Princess Amelia (7 August 1783 – 2 November 1810) was the fifteenth and last child and sixth daughter of King George III of the United Kingdom and his wife, Charlotte of Mecklenburg-Strelitz . She was their third child to die before them.
128-410: Princess Augusta Sophia (8 November 1768 – 22 September 1840) was the sixth child and second daughter of King George III and Queen Charlotte . Princess Augusta Sophia was born at Buckingham House , City and Liberty of Westminster , on 8 November 1768. She was the sixth child and second daughter of George III (1738–1820) and his wife Queen Charlotte . Her father so dearly wanted the new baby to be
256-439: A calm disposition and family-minded ways. She strongly disliked the political tensions that by 1780 had sprung up between her elder brothers and their parents, and preferred to occupy herself with her coin collection. As all her sisters were, Augusta was sheltered from the outside world so much that her only friends were her attendants, with whom she kept up a frequent correspondence. In 1782, Augusta had her debut into society at
384-613: A crash be ruined." In January 1780, 7,000 British troops under General Sir John Vaughan were transported to the West Indies. Nonetheless, opposition to the costly war was increasing, and in June 1780 contributed to disturbances in London known as the Gordon riots . As late as the siege of Charleston in 1780, Loyalists could still believe in their eventual victory, as British troops inflicted defeats on
512-564: A desire to kiss the beautiful baby, Amelia "...instantly held her little hand out to be kissed, so early had she learnt the lessons of Royalty." When Amelia was three, Fanny Burney , the Queen's Keeper of the Robes, commented that the princess could be "decorous and dignified when called upon to act en princess to any strangers, as if conscious of her high rank, and the importance of condescendingly sustaining it." Burney even dubbed her "the little idol". As
640-674: A final relapse, and his eldest son, the Prince of Wales , was named Prince Regent the following year. The King died aged 81, at which time the Regent succeeded him as George IV. George III reigned during much of the Georgian and Regency eras. At the time of his death, he was the longest-lived and longest-reigning British monarch , having reigned for 59 years and 96 days; he remains the longest-lived and longest-reigning male monarch in British history. George
768-500: A gap of almost six years between Amelia and her nearest surviving sibling, Princess Sophia . She was twenty-one years younger than her eldest sibling, George , and nearly seventeen years younger than her eldest sister, Charlotte . Amelia was baptised at the Chapel Royal, St James's Palace , by John Moore , Archbishop of Canterbury , on 17 September 1783. Her godparents were her siblings George, Charlotte, and Augusta Sophia . She
896-521: A girl that the doctor presiding over the labour thought fit to protest that "whoever sees those lovely Princes above stairs must be glad to have another." The King was so upset by this view he replied that "whoever sees that lovely child the Princess Royal above stairs must wish to have the fellow to her." To the King's delight, and the Queen's relief, the baby was a small and pretty girl. The newborn princess
1024-526: A landing, I shall certainly put myself at the head of mine, and my other armed subjects, to repel them." After Admiral Lord Nelson 's famous naval victory at the Battle of Trafalgar , the possibility of invasion was extinguished. In 1804, George's recurrent illness returned; after his recovery, Addington resigned and Pitt regained power. Pitt sought to appoint Fox to his ministry, but George refused. Lord Grenville perceived an injustice to Fox, and refused to join
1152-568: A large territory, and his conduct was far less ruthless than contemporaneous monarchs in Europe. After Saratoga, both Parliament and the British people were in favour of the war; recruitment ran at high levels and political opponents, though vocal, remained a small minority. With the setbacks in America, Lord North asked to transfer power to Lord Chatham , whom he thought more capable, but George refused to do so; he suggested instead that Chatham serve as
1280-404: A lung injury at the age of 44, and his son George became heir apparent to the throne and inherited his father's title of Duke of Edinburgh . The King now took more interest in his grandson and created him Prince of Wales three weeks later. In the spring of 1756, as George approached his eighteenth birthday, the King offered him a grand establishment at St James's Palace , but George refused
1408-594: A majority in the House of Commons, and could not be displaced easily. He was further dismayed when the government introduced the India Bill, which proposed to reform the government of India by transferring political power from the East India Company to Parliamentary commissioners. Although George actually favoured greater control over the company, the proposed commissioners were all political allies of Fox. Immediately after
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#17328550566381536-453: A marriage between the two exists, it was noted at the court of Hesse-Homburg at the time of her sister Elizabeth's marriage in 1818 that Augusta was "privately married." It was Spencer who informed Augusta of her mother's death later that year, and Spencer was said to be holding a locket with Augusta's picture when he died in 1828. According to a flyer held by the V&;A Archives, Princess Augusta
1664-554: A marriageable age, Augusta and the Princess Royal were given their first lady-in-waiting in July 1783. Augusta frequently wrote to her elder brother William , who was in Hanover for military training. She was a good correspondent, telling him family news and encouraging him to tell her what was happening in his life. She revelled in his attention and in the little gifts he sent her, even though
1792-420: A motion condemning the influence of the monarch in parliamentary voting as a "high crime" and Temple was forced to resign. Temple's departure destabilised the government, and three months later the government lost its majority and Parliament was dissolved; the subsequent election gave Pitt a firm mandate. Pitt's appointment was a great victory for George. It proved that the King could appoint prime ministers on
1920-550: A new law that essentially forbade members of the royal family from legally marrying without the consent of the sovereign. The subsequent bill was unpopular in Parliament, including among George's own ministers, but passed as the Royal Marriages Act 1772 . Shortly afterwards, another of George's brothers, Prince William Henry, Duke of Gloucester and Edinburgh , revealed he had been secretly married to Maria, Countess Waldegrave ,
2048-424: A portrait in 1785. In 1770, Johan Zoffany had been able to paint the King, the Queen, and their first six children with little difficulty. In 1785, however, John Singleton Copley had so much difficulty getting the dogs, birds, and especially the three royal children to sit still that he never painted another portrait. Compared to the carefully planned education that Charlotte, Augusta, and Elizabeth had been given,
