Princess Augusta of Saxe-Gotha
Wikipedia

Princess Augusta of Saxe-Gotha

Princess Augusta of Saxe-Gotha-Altenburg (30 November [O.S. 19 November] 1719 – 8 February 1772)[1] was Princess of Wales by marriage to Frederick, Prince of Wales, eldest son and heir apparent of King George II. She never became queen consort, as Frederick predeceased his father in 1751. Augusta's eldest son succeeded her father-in-law as George III in 1760. After her spouse died, Augusta was the presumptive regent of Great Britain in the event of a regency, until her son reached majority in 1756.

Augusta of Saxe-Gotha-Altenburg
Princess of Wales
Portrait by Charles Philips, 1736
Born(1719-11-30)30 November 1719
Gotha, Duchy of Saxe-Gotha-Altenburg
Died8 February 1772(1772-02-08) (aged 52)
Carlton House, London, England
Burial15 February 1772
Spouse
(m. 1736; died 1751)
Issue
HouseSaxe-Gotha-Altenburg
FatherFrederick II, Duke of Saxe-Gotha-Altenburg
MotherPrincess Magdalena Augusta of Anhalt-Zerbst
Signature

Early life edit

Princess Augusta was born in Gotha to Frederick II, Duke of Saxe-Gotha-Altenburg (1676–1732) and Magdalena Augusta of Anhalt-Zerbst (1679–1740). Her paternal grandfather was Frederick I, Duke of Saxe-Gotha-Altenburg, eldest surviving son of Ernest I, Duke of Saxe-Gotha-Altenburg.

In 1736, it was proposed that she marry 29-year-old Frederick, Prince of Wales, eldest son of George II of Great Britain and his queen consort Caroline of Ansbach. Originally, Frederick was intended to marry the eldest daughter of the King of Prussia. A marriage alliance between Great Britain and Prussia had been an ambition for many years. However, when George II suggested that his eldest son would marry the eldest (unmarried) daughter of the King of Prussia, while his second (unmarried) daughter would marry the eldest son of the Prussian king, the King of Prussia demanded that his eldest son should likewise marry the eldest (unmarried) daughter of the King of Great Britain, and George II refused to agree to this demand.[2]

Around the time the Prussian plan was cancelled, there were rumours that Frederick might marry Lady Diana Spencer, granddaughter of the Duchess of Marlborough, and that such a marriage had been proposed when he visited the duchess's lodge at Richmond.[2] Queen Caroline felt a need to arrange a marriage for her son quickly, to preempt any possibility of such a mésalliance. She therefore suggested to the king that, when he next visited the Electorate of Hanover, he should also visit Saxe-Gotha and view the princesses there. The king did so, and informed the queen that he considered Augusta suitable. When the matter was broached with Frederick, he simply replied that he would accept any bride his father decided was suitable for him. His attitude arose from a desire to obtain an additional allowance from Parliament to be financially independent of his father.[3]

Augusta did not speak French or English, and it was suggested that she be given lessons before the wedding, but her mother did not consider it necessary, as the British royal family were from Germany.[2] She arrived in Britain, speaking virtually no English, aged 16, for a wedding ceremony which took place almost immediately, on 8 May [O.S. 27 April] 1736, at the Chapel Royal in St James's Palace, London.[4]

Princess of Wales edit

 
One of the first portraits of Augusta of Saxe-Gotha as Princess of Wales by William Hogarth, 1736–1738, National Museum in Warsaw

Augusta of Saxe-Gotha left Hellevoetsluis 17 April 1736 and arrived at Greenwich on the royal yacht William and Mary on the 25th, where she was welcomed by her groom. On 27 April 1736, she was escorted to St James's Palace, London, where she met the rest of the royal family. When she was introduced to the royal family, she made a favourable impression on the king and queen by throwing herself on the floor before them in a gesture of respect.[2] The wedding ceremony was held at the Royal Chapel inside St. James's Palace the same day (27 April O.S., 8 May N.S.)

