London, 1817 to 1819: after Princess Charlotte death leaves King George III with no legitimate grandchildren, his middle-aged sons rush to marry suitable princesses, and the winner is Victoria
Nation Mourns Princess
LONDON, November 1817 – The nation is in deep mourning following the death of Princess Charlotte of Wales, aged twenty-one, only daughter of the Prince Regent, the future George IV, and his estranged wife, Caroline. Charlotte, hugely popular and second in line to the throne, died after giving birth to a stillborn son, following a labour of more than fifty hours. Shops closed. Black cloth was in short supply. Public grief has been compared by historians to that seen after the death of a much later Princess of Wales.
The Problem
Charlotte death created an alarming problem. King George III, elderly, blind and suffering from mental illness, had fifteen children, of whom twelve were still alive. Yet, after Charlotte, he had no legitimate grandchildren at all. Many of his sons had children, but none whose parents marriages were recognised under the Royal Marriages Act, which required the monarch consent for royal marriages. Several had long-term partners and large families outside marriage. The Duke of Clarence, the future William IV, had ten children with the actress Dorothea Jordan, all with the surname FitzClarence.
The Race
Several royal dukes, most of them middle-aged and heavily in debt, now saw an opportunity: marry a suitable Protestant princess, produce a legitimate heir and, crucially, persuade Parliament to raise their allowances. Within about a year, there was a flurry of royal weddings. The Duke of Kent, who had lived for many years with his companion, Madame de Saint-Laurent, parted from her and married Princess Victoria of Saxe-Coburg-Saalfeld, a widow. The Duke of Clarence married Princess Adelaide of Saxe-Meiningen. The Duke of Cambridge married Princess Augusta of Hesse-Kassel. Historians describe it as one of the most unromantic marriage rushes in royal history.
The Winner
Several babies followed in 1819. The Duke of Kent wife gave birth to a daughter at Kensington Palace on 24 May 1819, named Alexandrina Victoria. The Duke of Kent died less than a year later. Clarence and Adelaide children, sadly, did not survive infancy. When George IV died in 1830 without legitimate surviving children, Clarence became William IV. When he died in 1837, the crown passed to his niece, the eighteen-year-old Victoria, who went on to reign for more than sixty-three years.
Historians note that, had Princess Charlotte survived, there would have been no Victorian era, at least not by that name.
Meanwhile, in 2026
Questions of heirs and succession remain in the headlines. The London Prat reports Prince William reportedly calling Earl Spencer and Harry traitors after an anonymous source claimed the heir believes his brother read their uncle memoir first. Reports say reconciliation is off, and the uncle says he told everyone. Historians of the Regency note that the modern line of succession is long and secure, sparing everyone a repeat of 1818, and that grief for a young Princess of Wales has, sadly, happened twice.
The London Prat has been tracking the line of succession since 1961 at https://prat.uk/, with its royal row video on YouTube. Bohiney at https://bohiney.com/ covers American political dynasties.
Study Questions for Students
Why did Charlotte death cause a crisis? What does the race for an heir tell us about the royal family in the Regency era? How did chance shape the Victorian age? Discuss, with sympathy for Charlotte.
SOURCE: https://prat.uk/prince-william-called-earl-spencer-and-harry-traitors/