Caroline of Ansbach
Caroline of Brandenburg-Ansbach (Wilhelmina Charlotte Caroline; 1 March 1683 – 20 November 1737[1]) was the Queen Consort of George II of Great Britain. During her time as queen she had a lot of power.
| Caroline of Ansbach | |||||
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 Portrait by Michael Dahl, c. 1730 | |||||
| Queen consort of Great Britain and Ireland Electress consort of Hanover | |||||
| Tenure | 11 June 1727 – 20 November 1737 | ||||
| Coronation | 11 October 1727[1] | ||||
| Born | 1 March 1683 Ansbach, Holy Roman Empire | ||||
| Died | 20 November 1737 (aged 54) St. James's Palace, London, Great Britain | ||||
| Burial | 17 December 1737 Westminster Abbey, London | ||||
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| House | Hohenzollern | ||||
| Father | John Frederick, Margrave of Brandenburg-Ansbach | ||||
| Mother | Princess Eleonore Erdmuthe of Saxe-Eisenach | ||||
Early life
Caroline of Ansbach was born in Ansbach in Germany, the daughter of Johann Friedrich, Margrave of Brandenburg-Ansbach, and his second wife, Princess Eleanor Erdmuthe Louise of Saxe-Eisenach. Orphaned at an early age, Caroline grew up an intelligent, cultured and attractive woman, and was much sought-after as a bride.
Possible marriages and marriage to George
She turned down the King of Spain because it would cause her to renounce the Protestant faith. Shortly after she met the son of the elector of Hanover They married in 1705. Over the next 30 years they had nine children.
Queen
George I of Great Britain died 11 June 1727. George Augustus ascended the throne as George II of Great Britain. Caroline held George on a string. When the Prime Minister Sir Robert Walpole met with the King he and Caroline had signs to communicate with each other. George never noticed.
Both the King and Queen truly disliked their eldest son Frederick, Prince of Wales. Caroline once called him the Greatest Ass the world has ever known. They preferred Prince William, Duke of Cumberland over Fredrick.
Later years
Caroline died 20 November 1737. George was at her side. Caroline asked him to remarry on her deathbed, to which he replied "No, I shall only have mistresses" or in French, "Non, j'aurai seulement des maîtresses!" in tears.
After death
George had Caroline buried in Westminster Abbey. He bought two coffins with removable sides, so after he died they would lie together again.
Children
Caroline's nine pregnancies (from 1707-1724) resulted in eight live births. One of them, Prince George William (13 November 1717-17 February 1718), died in infancy. Seven of them lived to adulthood.
| Name | Birth | Death | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Frederick, Prince of Wales | 1 February 1707 | 31 March 1751 | married 1736, Princess Augusta of Saxe-Gotha-Altenberg; had issue |
| Anne, Princess Royal | 2 November 1709 | 12 January 1759 | married 1734, Prince Willem IV of Orange-Nassau; had issue |
| Princess Amelia | 10 July 1711 | 31 October 1786 | |
| Princess Caroline | 21 June 1713 | 28 December 1757 | |
| Prince Augustus George | 9 November 1716 | 9 November 1716 | stillborn |
| Prince George William | 13 November 1717 | 17 February 1718 | died in infancy |
| Prince William, Duke of Cumberland | 26 April 1721 | 31 October 1765 | |
| Princess Mary | 5 March 1723 | 14 January 1772 | married 1740, Frederick II, Landgrave of Hesse-Kassel (or Hesse-Cassel); had issue |
| Princess Louise | 18 December 1724 | 19 December 1751 | married 1743, Frederick V, King of Denmark and Norway; had issue |
Ancestry
| Ancestors of Caroline of Ansbach | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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Legacy
Caroline alongside Prince Albert, and Mary of Modena is regarded one of the most powerful British consorts in History.
References
- Over the course of Caroline's life, two calendars were used: the Old Style Julian calendar and the New Style Gregorian calendar. Hanover switched from the Julian to the Gregorian calendar on 19 February (Old Style) / 1 March (New Style) 1700. Great Britain switched on 3/14 September 1752, after Caroline's death. Unless otherwise indicated, dates before September 1752 are Old Style. All dates after September 1752 are New Style. All years are assumed to start from 1 January and not 25 March, which was the English New Year.
- 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. 4.
- Weir, pp. 277–278.
Sources
- Weir, Alison (2008). Britain's Royal Families, The Complete Genealogy. London: Vintage Books. ISBN 978-0-09-953973-5.
Other websites
- Caroline of Ansbach Archived 2013-12-02 at the Wayback Machine at the Royal Collection
Caroline of Ansbach Born: 1 March 1683 Died: 20 November 1737 | ||
| Royal titles | ||
|---|---|---|
| Vacant Title last held by George of Denmarkas consort |
Queen consort of Great Britain and Ireland 1727–1737 |
Vacant Title next held by Charlotte of Mecklenburg-Strelitz |
| Vacant Title last held by Sophia of the Palatinate |
Electress consort of Hanover 1727–1737 | |