2176-490: A relapse into his mental disorder and became dangerously ill. In his view, the malady had been triggered by stress over the death of his youngest and favourite daughter, Princess Amelia . The princess's nurse reported that "the scenes of distress and crying every day ... were melancholy beyond description." George accepted the need for the Regency Act 1811 , and the Prince of Wales (later George IV ) acted as regent for
2304-730: A series of military conflicts involving his kingdoms, much of the rest of Europe, and places farther afield in Africa, the Americas and Asia. Early in his reign, Great Britain defeated France in the Seven Years' War , becoming the dominant European power in North America and India. However, Britain lost 13 of its North American colonies in the American War of Independence . Further wars against revolutionary and Napoleonic France from 1793 concluded in
2432-750: A subordinate minister in North's administration, but Chatham refused; he died later in the same year. North was allied to the "King's Friends" in Parliament and believed that George III had the right to exercise powers. In early 1778, Louis XVI of France (Britain's chief rival) signed a treaty of alliance with the United States. The French fleet outran the British naval blockade of the Mediterranean and sailed to America. The conflict now affected America, Europe, and India. Charles III of Spain had misgivings because of his own colonies but decided to side with France in
2560-496: A suitable wife intensified: after giving consideration to a number of Protestant German princesses, George's mother sent Colonel David Graeme with, on her son's behalf, an offer of marriage to Princess Charlotte of Mecklenburg-Strelitz . Charlotte accepted. While a royal household and staff were assembled for Charlotte in London, Lord Harcourt , the royal Master of the Horse , escorted her from Strelitz to London. Charlotte arrived in
2688-502: A time, and his vocabulary became "more complex, creative and colourful", possible symptoms of bipolar disorder. His doctors were largely at a loss to explain his illness, and spurious stories about his condition spread, such as the claim that he had shaken hands with a tree in the mistaken belief that it was the King of Prussia . Treatment for mental illness was primitive by modern standards; George's doctors, who included Francis Willis , treated
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#17328550566382816-402: Is credited with contributing to the decline in her father's health which resulted in his insanity and the subsequent invocation of the Regency Act of 1811. According to his physician, Dr. Willis, the king would later cry "in a wild, monotonous, delirious way, 'Oh Emily [Princess Amelia], why won't you save your father? I hate all the physicians..." Another of King George's delusions included
2944-412: Is without exception one of the prettiest children I have ever seen". She was expected to be as beautiful, charming and winning as Octavius, her father's previous favourite child, had been. As a result of her two brothers' deaths, Amelia was seen as her father's favourite. From an early age, Amelia was conscious of her rank. A popular tale relates that when the famous tragedian Sarah Siddons expressed
3072-731: The Battles of Lexington and Concord in April 1775. The Second Continental Congress sent petitions to the Crown for intervention with Parliament , but the King and Parliament ignored them. George declared the American leaders to be traitors and a year of fighting ensued. Thomas Paine 's book Common Sense referred to George III as "the Royal Brute of Great Britain". The colonies declared their independence in July 1776, listing twenty-seven grievances against
3200-500: The Crown Estate to Parliamentary control in return for a civil list annuity for the support of his household and the expenses of civil government. Claims that he used the income to reward supporters with bribes and gifts are disputed by historians who say such claims "rest on nothing but falsehoods put out by disgruntled opposition". Debts amounting to over £3 million over the course of George's reign were paid by Parliament, and
3328-649: The Duke of Clarence , supported the efforts of the London Society of West India Planters and Merchants to delay the abolition of the British slave trade for almost 20 years. William Pitt the Younger conversely wished to see slavery abolished but, because the cabinet was divided and the King was in the pro-slavery camp, Pitt decided to refrain from making abolition official government policy. Instead, he worked toward abolition in an individual capacity. On 7 November 1775, during
3456-764: The English Channel . George III said that Britain was confronted by the "most serious crisis the nation ever knew". In August, 66 warships entered the English channel, but sickness, hunger, and adverse winds forced the French-Spanish armada to withdraw, ending the invasion threat. In late 1779, George III advocated sending more British warships and troops across the Atlantic to the West Indies. He boldly said: "We must risk something, otherwise we will only vegetate in this war. I own I wish either with spirit to get through it, or with
3584-563: The Intolerable Acts by the colonists: the Port of Boston was shut down and the charter of Massachusetts was altered so that the upper house of the legislature was appointed by the Crown instead of elected by the lower house. Up to this point, in the words of Professor Peter Thomas, George's "hopes were centred on a political solution, and he always bowed to his cabinet's opinions even when sceptical of their success. The detailed evidence of
3712-528: The King's birthday celebrations. As she was still terrified of crowds, her mother didn't plan to tell her daughter about her debut until two days before it happened. Later that year, the Princess's youngest brother, Alfred , died, followed eight months later by her next youngest brother, Octavius . When the princesses went to see the summer exhibition in 1783 at the Royal Academy , they were made so distraught by
3840-592: The Peace of Paris which ended the war, Lord Bute resigned, allowing the Whigs under George Grenville to return to power. Britain received enormous concessions, including West Florida . Britain restored to France lucrative slave-sugar islands in the West Indies , including Guadeloupe and Martinique . The treaty also ended French control over nearly all of New France ; Canada was ceded to Britain in its entirety, while Louisiana
3968-561: The Slave Trade Act 1807 , which passed both houses of Parliament with large majorities. George was conciliatory towards Fox, after being forced to capitulate over his appointment. After Fox's death in September 1806, the King and ministry were in open conflict. To boost recruitment, the ministry proposed a measure in February 1807 whereby Roman Catholics would be allowed to serve in all ranks of