During the first year of marriage, Augusta could be seen playing with her doll in the windows of her residence, until her sister-in-law, Princess Caroline, told her to stop.[2] Frederick took advantage of her inexperience when he had his then lover, Lady Archibald Hamilton, employed as her First Lady of the Bedchamber, after convincing Augusta that there was no truth in the rumour of his affair.[2] Augusta and Frederick had nine children, the last born after Frederick's death.[5][6][7]

Frederick once stated that he would never allow himself to be influenced by his consort as his father was, and he thus never made Augusta his confidante.[2] He did, however, instruct her to act in accordance with his wishes in his feud with his parents, and on several occasions, Frederick reportedly instructed her to snub them.[2] When she attended the service of the German Lutheran Chapel, for example, which was also attended by the queen, Frederick instructed Augusta to make sure she always arrived after the queen, so that she would be forced to push in front of the queen to reach her place. This eventually made the queen insist that Augusta should be directed to her place by another entrance, which in turn caused Frederick to instruct Augusta to refuse to enter the Chapel if the queen had arrived before her.[2]

 
Augusta and her family in 1739, by Van Loo

When Augusta's first pregnancy was announced, the queen stated that she would be sure to witness the birth, to be assured that the pregnancy was indeed genuine. She reportedly wished the succession to pass to her second surviving son, Prince William, Duke of Cumberland. The birth of their first daughter, Princess Augusta, on 31 July 1737, took place at St James's after the Princess of Wales was forced by Frederick to travel from Hampton Court Palace while in labour, to prevent his hated parents from being present at the birth.[2] The delivery was traumatic: St James Palace was not ready to receive them, no bed was prepared, no sheets could be found, and Augusta was forced to give birth on a tablecloth.[2] Queen Caroline once said of her daughter-in-law and the inconveniences she had inflicted on her: "Poor creature, were she to spit in my face, I should only pity her for being under such a fool's direction, and wipe it off."[2]

The circumstances of the birth of Princess Augusta led to a dispute between the Prince and Princess of Wales and the king and queen, who were not reconciled until public opinion during the Jacobite rebellion in 1745 pressured them to.[2] After the reconciliation, the couple became less isolated from high society, allowing courtiers to appear at both courts without giving offence. Augusta made a good impression in society life, where she was described as pretty, elegant, and a gracious hostess.[2] On some occasions, the children of Augusta were made to give amateur theatre performances for their guests, notably on 4 January 1749, when George, Augusta, Elizabeth, Edward and some of their playmates acted in the tragedy of Cato.[2]

Princess dowager edit

 
Augusta as Dowager Princess of Wales, mother of the future king, by Liotard, 1754.

On 31 March 1751, Frederick unexpectedly died, making Augusta a widow at thirty-two. Dr. Doran described her at the death of her spouse: "She had, throughout her married life exhibited much mental superiority, with great kindness of disposition, and that under circumstances of great difficulty, and sometimes of a character to inflict vexation on the calmest nature. [...] She was then the mother of eight children, expecting shortly to be the mother of a ninth, and she was brought reluctantly to knowledge that their father was no more. It was six in the morning before her attendants could persuade her to retire to bed; but she arose again at eight, and then, with less thought for her grief than anxiety for the honour of him whose death was the cause of it, she proceeded to the Prince's room, and burned the whole of his private papers. By this the world lost some rare supplementary chapters to a Chronique Scandaleuse!"[8]: 4–5 

 
The Family of Frederick, Prince of Wales, a group portrait commissioned from George Knapton by Augusta and completed less than a year after Frederick's death

The King reportedly did not show much feeling upon the death of his son and the funeral was simple.[8] On receiving the King's condolences, Augusta replied that she placed herself and her children upon his mercy and protection, and he was evidently touched by her widowhood and minor children, and was willing to show them consideration.[8] Following Frederick's death, her role as mother of the heir-apparent to the throne became a more prominent one, and she was named prospective regent by the king and the parliament, should the King die during the minority of her eldest son, the Prince of Wales.[8] This caused a controversy and opposition from Prince William, Duke of Cumberland, who had expected to be given that role instead.[8]

During the remaining years of the reign of George II, Augusta chose to live in seclusion with her children, devoting herself to their care.[8] The few occasions when she did appear in public, the King gave her the same ceremonial role and honours previously given to the Queen, and she was honored the same way by the public as well as the court.[8]

