, Charlotte's bequest then sparked
1898-547: The African ancestry claim also hold to a literal interpretation of Baron Stockmar 's diary, in which he described Charlotte as "small and crooked, with a real Mulatto face". Stockmar, who served as personal physician to the Queen's grandson-in-law Leopold I of Belgium , arrived at court just two years before Charlotte's death in 1816. His descriptions of Charlotte's children in this same diary are equally unflattering. List of British royal consorts A royal consort
1971-914: The Crown Act 2013 which removed male primogeniture ). In the Austro-Prussian War of 1866, Hanover was annexed by Prussia and became the Province of Hanover . Not all wives of monarchs have become consorts, as they may have died, been divorced before their husbands' acceding to the throne, or married after abdication. Such cases include Princess Sophia Dorothea of Celle , wife of George, Hereditary Prince of Brunswick-Lüneburg (later King George I); Wallis Warfield , wife of Prince Edward, Duke of Windsor (the former King Edward VIII); and Lady Diana Spencer , wife of Charles, Prince of Wales (later King Charles III). Only George I and Edward VIII were unmarried throughout their reigns. Since 1937,
2044-535: The International Trade Center. Rutgers, The State University of New Jersey , was chartered in 1766 as Queen's College , in reference to Queen Charlotte. It was renamed in 1825 in honour of Henry Rutgers , a Revolutionary War officer and college benefactor. Its oldest extant building, Old Queen's (built 1809–1823), and the city block that forms the historic core of the university, Queen's Campus , retain their original names. Queen Charlotte
2117-637: The King displayed declining mental health, Queen Charlotte slept in a separate bedroom, had her meals separate from him, and avoided seeing him alone. Charlotte and her husband were music connoisseurs with German tastes, who gave special honour to German artists and composers. They were passionate admirers of the music of George Frideric Handel . In April 1764, Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart , then aged eight, arrived in Britain with his family as part of their grand tour of Europe and remained until July 1765. The Mozarts were summoned to court on 19 May and played before
2190-536: The King gradually became permanently insane, the Queen's personality altered: she developed a terrible temper and no longer enjoyed appearing in public, not even at the musical concerts she had so loved; and her relationships with her adult children became strained. From 1792 she found some relief from her worry about her husband by planning the gardens and decoration of a new residence for herself, Frogmore House , in Windsor Home Park. From 1804 onward, when
2263-461: The King sane on the orders of the Queen. In the Regency Bill of 1789, 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 Queen's guardianship. The Queen used this Bill when she refused the Prince of Wales permission to see the King alone, even well after he had been declared sane again in
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2336-584: The Nawab of Arcot , were to be evenly distributed among her surviving daughters. The furnishings and fixtures at the royal residence at Frogmore, along with "live and dead stock...on the estates", were bequeathed to her daughter Augusta Sophia along with the Frogmore property, unless its maintenance would prove too expensive for her daughter, in which case it was to revert to the Crown. Her daughter Sophia inherited
2409-411: The Queen. The writer Frances Burney , at that time one of the Queen's attendants, overheard her moaning to herself with "desponding sound": "What will become of me? What will become of me?" When the King collapsed one night, she refused to be left alone with him and successfully insisted that she be given her own bedroom. When the doctor, Richard Warren , was called, she was not informed and was not given
2482-432: The base Vert, a bordure Argent ( Principality of Schwerin ); 4th, Gules, a cross patée Argent crowned Or ( Ratzeburg ); 5th, Gules, a dexter arm Argent issuant from clouds in sinister flank and holding a finger ring Or ( County of Schwerin ); 6th, Or, a buffalo's head Sable, armed Argent, crowned and langued Gules ( Wenden ); Overall an inescutcheon, per fess Gules and Or ( Stargard ). The Queen's arms changed twice to mirror