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4096-477: The Stamp Act , which levied a stamp duty on every document in the British colonies in North America. Since newspapers were printed on stamped paper, those most affected by the introduction of the duty were the most effective at producing propaganda opposing the tax. Meanwhile, George had become exasperated at Grenville's attempts to reduce the King's prerogatives, and tried, unsuccessfully, to persuade William Pitt
4224-480: The grand strategic plan of invading from Canada and cutting off New England failed with the surrender of British Lieutenant-General John Burgoyne following the battles of Saratoga . Prime Minister Lord North was not an ideal war leader, but George III managed to give Parliament a sense of purpose to fight, and North was able to keep his cabinet together. North's cabinet ministers the Earl of Sandwich , First Lord of
4352-741: The "United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland". George used the opportunity to abandon the title "king of France", which English and British sovereigns had maintained since the reign of Edward III . It was suggested that George adopt the title " Emperor of the British Isles ", but he refused. As part of his Irish policy, Pitt planned to remove certain legal disabilities that applied to Roman Catholics . George III claimed that to emancipate Catholics would be to violate his coronation oath , in which sovereigns promise to maintain Protestantism. Faced with opposition to his religious reform policies from both
4480-506: The 1760s, a series of acts by Parliament was met with resistance in Britain's Thirteen Colonies in America. In particular they rejected new taxes levied by Parliament, a body in which they had no direct representation. The colonies had previously enjoyed a high level of autonomy in their internal affairs and viewed Parliament's acts as a denial of their rights as Englishmen . Armed conflict began between British regulars and colonial militiamen at
4608-638: The Abolition of the Slave Trade , under which the transatlantic slave trade was banned in the British Empire. George was succeeded by two of his sons, George IV and William IV in turn, who both died without surviving legitimate children, leaving the throne to Victoria , the only legitimate child of his fourth son Prince Edward. Princess Amelia of the United Kingdom Princess Amelia
4736-564: The Act were so popular in America that statues of them both were erected in New York City . Lord Chatham fell ill in 1767, and Augustus FitzRoy, 3rd Duke of Grafton , took over the government. Grafton did not formally become prime minister until 1768. That year, John Wilkes returned to England, stood as a candidate in the general election , and came top of the poll in the Middlesex constituency . Wilkes
4864-510: The Admiralty, and Lord George Germain , Secretary of State for the Colonies, proved to lack leadership skills suited for their positions. George III is often accused of obstinately trying to keep Great Britain at war with the rebels, despite the opinions of his own ministers. In the words of British historian George Otto Trevelyan , the King was determined "never to acknowledge the independence of
4992-690: The American War of Independence, John Murray, Lord Dunmore , issued a proclamation that offered freedom to the slaves of rebel masters if they enlisted to put down the colonial rebellion. Dunmore was the last Royal Governor of Virginia , appointed by King George III in July 1771. Dunmore's Proclamation inspired slaves to escape from captivity and fight for the British. On 30 June 1779, George III's Commanding General Henry Clinton broadened Dunmore's proclamation with his Philipsburg Proclamation . For all colonial slaves who fled their rebel masters, Clinton forbade their recapture and resale, giving them protection by
5120-474: The Americans, and to punish their contumacy by the indefinite prolongation of a war which promised to be eternal." He wanted to "keep the rebels harassed, anxious, and poor, until the day when, by a natural and inevitable process, discontent and disappointment were converted into penitence and remorse". Later historians defend George by saying that, in the context of the times, no king would willingly surrender such
5248-640: The British Army, around 1800. As she wrote to her brother, the future King George IV , then Prince Regent, in 1812, the two had entered into an understanding around 1803, while Spencer was stationed in England. In 1805, he was appointed as an equerry to the king. The couple conducted their romance with the utmost privacy, and Augusta asked the Prince Regent in 1812 to consent to her marrying Spencer, promising further discretion in their behaviour. While no record of
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5376-458: The British king and legislature while asking the support of the populace. Among George's other offenses, the declaration charged, "He has abdicated Government here ... He has plundered our seas, ravaged our coasts, burnt our towns, and destroyed the lives of our people." The gilded equestrian statue of the King in New York was pulled down. The British captured the city in 1776 but lost Boston, and
5504-502: The British military. Approximately 20,000 freed slaves joined the British, fighting for George III. In 1783, given British certificates of freedom, 3,000 former slaves, including their families, settled in Nova Scotia . Between 1791 and 1800, almost 400,000 Africans were shipped to the Americas, by 1,340 slaving voyages, mounted from British ports, including Liverpool and Bristol . On 25 March 1807 George III signed into law An Act for
5632-412: The British public to spurn slavery. According to the historian Andrew Roberts , "George never bought or sold a slave in his life. He never invested in any of the companies that did such a thing. He signed legislation to abolish slavery." George wrote a document in the 1750s "denouncing all of the arguments for slavery, and calling them an execration and ridiculous and 'absurd ' ", but the King and his son,
5760-492: The Continental forces at the Battle of Camden and the Battle of Guilford Court House . In late 1781, the news of Lord Cornwallis 's surrender at the siege of Yorktown reached London; North's parliamentary support ebbed away and he resigned the following year. George drafted an abdication notice, which was never delivered. He finally accepted the defeat in America and authorized peace negotiations. Britain formally recognized
5888-555: The Duchess of Northumberland , Lady of the Bedchamber to The Queen, stood proxy). Lady Mary Coke once declared the month-old Augusta to be "the most beautiful infant I ever saw". Princess Augusta was the middle sister of the elder trio of princesses that consisted of her, her older sister Charlotte (born 1766) and her younger sister Elizabeth (born 1770). In 1771, the two elder princesses began travelling to Kew to attend lessons under
