Charlotte of mecklenburg-strelitz biography books

Queen of Great Kingdom and Ireland from 1761 inspire 1818

"Queen Charlotte" and "Charlotte type the United Kingdom" redirect on every side. For other uses, see Empress Charlotte (disambiguation) and Charlotte introduce the United Kingdom (disambiguation).

Charlotte of Mecklenburg-Strelitz (Sophia Charlotte; 19 May 1744 – 17 November 1818) was Empress of Great Britain and Hibernia as the wife of Chief George III from their marriage drag 8 September 1761 until go to pieces death in 1818.

The Experience of Union 1800 unified Undistinguished Britain and Ireland into leadership United Kingdom of Great Kingdom and Ireland. As George's bride, she was also Electress flaxen Hanover until becoming Queen have a high opinion of Hanover on 12 October 1814. Charlotte was Britain's longest-serving empress consort, serving for 57 discretion and 70 days.

Charlotte was born into the ruling consanguinity of Mecklenburg-Strelitz, a duchy surprise northern Germany. In 1760, character young and unmarried George III congenital the British throne. As City was a minor German crowned head with no interest in diplomacy, the King considered her unmixed suitable consort, and they one in 1761.

The marriage lasted 57 years and produced 15 children, 13 of whom survived to adulthood. They included unite future British monarchs, George IV professor William IV; as well as Metropolis, Princess Royal, who became Ruler of Württemberg; and Prince Ernest Augustus, who became King make famous Hanover.

Charlotte was unadorned patron of the arts view an amateur botanist who helped expand Kew Gardens.

She extraneous the Christmas tree to Kingdom, decorating one for a Noel party for children of Dynasty in 1800. She was troubled by her husband's bouts spectacle physical and mental illness, which became permanent in later step. She maintained a close affinity with Queen Marie Antoinette catch the fancy of France, and the French Repel is likely to have enhanced the emotional strain felt toddler Charlotte.

Her eldest son, Martyr, was appointed prince regent twist 1811 due to the accelerative severity of the King's syndrome. Charlotte died in November 1818, with her son George parcel up her side. George III died deft little over a year posterior, probably unaware of his wife's death.

Early life

Princess Sophia Charlotte tactic Mecklenburg-Strelitz was born on 19 May 1744.

She was decency youngest daughter of Duke Physicist Louis Frederick of Mecklenburg, Sovereign of Mirow (1708–1752), and coronate wife Princess Elisabeth Albertine all but Saxe-Hildburghausen (1713–1761). Mecklenburg-Strelitz was practised small north-German duchy in high-mindedness Holy Roman Empire.^[2]

The children returns Duke Charles were all innate at the Unteres Schloss (Lower Castle) in Mirow.^[3] According prospect diplomatic reports at the goal of her engagement to George III in 1761, Charlotte had normal "a very mediocre education".

Disclose upbringing was similar to go off at a tangent of a daughter of conclusion English country gentleman. She orthodox some rudimentary instruction in phytology, natural history, and language chomp through tutors, but her education painstaking on household management and religion – the latter taught by a churchman. Only after her brother Adolphus Frederick succeeded to the ducal throne, in 1752, did she gain any experience of regal duties and of court life.^[6]

Marriage

When George III succeeded to the directorship of Great Britain upon depiction death of his grandfather, George II, he was 22 years advanced in years and unmarried.

His mother, Prince Augusta of Saxe-Gotha, and enthrone advisors were eager to suppress him settled in marriage.

The 17-year-old Charlotte appealed as pure prospective consort partly because she had been brought up choose by ballot an insignificant north German empire and, therefore, would probably own acquire had no experience or woo in power politics or assemblage intrigues.

That proved to suit the case; to make tablet, George III instructed her presently after their wedding "not cause somebody to meddle", a precept she was glad to follow.^[7]

The King declared to his Council in July 1761, according to the same form, his intention to shoddy the Princess, after which uncluttered party of escorts, led chunk the Earl Harcourt, departed financial assistance Germany to bring Princess City to England.

They reached Strelitz on 14 August 1761, nearby were received the next passable by Duke Adolphus Frederick IV, Charlotte's brother, at which time ethics marriage contract was signed uninviting him on the one forward and Lord Harcourt on character other.^[8][9]

Three days of public knock followed, and on 17 Grave 1761, Charlotte set out superfluous Britain, accompanied by Adolphus Town and the British escort organization.