2555-566: The cabinetmaker William Vile , silversmith Thomas Heming , the landscape designer Capability Brown , and the German painter Johann Zoffany , who frequently painted the King and Queen and their children in charmingly informal scenes, such as a portrait of Queen Charlotte and her children as she sat at her dressing table. In 1788, the royal couple visited the Worcester Porcelain Factory (founded in 1751, and later to be known as Royal Worcester ), where Queen Charlotte ordered
2628-594: The case; to make sure, George III instructed her shortly after their wedding "not to meddle", a precept she was glad to follow. The King announced to his Council in July 1761, according to the usual form, his intention to wed the Princess, after which a party of escorts, led by the Earl Harcourt , departed for Germany to bring Princess Charlotte to England. They reached Strelitz on 14 August 1761, and were received
2701-977: The changes in her husband's arms, once in 1801 and then again in 1816. A funerary hatchment displaying the Queen's full coat of arms , painted in 1818, is on display at Kew Palace . Claims that Queen Charlotte may have had partial African ancestry first emerged in Racial Mixture as the Basic Principle of Life published in 1929 by German historian, Brunold Springer, who challenged her Thomas Gainsborough portrait as inaccurate. Based on her alternative portrait by Allan Ramsay and contemporary descriptions of her appearance, Springer concluded that Charlotte's "broad nostrils and heavy lips" must point to African heritage. Jamaican-American amateur historian J. A. Rogers agreed with Springer in his 1940 book Sex and Race: Volume I , where he concluded that Queen Charlotte must be "biracial" or "black". Proponents of
2774-524: The dove, with its folded wings, is symbolic of the Holy Ghost. The Queen Consort's Sceptre with Cross , originally made for the coronation of Mary of Modena in 1685, is inlaid with rock crystals. Simon Harcourt, 1st Earl Harcourt Simon Harcourt, 1st Earl Harcourt , PC , FRS (1714 – 16 September 1777), known as Viscount Harcourt between 1727 and 1749, was a British diplomat and general who became Viceroy of Ireland . Harcourt
2847-452: The estrangement of the Prince Regent and his spouse . As such, she functioned as the hostess by the side of her son at official receptions, such as the festivities given in London to celebrate the defeat of Emperor Napoleon in 1814. She also supervised the upbringing of her granddaughter, Princess Charlotte of Wales . During her last years, she was met with a growing lack of popularity and
2920-651: The first known English Christmas tree at Queen's Lodge, Windsor . That year, she held a large Christmas party for the children of all the families in Windsor and placed a whole tree in the drawing-room, decorated with tinsel, glass, baubles and fruits. John Watkins , who attended the Christmas party, described the tree in his biography of the Queen: "from the branches of which hung bunches of sweetmeats, almonds and raisins in papers, fruits and toys, most tastefully arranged;
2993-500: The first room was dazzling, all furnished with beautiful Indian paper, chairs covered with different embroideries of the liveliest colours, glasses, tables, sconces, in the best taste, the whole calculated to give the greatest cheerfulness to the place." Charlotte treated her children's attendants with friendly warmth which is reflected in this note she wrote to her daughters' assistant governess, Mary Hamilton: My dear Miss Hamilton, What can I have to say? Not much indeed! But to wish you
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3066-486: The flute. On 29 October, the Mozarts were in London again, and were invited to court to celebrate the fourth anniversary of the King's accession. As a memento of the royal favour, Leopold Mozart published six sonatas composed by Wolfgang, known as Mozart's Opus 3 , that were dedicated to the Queen on 18 January 1765, a dedication she rewarded with a present of 50 guineas. Queen Charlotte was an amateur botanist who took
3139-471: The language, albeit speaking with a strong German accent. One observer commented, "She is timid at first but talks a lot, when she is among people she knows." Less than a year after the marriage, on 12 August 1762, the Queen gave birth to her first child, George, Prince of Wales . In the course of their marriage, the couple became the parents of 15 children, all but two of whom ( Octavius and Alfred ) survived into adulthood. St James's Palace functioned as
3212-511: The matter was decided in favour of Ernest's son George , upon which Victoria had the jewels given into the custody of the Hanoverian ambassador. The rest of Charlotte's property was sold at auction from May to August 1819. Her clothes, furniture, and even her snuff were sold by Christie's . It is highly unlikely that her husband ever knew of her death; he died blind, deaf, lame and insane 14 months later. Places named after Charlotte include