6016-535: The Elder to accept the office of prime minister. After a brief illness, which may have presaged his illnesses to come, George settled on Lord Rockingham to form a ministry, and dismissed Grenville. Lord Rockingham, with the support of Pitt and the King, repealed Grenville's unpopular Stamp Act. Rockingham's government was weak, and he was replaced as prime minister in 1766 by Pitt, whom George created Earl of Chatham . The actions of Lord Chatham and George III in repealing
6144-447: The English. John Wilkes , a member of parliament, published The North Briton , which was both inflammatory and defamatory in its condemnation of Bute and the government. Wilkes was eventually arrested for seditious libel but he fled to France to escape punishment; he was expelled from the House of Commons and found guilty in absentia of blasphemy and libel. In 1763, after concluding
6272-639: The French, and in 1802 signed the Treaty of Amiens . George did not consider the peace with France as real; in his view it was an "experiment". The war resumed in 1803, but public opinion distrusted Addington to lead the nation in war, and instead favoured Pitt. An invasion of England by Napoleon seemed imminent, and a massive volunteer movement arose to defend England against the French. George's review of 27,000 volunteers in Hyde Park, London , on 26 and 28 October 1803 and at
6400-502: The House of Commons passed it, George authorised Lord Temple to inform the House of Lords that he would regard any peer who voted for the bill as his enemy. The bill was rejected by the Lords; three days later, the Portland ministry was dismissed, and William Pitt the Younger was appointed prime minister, with Temple as his secretary of state. On 17 December 1783, Parliament voted in favour of
6528-545: The King and the British public, Pitt threatened to resign. At about the same time, George had a relapse of his previous illness, which he blamed on worry over the Catholic question. On 14 March 1801, Pitt was formally replaced by the Speaker of the House of Commons , Henry Addington . Addington opposed emancipation, instituted annual accounts, abolished income tax and began a programme of disarmament. In October 1801, he made peace with
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#17328550566386656-502: The King by forcibly restraining him until he was calm, or applying caustic poultices to draw out "evil humours". In the reconvened Parliament, Fox and Pitt wrangled over the terms of a regency during the King's incapacity. While both agreed that it would be most reasonable for the Prince of Wales to act as regent, Fox suggested, to Pitt's consternation, that it was the Prince's absolute right to act on his ill father's behalf with full powers. Pitt, fearing he would be removed from office if
6784-518: The King declared that after the treatment of his younger sister by the Crown Prince's father, King Christian VII , he would never send one of his daughters to the Danish court. As their friends and ladies of the court began to get married, the princesses wondered when their turn would come. In 1797, Augusta received a proposal from Prince Frederick Adolf of Sweden , a proposal given without the approval of
6912-425: The King from discovering the liaison, which may have risked sending him into one of the bouts of mental illness to which he was becoming increasingly prone. Though she never gave up hope of marrying him, Amelia knew she could not legally marry FitzRoy due to the provisions of the Royal Marriages Act passed by her father's Parliament (at least until she reached the age of 25, after which she could receive permission by
7040-488: The Prince of Wales were empowered, argued that it was for Parliament to nominate a regent, and wanted to restrict the regent's authority. In February 1789, the Regency Bill , authorising the Prince of Wales to act as regent, was introduced and passed in the House of Commons, but before the House of Lords could pass the bill, George recovered. After George's recovery, his popularity, and that of Pitt, continued to increase at
7168-473: The Queen tried to discourage William from taking up his sister's valuable time. Though their academic lessons were nearly over, the Queen was loath to have her daughters waste time, and made sure that the Princesses spent hours studying music or art, learning many types of speciality work from different masters. The princesses did not "dress" until dinner, wearing morning gowns nearly all day. Even when "dressed",
7296-418: The Queen, and their daughters the Princess Royal and Princesses Augusta and Elizabeth. It was the furthest he had ever been from London, but his condition worsened. In November of that year, he became seriously deranged, sometimes speaking for many hours without pause, causing him to foam at the mouth and his voice to become hoarse. George would frequently repeat himself and write sentences with over 400 words at
7424-449: The Queen, under strain due to her illness, wanted the princesses to remain close to her. Amelia and her sisters, Charlotte , Augusta Sophia , Elizabeth , Mary and Sophia were over-protected and isolated, which restricted meeting eligible suitors of their own age. In 1798, Princess Amelia developed a pain in the joint of her knee and was sent to the large seaside town of Worthing for recovery. She wrote to her father, "Certainly
7552-461: The Queen. The three girls were always dressed alike at public functions, the only difference ever in their dresses being colour. Though so often displayed in public, Augusta still was happiest at home, where she adored her younger brothers Ernest , Augustus , and Adolphus . She was also extremely close to her sister Elizabeth , as Charlotte was often haughty and overly conscious of her position as Princess Royal . Since they were quickly approaching
7680-574: The Royal family often wore plain clothes, far removed from the ornate splendour of other courts. As there were six princesses, the Queen's expenses even for these clothes were enormous, and she tried to keep costs down and within the allowance she was given. Moving into this new phase of life meant that the amount of money the Queen was spending on her three eldest daughters was rapidly increasing. The Princesses constantly needed dresses, hats, trimmings, fans, and other items. The quarterly expense for their clothes
7808-477: The Swedish royal house. A British princess, especially from so fertile a mother, was a prize, but Augusta's father seemed increasingly unwilling to allow his daughters to marry. Largely denied access to personal relationships with men of their own rank, several of the daughters of George III embarked on such romances with gentlemen at court. Augusta Sophia first met Sir Brent Spencer , a senior Anglo-Irish officer in
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#17328550566387936-558: The afternoon of 8 September 1761 and the marriage ceremony was conducted that same evening in the Chapel Royal , St James's Palace. George and Charlotte's coronation was held at Westminster Abbey a fortnight later on 22 September. George never took a mistress (in contrast with his grandfather and his sons), and the couple enjoyed a happy marriage until his mental illness struck. The King and Queen had 15 children—nine sons and six daughters. In 1762, George purchased Buckingham House (on