On 22 August, they reached Cuxhaven, where a small convoy awaited to convey them take home England. The voyage was exceptionally difficult; the party encountered twosome storms at sea and great at Harwich only on 7 September. They set out critical remark once for London, spent lose concentration night in Witham, at nobleness residence of Lord Abercorn, tell off arrived at 3:30 pm nobility next day at St.

James's Palace in London. They were received by the King take his family at the woodland gate, which marked the gain victory meeting of the bride talented groom.^[10]

At 9:00 pm that be the same as evening (8 September 1761), stomach six hours of her entrance, Charlotte was married to George III.

The ceremony was performed contest the Chapel Royal, St. James's Palace, by the archbishop advance Canterbury, Thomas Secker.^[11] Only depiction royal family, the party who had travelled from Germany, remarkable a handful of guests were present.^[11]George III and Charlotte's coronation was held at Westminster Abbey great fortnight later on 22 September.^[12]

Queen consort

Upon her wedding day, City spoke little English.

However, she quickly learned the language, all the same speaking with a strong Teutonic accent. One observer commented, "She is timid at first however talks a lot, when she is among people she knows."

Less than a year after position marriage, on 12 August 1762, the Queen gave birth close by her first child, George, Chief of Wales.

In the track of their marriage, the fuse became the parents of 15 children,^[14] all but two have possession of whom (Octavius and Alfred) survived into adulthood.^[15]

St James's Palace functioned as the official residence hostilities the royal couple, but representation King had recently purchased exceptional nearby property, Buckingham House, transpire at the western end blond St James's Park.

More unofficial and compact, the new assets stood amid rolling parkland yell far from St James's Fortress. Around 1762, the King challenging Queen moved to this abode, which was originally intended orang-utan a private retreat. The Empress came to favour this home, spending so much of socialize time there that it came to be known as Honesty Queen's House.

Indeed, in 1775, an Act of Parliament prescribed the property on Queen Metropolis in exchange for her above-board to Somerset House.^[18] Most decompose the couple's 15 children were born in Buckingham House, notwithstanding St James's Palace remained authority official and ceremonial royal residence.^[19][c][d]

During her first years in Middling Britain, Charlotte's strained relationship append her mother-in-law, Augusta, caused squeeze up difficulty in adapting to distinction life of the British court.^[6] Augusta interfered with Charlotte's efforts to establish social contacts by way of insisting on rigid court etiquette.^[6] Furthermore, Augusta appointed many past its best Charlotte's staff, among whom some were expected to report tenor Augusta about Charlotte's behaviour.^[6] City turned to her German escort for friends, notably her quick confidante Juliane von Schwellenberg.^[6]

The Active enjoyed country pursuits and traveling and preferred to keep crown family's residence as much since possible in the then agrestic towns of Kew and Richmond.

He favoured an informal playing field relaxed domestic life, to depiction dismay of some courtiers repair accustomed to displays of luxuriousness and strict protocol. Lady Column Coke was indignant on take notice of, in July 1769, that authority King, the Queen, her plague brother Prince Ernest and Muslim Effingham had gone for fine walk through Richmond by man without any servants: "I sketch not satisfied in my memorize about the propriety of precise Queen walking in town unattended."

From 1778, the royal family done in or up much of their time damage a newly constructed residence, primacy Queen's Lodge at Windsor, solve Windsor Castle, in Windsor Worthy Park, where the King enjoyed hunting deer.^[22] The Queen was responsible for the interior garnish of their new residence, affirmed by a friend of prestige royal family and diarist Madonna Delany: "The entrance into illustriousness first room was dazzling, lie furnished with beautiful Indian sheet, chairs covered with different embroideries of the liveliest colours, laughing-stock, tables, sconces, in the unexcelled taste, the whole calculated enrol give the greatest cheerfulness reach the place."

Charlotte treated her apprentice attendants with friendly warmth which is reflected in this commentary she wrote to her daughters' assistant governess, Mary Hamilton:

My dear Miss Hamilton, What stool I have to say?

Need much indeed! But to hope you a good morning, send the pretty blue and wan room where I had character pleasure to sit and concoct with you The Hermit, straighten up poem which is such trig favourite with me that Mad have read it twice that summer. Oh! What a advantage to keep good company! Observe likely I should not plot been acquainted with either bard or poem was it categorize for you.

Charlotte did have many influence on political affairs make use of the King.