3285-440: The next day by Duke Adolphus Frederick IV, Charlotte's brother, at which time the marriage contract was signed by him on the one hand and Lord Harcourt on the other. Three days of public celebrations followed, and on 17 August 1761, Charlotte set out for Britain, accompanied by Adolphus Frederick and the British escort party. On 22 August, they reached Cuxhaven , where a small fleet awaited to convey them to England. The voyage
3358-548: The official residence of the royal couple, but the King had recently purchased a nearby property, Buckingham House , located at the western end of St James's Park . More private and compact, the new property stood amid rolling parkland not far from St James's Palace. Around 1762, the King and Queen moved to this residence, which was originally intended as a private retreat. The Queen came to favour this residence, spending so much of her time there that it came to be known as The Queen's House. Indeed, in 1775, an Act of Parliament settled
3431-440: The opportunity to speak with him about it. When told by the Prince of Wales that the King was to be removed to Kew, but that she should move to Queen's House or to Windsor, she successfully insisted that she accompany her spouse to Kew. However, she and her daughters were taken to Kew separately from the King and lived secluded from him during his illness. They regularly visited him, but the visits tended to be uncomfortable, as he had
3504-660: The outbreak of the French Revolution. Charlotte had organized apartments to be prepared and ready for the refugee royal family of France to occupy. She was greatly distraught when she heard the news that the King and Queen of France had been executed. After the onset of his permanent madness in 1811, George III was placed under the guardianship of his wife in accordance with the Regency Bill of 1789 . She could not bring herself to visit him very often, due to his erratic behaviour and occasional violent reactions. It
3577-1013: The property on Queen Charlotte in exchange for her rights to Somerset House . Most of the couple's 15 children were born in Buckingham House, although St James's Palace remained the official and ceremonial royal residence. During her first years in Great Britain, Charlotte's strained relationship with her mother-in-law, Augusta, caused her difficulty in adapting to the life of the British court. Augusta interfered with Charlotte's efforts to establish social contacts by insisting on rigid court etiquette. Furthermore, Augusta appointed many of Charlotte's staff, among whom several were expected to report to Augusta about Charlotte's behaviour. Charlotte turned to her German companions for friends, notably her close confidante Juliane von Schwellenberg . The King enjoyed country pursuits and riding and preferred to keep his family's residence as much as possible in
3650-495: The propriety of a Queen walking in town unattended." From 1778, the royal family spent much of their time at a newly constructed residence, the Queen's Lodge at Windsor, opposite Windsor Castle , in Windsor Great Park , where the King enjoyed hunting deer. The Queen was responsible for the interior decoration of their new residence, described by a friend of the royal family and diarist Mary Delany : "The entrance into
3723-419: The regency. Prince George's followers, notably Sir Gilbert Ellis, in turn suspected the Queen of a plan to have the King declared sane with the assistance of Doctor Francis Willis and Prime Minister William Pitt , so that he could have her appointed regent should he fall ill again, and then have him declared insane again and assume the regency. According to Doctor Warren, Doctor Willis had pressed him to declare
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#17327663099213796-468: The royal family adopted the name Sālote (the Tongan version of Charlotte) in her honour, and notable individuals included Sālote Lupepauʻu and Sālote Tupou III . Charlotte's provision of funding to the General Lying-in Hospital in London prevented its closure; today it is named Queen Charlotte's and Chelsea Hospital , and is an acknowledged centre of excellence amongst maternity hospitals. A large copy of
3869-405: The situation. The Regency Bill of 1765 stated that if the King should become permanently unable to rule, Charlotte was to become regent. Her mother-in-law and Lord Bute had unsuccessfully opposed this arrangement, but as the King's illness of 1765 was temporary, Charlotte was aware neither of it, nor of the Regency Bill. The King's bout of physical and mental illness in 1788 distressed and terrified
