Caroline of Brunswick
Caroline Amalie Elisabeth of Brunswick- Wolfenbüttel ( born May 17, 1768 in Richmond Castle in Brunswick; † August 7, 1821 in London) was by marriage Queen of Great Britain, Ireland and Hanover.
Childhood and youth
Caroline was the second daughter of Duke Karl Wilhelm Ferdinand of Brunswick (1735-1806) and Princess Augusta of Hanover ( 1737-1813 ).
As a child, she was torn between her father about preventive and embittered mother. She grew quite rampant zoom, to the chagrin of their teachers and governesses, since she was a defiant and disrespectful child, wild, unruly, boyish and cheeky. They preferred to play with his brothers than with girls and could not stand dolls, besides, she was a very brave child. To keep open all options for their Protestant, Catholic or Anglican marriage, she received no religious education. Count Mirabeau judged by a visit to the Braunschweiger Hof on the princess: "most lovable, lively, playful, funny and pretty. "
When she fell in love with a young officer at the age of 18 years, this was assigned to the field and they themselves sent to a remote hunting lodge where they should come to their senses. This time, however, they enjoyed very much as they could do there and let what she wanted - she used here with farmers and other ordinary people contacts.
Wedding
It was on 7 April 1795, the wife of her cousin, the Prince of Wales, later to become King George IV The marriage was more than unhappy. The princess felt her groom completely dissimilar as much too thick and his portrait. Even during the wedding George was very drunk and both spouses were reluctant to from the beginning. The wedding night spent Georg according to information his wife in a drunken stupor under the fender. Your opinion of him was correspondingly poor: "Mon père etait un héros, mon mari est un zéro. " ( My father was a hero, my husband is a zero).
While the princess was born on January 7, 1796 a daughter, Charlotte; but a few weeks later both went their separate ways. Caroline was ignored on the farm and lived under virtual house arrest, while George turned to his mistress. After two and a half years, the Princess of Wales left the court and lived for ten years on a country- to Blackheath.
Life as an outcast
1799 George had his relationship with Maria Fitzherbert resumed and confirm his secret marriage to her by the Pope. He now wished to divorce Caroline and let them monitor for this purpose.
In 1802 Caroline adopted the few -month-old William " Willy " Austin, the son of a sailmaker's what rumors fed, the infant was their own son. Caroline remarked that: "From it proves only, then he will be your king. "
When they also illicit intercourse with Captain Thomas Manby, the Admiral Sidney Smith, George Canning, Thomas Lawrence was suspected and other 1806, the King appointed a commission to investigate their conduct; the same you could only lay rashness to load and Caroline was fully rehabilitated in 1807 by a protocol of the Privy Council. Therefore, they could also take advantage of their rights as 1808 Princess of Wales again and move into Kensington Palace. 1811 Caroline's husband was appointed as Prince Regent for his mentally ill father. Again, it was lonely to Caroline, even the contact with her beloved daughter Charlotte was regulated to twice a month. In public, however, Caroline was worshiped stormy.
In August 1814 left Caroline, with the permission of her husband, England, traveled to Germany, remained in Rome and Naples and went to Greece, Cairo and Jerusalem, after which they returned to Italy for an extended period at the Villa d' Este in Cernobbio on Como Lake settled.
Once again, inappropriate rumors spread about their dealings with the Italian Bartolomeo Baron Pergami, she had taken as a courier in their services. Caroline, who had meanwhile settled in Pesaro, was re- target the espionage activities of her husband, who sought to advance as before the divorce.
The Queen prevented
When her husband in 1820 ascended the throne of England, he put the call on them to refrain from repeating the name and the rights of a Queen of England and never return to England. However, they rejected the application and even held (June 6 ) to the cheers of the people, a triumphal entry into London.
But now joined Lord Liverpool with an accusation of adultery against them in Parliament, and there began a scandalous process. Almost in all countries, the government had prescribed witnesses; the public voice but spoke out so strongly in favor of defending by Lord Brougham queen from that you had to drop the at second reading with a very small majority on 10 November in the upper house by previous criminal Bill. Caroline lived thereon to fire Burgh House in the enjoyment of royal rank; of the coronation of her husband July 19, 1821, she was however rejected, although it requested on the portal door for entrance.
She died shortly thereafter on August 7, 1821 after drinking a glass of lemonade, in faith, to have been poisoned. The more likely cause of death was probably an abdominal disease. Her doctors treated them, however, with gigantic doses of calomel, and only high doses of opiates made their last life bearable. Her last words were: "The doctors do not recognize my disease It sits here. " - Where they laid his right hand on his heart. Her body was, according to her will, brought to Brunswick and was buried there in the cathedral at her father's side.
Their daughter Charlotte was as the wife of the future King of the Belgians, Leopold I, already in November 1817, died at the birth of a stillborn son.