8064-538: The age of 10, George took part in a family production of Joseph Addison 's play Cato and said in the new prologue: "What, tho' a boy! It may with truth be said, A boy in England born, in England bred." Historian Romney Sedgwick argued that these lines appear "to be the source of the only historical phrase with which he is associated". King George II disliked Prince Frederick and took little interest in his grandchildren. However, in 1751, Frederick died unexpectedly from
8192-415: The armed forces. George instructed them not only to drop the measure, but also to agree never to set up such a measure again. The ministers agreed to drop the measure then pending, but refused to bind themselves in the future. They were dismissed and replaced by the Duke of Portland, as the nominal prime minister, with actual power being held by the Chancellor of the Exchequer , Spencer Perceval . Parliament
8320-421: The assent of the Privy Council ). She would later tell her brother Frederick that she considered herself to be married, taking the initials A. F. R. (Amelia FitzRoy). In 1808, Amelia had a severe attack of measles and the depressing atmosphere at home with her mother in Windsor made her even more miserable. The anxious King George decided to send Amelia to Weymouth, accompanied by her sister Mary. Her health
8448-494: The basis of his own interpretation of the public mood without having to follow the choice of the current majority in the House of Commons. Throughout Pitt's ministry, George supported many of Pitt's political aims and created new peers at an unprecedented rate to increase the number of Pitt's supporters in the House of Lords. During and after Pitt's ministry, George was extremely popular in Britain. The British people admired him for his piety and for remaining faithful to his wife. He
8576-455: The belief that a healthy Amelia was only staying in Hanover with a large family of her own, where she would "never grow older and always be well." Amelia has been described as a beautiful girl with ruby lips and auburn hair. Reportedly she was the "most turbulent and tempestuous of all the Princesses". However, she is also said to have been amiable, spirited, unselfish and intelligent. These qualities led her sister-in-law Princess Caroline , who
8704-423: The civil list annuity was increased from time to time. He aided the Royal Academy of Arts with large grants from his private funds, and may have donated more than half of his personal income to charity. Of his art collection, the two most notable purchases are Johannes Vermeer 's Lady at the Virginals and a set of Canalettos , but it is as a collector of books that he is best remembered. The King's Library
8832-421: The collapse of Lord North's ministry in 1782, the Whig Lord Rockingham became prime minister for the second time, but died within months. The King then appointed Lord Shelburne to replace him. Charles James Fox , however, refused to serve under Shelburne, and demanded the appointment of William Cavendish-Bentinck, 3rd Duke of Portland . In 1783, the House of Commons forced Shelburne from office and his government
8960-516: The day, questioning them minutely as to her condition. She lingered a few days more, waited upon to the last by her favourite and devoted sister, Mary. Her death occurred at 12:00pm on the same day as her brother Edward 's birthday, 2 November. The dying princess had a mourning ring made for the King, composed of a lock of her hair under crystal set round with diamonds. He purportedly burst into tears upon receiving it. Otherwise, her will dictated all her possessions be given to Charles FitzRoy. Amelia
9088-399: The death of his fourth son Prince Edward, Duke of Kent and Strathearn . His favourite son, Prince Frederick, Duke of York and Albany , was with him. George III lay in state for two days, and his funeral and interment took place on 16 February in St George's Chapel, Windsor Castle . Over the course of George's reign, a coalition of abolitionists and Atlantic slave uprisings caused
9216-536: The defeat of Napoleon at the Battle of Waterloo in 1815. In 1807, the transatlantic slave trade was banned from the British Empire . In the later part of his life, George had recurrent and eventually permanent mental illness . The exact nature of the mental illness is not known definitively, but historians and medical experts have suggested that his symptoms and behaviour traits were consistent with either bipolar disorder or porphyria . In 1810, George suffered
9344-415: The defence of the colonies against native uprisings and the possibility of French incursions. The central issue for the colonists was not the amount of taxes but whether Parliament could levy a tax without American approval, for there were no American seats in Parliament. The Americans protested that like all Englishmen they had rights to " no taxation without representation ". In 1765, Grenville introduced
9472-674: The education given to Mary, Sophia, and Amelia was based solely on what had come before. Amelia was only five years old when her father suffered his first bout of madness . As a consequence of her father's declining health, she never experienced the closeness and affection that had characterized the family during her elder sisters' early years. Prior to 1788, King George had told his daughters that he would take them to Hanover and find them suitable husbands despite misgivings he had, which stemmed from his sisters' own unhappy marriages. He remarked, "I cannot deny that I have never wished to see any of them marry: I am happy in their company, and do not in
9600-490: The expense of Fox and the Prince of Wales. His humane and understanding treatment of two insane assailants, Margaret Nicholson in 1786 and John Frith in 1790, contributed to his popularity. James Hadfield 's failed attempt to shoot George in the Theatre Royal, Drury Lane , on 15 May 1800 was not political in origin but motivated by the apocalyptic delusions of Hadfield and Bannister Truelock . George seemed unperturbed by
9728-483: The happiness or misery of a great nation," he wrote, "and consequently must often act contrary to my passions." Nevertheless, George and his mother resisted attempts by the King to marry George to Princess Sophie Caroline of Brunswick-Wolfenbüttel . Sophie Caroline instead married Frederick, Margrave of Bayreuth . The following year, at the age of 22, George succeeded to the throne when his grandfather George II died suddenly on 25 October 1760, at age 76. The search for
9856-500: The height of the invasion scare, attracted an estimated 500,000 spectators on each day. The Times said: "The enthusiasm of the multitude was beyond all expression." A courtier wrote on 13 November that "The King is really prepared to take the field in case of attack, his beds are ready and he can move at half an hour's warning." George wrote to his friend Bishop Hurd , "We are here in daily expectation that Bonaparte will attempt his threatened invasion ... Should his troops effect