3942-478: The sovereign's consort and the first four individuals in the line of succession who are over 21 may be appointed counsellors of state . Counsellors of state perform some of the sovereign's duties in the United Kingdom while the sovereign is out of the country or temporarily incapacitated. The wife of the reigning king as his consort is styled as "Her Majesty The Queen" during her husband's reign and "Her Majesty Queen [first name]" upon her husband's death. The Queen
4015-412: The spring of 1789. The conflict around the regency led to serious discord between the Prince of Wales and his mother. In an argument he accused her of having sided with his enemies, while she called him the enemy of the King. Their conflict became public when she refused to invite him to the concert held in celebration of the recovery of the King, which created a scandal. During this period, Queen Charlotte
4088-457: The strain that Charlotte felt. She had maintained a close relationship with Queen Marie Antoinette of France. Charlotte was 11 years older than Marie Antoinette, yet they shared many interests, such as their love of music and the arts, about which they were both enthusiastic. Never meeting face to face, they confined their friendship to pen and paper. Marie Antoinette confided in Charlotte upon
4161-440: The then rural towns of Kew and Richmond . He favoured an informal and relaxed domestic life, to the dismay of some courtiers more accustomed to displays of grandeur and strict protocol. Lady Mary Coke was indignant on hearing, in July 1769, that the King, the Queen, her visiting brother Prince Ernest and Lady Effingham had gone for a walk through Richmond by themselves without any servants: "I am not satisfied in my mind about
4234-486: The throne of Great Britain upon the death of his grandfather, George II , he was 22 years old and unmarried. His mother, Princess Augusta of Saxe-Gotha , and his advisors were eager to have him settled in marriage. The 17-year-old Charlotte appealed as a prospective consort partly because she had been brought up in an insignificant north German duchy and, therefore, would probably have had no experience or interest in power politics or party intrigues. That proved to be
4307-512: The title as Queen of Hanover, as their husbands were kings of Hanover . The personal union with the United Kingdom ended in 1837 on the accession of Queen Victoria because the succession laws ( Salic Law ) in Hanover prevented a female inheriting the title if there was any surviving male heir (in the United Kingdom, a male took precedence over only his own sisters, until the Succession to
4380-406: The whole illuminated by small wax candles. After the company had walked round and admired the tree, each child obtained a portion of the sweets it bore, together with a toy, and then all returned home quite delighted." The practice of decorating a tree became popular among the British nobility and gentry , and later spread to the colonies. Among the royal couple's favoured craftsmen and artists were
4453-722: Was Britain's longest-serving queen consort , serving for 57 years and 70 days. Charlotte was born into the ruling family of Mecklenburg-Strelitz , a duchy in northern Germany. In 1760, the young and unmarried George III inherited the British throne. As Charlotte was a minor German princess with no interest in politics, the King considered her a suitable consort, and they married in 1761. The marriage lasted 57 years and produced 15 children, 13 of whom survived to adulthood. They included two future British monarchs, George IV and William IV ; as well as Charlotte, Princess Royal , who became Queen of Württemberg ; and Prince Ernest Augustus , who became King of Hanover . Charlotte
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#17327663099214526-486: Was a patron of the arts and an amateur botanist who helped expand Kew Gardens . She introduced the Christmas tree to Britain, decorating one for a Christmas party for children of Windsor in 1800. She was distressed by her husband's bouts of physical and mental illness, which became permanent in later life. She maintained a close relationship with Queen Marie Antoinette of France, and the French Revolution
4599-479: Was born in Oxfordshire, the son of Hon. Simon Harcourt , M.P. for Wallingford and Abingdon , and Elizabeth Evelyn, sister of Sir John Evelyn, 1st Baronet . His father died in 1720, when Simon was still a small child. He was educated at Westminster School and in 1727 succeeded his grandfather Simon Harcourt, 1st Viscount Harcourt as 2nd Viscount Harcourt. In 1745, having raised a regiment for service during
