Charlotte of Mecklenburg-Strelitz
Sophie Charlotte, Duchess of Mecklenburg [- Strelitz ] ( born May 19, 1744 Mirow, † November 17, 1818 at Kew Palace in the Royal Botanic Gardens ) was a German princess who through marriage to King George III. was as Queen Charlotte Queen of Great Britain and Ireland ( since 1801 of Great Britain and Ireland) and Electress of Brunswick- Lüneburg and later Queen of Hanover.
- 3.1 places
- 3.2 The Birds of Paradise
Life
Origin and Youth
Sophie Charlotte was a daughter of apanagierten in Mirow Prince Charles of Mecklenburg - a younger half-brother of the reigning Duke of Mecklenburg- Strelitz, Adolf Friedrich III. - And his wife Elisabeth Albertine, born Princess of Saxe - Hildburghausen, a distant cousin of the mother of George III, Augusta of Saxe- Gotha..
Her brother Adolf Friedrich inherited the duchy of Mecklenburg- Strelitz in 1752 and the family moved from Mirow to Neustrelitz. Charlotte received an excellent education. Among her teachers there was also the poet Friderike Elisabeth von Grabow, called the " Sappho of Germany ". Charlotte soon spoke several languages and was trained in science, arts and home economics subjects alike. She was also a spirited letter writer. A letter to the Prussian king, in which they complained about the conduct of the Prussian army in Mecklenburg, became famous, was printed, and thus came to England, which Prince George was aware of the princess.
Earl Harcourt, the British envoy, asked on behalf of King George III. the hand of the princess and negotiated with Charlotte's mother, who was at that time already dying, the marriage contract, which was signed on August 15, 1761.
On August 17, Charlotte left her home and traveled through Hanover to Stade, where they went on board the royal yacht. During the crossing to England they had rehearsed on her harpsichord "God save the king", while all of their travel companions fought with seasickness. On September 8, 1761 she reached the St. James's Palace, where she faced her husband for the first time. The official ceremony took place in the royal chapel Already the same evening.
Queen
Early on, determine that the marriage anließ well and both partners seemed happy. In a visit to the theater shortly after the wedding, the crowd was so enthusiastic at the royal carriage that four people have been doing crushed to death.
On September 22, 1761 17 -year-old Charlotte and her six years older man were crowned. The young queen made rapid progress in learning the English language, loved to play cards, horseback riding and liked to entertain the courtiers with singing and harpsichord. On August 12, 1762 gave birth to the heir to the throne, which further fourteen children should follow.
The royal family lived an almost bourgeois, simple and uncomplicated daily life at Kew Palace. King and Queen imply extensive care towards the education of children, including the Queen to religious instruction. Charlotte showed great interest in the development of the Royal Botanic Garden at Kew. Her earlier training at the Lutheran theologians Gottlob Burchard Genzmer among others in natural philosophy, mineralogy and botany you benefited from this. For her contributions to the Botanical Gardens was later awarded the British people the honorary title of " Queen of Botany ". Kew Gardens is one of the most beautiful gardens in the UK, which is also attributed to the influence of Queen Charlotte.
Charlotte was very simple, they never interfered in politics. She went on to their children in their household duties and care. At the beginning of her husband, which at that time misinterpreted as cow disease, this was placed in her care, but he could not move them frequent visits. She stood her granddaughter Charlotte, who was until her death in 1817, their only legitimate granddaughter, very close after their sons proved as a great disappointment especially. Their antics and money wastage damaged the reputation of the royal family considerably. 1796 Charlotte's coach was pelted with stones, where she was wounded in the face.
1811 King George III suffered. again a relapse from which he never recovered. He became blind and was completely mentally confused for the rest of his life, the supervision of the person of the king was responsible for Charlotte. The couple lived in seclusion in Windsor. After the death of her favorite granddaughter Charlotte she lost all will to live and died after she was 57 years British Queen, on 17 November 1818 Kew Palace, surrounded by her children.
Progeny
- George IV (1762-1830)
- Friedrich August (1763-1827), Duke of York and Albany
- William IV (1765-1837)
- Charlotte Augusta (1766-1828) ∞ 1797 King Frederick I of Württemberg ( 1754-1816 )
- Edward (1767-1820), Duke of Kent, father of Queen Victoria
- Augusta Sophia (1768-1840)
- Elizabeth (1770-1840) ∞ 1818 Landgrave Friedrich VI. of Hesse- Homburg (1769-1829)
- Ernst August I (1771-1851), King of Hanover
- August Friedrich (1773-1843), Duke of Sussex
- Adolph Friedrich (1774-1850), Duke of Cambridge
- Maria (1776-1857) ∞ 1816 Wilhelm Friedrich ( 1776-1834 ), Duke of Gloucester and Edinburgh
- Sophia (1777-1848)
- Octavius (1779-1783)
- Alfred (1780-1782)
- Amelia (1783-1810)
Named after Queen Charlotte
Places
In honor of Queen Charlotte several cities, municipalities and counties have been named in the British colonies of North America after her. Seven cities or towns in the United States bear her name, including the City of Charlotte, founded in 1762 in the U.S. state of North Carolina.
Queen Charlotte is indirectly also the eponym of the Queen Charlotte Islands in British Columbia on the Pacific coast of Canada.
These additional place names come in other former British colonies, the Fort Charlotte in Kingstown, the capital of the Caribbean state of St. Vincent.
Furthermore, the following cities, regions and places have been named after her:
- Vandalia and Charlotina (planned by the British colonies in North America)
- Mecklenburg County ( Virginia)
- Charlotte Hall (Maryland)
- Queensbury (New York)
- Charlottesville, Virginia
- Charlottetown, Prince Edward Iceland, Canada
- Mecklenburg County ( North Carolina)
- Port Charlotte, Florida
- Queen Charlotte Sound (New Zealand )
The Birds of Paradise
Your name also carry the bird of paradise flower - the bird of paradise. They received during the lifetime of Queen Charlotte in 1773, from its first describer William Aiton, director of the Botanical Gardens at Kew in London this name.
Drive up
Duke Adolf Friedrich I of Mecklenburg (1588-1658) ∞ 1635 princess Marie Catherine of Brunswick- Dannenberg (1616-1665)
Count Christian Wilhelm von Schwarzburg- Sondershausen (1645-1721) ∞ 1673 countess Antonie Sibylle of Barby - Mühlingen (1641-1684)
Duke Ernst of Saxe- Hildburghausen (1655-1715) ∞ 1680 princess Sophia Henriette von Waldeck (1662-1702)
Count Georg Ludwig I of Erbach (1643-1693) ∞ 1664 countess Amalia Katharina of Waldeck -Eisenberg (1640-1697)
Duke Adolf Friedrich II of Mecklenburg (1658-1708) ∞ 1705 Emilie of Schwarzburg- Sondershausen (1681-1751)
Duke Ernst Friedrich I of Saxe- Hildburghausen (1681-1724) ∞ 1704 countess Sophia Albertine of Erbach (1683-1742)
Prince Charles of Mecklenburg (1708-1752) ∞ 1735 Princess Elizabeth Albertine of Saxe- Hildburghausen (1713-1761)
Queen Sophie Charlotte of Great Britain and Ireland (1744-1818)