However, Augusta suffered a loss of popularity as a widow. She was to be criticised for her manner of raising her children, as she isolated them from the outside world into a secluded family environment, seldom meeting people outside the family.[8]

As her eldest son came of age, the King attempted to arrange a marriage. His favoured choice was a princess of Brunswick-Wolffenbüttel or a princess of Prussia, but Augusta refused, favouring a member of her own family, the House of Saxe-Gotha.[8]

On 25 October 1760, her son succeeded his grandfather as George III. The year after his succession, he married Charlotte of Mecklenburg-Strelitz. Augusta's relationship with her daughter-in-law was not a good one. She reportedly made it difficult for Charlotte to establish social contacts by referring to rigged court etiquette.[9] Furthermore, she initially appointed a large part of Charlotte's court staff, several of whom were suspected of reporting to Augusta about Charlotte's behaviour.[9] When Charlotte turned to her German companions for friends, she was criticised by Augusta for keeping favourites, notably her close confidant Juliane von Schwellenberg.[9]

Augusta had an acknowledged political influence upon her son, who "strove to follow the counsels she gave", and in which he trusted.[8] Reportedly, she was in turn influenced by Lord Bute, who was appointed prime minister with her support in 1762.[8] His appointment caused a serious crisis and exposed both Augusta and Bute to such public hostility that Bute had to resign from his post the following year.[8] Thackeray described the public sentiments and the circulating rumours: "Bute was hated with a rage there have been few examples in English history. He was the butt for everybody's abuse; for Wilkes, for Churchill's slashing satire, for the hooting of the mob who roasted his booth, his emblem, in a thousand bonfires; that hated him because he was a favourite and a Scotsman, calling him Mortimer, Lothario, and I know not what names, and accusing his royal mistress of all kinds of names – the grave, lean, demure, elderly woman, who, I dare say, was quite as good as her neighbours. Chatham lent the aide of his great malice to influence the popular sentiment against her. He assailed, in the House of Lords, 'The secret influence, more mighty than the throne itself, which betrayed and dogged every administration'. The most furious pamphlets echoed the cry 'Impeach the King's mother', was scribbled over every wall at the Court end of the town".[8]

 
Augusta of Saxe-Gotha, by Ramsay, 1759

When the King had a first, temporary, bout of mental illness in 1765, Augusta and Lord Bute kept Queen Charlotte unaware of the situation.[9] The Regency Bill of 1765 stated that if the King should become permanently unable to rule, Charlotte was to become Regent.[9] Augusta was suggested as regent, but there was fierce opposition to her appointment, as there were concerns of the influence of Lord Bute in her potential regency, and fears that should she become regent, Bute would de facto rule as "King".[8]

Augusta reportedly resented the marriages of her younger sons, which took place without her consent.[8]

In 1769, the spouse of her daughter Caroline Matilda, Christian VII of Denmark, visited Great Britain. During his visit, Augusta, upon the initiative of Caroline Matilda, asked him publicly during a dinner to reinstate Louise von Plessen, a favourite of Caroline Matilda whom Christian had fired, to her position.[10] He answered that he had made a sacred vow never to do so, but that if Caroline Matilda preferred von Plessen's company over his, so be it.[10] In the end, Louise von Plessen was not reinstated, and Augusta apparently asked Caroline Matilda not to press the matter and to show more affection to Christian.[10]

In 1770, rumours about Caroline Matilda, the queen of Denmark, began to circulate. In particular these concerned the mental state of her spouse as well as the fall of prime minister Count Johann Hartwig Ernst von Bernstorff, in which Caroline Matilda was rumoured to have participated.[8] When Augusta visited her eldest daughter in Brunswick that year, she also took the opportunity to see Caroline Matilda, who received her in breeches, which at that time was regarded as scandalous. Upon Augusta's lamentations, her daughter answered: "Pray, madam, allow me to govern my own kingdom as I please!"[8]

Augusta died of throat cancer at the age of 52 at Carlton House, and was buried seven days later at Westminster Abbey.

