PRINCESS AUGUSTA OF SAXE-GOTHA

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'Princess Augusta of Saxe-Gotha' (30 November 1719 – 8 February 1772) was Princess of Wales between 1736 and 1751, and Dowager Princess of Wales thereafter. She was one of only three holders of the title who never became queen. Princess Augusta's eldest son succeeded as George III of Great Britain in 1760, as her husband, Frederick, Prince of Wales, had died eight years earlier.

Contents
Early life
Marriage
Kew Gardens
Titles, styles, honours and arms
Titles
Issue
Legacy
External links
References

Early life


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

Marriage


At age 16 and speaking virtually no English, she arrived in Great Britain for a wedding ceremony which took place almost immediately, on 17 April 1736, at the Chapel Royal in St James's Palace, London. Despite a twelve-year age difference, the marriage seems to have been a happy one. They had nine children, the last born after Frederick's death. The birth of their first daughter, Princess Augusta Charlotte of Wales, on 31 August 1737, took place at St James's after Princess Augusta was forced by Frederick to travel from Hampton Court Palace while in labour, simply to prevent his hated parents, George II and Queen Caroline, from being present at the birth.
Throughout their marriage, Princess Augusta went along with her husband's wishes in the feud with his parents. Following the Prince of Wales' death, her role as mother of the heir-apparent to the throne became a more important one, and she was named prospective regent, which caused a political controversy. Shortly afterwards, she began to be influenced by John Stuart, 3rd Earl of Bute, her son's tutor, and rumours spread that they were having an affair. This was due to her being adamant that Bute was visiting her, and not her son, during his back door visits to tutor the prince. Both were pilloried in the press. Even after George III's accession, Princess Augusta suffered widespread hostility from the public. After she died of cancer of the throat at age 52 at Carlton House, her funeral procession attracted troublemakers who followed the coffin to the grave shouting insults.

Kew Gardens


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 Chinese pagoda built in 1761, still remains.[1]

Titles, styles, honours and arms


Titles


★ '30 November 1719–17 April 1736': ''Her Serene Highness'' Princess Augusta of Saxe-Gotha, Duchess in Saxony

★ '17 April 1736–31 March 1751': ''Her Royal Highness'' The Princess of Wales

★ '31 March 1751–8 February 1772': ''Her Royal Highness'' The Dowager Princess of Wales

Issue


NameBirthDeathNotes
HRH Princess Augusta Charlotte of Wales31 August 173731 March 1813married 1764, Karl Wilhelm Ferdinand, Duke of Brunswick; had issue
HM George III4 June 173829 January 1820married 1761, Charlotte-Sophia, Duchess of Mecklenburg; had issue
HRH Edward, Duke of York14 March 173917 September 1767 
HRH Princess Elizabeth Caroline of Wales30 December 17404 September 1759 
HRH William, Duke of Gloucester14 November 174325 August 1805married 1766, Maria Waldegrave, Countess Waldegrave; had issue
HRH Henry, Duke of Cumberland27 November 174518 September 1790(an alleged marriage to Olive Wilmot in 1767 did not occur)
married 1771, The Hon. Lady Anne Luttrell; no issue
HRH Princess Louisa Anne of Wales8 March 174913 May 1768 
HRH Prince Frederick William of Wales13 May 175029 December 1765 
HRH Princess Caroline Matilda of Wales11 July 175110 May 1775married 1766, Christian VII, King of Denmark, had issue

Legacy



★ The city of Augusta, Georgia was named in her honour.

External links



★ A short profile of Augusta alongside other influential women of her time:http://www.guide2womenleaders.com/womeninpower/Womeninpower1740.htm

References


1. Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew. ''Augusta, Princess of Wales''. Retrieved October 6, 2005.


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