PRINCESS SOPHIA OF THE UNITED KINGDOM

'The Princess Sophia' (Sophia Matilda; 2 November 1777 - 27 May 1848) was a member of the British Royal Family, the twelfth child and fifth daughter of George III.

Contents

Early life

Marriage

Later life

Titles, styles, honours and arms

Titles

Possible issue

Ancestors

External link

Further reading

Early life

The Princess Sophia was born at Buckingham Palace, London. Her father was the reigning British monarch, George III, the eldest son of Frederick, Prince of Wales and Augusta of Saxe-Gotha. Her mother was Queen Charlotte (née Princess Charlotte of Mecklenburg-Strelitz).

Marriage

Like most of her other sisters, Princess Sophia was forced to live her life as a companion of her mother, Queen Charlotte. The Princesses were not allowed to mix with anyone outside the Royal Court.

Later life

After having been blind for over ten years, Princess Sophia died on May 27, 1848 at Vicarage Place, Kensington in London. She was buried at Kensal Green Cemetery in London rather than at Windsor Castle, as she wished to be near her brother, Prince Augustus Frederick, Duke of Sussex.

Titles, styles, honours and arms

Titles

★ '2 November 1777 - 27 May 1848': ''Her Royal Highness'' The Princess Sophia

Possible issue

Some believe that Princess Sophia gave birth to an illegitimate son, said to have been fathered by General Thomas Garth, one of the King's equerries. General Garth's niece, Frances, was a former royal governess. At court it was said that the princess was deeply in love with the general, despite the fact he was both disfigured and significantly older than she. At the time, it was thought by some that the baby's father was actually Sophia's brother, the Duke of Cumberland, later Ernest Augustus I of Hanover.
The child which some believe Sophia to have been the mother of, was born at Weymouth in August 1800. The baby, christened Thomas Garth, was raised by his father, the equerry, and had no contact with Sophia. The birth was not known to George III.
Evidence for this theory includes a letter, of 8 August 1800, from her sister Amelia to their eldest brother, the Prince of Wales, saying, "At last we have the prospect of seeing our dear Sophia restored to health very soon... She is going on well... Pray take no notice to ''high'' or ''low'' of having heard from me."
(''Correspondence of George Prince of Wales'', edited by Arthur Aspinall, vol IV, p 150).
Although in court circles the father was said to be Thomas Garth, the fact that this equerry of George III was not disgraced but promoted (see ''Army List'' volumes for 1801, 1805 and 1814) argues that he was a cover for someone more important; and that this was not a secret to the King.
General Garth, when near death, handed the boy documents, "proofs of his parentage and of his just title to rank and fortune", as the son declared in a Court of Chancery affidavit (National Archives, manuscript C.13/939/4, 28 February 1829). The son showed some people the documents, and reports implicating the Duke of Cumberland appeared in The Times, The Observer and other Whig newspapers which were opposed to the Duke's Tory positions. One easily accessible source for detail on this is the Times Digital Archive for 1829.
There is no consensus of belief on these allegations.

Ancestors

External link

★ Princess Sophia's grave

Further reading

★ Fraser, Flora. ''Princesses: The Six Daughters of George III''. 2004. London: John Murray, 2005. ISBN 0-7195-6109-4