Kew Gardens edit

Princess Augusta enlarged and greatly extended Kew Gardens after her husband's death. Sir William Chambers built several garden structures for her. One of these, the lofty Great Pagoda built in 1761, still remains.[11]

 
Arms as Princess of Wales


Issue edit

Name[12] Birth Death Notes
Princess Augusta, Duchess of Brunswick 31 July 1737 23 March 1813 Married, 1764, Charles William Ferdinand, Duke of Brunswick-Wolfenbüttel; had issue.
George III 4 June 1738 29 January 1820 Married, 1761, Charlotte of Mecklenburg-Strelitz; had issue.
Prince Edward, Duke of York 25 March 1739 17 September 1767 Died aged twenty-eight, unmarried.
Princess Elizabeth 10 January 1741 4 September 1759 Died aged eighteen, unmarried.
Prince William Henry, Duke of Gloucester 25 November 1743 25 August 1805 Married, 1766, Maria, Countess Waldegrave; had issue.
Prince Henry, Duke of Cumberland 7 November 1745 18 September 1790 Married, 1771, Anne Luttrell; no issue.
Princess Louisa 19 March 1749 13 May 1768 Died aged nineteen, unmarried.
Prince Frederick 13 May 1750 29 December 1765 Died aged fifteen, unmarried.
Caroline Matilda, Queen of Denmark and Norway 11 July 1751 10 May 1775 Married, 1766, Christian VII, King of Denmark and Norway; had issue.

Legacy edit

Several places in British America were named in her honour:

Michelle Fairley portrayed a fictionalized version of Augusta in Queen Charlotte: A Bridgerton Story (2023).

Ancestors edit

References edit

  1. ^ Williamson, David (1986). Debrett's Kings and Queens of Britain. Salem House. p. 157. ISBN 978-0-88162-213-3.
  2. ^ a b c d e f g h i j k l m n o Finch, Barbara Clay: Lives of the princesses of Wales. Part II
  3. ^ Van der Kiste, John (1997) George II and Queen Caroline. Stroud, Gloucestershire: Sutton Publishing. ISBN 0-7509-1321-5. p 154
  4. ^ John Burke and Bernard Burke, Burke's Genealogical and Heraldic History of Peerage, Baronetage and Knightage 60 (Burke's Peerage, 1898), cxv; and online genealogy: gw.geneanet.org/tdowling
  5. ^ Campbell Orr, Clarissa (2004). Queenship in Europe 1660–1815: The Role of the Consort. Cambridge University Press. p. 350. ISBN 978-0-5218-1422-5.
  6. ^ . Archived from the original on 6 October 2015. Retrieved 5 October 2015.
  7. ^ . Archived from the original on 6 October 2015. Retrieved 5 October 2015.
  8. ^ a b c d e f g h i j k l m n o p q Finch, Barbara Clay: Lives of the princesses of Wales. Part III 6 December 2008 at the Wayback Machine
  9. ^ a b c d e Fitzgerald, Percy: The Good Queen Charlotte (1899)
  10. ^ a b c August Fjelstrup: Damerne ved Karoline Mathildes Hof, 1909.
  11. ^ . Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew. Archived from the original on 20 February 2014.
  12. ^ Wilkins, William Henry (1904). A Queen of Tears: Caroline Matilda, Queen of Denmark and Norway and Princess of Great Britain and Ireland (Complete). Library of Alexandria. pp. 16–17. ISBN 978-1-4656-0740-9.
  13. ^ "History". City of Augusta, Georgia. from the original on 27 November 2019. Retrieved 27 November 2019.
  14. ^ "History". Augusta County, Virginia. from the original on 27 November 2019. Retrieved 27 November 2019.
  15. ^ Thorell, Margaret Murray (2014). Sunbury. Arcadia Publishing. p. 22. ISBN 978-1-4671-2071-5. from the original on 21 August 2020. Retrieved 27 November 2019.
  16. ^ 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. 102. from the original on 21 August 2020. Retrieved 22 January 2019.

