Failed Royal Marriages
We often think of Prince Charles and Princess Diana when discussing disastrous royal marriages. Maybe Prince Andrew and Fergie Anderson also come to mind. It’s true those marriages didn’t turn out well, but there were several other royal marriages that also failed. King Henry VIII had five failed marriages before he married his last wife, Katherine Parr.
Several of his marriages ended in divorce, and at least two of Henry VIII’s wife were beheaded. That is really a tragic end to a royal marriage. But then we also have the story of the Prince of Wales and Princess Caroline of Brunswick. Their story is less known, but it is the story of another royal marriage that turned into a disaster.
Prince George Frederick Augustus
Prince George Frederick Augustus
Prince of Wales, George Frederick Augustus was born at St. James Palace in London on August 12, 1762. His parents were King George III and Charlotte Mecklenburg Strelitz. He was their first son of fifteen children, although one of those children died at a young age. George, being the oldest, was given the title of Prince of Wales and heir to the throne. George was a charming young man when he wanted to be. He was also rather a handsome sort and well educated to fit his status as the future King of England.
George was very well-dressed and took great pride in being fashionable. George also indulged in heavy drinking, gambling and womanizing. He had at least two relationships with women who were older than he was. One of those women was named Mary Robinson. The other woman was Maria Fitzherbert. He was deeply in love and deeply in debt due to his excessive spending.
The Secret, Not-So-Legal Marriage
George had fallen in love with Maria Fitzherbert. She was a woman who had been married twice to two older men. Both men had left her widowed. George was totally captivated by the young, beautiful woman with light blonde hair and flawless complexion. Maria was a Roman Catholic and a widow, making her an unacceptable wife for a future king. George was a determined young man. He finally persuaded Maria into a secret marriage. It was performed at her house with family members as witnesses.
Neither King George III nor parliament had given approval for this marriage. As heir to the throne, George IV needed approval from both the King and parliament. Without these, it could not be recognized as a legal marriage under English law. Shortly thereafter, Maria was delivered a letter stating that her relationship with the prince was finished. Sometime later, the pair did reunite after he had married and separated from Princess Caroline. Rumors suggested that Maria gave birth to several illegitimate children. These children were rumored to be fathered by Prince George over the years of their relationship.
Princess Caroline of Brunswick
Princess Caroline of Brunswick was George’s cousin, although the two had never met. She was the daughter of his Aunt Princess Augusta of England and the Duke of Brunswick-Wolfenbuttel. She was said to be rather bold, coarse, loud and rude in her manner of speaking. Her sense of fashion was almost non-existent. Her clothing was out of fashion and was often worn without proper washing. Her own personal hygiene was also lacking. She neglected to wash properly most of the time or change and wash her undergarments. As a result, she often had an offensive odor.
This is rather strange. A young woman with servants to look after all of her needs would surely have clean, suitable clothing available. Of course, Caroline had her good points as well. She was kind and generous. She was known for her charity work. She loved and fostered several homeless children later in her lifetime.
The Prince and Princess Meet
The first meeting of the Prince of Wales and his soon-to-be bride Princess Caroline got off to a very rocky beginning. He did not find her attractive at all. He had no wish to marry anyone at that point in his life. Princess Caroline was also 26, which at that time was considered to be an age unfit to get married. He already had his mistresses to keep him happy. Truthfully, he was repulsed by his future bride. The only reason that Prinny (his nickname) had agreed to marry at all was that he was heavily in debt.
Parliament had agreed to cover his debts if he married, and Princess Caroline was chosen as his bride. Princess Caroline was disappointed. She felt humiliated by the way the Prince had treated her at their first meeting. At a later supper, Caroline was rude. She talked and laughed loudly about subjects that should not have been discussed at the supper table. Perhaps she was just very nervous and insecure at the time. In any event, neither of them made a good impression on the other one.
The Wedding
Prince George and Princess Caroline were married at St. James Palace on April 8th, 1795. His father was delighted to see his son get married. However, it was not a day of happiness for the future king of England. It is said that he was drunk during the ceremony and continued to drink for the rest of the day. When the couple retired to their bed-chambers, George was so drunk that he fell to the floor. He spent his wedding night passed out on the floor.
George managed to do his duty at some time. He had relations with Princess Caroline, who became pregnant almost immediately. With an heir on the way, the prince ignored Caroline completely. Their daughter, Princess Charlotte, was born, and the couple separated soon after. Princess Caroline was forced to leave her infant daughter with her father.
Princess Caroline, the Lonely Queen
Not much more than a year after they were married, Princess Caroline moved out of her husband’s residence. She took up residence at Blackheath, London. How lonely the new Princess of Wales must have felt in a foreign country with few friends of her own. Blackheath was located to the southeast of London and was a wealthy area. Here, the estranged wife of the Prince of Wales was lived with fewer restrictions. At BlackHeath her behavior and activities sometimes caused scandals.
One of those scandals was when she took in an infant, and some people whispered that she was the mother. This incident caused King George to form an inquiry into her activities. Although the inquiry proved she was not the mother of the infant, the king no longer welcomed her. She was not allowed in his household anymore.
After losing the king’s support, Princess Caroline left England and traveled throughout Europe. She created more scandals with a handsome young Italian servant that she had employed. Imagine the scandal they caused as they traveled together. Despite the scandal this may well have been the happiest time of Caroline’s life. Sometime during Caroline’s years abroad, several things changed. Her only daughter, Princess Charlotte, married Leopold George Christian Frederick, became pregnant and died in childbirth. Her husband, Prince George, had also taken over as Regent for his father, who was mentally unstable.
Caroline Returns to Be Queen but Is Put on Trial
In 1820, King George III died, officially making the prince, King George IV and Caroline the Queen of England. She returned to England and expected to be crowned queen alongside her estranged husband. Now king, George refused to have Caroline crowned as his queen. Instead, he wanted to be rid of her and needed grounds for a divorce. At his insistence, parliament put her on trial. They claimed she had committed adultery with her Italian man servant, Bartolmeo Pergami. They also accused her of other indiscretions.
Much like Princess Diana and Prince Charles’s public divorce, this one also had everyone in England engaged. The princess had her supporters publicly supporting her cause, and the prince had his own supporters. Unlike modern-day royal dramas, the only thing missing was television and social media.
Eventually, parliament ruled in favor of Princess Caroline. King George was denied his divorce. A divorce would have allowed him to remarry and produce another heir to the throne.
The Final Insult to the Queen
By rights, Princess Caroline, still legally married to King George III, was now queen even if the marriage was a total disaster. She expected to attend the king’s coronation and be crowned queen alongside her husband. But the king would not allow her to be crowned with him. He left orders that she would not be allowed to enter Westminster Abbey, where the coronation was taking place.
Caroline showed up to the coronation anyway but was refused entrance into Westminster Abbey. Basically, the door was shut in her face. Therefore, she was never officially crowned Queen of England. Princess Caroline of Brunswick later became the Princess of Wales and was the uncrowned queen of King George III. She died within a few short weeks after receiving the final insult from a disastrous royal marriage.
King George IV served as his father’s regent from Feb 5, 1811 until he was crowned King O England Jan 20, 1820. George served as king until his death on June 26, 1830.
History Lovers Corner 