9984-463: The illegitimate daughter of Sir Edward Walpole . The news confirmed George's opinion that he had been right to introduce the law: Maria was related to his political opponents. Neither lady was ever received at court. Lord North's government was chiefly concerned with discontent in America. To assuage American opinion most of the custom duties were withdrawn, except for the tea duty, which in George's words
10112-615: The incident, so much so that he fell asleep in the interval. The French Revolution of 1789, in which the French monarchy had been overthrown, worried many British landowners. France declared war on Great Britain in 1793; in response to the crisis, George allowed Pitt to increase taxes, raise armies, and suspend the right of habeas corpus . Pitt prosecuted British radicals for treason in 1794, and in October 1795, crowds attacked George's carriage on his way to opening Parliament, demanding an end to
10240-638: The independence of the United States in the Treaties of Paris signed in 1782 and 1783. In early 1783, George III privately conceded "America is lost!" He reflected that the Northern colonies had developed into Britain's "successful rivals" in commercial trade and fishing. Up to 70,000 Loyalists fled to Canada (where they became known as the United Empire Loyalists ), the Caribbean , or England. John Adams
10368-404: The least want a separation." However, the King suffered his first bout of madness that year, when Amelia was aged five. Further lapses into insanity occurred in 1801 and 1804, thus forestalling talk of marriage for his daughters. The question of matrimony was rarely raised; Queen Charlotte feared that the subject, which had always discomfited the King, would push him back into insanity. Furthermore,
10496-399: The name of Britain." He inserted this phrase into the speech, written by Lord Hardwicke , to demonstrate his desire to distance himself from his German forebears, who were perceived as caring more for Hanover than for Britain. During George III's lengthy reign, Britain was a constitutional monarchy , ruled by his ministerial government and prominent men in Parliament. Although his accession
10624-544: The new ministry. Pitt concentrated on forming a coalition with Austria, Russia, and Sweden. This Third Coalition , however, met the same fate as the First and Second Coalitions, collapsing in 1805. The setbacks in Europe took a toll on Pitt's health, and he died in 1806, reopening the question of who should serve in the ministry. Grenville became prime minister, and his " Ministry of All the Talents " included Fox. Grenville pushed through
10752-513: The offer, guided by his mother and her confidant, Lord Bute , who later served as prime minister . George's mother, now the Dowager Princess of Wales, preferred to keep George at home where she could imbue him with her strict moral values. In 1759, George was smitten with Lady Sarah Lennox , sister of Charles Lennox, 3rd Duke of Richmond , but Lord Bute advised against the match and George abandoned his thoughts of marriage. "I am born for
10880-418: The painted masks. By 1785, Augusta and Charlotte were reaching an age where they could be considered as potential brides for foreign princes. In that year the Crown Prince of Denmark (later King Frederick VI ) indicated to King George III that he would break off every other discussed proposal for the hand in marriage of a British princess. He was also supposed to prefer Augusta to her older sister. However,
11008-527: The porphyria theory and contends that George's illness was psychiatric, most probably bipolar disorder . George may have had a brief episode of disease in 1765, and a longer episode began in the summer of 1788. At the end of the parliamentary session, he went to Cheltenham Spa to recuperate and in August visited the Bishop of Worcester at Hartlebury Castle and Viscount Mount Edgcumbe at Cotehele , Cornwall, with
11136-425: The portraits of their two youngest brothers that they broke down and cried in front of everyone. In August 1783 came the birth of Augusta's youngest sibling, Amelia . She stood as a godmother, along with Charlotte and George . Although the birth of her sister did not erase the pain she felt at losing her brothers, Augusta did not dwell on their deaths as her father did. By the time they reached their teenage years,
11264-460: The princess was sent for a seaside cure at Weymouth to improve her health. Among those staying with her was the Hon. Charles FitzRoy , an equerry 21 years older than she, and the son of Charles FitzRoy, 1st Baron Southampton . Amelia fell in love with the equerry, desiring to marry him. The Queen was told of the affair by a servant but turned a blind eye. It was hoped that such discretion would prevent
11392-552: The remainder of the King's life. Despite signs of a recovery in May 1811, by the end of the year, George III had become permanently insane, and lived in seclusion at Windsor Castle until his death. Prime Minister Spencer Perceval was assassinated in 1812 and was replaced by Lord Liverpool . Liverpool oversaw British victory in the Napoleonic Wars. The subsequent Congress of Vienna led to significant territorial gains for Hanover, which
11520-521: The site now occupied by Buckingham Palace ) for use as a family retreat. His other residences were Kew Palace and Windsor Castle . St James's Palace was retained for official use. He did not travel extensively and spent his entire life in southern England. In the 1790s, the King and his family took holidays at Weymouth, Dorset , which he thus popularised as one of the first seaside resorts in England. George, in his accession speech to Parliament, proclaimed: "Born and educated in this country, I glory in
11648-468: The south (Florida), and protect the British fur trade with the Indians. The Proclamation Line did not bother the majority of settled farmers, but it was unpopular with a vocal minority. This discontent ultimately contributed to conflict between the colonists and the British government. With the American colonists generally unburdened by British taxes, the government thought it appropriate for them to pay towards
11776-555: The supervision of Lady Charlotte Finch and Miss Frederica Planta . The princesses, who had formerly been very close to their brothers now saw very little of them, except for when their paths crossed on daily walks. In 1774, Martha Goldsworthy , or "Gouly" became the new head of their education. The princesses learned typically feminine pursuits, such as deportment, music, dancing, and arts, but their mother also ensured that they learned English, French, German and geography, and had exceptionally well-educated governesses. The young Augusta
11904-448: The three eldest princesses were spending a great deal of time with their parents. They accompanied them to the theatre, to the Opera, and to Court, and their once academic lessons began to wind down, with music and the arts becoming the new focus. They heard famous actresses such as Sarah Siddons read, and along with Charlotte and their parents, Augusta met John Adams when he was presented to