External links edit

princess, augusta, saxe, gotha, altenburg, november, november, 1719, february, 1772, princess, wales, marriage, frederick, prince, wales, eldest, heir, apparent, king, george, never, became, queen, consort, frederick, predeceased, father, 1751, augusta, eldest. Princess Augusta of Saxe Gotha Altenburg 30 November O S 19 November 1719 8 February 1772 1 was Princess of Wales by marriage to Frederick Prince of Wales eldest son and heir apparent of King George II She never became queen consort as Frederick predeceased his father in 1751 Augusta s eldest son succeeded her father in law as George III in 1760 After her spouse died Augusta was the presumptive regent of Great Britain in the event of a regency until her son reached majority in 1756 Augusta of Saxe Gotha AltenburgPrincess of WalesPortrait by Charles Philips 1736Born 1719 11 30 30 November 1719Gotha Duchy of Saxe Gotha AltenburgDied8 February 1772 1772 02 08 aged 52 Carlton House London EnglandBurial15 February 1772Westminster AbbeySpouseFrederick Prince of Wales m 1736 died 1751 wbr IssueAugusta Duchess of Brunswick Wolfenbuttel George III Prince Edward Duke of York and Albany Princess Elizabeth Prince William Henry Duke of Gloucester and Edinburgh Prince Henry Duke of Cumberland and Strathearn Princess Louisa Prince Frederick Caroline Matilda Queen of Denmark and NorwayHouseSaxe Gotha AltenburgFatherFrederick II Duke of Saxe Gotha AltenburgMotherPrincess Magdalena Augusta of Anhalt ZerbstSignature Contents 1 Early life 2 Princess of Wales 3 Princess dowager 4 Kew Gardens 5 Issue 6 Legacy 7 Ancestors 8 References 9 External linksEarly life editPrincess Augusta was born in Gotha to Frederick II Duke of Saxe Gotha Altenburg 1676 1732 and Magdalena Augusta of Anhalt Zerbst 1679 1740 Her paternal grandfather was Frederick I Duke of Saxe Gotha Altenburg eldest surviving son of Ernest I Duke of Saxe Gotha Altenburg In 1736 it was proposed that she marry 29 year old Frederick Prince of Wales eldest son of George II of Great Britain and his queen consort Caroline of Ansbach Originally Frederick was intended to marry the eldest daughter of the King of Prussia A marriage alliance between Great Britain and Prussia had been an ambition for many years However when George II suggested that his eldest son would marry the eldest unmarried daughter of the King of Prussia while his second unmarried daughter would marry the eldest son of the Prussian king the King of Prussia demanded that his eldest son should likewise marry the eldest unmarried daughter of the King of Great Britain and George II refused to agree to this demand 2 Around the time the Prussian plan was cancelled there were rumours that Frederick might marry Lady Diana Spencer granddaughter of the Duchess of Marlborough and that such a marriage had been proposed when he visited the duchess s lodge at Richmond 2 Queen Caroline felt a need to arrange a marriage for her son quickly to preempt any possibility of such a mesalliance She therefore suggested to the king that when he next visited the Electorate of Hanover he should also visit Saxe Gotha and view the princesses there The king did so and informed the queen that he considered Augusta suitable When the matter was broached with Frederick he simply replied that he would accept any bride his father decided was suitable for him His attitude arose from a desire to obtain an additional allowance from Parliament to be financially independent of his father 3 Augusta did not speak French or English and it was suggested that she be given lessons before the wedding but her mother did not consider it necessary as the British royal family were from Germany 2 She arrived in Britain speaking virtually no English aged 16 for a wedding ceremony which took place almost immediately on 8 May O S 27 April 1736 at the Chapel Royal in St James s Palace London 4 Princess of Wales edit nbsp One of the first portraits of Augusta of Saxe Gotha as Princess of Wales by William Hogarth 1736 1738 National Museum in Warsaw Augusta of Saxe Gotha left Hellevoetsluis 17 April 1736 and arrived at Greenwich on the royal yacht William and Mary on the 25th where she was welcomed by her groom On 27 April 1736 she was escorted to St James s Palace London where she met the rest of the royal family When she was introduced to the royal family she made a favourable impression on the king and queen by throwing herself on the floor before them in a gesture of respect 2 The wedding ceremony was held at the Royal Chapel inside St James s Palace the same day 27 April O S 8 May N S During the first year of marriage Augusta could be seen playing with her doll in the windows of her residence until her sister