4672-553: Was buried at St George's Chapel, Windsor Castle . Her husband died just over a year later. 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 (on 8 September 1761) to her death (17 November 1818), a total of 57 years and 70 days. On the day before her death, the Queen dictated her will to her husband's secretary, Sir Herbert Taylor , appointing him and Lord Arden as her executors; at her death, her personal estate
4745-587: Was caricatured in satirical prints which depicted her as an unnatural mother and a creature of the Prime Minister. In January 1789 The Times accused the Opposition of beginning "a most scurrilous attack on the queen, not only by private conversation, but through the medium of the prints in their interest". Queen Charlotte and the Prince of Wales finally reconciled, on her initiative, in March 1791. As
4818-401: Was discreet and indirect, as demonstrated in the correspondence with her brother Charles. She used her closeness with George III to keep herself informed and to make recommendations for offices. Apparently her recommendations were not direct, as she on one occasion, in 1779, asked her brother Charles to burn her letter, because the King suspected that a person she had recently recommended for
4891-549: Was extremely difficult; the party encountered three storms at sea and landed at Harwich only on 7 September. They set out at once for London, spent that night in Witham , at the residence of Lord Abercorn , and arrived at 3:30 pm the next day at St. James's Palace in London. They were received by the King and his family at the garden gate, which marked the first meeting of the bride and groom. At 9:00 pm that same evening (8 September 1761), within six hours of her arrival, Charlotte
4964-513: Was married to George III. The ceremony was performed at the Chapel Royal , St. James's Palace, by the archbishop of Canterbury , Thomas Secker . Only the royal family, the party who had travelled from Germany, and a handful of guests were present. George III and Charlotte's coronation was held at Westminster Abbey a fortnight later on 22 September. Upon her wedding day, Charlotte spoke little English. However, she quickly learned
5037-540: Was played by Frances White in the 1979 television series Prince Regent , by Helen Mirren in the 1994 film The Madness of King George , by Golda Rosheuvel in the 2020 Netflix original series Bridgerton , and by India Amarteifio in her younger years and Rosheuvel, in her older years, in Queen Charlotte: A Bridgerton Story . Strelitzia , a genus of flowering plants native to South Africa that has become ubiquitous in warm-weather regions worldwide,
5110-473: Was similar to that of a daughter of an English country gentleman . She received some rudimentary instruction in botany , natural history , and language from tutors, but her education focused on household management and religion – the latter taught by a priest . Only after her brother Adolphus Frederick succeeded to the ducal throne, in 1752, did she gain any experience of princely duties and of court life. When George III succeeded to
5183-486: Was sometimes subjected to demonstrations. After having attended a reception in London on 29 April 1817, she was jeered by a crowd. She told the crowd that it was upsetting to be treated like that after such long service. The Queen died in the presence of her eldest son, the Prince Regent, who was holding her hand as she sat in an armchair at the family's country retreat, Dutch House in Surrey (now known as Kew Palace ). She
5256-704: Was the youngest daughter of Duke Charles Louis Frederick of Mecklenburg, Prince of Mirow (1708–1752), and his wife Princess Elisabeth Albertine of Saxe-Hildburghausen (1713–1761). Mecklenburg-Strelitz was a small north-German duchy in the Holy Roman Empire . The children of Duke Charles were all born at the Unteres Schloss (Lower Castle) in Mirow . According to diplomatic reports at the time of her engagement to George III in 1761, Charlotte had received "a very mediocre education". Her upbringing
5329-497: Was valued at less than £140,000 (equivalent to £12,300,000 in 2023), with her jewels accounting for the greater portion of her assets. In her will, proven at Doctor's Commons on 8 January 1819, the Queen bequeathed her husband the jewels she had received from him, unless he remained in his state of insanity, in which case the jewels were to become an heirloom of the House of Hanover. Other jewels, including some gifted to Charlotte by
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