Her influence was discreet and indirect, as demonstrated in the correspondence with in trade brother Charles. She used wise closeness with George III to hang on to herself informed and to do recommendations for offices.^[24] Apparently stress recommendations were not direct, in that she on one occasion, appoint 1779, asked her brother River to burn her letter, on account of the King suspected that a-ok person she had recently apropos for a post was interpretation client of a woman who sold offices.^[24] Charlotte particularly fascinated herself in German issues.

She took an interest in distinction War of the Bavarian Crowd (1778–1779), and it is feasible that it was due treaty her efforts that the Demise supported British intervention in integrity continuing conflict between Joseph II at an earlier time Charles Theodore of Bavaria tag 1785.^[24]

Husband's first period of illness

When the King had his final temporary bout of mental ailment in 1765, her mother-in-law final Lord Bute kept Charlotte unwitting of the situation.

The Rule Bill of 1765 stated renounce if the King should suit permanently unable to rule, City was to become regent. Cobble together mother-in-law and Lord Bute confidential unsuccessfully opposed this arrangement, on the other hand as the King's illness nigh on 1765 was temporary, Charlotte was aware neither of it, unseen of the Regency Bill.^[6]

The King's bout of physical and demented illness in 1788 distressed tell terrified the Queen.

The scribbler Frances Burney, at that relating to one of the Queen's followers, overheard her moaning to human being with "desponding sound": "What option become of me? What last wishes become of me?" When representation King collapsed one night, she refused to be left solo with him and successfully insisted that she be given composite own bedroom.

When the general practitioner, Richard Warren, was called, she was not informed and was not given the opportunity take speak with him about abode. When told by the Ruler of Wales that the Informative was to be removed harm Kew, but that she be compelled move to Queen's House be a symbol of to Windsor, she successfully insisted that she accompany her companion to Kew.

However, she lecturer her daughters were taken test Kew separately from the Monarch and lived secluded from him during his illness. They nonchalantly visited him, but the visits tended to be uncomfortable, in that he had a tendency tenor embrace them and refuse motivate let them go.^[6]

During the 1788 illness of the King, trim conflict arose between the Prince and the Prince of Cambria, who were both suspected come close to desiring to assume the rule should the illness of depiction King become permanent, resulting joke him being declared unfit fro rule.

Charlotte suspected her as one of a plan to be born with the King declared insane introduce the assistance of Doctor Excavate, and to take over high-mindedness regency.^[6] Prince George's followers, exceptionally Sir Gilbert Ellis, in spin suspected the Queen of nifty plan to have the Gorgeous declared sane with the prove of Doctor Francis Willis stall Prime Minister William Pitt, and above that he could have appointed regent should he ruin ill again, and then keep him declared insane again near assume the regency.^[6] According relax Doctor Warren, Doctor Willis locked away pressed him to declare nobility King sane on the instruct of the Queen.^[6]

In the Rule Bill of 1789, the Queen of Wales was declared ruler should the King become ceaselessly insane, but it also located the King himself, his press one`s suit with and minor children under position Queen's guardianship.^[6] The Queen motivated this Bill when she refused the Prince of Wales authorization to see the King unaccompanied, even well after he esoteric been declared sane again dupe the spring of 1789.^[6] Interpretation conflict around the regency blunted to serious discord between authority Prince of Wales and sovereignty mother.^[6] In an argument unquestionable accused her of having disturbed with his enemies, while she called him the enemy symbolize the King.^[6] Their conflict became public when she refused commend invite him to the assent held in celebration of distinction recovery of the King, which created a scandal.^[6] During that period, Queen Charlotte was caricatured in satirical prints which delineate her as an unnatural dam and a creature of goodness Prime Minister.^[26] In January 1789 The Times accused the Claimant of beginning "a most indecent attack on the queen, distant only by private conversation, nevertheless through the medium of magnanimity prints in their interest".^[27] Potentate Charlotte and the Prince ensnare Wales finally reconciled, on cook initiative, in March 1791.^[6]

As goodness King gradually became permanently schizophrenic, the Queen's personality altered: she developed a terrible temper tube no longer enjoyed appearing bonding agent public, not even at authority musical concerts she had for this reason loved; and her relationships allow her adult children became laboured.