in law Princess Caroline told her to stop 2 Frederick took advantage of her inexperience when he had his then lover Lady Archibald Hamilton employed as her First Lady of the Bedchamber after convincing Augusta that there was no truth in the rumour of his affair 2 Augusta and Frederick had nine children the last born after Frederick s death 5 6 7 Frederick once stated that he would never allow himself to be influenced by his consort as his father was and he thus never made Augusta his confidante 2 He did however instruct her to act in accordance with his wishes in his feud with his parents and on several occasions Frederick reportedly instructed her to snub them 2 When she attended the service of the German Lutheran Chapel for example which was also attended by the queen Frederick instructed Augusta to make sure she always arrived after the queen so that she would be forced to push in front of the queen to reach her place This eventually made the queen insist that Augusta should be directed to her place by another entrance which in turn caused Frederick to instruct Augusta to refuse to enter the Chapel if the queen had arrived before her 2 nbsp Augusta and her family in 1739 by Van Loo When Augusta s first pregnancy was announced the queen stated that she would be sure to witness the birth to be assured that the pregnancy was indeed genuine She reportedly wished the succession to pass to her second surviving son Prince William Duke of Cumberland The birth of their first daughter Princess Augusta on 31 July 1737 took place at St James s after the Princess of Wales was forced by Frederick to travel from Hampton Court Palace while in labour to prevent his hated parents from being present at the birth 2 The delivery was traumatic St James Palace was not ready to receive them no bed was prepared no sheets could be found and Augusta was forced to give birth on a tablecloth 2 Queen Caroline once said of her daughter in law and the inconveniences she had inflicted on her Poor creature were she to spit in my face I should only pity her for being under such a fool s direction and wipe it off 2 The circumstances of the birth of Princess Augusta led to a dispute between the Prince and Princess of Wales and the king and queen who were not reconciled until public opinion during the Jacobite rebellion in 1745 pressured them to 2 After the reconciliation the couple became less isolated from high society allowing courtiers to appear at both courts without giving offence Augusta made a good impression in society life where she was described as pretty elegant and a gracious hostess 2 On some occasions the children of Augusta were made to give amateur theatre performances for their guests notably on 4 January 1749 when George Augusta Elizabeth Edward and some of their playmates acted in the tragedy of Cato 2 Princess dowager edit nbsp Augusta as Dowager Princess of Wales mother of the future king by Liotard 1754 On 31 March 1751 Frederick unexpectedly died making Augusta a widow at thirty two Dr Doran described her at the death of her spouse She had throughout her married life exhibited much mental superiority with great kindness of disposition and that under circumstances of great difficulty and sometimes of a character to inflict vexation on the calmest nature She was then the mother of eight children expecting shortly to be the mother of a ninth and she was brought reluctantly to knowledge that their father was no more It was six in the morning before her attendants could persuade her to retire to bed but she arose again at eight and then with less thought for her grief than anxiety for the honour of him whose death was the cause of it she proceeded to the Prince s room and burned the whole of his private papers By this the world lost some rare supplementary chapters to a Chronique Scandaleuse 8 4 5 nbsp The Family of Frederick Prince of Wales a group portrait commissioned from George Knapton by Augusta and completed less than a year after Frederick s death The King reportedly did not show much feeling upon the death of his son and the funeral was simple 8 On receiving the King s condolences Augusta replied that she placed herself and her children upon his mercy and protection and he was evidently touched by her widowhood and minor children and was willing to show them consideration 8 Following Frederick s death her role as mother of the heir apparent to the throne became a more prominent one and she was named prospective regent by the king and the parliament should the King die during the minority of her eldest son the Prince of Wales 8 This caused a controversy and opposition from Prince William Duke of Cumberland who had expected to be given