Caroline of Brunswick

Caroline of Brunswick, born on May seventeenth, seventeen sixty-eight, was a prominent figure in British history, serving as Queen of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland and Queen of Hanover from January twenty-nine, eighteen twenty until her death in eighteen twenty-one. She was the estranged wife of King George IV and held the title of Princess of Wales from seventeen ninety-five to eighteen twenty.

The daughter of Charles William Ferdinand, Duke of Brunswick, and Princess Augusta of Great Britain, Caroline was engaged in seventeen ninety-four to her first cousin, George, Prince of Wales, whom she had never met. Their marriage took place the following year, but the couple separated shortly after the birth of their only child, Princess Charlotte, in seventeen ninety-six. By eighteen oh six, rumors regarding Caroline's private life led to an investigation, which ultimately found no basis for the allegations, yet her access to her daughter remained limited.

In eighteen fourteen, Caroline relocated to Italy, where she employed Bartolomeo Pergami as a servant. Their close companionship sparked rumors of a romantic relationship. The death of her daughter Charlotte in childbirth in eighteen seventeen devastated Caroline, who learned of the tragedy through a courier, as George had refused to inform her himself. Determined to divorce Caroline, George initiated a second investigation to gather evidence against her.

With George ascending to the throne in January eighteen twenty, Caroline became nominal queen consort. Despite George's insistence on a divorce, Caroline remained resolute. Upon her return to Britain, she garnered immense public support, contrasting sharply with the unpopularity of the new king. George's attempt to pass the Pains and Penalties Bill in eighteen twenty to facilitate the divorce was met with widespread disapproval, leading to its withdrawal. In July eighteen twenty-one, Caroline was barred from George's coronation, and shortly thereafter, she fell ill and passed away three weeks later. Her funeral procession through London en route to Brunswick Cathedral marked the end of her tumultuous life.