Adelaide of Saxe-Meiningen

Adelaide Louise Theresa Caroline Amelia of Saxe- Meiningen, later Queen Adelaide ( * August 13, 1792 in Meiningen, † December 2, 1849 in Bentley Priory in Stanmore, Middlesex ), was a German princess and from 1830 Queen of Great Britain and Ireland, and Queen of Hanover.

Adelheid was the Australian city of Adelaide, the South African city of Adelaide and the German community Adelheidsdorf their names.

Life

Childhood and youth

Princess Adelaide of Saxe-Meiningen was born in 1792 in Meiningen, Thuringia, the daughter of Duke George I of Saxe- Meiningen and his wife Princess Louise Eleonore of Hohenlohe- Langenburg. She was the first child in existence for ten years, her parents' marriage. Two years later, Adelaide's sister Ida and 1800, the brother and heir Bernard.

As Adelheid was eleven years old, her father died in 1803 and his mother Eleanor Louise took over the regency of the country. The years of the Napoleonic wars were privation for the ducal family. Adelheid looked after along with her sister and her mother to quartering soldiers. She received a comprehensive and excellent education, spoke several languages ​​and was reflected in literature, music and painting interested. 1816 married her sister Ida, who was very close to her life, Duke Bernhard of Saxe- Weimar, and two years later was also Adelaide's engagement will be announced.

The engagement

Adelheid became engaged on April 19, 1818 William Henry of Great Britain, Duke of Clarence. The groom was, however, fraught with a few flaws; already 53 years old, he had from a previous morganatic marriage to actress Dorothy Bland ten children. Wilhelm was considered moderately formed and was called by his countrymen only " Silly Billy". Therefore, Queen Charlotte had to intervene intervene in the event of a bride. The befitting marriage of William and his brothers was of some political importance, as despite the many sons of George III. a legitimate heir to the throne was missing.

For Adelaide's enormous dowry Saxony- Meiningen had deep debt, also further annual grants for personal needs of the princess were provided. The bride traveled on June 20, 1818 in with her mother to England, where it was first received by only one of the illegitimate sons of William. At Queen Charlotte she made a much better impression than on their son.

Duchess of Clarence

On July 13, 1818 Adelheid and William were married in the apartments of the queen at Kew Palace, Surrey. These were a double wedding, because William's brother Edward married on this day with the widowed Victoria of Saxe- Coburg -Saalfeld.

Shortly after the wedding, the couple began a trip to the Continent, and lived for some time at the court of Hanover. Here Adelheid gave birth on March 27, 1819 their first child, a premature birth. Unfortunately, the little Princess Charlotte Augusta lived only a few hours. End of September 1819 the Duke and Duchess returned back to England, Adelaide had previously suffered a miscarriage in Calais. She went immediately after her arrival with her husband on a Kurreise by the seaside resorts in England. Thereafter, both initially lived in her London home Clarence House to retire shortly afterwards for several years after Bushy Park. The very child dear Duchess took care of the children of the Duke and developed a strong affection for her niece Victoria. On December 10, 1820 Adelheid was again a daughter. Also born prematurely, died Princess Elisabeth three months later.

1822 and in 1825 traveled to Adelaide and William again the continent to France, Belgium and Germany. Every time they were in Meiningen as a guest. 1827 died the Duke of York. William was now the next heir to the throne, and the couple in Bushy Park became more public attention. 1829 took over Adelheid one third of the cost of construction of the first Meininger Theater. On June 26, 1830 died King George IV

Queen

William, Duke of Clarence, succeeded his brother in 1830 as King William IV, he was already 65 years old, his wife, now Queen Adelaide, 38th

Adelaide initially remained in Bushy Park, took only partially participate in the funeral of her brother. The family-oriented queen was completely apolitical, took care of her husband and his many children and grandchildren. The royal court was considered a simple, humble and boring. The coronation cost only one-fifth of the amount that George IV had spent for this occasion.

Although the queen stayed away from politics, it was the same with its conservative approach to suffrage center of criticism after the failure of the reform. At the height of the campaign, the Morning Chronicle disparaged the Queen as " ugly German woman." 1834 therefore traveled back to their home to Meiningen to their relatives, what the state of mind of the queen was very beneficial.

The failure of the Whig government in 1834 was also allocated to Adelheid, the Times called the Queen on 15 November 1834 reactionary, dominant, an enemy of the people and to still be ugly.

1837 King William IV was sick and had to sit in a wheelchair. Adelheid nursed her husband until he finally died on 20 June 1837.

Queen dowager

After the death of William Adelaide of Windsor moved again to Bushy Park and retired into private life. She was more than a century, the first Dowager Queen (Queen - Dowager ) in the UK and should survive her husband by twelve years.

A year after William's death she traveled to the Mediterranean Sea during a cruise. In Malta she founded in 1839 out of their private funds, the Church of St. Paul in Valletta. 1844 she traveled again to the German homeland and spent her last two years of life in Madeira. She lived there in the Quinta Vigia in Funchal.

On December 2, 1849 Adelheid died in the Bentley Priory in Stanmore in the presence of the Queen and her siblings. The funeral, which should be kept as simple as possible by the will of Adelaide, was held in Windsor. Queen Victoria was hard on this death: you and Adelheid had been closely linked since Victoria's childhood. Their first child named Victoria in her honor and Victoria Adelaide.

Progeny

• Charlotte Augusta Louisa (* / † March 27, 1819 in Hanover)
• Elizabeth Georgiana Adelaide ( * December 10, 1820 at St. James 's Palace, † March 4, 1821 at St. James 's Palace )
• Twin sons (* / † 1822)
• Twins (* / † 1824)

Drive up

Title

Trivia

Named after Adelaide include the state capital of South Australia in Australia, Adelaide, the Adelaide River River in Australia, the Queens Park in Brighton, Adelaide Avenue in Canberra, in which is the official residence of the Australian Prime Minister, Adelaide Street in Toronto, the place in South Africa and the Adelaide Adelaide Island - a 120 km long and 30 km wide island off the west coast of the Antarctic Peninsula.

One which is still in the making colony on the road from Hanover to Celle, the later federal highway 3, also received, by decree of the Cabinet Ministry to Hanover on 14 February 1831 in honor of Queen Adelaide the name " Adelheid village".

Adelheid is said to have introduced the well-known in her native custom of the Christmas tree as well as the tradition to hand over Christmas in the UK.