that role instead 8 During the remaining years of the reign of George II Augusta chose to live in seclusion with her children devoting herself to their care 8 The few occasions when she did appear in public the King gave her the same ceremonial role and honours previously given to the Queen and she was honored the same way by the public as well as the court 8 However Augusta suffered a loss of popularity as a widow She was to be criticised for her manner of raising her children as she isolated them from the outside world into a secluded family environment seldom meeting people outside the family 8 As her eldest son came of age the King attempted to arrange a marriage His favoured choice was a princess of Brunswick Wolffenbuttel or a princess of Prussia but Augusta refused favouring a member of her own family the House of Saxe Gotha 8 On 25 October 1760 her son succeeded his grandfather as George III The year after his succession he married Charlotte of Mecklenburg Strelitz Augusta s relationship with her daughter in law was not a good one She reportedly made it difficult for Charlotte to establish social contacts by referring to rigged court etiquette 9 Furthermore she initially appointed a large part of Charlotte s court staff several of whom were suspected of reporting to Augusta about Charlotte s behaviour 9 When Charlotte turned to her German companions for friends she was criticised by Augusta for keeping favourites notably her close confidant Juliane von Schwellenberg 9 Augusta had an acknowledged political influence upon her son who strove to follow the counsels she gave and in which he trusted 8 Reportedly she was in turn influenced by Lord Bute who was appointed prime minister with her support in 1762 8 His appointment caused a serious crisis and exposed both Augusta and Bute to such public hostility that Bute had to resign from his post the following year 8 Thackeray described the public sentiments and the circulating rumours Bute was hated with a rage there have been few examples in English history He was the butt for everybody s abuse for Wilkes for Churchill s slashing satire for the hooting of the mob who roasted his booth his emblem in a thousand bonfires that hated him because he was a favourite and a Scotsman calling him Mortimer Lothario and I know not what names and accusing his royal mistress of all kinds of names the grave lean demure elderly woman who I dare say was quite as good as her neighbours Chatham lent the aide of his great malice to influence the popular sentiment against her He assailed in the House of Lords The secret influence more mighty than the throne itself which betrayed and dogged every administration The most furious pamphlets echoed the cry Impeach the King s mother was scribbled over every wall at the Court end of the town 8 nbsp Augusta of Saxe Gotha by Ramsay 1759 When the King had a first temporary bout of mental illness in 1765 Augusta and Lord Bute kept Queen Charlotte unaware of the situation 9 The Regency Bill of 1765 stated that if the King should become permanently unable to rule Charlotte was to become Regent 9 Augusta was suggested as regent but there was fierce opposition to her appointment as there were concerns of the influence of Lord Bute in her potential regency and fears that should she become regent Bute would de facto rule as King 8 Augusta reportedly resented the marriages of her younger sons which took place without her consent 8 In 1769 the spouse of her daughter Caroline Matilda Christian VII of Denmark visited Great Britain During his visit Augusta upon the initiative of Caroline Matilda asked him publicly during a dinner to reinstate Louise von Plessen a favourite of Caroline Matilda whom Christian had fired to her position 10 He answered that he had made a sacred vow never to do so but that if Caroline Matilda preferred von Plessen s company over his so be it 10 In the end Louise von Plessen was not reinstated and Augusta apparently asked Caroline Matilda not to press the matter and to show more affection to Christian 10 In 1770 rumours about Caroline Matilda the queen of Denmark began to circulate In particular these concerned the mental state of her spouse as well as the fall of prime minister Count Johann Hartwig Ernst von Bernstorff in which Caroline Matilda was rumoured to have participated 8 When Augusta visited her eldest daughter in Brunswick that year she also took the opportunity to see Caroline Matilda who received her in breeches which at that time was regarded as scandalous Upon Augusta s lamentations her daughter answered Pray madam allow me to govern my own kingdom as I please 8 Augusta died of throat cancer at the age of 52 at Carlton House and