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Caroline of Ansbach

Caroline of Brandenburg-Ansbach (later Queen Caroline; Wilhelmina Charlotte Caroline; 1 March 1683 – 20 November 1737) was the queen consort of George II.

Early life

Margravine Caroline of Brandenburg-Ansbach was born at 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. Her brother was Wilhelm Friedrich (Brandenburg-Ansbach).

Marriage

When the opportunity to become Queen of Spain presented itself, she turned it down because it would have meant renouncing her Protestant faith. Shortly afterwards, she met and married Georg August, son of the Elector of Hanover, who would later become heir to the throne of Great Britain and eventually George II of Great Britain. Their wedding took place in Hanover on 22 August 1705, and their first child, Prince Frederick, was born on 1 February 1707.

Princess of Wales

On the accession of George I in 1714, Caroline's husband automatically became Duke of Cornwall, and was invested, shortly afterwards, as Prince of Wales, whereupon she became Princess of Wales. They moved to England at this time.

As the King had in 1694 divorced his wife Sophia Dorothea of Celle, there was no Queen consort in Great Britain, and Caroline was the most important woman in the kingdom. Within three years of their arrival in England, however, her husband fell out with his father at the 1717 baptism of her fifth living child, George William. The King, who was godfather to the new prince, insisted on having the Duke of Newcastle as the second godfather, instead of his brother, Ernest, Duke of York and Albany, whom the Prince of Wales preferred. During the ceremony, the prince insulted Newcastle, an action for which he was temporarily arrested, banned by his father from St. James's Palace, and excluded from all public ceremonies.

Caroline had struck up a friendship with Sir Robert Walpole, politician and occasional Prime Minister, and his influence ensured that the Prince and Princess of Wales were able to maintain their position and lifestyle during the estrangement. He also played a role in the 1720 reconciliation.

Caroline's intellect far outstripped George's. As a young woman, she corresponded with Gottfried Leibniz, the intellectual colossus who was courtier and factotum to the House of Hanover. She also helped initiate the Leibniz-Clarke correspondence, arguably the most important of all 18th century philosophy of physics discussions, which is still widely read today.

By and large, however, George and Caroline had a successful marriage, though he continued to keep mistresses, as was customary for the time. The best-known of these was Henrietta Howard, Countess of Suffolk, one of Caroline's ladies of the bedchamber.

Queen

Caroline became Queen consort on the death of her father-in-law in 1727. In the course of the next few years, she and her husband fought a constant battle against their eldest son, Frederick, Prince of Wales, who had been left behind in Germany when they came to England. He joined the family in 1728, by which time he was an adult and had formed many bad habits. He opposed his father's political beliefs, and, once married, applied to Parliament for the increase in financial allowance which had been denied him. Caroline, despite having personally selected her new daughter-in-law, Augusta of Saxe-Gotha, seemed determined that the marriage should not be a happy one, and was dismayed when she learned, in 1736, that Augusta was pregnant. A peculiar episode followed, in which the prince, on discovering that his wife had gone into labour, sneaked her out of Hampton Court Palace in the middle of the night, in order to ensure that the queen could not be present at the birth.

Queen Caroline held a powerful position; she was made Guardian of the Kingdom of Great Britain, and His Majesty's Lieutenant within the same during His Majesty's absence, thus acting as regent when her husband was in Hanover. It is also worth noting that she was co-heiress to Sayn-Altenkirchen through her mother, whose mother Johanette reigned as Countess of Sayn-Wittgenstein-Sayn-Altenkirchen, but ultimately never inherited it. Her grandson, George III, was compensated for this in 1803.

As Queen, she continued to surround herself with artists, writers, and intellectuals, commissioning works such as terracotta busts of the kings and queens of England and even cottages. She collected jewellery, especially cameos and intaglios, acquired important portraits and miniatures, and enjoyed the visual arts.

A satirical verse of the period went:

You may strut, dapper George, but 'twill all be in vain,

We all know 'tis Queen Caroline, not you, that reign.

She is also subject of the popular children's nursery rhyme:

Queen, Queen Caroline

Washed her hair in turpentine.

Turpentine made it shine,

Queen, Queen Caroline.

Later life

Further quarrels with her son followed the birth of the Prince of Wales's daughter, and a complete estrangement between them occurred in the remaining months before Caroline's death.

She died of complications following a rupture of the womb on 20 November 1737, and was buried at Westminster Abbey. Handel composed an elaborate 10-section anthem for the occasion, The ways of Zion do mourn / Funeral Anthem for Queen Caroline. The King had arranged for a pair of matching coffins with removable sides, so that when he followed her to the grave (twenty-three years later), they could lie together again.

Queen Caroline famously 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!".

It is probable that, alongside Mary of Modena, who caused the Glorious Revolution, and Prince Albert, who determined foreign policy, Queen Caroline was one of the most important consorts in British history.

Titles, styles, honours and arms

Titles and styles

1 March 1683 – 22 August 1705: Her Serene Highness Margravine Caroline of Brandenburg-Ansbach
22 August 1705 – 9 November 1706: Her Serene Highness The Hereditary Princess of Hanover
9 November 1706 – 1 August 1714: Her Serene Highness The Duchess of Cambridge
1 August – 27 September 1714: Her Royal Highness The Duchess of Cornwall and Cambridge
27 September 1714 – 11 June 1727: Her Royal Highness The Princess of Wales
11 June 1727 – 20 November 1737: Her Majesty The Queen

Honours

Caroline County in the British Colony of Virginia was named in her honour when it was formed in 1728.

Ancestry

Ancestors of Caroline of Brandenburg-Ansbach

Children

Caroline's nine pregnancies (from 1707-1724) resulted in eight live births - one of whom, Prince George William (13 November 1717-17 February 1718), died in infancy, and seven of whom 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 Sophia	10 July 1711	31 October 1786
Princess Caroline Elizabeth	21 June 1713	28 December 1757
Prince Augustus George	9 November 1716	9 November 1716	stillborn
Prince George William of Wales	November 13 1717	February 17 1718	died in infancy
Prince William Augustus, 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