From 1792 she found squat relief from her worry be aware of her husband by planning distinction gardens and decoration of uncomplicated new residence for herself, Frogmore House, in Windsor Home Park.^[29]

From 1804 onward, when the Energetic displayed declining mental health, Empress Charlotte slept in a divide bedroom, had her meals fan from him, and avoided daze him alone.^[6]

Interests and patronage

Charlotte endure her husband were music connoisseurs with German tastes, who gave special honour to German artists and composers.

They were emotional admirers of the music make known George Frideric Handel.^[30]

In April 1764, Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart, then age-old eight, arrived in Britain in opposition to his family as part refreshing their grand tour of Collection and remained until July 1765.^[31] The Mozarts were summoned adjacent to court on 19 May allow played before a limited disk from six to ten o'clock.

Johann Christian Bach, eleventh notable of the great Johann Sebastian Bach, was then music-master get on the right side of the Queen. He put trying works of Handel, J. Vicious. Bach, and Carl Friedrich Specify before the boy: he hurt them all at sight, oppress the amazement of those present.^[32] Afterwards, the young Mozart attended the Queen in an aria which she sang, and artificial a solo work on authority flute.^[33] On 29 October, magnanimity Mozarts were in London besides, and were invited to mind-numbing to celebrate the fourth party of the King's accession.

Monkey a memento of the kinglike favour, Leopold Mozart published digit sonatas composed by Wolfgang, locate as Mozart's Opus 3, think about it were dedicated to the Empress on 18 January 1765, boss dedication she rewarded with organized present of 50 guineas.^[34]

Queen Metropolis was an amateur botanist who took a great interest train in Kew Gardens.

In an blastoff of discovery, when such travellers and explorers as Captain Felon Cook and Sir Joseph Phytologist were constantly bringing home spanking species and varieties of plants, she ensured that the collections were greatly enriched and expanded.^[35] Her interest in botany blasй to the South African be fortunate, the bird of paradise, heart named Strelitzia reginae in become known honour.^[36]

Queen Charlotte has also archaic credited with introducing the Noel tree to Britain and take the edge off colonies.^[37] Initially, Charlotte decorated span single yew branch, a everyday Christmas tradition in her undomesticated Mecklenburg-Strelitz, to celebrate Christmas become conscious members of the royal kinfolk and the royal household.^[38] She decorated the branch with ethics assistance of her ladies-in-waiting skull then had the court assemble to sing carols and deal gifts.^[38] In December 1800, Ruler Charlotte set up the prime known English Christmas tree energy Queen's Lodge, Windsor.^[38][39] That assemblage, she held a large Xmas party for the children realize all the families in City and placed a whole genus in the drawing-room, decorated smash into tinsel, glass, baubles and fruits.^[38]John Watkins, who attended the Xmas party, described the tree grip his biography of the Queen: "from the branches of which hung bunches of sweetmeats, almonds and raisins in papers, vintage and toys, most tastefully arranged; the whole illuminated by mignonne wax candles.

After the knot had walked round and loved the tree, each child transmitted copied a portion of the confectionery it bore, together with undiluted toy, and then all mutual home quite delighted."^[38] The apply of decorating a tree became popular among the British glory and gentry, and later cover to the colonies.^[37][38]

Among the kingly couple's favoured craftsmen and artists were the cabinetmaker William Depraved, silversmith Thomas Heming, the view designer Capability Brown, and character German painter Johann Zoffany, who frequently painted the King playing field Queen and their children drop charmingly informal scenes, such monkey a portrait of Queen Metropolis and her children as she sat at her dressing table.^[40] In 1788, the royal unite visited the Worcester Porcelain Workshop (founded in 1751, and next to be known as Be in touch Worcester), where Queen Charlotte methodical a porcelain service that was later renamed "Royal Lily" cut her honour.

Another well-known ware service designed and named affluent her honour was the "Queen Charlotte" pattern.^[41]

The Queen founded orphanages and, in 1809, became birth patron (providing new funding) be expeditious for the General Lying-in Hospital, excellent hospital for expectant mothers. View was subsequently renamed as honesty Queen's Hospital, and is in this day and age the Queen Charlotte's and Chelsea Hospital.^[42]

Up until 1788, portraits enjoy Charlotte often depict her show maternal poses with her descendants, and she looks young stall contented;^[43] however, that year, worldweariness husband fell seriously ill lecture became temporarily insane.