was buried seven days later at Westminster Abbey Kew Gardens editPrincess Augusta enlarged and greatly extended Kew Gardens after her husband s death Sir William Chambers built several garden structures for her One of these the lofty Great Pagoda built in 1761 still remains 11 nbsp Arms as Princess of WalesIssue editName 12 Birth Death Notes Princess Augusta Duchess of Brunswick 31 July 1737 23 March 1813 Married 1764 Charles William Ferdinand Duke of Brunswick Wolfenbuttel had issue George III 4 June 1738 29 January 1820 Married 1761 Charlotte of Mecklenburg Strelitz had issue Prince Edward Duke of York 25 March 1739 17 September 1767 Died aged twenty eight unmarried Princess Elizabeth 10 January 1741 4 September 1759 Died aged eighteen unmarried Prince William Henry Duke of Gloucester 25 November 1743 25 August 1805 Married 1766 Maria Countess Waldegrave had issue Prince Henry Duke of Cumberland 7 November 1745 18 September 1790 Married 1771 Anne Luttrell no issue Princess Louisa 19 March 1749 13 May 1768 Died aged nineteen unmarried Prince Frederick 13 May 1750 29 December 1765 Died aged fifteen unmarried Caroline Matilda Queen of Denmark and Norway 11 July 1751 10 May 1775 Married 1766 Christian VII King of Denmark and Norway had issue Legacy editSeveral places in British America were named in her honour Augusta Georgia 13 Augusta County Virginia 14 Fort Augusta Northumberland County Pennsylvania 15 Michelle Fairley portrayed a fictionalized version of Augusta in Queen Charlotte A Bridgerton Story 2023 Ancestors editAncestors of Princess Augusta of Saxe Gotha 16 8 Ernest I Duke of Saxe Gotha4 Frederick I Duke of Saxe Gotha Altenburg9 Princess Elisabeth Sophie of Saxe Altenburg2 Frederick II Duke of Saxe Gotha Altenburg10 Augustus Duke of Saxe Weissenfels 14 5 Magdalena Sibylla of Saxe Weissenfels11 Anna Maria of Mecklenburg Schwerin 15 1 Augusta Princess of Wales12 John VI Prince of Anhalt Zerbst6 Charles Prince of Anhalt Zerbst13 Sophie Augusta of Holstein Gottorp3 Princess Magdalena Augusta of Anhalt Zerbst14 Augustus Duke of Saxe Weissenfels 10 7 Sophia of Saxe Weissenfels Princess of Anhalt Zerbst15 Anna Maria of Mecklenburg Schwerin 11 References edit Williamson David 1986 Debrett s Kings and Queens of Britain Salem House p 157 ISBN 978 0 88162 213 3 a b c d e f g h i j k l m n o Finch Barbara Clay Lives of the princesses of Wales Part II Van der Kiste John 1997 George II and Queen Caroline Stroud Gloucestershire Sutton Publishing ISBN 0 7509 1321 5 p 154 John Burke and Bernard Burke Burke s Genealogical and Heraldic History of Peerage Baronetage and Knightage 60 Burke s Peerage 1898 cxv and online genealogy gw geneanet org tdowling Campbell Orr Clarissa 2004 Queenship in Europe 1660 1815 The Role of the Consort Cambridge University Press p 350 ISBN 978 0 5218 1422 5 HAMILTON Hon Charles 1704 86 of Painshill nr Cobham Surr History of Parliament Online Archived from the original on 6 October 2015 Retrieved 5 October 2015 HAMILTON Hon George C 1697 1775 History of Parliament Online Archived from the original on 6 October 2015 Retrieved 5 October 2015 a b c d e f g h i j k l m n o p q Finch Barbara Clay Lives of the princesses of Wales Part III Archived 6 December 2008 at the Wayback Machine a b c d e Fitzgerald Percy The Good Queen Charlotte 1899 a b c August Fjelstrup Damerne ved Karoline Mathildes Hof 1909 Augusta Princess of Wales Royal Botanic Gardens Kew Archived from the original on 20 February 2014 Wilkins William Henry 1904 A Queen of Tears Caroline Matilda Queen of Denmark and Norway and Princess of Great Britain and Ireland Complete Library of Alexandria pp 16 17 ISBN 978 1 4656 0740 9 History City of Augusta Georgia Archived from the original on 27 November 2019 Retrieved 27 November 2019 History Augusta County Virginia Archived from the original on 27 November 2019 Retrieved 27 November 2019 Thorell Margaret Murray 2014 Sunbury Arcadia Publishing p 22 ISBN 978 1 4671 2071 5 Archived from the original on 21 August 2020 Retrieved 27 November 2019 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 102 Archived from the original on 21 August 2020 Retrieved 22 January 2019 External links edit nbsp Wikimedia Commons has media related to Princess Augusta of Saxe Gotha Augusta Princess of Wales at the official website of the Royal Collection Trust A short profile of Augusta alongside other influential women of her time Portraits of Augusta of Saxe Gotha Princess of Wales at the National Portrait Gallery London nbsp Retrieved from https en wikipedia org w index php title Princess Augusta of Saxe Gotha amp oldid 1219462866, wikipedia, wiki, book, books, library,

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