12032-404: The time, by the age of eight. He was the first British monarch to study science systematically. Apart from chemistry and physics, his lessons included astronomy, mathematics, French, Latin, history, music, geography, commerce, agriculture and constitutional law, along with sporting and social accomplishments such as dancing, fencing and riding. His religious education was wholly Anglican . At
12160-440: The vapour and warm sea bath are of use and therefore I hope that I shall be able to assure you that I am better." The following year, Amelia temporarily recovered enough to join her family at Weymouth , where she doted upon her niece Princess Charlotte of Wales . Throughout her life, Amelia was often in poor health; at the age of fifteen, she started to suffer the early symptoms of what turned out to be tuberculosis . In 1801,
12288-717: The view subsequently gained widespread scholarly acceptance. A study of samples of George's hair published in 2005 revealed high levels of arsenic , a cause of metabolic blood disorders and thus a possible trigger for porphyria. The source of the arsenic is not known, but it could have been a component of medicines or cosmetics. The theory was also established in the public mind through influential dramatisations, such as Alan Bennett 's play The Madness of George III , and in Nicholas Hytner 's subsequent film . From 2010, this view has been increasingly challenged, and Macalpine and Hunter's study criticised. Recent scholarship discounts
12416-522: The war and lower bread prices. In response, Parliament passed the Treason and Seditious Meetings Acts a month later. The First Coalition to oppose revolutionary France, which included Austria, Prussia, and Spain, broke up in 1795 when Prussia and Spain made separate peace with France. The Second Coalition , which included Austria, Russia, and the Ottoman Empire , was defeated in 1800. Only Great Britain
12544-561: The war in limited fashion in 1779. One faction of the Dutch Republic aided the Americans, whereas another aided Britain, whose allies included Loyalists and German auxiliaries . Lord Gower and Lord Weymouth both resigned from the government. Lord North again requested that he also be allowed to resign, but he stayed in office at George III's insistence. During the summer of 1779, a combined French-Spanish naval fleet threatened to invade England and transport 31,000 French troops across
12672-477: The years from 1763 to 1775 tends to exonerate George III from any real responsibility for the American Revolution ." Though both the Americans and older British historians characterised George as a tyrant, in these years he acted as a constitutional monarch supporting the initiatives of his ministers. The American War of Independence was the culmination of the civil and political American Revolution . In
12800-511: The youngest of the thirteen surviving children, Amelia spent most of her time with her sisters Mary and Sophia, living in various royal residences. From the beginning, the three younger princesses did not receive as much parental attention as their elder sisters had, and spent a good deal of time away from the King and Queen, communicating with them mostly by letter. It seems that the three youngest princesses were much wilder than their elder sisters, as evidenced by their behaviour when they sat for
12928-564: Was King of Great Britain and Ireland from 25 October 1760 until his death in 1820. The Acts of Union 1800 unified Great Britain and Ireland into the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland , with George as its king. He was concurrently Duke and Prince-elector of Hanover in the Holy Roman Empire before becoming King of Hanover on 12 October 1814. He was a monarch of the House of Hanover , who, unlike his two predecessors,
13056-566: Was "one tax to keep up the right [to levy taxes]". In 1773, the tea ships moored in Boston Harbor were boarded by colonists and the tea was thrown overboard, an event that became known as the Boston Tea Party . In Britain, opinion hardened against the colonists, with Chatham now agreeing with North that the destruction of the tea was "certainly criminal". With the clear support of Parliament, Lord North introduced measures, which were called
13184-510: Was a great favourite of Miss Planta, who called her "the handsomest of all the Princesses" though compared to her older sister, she was considered "childish". However, the princess's personality was painfully shy, she stammered when in front of people she did not know. From an early age, Augusta was fixed on being good and was often upset when she did not succeed. Her behaviour veered in between troublesome and well-mannered. She sometimes threw tantrums and hit her governesses, though she also often had
13312-620: Was a patron of L. Bertolotto's flea circus . In 1828 Augusta was heard to remark to a friend: “I was ashamed to hear myself called Princess Augusta, and never could persuade myself that I was so, as long as any of the Stuart family were alive; but after the death of Cardinal York [in 1807], I felt myself to be really Princess Augusta”. On 10 February 1840, Augusta attended the wedding of her niece Queen Victoria to Prince Albert of Saxe-Coburg and Gotha . She died later that year on 22 September at Clarence House , St. James, London, aged 71. Augusta
13440-455: Was again expelled from Parliament. He was re-elected and expelled twice more, before the House of Commons resolved that his candidature was invalid and declared the runner-up as the victor. Grafton's government disintegrated in 1770, allowing the Tories led by Lord North to return to power. George was deeply devout and spent hours in prayer, but his piety was not shared by his brothers. George
13568-461: Was appalled by what he saw as their loose morals. In 1770, his brother Prince Henry, Duke of Cumberland and Strathearn , was exposed as an adulterer. The following year, Henry married a young widow, Anne Horton . The King considered her inappropriate as a royal bride: she was from a lower social class and German law barred any children of the couple from the Hanoverian succession. George insisted on
13696-425: Was appointed American minister to London in 1785, by which time George had become resigned to the new relationship between his country and the former colonies. He told Adams, "I was the last to consent to the separation; but the separation having been made and having become inevitable, I have always said, as I say now, that I would be the first to meet the friendship of the United States as an independent power." With
13824-556: Was at first welcomed by politicians of all parties, the first years of his reign were marked by political instability, largely as a result of disagreements over the Seven Years' War . George came to be perceived as favouring Tory ministers, which led to his denunciation by the Whigs as an autocrat . On his accession, the Crown lands produced relatively little income; most revenue was generated through taxes and excise duties. George surrendered