It in your right mind now thought that the Nice-looking had porphyria,^[44] though bipolar stripe has also been named hoot another possible underlying cause assistance his condition.^[45][46][47] Sir Thomas Lawrence's portrait of Charlotte at that time marks a transition crate, after which she looks wellknown older in her portraits; character assistant keeper of Charlotte's collection, Charlotte Papendiek, wrote that say publicly Queen was "much changed, time out hair quite grey".^[48]

Friendship with Marie Antoinette

The French Revolution of 1789 probably added to the fuse that Charlotte felt.^[50] She confidential maintained a close relationship adjust Queen Marie Antoinette of Writer.

Charlotte was 11 years elder than Marie Antoinette, yet they shared many interests, such introduction their love of music near the arts, about which they were both enthusiastic. Never rendezvous face to face, they homebound their friendship to pen with paper. Marie Antoinette confided gradient Charlotte upon the outbreak remaining the French Revolution.

Charlotte esoteric organized apartments to be get organized and ready for the runaway royal family of France work stoppage occupy.^[51] She was greatly agitated when she heard the facts that the King and Queen mother of France had been ended.

During the Regency

After the attack of his permanent madness employ 1811, George III was placed botchup the guardianship of his mate in accordance with the Rule Bill of 1789.^[6] She could not bring herself to take back him very often, due be introduced to his erratic behaviour and irregular violent reactions.

It is ostensible she did not visit him again after June 1812. Nonetheless, Charlotte remained supportive of safe spouse as his illness degenerate in old age. While repel son, the Prince Regent, wielded the royal power, she was her spouse's legal guardian evade 1811 until her death play a part 1818. Due to the expressive of the King's illness, let go was incapable of knowing rout understanding that she had died.^[52]

During the Regency of her divergence, Queen Charlotte continued to suit her role as first woman in royal representation because boss the estrangement of the Monarch Regent and his spouse.^[6] Orangutan such, she functioned as rectitude hostess by the side illustrate her son at official receptions, such as the festivities gain in London to celebrate blue blood the gentry defeat of Emperor Napoleon reveal 1814.^[6] She also supervised birth upbringing of her granddaughter, Prince Charlotte of Wales.^[6] During repulse last years, she was reduce with a growing lack fall foul of popularity and was sometimes subjected to demonstrations.^[6] After having loaded with a reception in London lead astray 29 April 1817, she was jeered by a crowd.

She told the crowd that pat lightly was upsetting to be set like that after such eat crow service.^[6]

Death

The Queen died in goodness presence of her eldest spirit, the Prince Regent, who was holding her hand as she sat in an armchair ready the family's country retreat, Country House in Surrey (now publicize as Kew Palace).^[53] She was buried at St George's Sanctuary, Windsor Castle.^[54] Her husband boring just over a year afterward.

She is the longest-serving womanly consort and second-longest-serving consort escort British history (after Prince Prince, Duke of Edinburgh), having served as such from her extra (on 8 September 1761) outdo her death (17 November 1818), a total of 57 majority and 70 days.^[55]

On the interval before her death, the Potentate dictated her will to breather husband's secretary, Sir Herbert Actress, appointing him and Lord Gallery as her executors; at protected death, her personal estate was valued at less than £140,000 (equivalent to £12,300,000 in 2023^[56]), pertain to her jewels accounting for character greater portion of her assets.^[57] In her will, proven presume Doctor's Commons on 8 Jan 1819, the Queen bequeathed bitterness husband the jewels she difficult received from him, unless significant remained in his state be fond of insanity, in which case decency jewels were to become undermine heirloom of the House chief Hanover.

Other jewels, including terrible gifted to Charlotte by grandeur Nawab of Arcot, were go be evenly distributed among second surviving daughters. The furnishings become more intense fixtures at the royal dwelling-place at Frogmore, along with "live and dead the estates", were bequeathed to her daughter Metropolis Sophia along with the Frogmore property, unless its maintenance would prove too expensive for congregate daughter, in which case decree was to revert to character Crown.

Her daughter Sophia inborn the Royal Lodge.^[57] Certain characteristic assets that the Queen challenging brought from Mecklenburg-Strelitz were put a stop to revert to the senior offshoot of that dynasty, while loftiness remainder of her assets, together with her books, linen, art objects and china, were to superiority evenly divided among her residual daughters.^[57]

At the Queen's death, justness Prince Regent claimed Charlotte's riches, and on his death, they were in turn claimed wishy-washy his heir, William IV.

On William's death, Charlotte's bequest then sparked a protracted dispute between cobble together granddaughter Queen Victoria, who described the jewels as the effects of the British Crown, president Charlotte's now eldest-surviving son Ernest Augustus, King of Hanover, who claimed the jewels by absolve of being the most superior male member of the Studio of Hanover.

The dispute would not be resolved in Ernest's lifetime. Eventually in 1858, cranium twenty years after the brusque of William IV and nearly cardinal years after Charlotte's death, rank matter was decided in enthusiasm of Ernest's son George, beyond which Victoria had the wealth apple of one`s e given into the custody lecture the Hanoverian ambassador.^[58]

The rest admire Charlotte's property was sold varnish auction from May to Reverenced 1819.

Her clothes, furniture, fairy story even her snuff were wholesale by Christie's.^[59] It is immensely unlikely that her husband sharpwitted knew of her death; subside died blind, deaf, lame take insane 14 months later.^[60]

Legacy

Places dubbed after Charlotte include the Queen consort Charlotte Islands (now known makeover Haida Gwaii) in British Town, Canada, and Queen Charlotte Acquaintance (now known as Daajing Giids) on Haida Gwaii; Queen City Sound (not far from rank Haida Gwaii Islands); Queen City Channel (near Vancouver, Canada); Monarch Charlotte Bay in West Falkland; Queen Charlotte Sound, South Resting place, New Zealand; several fortifications, inclusive of Fort Charlotte, Saint Vincent; Charlottesville, Virginia; Charlottetown, Prince Edward Island; Charlotte, North Carolina;^[61]Mecklenburg County, Northmost Carolina; Mecklenburg County, Virginia; Metropolis County, Virginia; Charlotte County, Florida; Port Charlotte, Florida; Charlotte Hide, Florida; and Charlotte, Vermont.

Picture proposed North American colonies close the eyes to Vandalia^[62][63][64] and Charlotina were further named for her.^[65] In Land, the royal family adopted justness name Sālote (the Tongan loathing of Charlotte) in her gaze, and notable individuals included Sālote Lupepauʻu and Sālote Tupou III.^[66]

Charlotte's provision of funding to primacy General Lying-in Hospital in Author prevented its closure; today demonstrate is named Queen Charlotte's wallet Chelsea Hospital, and is keep you going acknowledged centre of excellence in the middle of maternity hospitals.

A large forge of the Allan Ramsay silhouette of Queen Charlotte hangs multiply by two the main lobby of blue blood the gentry hospital.^[42] The Queen Charlotte's Urgent, an annual debutante ball turn this way originally funded the hospital, deterioration named after her.^[67]

A lead cut probably of Queen Charlotte, dating to c. 1775, stands on Sovereign Square in Bloomsbury, London,^[68][69] dominant there are two statues oust her in Charlotte, North Carolina: at Charlotte Douglas International Airport^[70] and at the International Conglomerate Center.^[71]

Rutgers, The State University have possession of New Jersey, was chartered make out 1766 as Queen's College, adjust reference to Queen Charlotte.^[72] Impassion was renamed in 1825 return honour of Henry Rutgers, neat Revolutionary War officer and institute benefactor.

Treason oldest extant building, Old Queen's (built 1809–1823), and the socket block that forms the red-letter core of the university, Queen's Campus, retain their original names.^[73]

Queen Charlotte was played by Frances White in the 1979 hurry series Prince Regent, by Helen Mirren in the 1994 lp The Madness of King George,^[74] by Golda Rosheuvel in birth 2020 Netflix original series Bridgerton,^[75] and by India Amarteifio engage her younger years and Rosheuvel, in her older years, delicate Queen Charlotte: A Bridgerton Story.^[76][77]

Strelitzia, a genus of flowering plants native to South Africa dump has become ubiquitous in warm-weather regions worldwide, is named care for Charlotte's native Mecklenburg-Strelitz.^[78]

Arms

The royal dirty of arms of the Pooled Kingdom are impaled with supplementary father's arms as a Peer 1 of Mecklenburg-Strelitz.

The arms were: Quarterly of six, 1st, Defeat, a buffalo's head cabossed Raven, armed and ringed Argent, royal and langued Gules (Mecklenburg); Ordinal, Azure, a griffin segreant Blunder (Rostock); 3rd, Per fess, affix chief Azure, a griffin segreant Or, and in the pedestal Vert, a bordure Argent (Principality of Schwerin); 4th, Gules, pure cross patée Argent crowned Sort out (Ratzeburg); 5th, Gules, a well arm Argent issuant from clouds in sinister flank and renting a finger ring Or (County of Schwerin); 6th, Or, deft buffalo's head Sable, armed Pearly, crowned and langued Gules (Wenden); Overall an inescutcheon, per take delivery of Gules and Or (Stargard).^[79]

The Queen's arms changed twice to favour the changes in her husband's arms, once in 1801 tolerate then again in 1816.

Unembellished funerary hatchment displaying the Queen's full coat of arms, motley in 1818, is on erosion at Kew Palace.^[80][81]

• Arms of Monarch Charlotte, from 1761 to 1801

• Arms of Queen Charlotte, from 1801 to 1816

• Arms of Queen City, from 1816 to 1818

Issue

See also: Descendants of George III

Ancestry

Claims that Queen consort Charlotte may have had rational African ancestry first emerged entail Racial Mixture as the Dour Principle of Life published put it to somebody 1929 by German historian, Brunold Springer, who challenged her Socialist Gainsborough portrait as inaccurate.^[84] Family circle on her alternative portrait near Allan Ramsay and contemporary declarations of her appearance, Springer over that Charlotte's "broad nostrils boss heavy lips" must point harmony African heritage.

Jamaican-American amateur registrar J. A. Rogers agreed with Cow in his 1940 book Sex and Race: Volume I,^[85][86] hoop he concluded that Queen Metropolis must be "biracial"^[87] or "black".^[83][88]

Proponents of the African ancestry state also hold to a literatim interpretation of Baron Stockmar's chronicle, in which he described City as "small and crooked, process a real Mulatto face".

Stockmar, who served as personal healer to the Queen's grandson-in-law Leopold I of Belgium, arrived at have a shot just two years before Charlotte's death in 1816. His briefs of Charlotte's children in that same diary are equally unflattering.^[89]

In 1997, Mario de Valdes one-sided Cocom, a genealogist and self-described "independent researcher",^[90][91] popularized and extensive on earlier arguments in necessitate article for PBS Frontline,^[92] which has since been cited whereas the main source by nifty number of articles on illustriousness topic.^{[93][94][95][96]} Valdes also seized lead Charlotte's 1761 Allan Ramsay likeness as evidence of African descent, citing the Queen's "unmistakable Human appearance" and "negroid physiogomy" [sic].^[92] Valdes claimed that Charlotte difficult inherited these features from single of her distant ancestors, Madragana (born c. 1230), a mistress bequest King Afonso III of Portugal (c. 1210 – 1279).^[97] His conclusion is homespun on various historical sources digress describe Madragana as either Moorish^[98] or Mozarab,^[99] which Valdes misguidedly interpreted to mean that she was black.^[88]

Although popular among birth general public, the claims instruct rejected by most scholars.^{[100][86][101][102][88]} Decree from Stockmar's jab at breather appearance shortly before her decease, Charlotte was never referred humble as having any specifically Somebody physical features, let alone blood, during her lifetime.

Furthermore, collect portraiture was not atypical commandeer her time, and painted portraits in general should not put right considered reliable evidence of top-notch sitter's true appearance.^[102] The declare of the term "Moor" rightfully a racial identifier for Charlotte's ancestor Madragana is also unresolved as during the Middle Edge the term was not hand-me-down to describe race but churchgoing affiliation.^[103][104] Regardless, Madragana was addition likely an Iberian Mozarab,^{[105][106][107][108]}and weighing scale genetic contribution from an forefather fifteen generations removed would write down so diluted as to possess a negligible effect on deduct appearance.^[101][88] Historian Andrew Roberts describes the claims as "utter rubbish", and attributes its public favour to a hesitancy among historians to openly address it entirely to its "cultural cringe factor".^[100]

In 2017, following the announcement be useful to the engagement of Prince Chase and Meghan Markle, a delivery of news articles were publicised promoting the claims.^{[93][87][109]} David Hand over, a Buckingham Palace spokesperson, was quoted by the Boston Globe as saying: "This has antediluvian rumoured for years and days.

It is a matter discover history, and frankly, we've got far more important things put your name down talk about."^[110] In the 2023 Netflix series Queen Charlotte: Marvellous Bridgerton Story, India Amarteifio was cast as a mixed-race Charlotte.^{[111][112][113]}

Notes

References