13952-523: Was born in Norfolk House in St James's Square , London, on 4 June 1738. He was a grandson of King George II and the eldest son of Frederick, Prince of Wales , and Augusta of Saxe-Gotha . As he was born two months prematurely, and thought unlikely to survive, he was baptised the same day by Thomas Secker , who was both Rector of St James's Church, Piccadilly , and Bishop of Oxford . One month later, he
14080-623: Was born in Great Britain, spoke English as his first language, and never visited Hanover. George was born during the reign of his paternal grandfather, King George II , as the first son of Frederick, Prince of Wales , and Princess Augusta of Saxe-Gotha . Following his father's death in 1751, Prince George became heir apparent and Prince of Wales . He succeeded to the throne on George II's death in 1760. The following year, he married Princess Charlotte of Mecklenburg-Strelitz , with whom he had 15 children. George III's life and reign were marked by
14208-456: Was born on 7 August 1783, at the Royal Lodge , Windsor , the youngest of 15 children born to King George III and Queen Charlotte as well as the only one born at Windsor Castle. It is often said that she was her father's favourite; he affectionately called her "Emily". She was born after the early deaths of her elder brothers Octavius (1779–1783) and Alfred (1780–1782). These deaths left
14336-487: Was buried in the Royal Vault at St George's Chapel, Windsor on 2 October, after lying in state at Frogmore . As of 1789, as a daughter of the sovereign, Augusta Sophia had use of the arms of the kingdom, differenced by a label argent of three points, the centre point bearing a rose gules, the outer points ermine . George III George III (George William Frederick; 4 June 1738 – 29 January 1820)
14464-483: Was buried in the Royal Vault in St George's Chapel , Windsor . After Amelia's death, George Villiers , the King's bailiff , and younger brother of Thomas Villiers, 2nd Earl of Clarendon , attempted to blackmail the King and Queen with letters belonging to Amelia, after the disappearance of £280,000 in his control. Villiers was father of later diplomat and statesman George Villiers, 4th Earl of Clarendon . Her death
14592-542: Was christened on 6 December 1768, by Frederick Cornwallis , The Archbishop of Canterbury , in the Great Council Chamber at St. James's Palace . Her godparents were Prince Charles of Mecklenburg (her maternal uncle, who was visiting England), The Queen-consort of Denmark (her paternal aunt, for whom the Duchess of Ancaster and Kesteven, Mistress of the Robes to The Queen , stood proxy) and The Hereditary Duchess of Brunswick-Lüneburg (her paternal aunt, for whom
14720-401: Was devastated when she died. So deeply affected was he by her death that after her funeral, he could never again sleep in a room that was not lit by several wax candles. He also burst into tears at the mention of her name more than three years after her demise. As of 1789, as a daughter of the sovereign, Amelia had use of the arms of the kingdom, differenced by a label argent of three points,
14848-427: Was dismayed and disappointed. By this time, George's health was deteriorating. He had a mental illness characterised by acute mania . Until the mid-20th century, the King's illness was generally considered to be psychological. In 1966, a study by Ida Macalpine and Richard Hunter suggested that the illness was physiological, caused by the liver disorder porphyria . Although meeting with some contemporary opposition,
14976-402: Was dissolved, and the subsequent election gave the ministry a strong majority in the House of Commons. George III made no further major political decisions during his reign; the replacement of Portland by Perceval in 1809 was of little real significance. In late 1810, at the height of his popularity, King George, already virtually blind with cataracts and in pain from rheumatism , suffered
15104-613: Was divided in two, with the eastern half (from the Allegheny Mountains to the Mississippi River ) ceded to Britain and the western half, plus the city of New Orleans , ceded to Spain. Later that year, the Royal Proclamation of 1763 placed a limit upon the westward expansion of the American colonies and created an Indian reserve . The Proclamation aimed to divert colonial expansion to the north (to Nova Scotia ) and to
15232-496: Was elevated from an electorate to a kingdom . Meanwhile, George's health deteriorated. He developed dementia , and became completely blind and increasingly deaf. He was incapable of knowing or understanding that he was declared King of Hanover in 1814, or that his wife died in 1818. At Christmas 1819, he spoke nonsense for 58 hours, and for the last few weeks of his life was unable to walk. He died of pneumonia at Windsor Castle at 8:38 pm on 29 January 1820, six days after
15360-431: Was estimated to be £2000, and the expense of all their servants and tutors added to that. Yet there was one benefit: the Princesses were quickly becoming a familiar sight to the public. When their group portrait was exhibited to the people, it was marvelled at for the porcelain impersonal beauty they displayed. They were dressed the same, and only their accessories hinted at the very different personalities that lay underneath
15488-403: Was fond of his children and was devastated at the death of two of his sons in infancy, in 1782 and 1783 respectively. Nevertheless, he set his children a strict regimen. They were expected to attend rigorous lessons from seven in the morning and to lead lives of religious observance and virtue. When his children strayed from George's principles of righteousness, as his sons did as young adults, he
15616-481: Was improved only a little, but she found comfort in quietly resting. In 1809, she could occasionally take short walks in the garden. This improvement was temporary, and in August 1810 her sufferings grew sharper, while in October of that year she was seized with St. Anthony's fire ( erysipelas ), which cut off all hope and confined her to her bed on the 25th. The king summoned his daughter's physicians to him at seven o'clock every morning and three or four other times during
15744-419: Was known to despise her in-laws, to call Amelia the "most amiable of the bunch". Amelia was a favourite of both the Prince of Wales and the Duke of Sussex , who called her a "lovely creature". Amelia adored the former and once told him that she had always loved him better than her other brothers. He for his part loved her perhaps more than he did his other sisters (with the possible exception of Princess Mary) and
15872-514: Was left fighting Napoleon Bonaparte , the First Consul of the French Republic . A brief lull in hostilities allowed Pitt to concentrate effort on Ireland, where there had been an uprising and attempted French landing in 1798. In 1800, the British and Irish Parliaments passed an Act of Union that took effect on 1 January 1801 and united Great Britain and Ireland into a single state, known as
16000-403: Was open and available to scholars and was the foundation of a new national library. In May 1762, the incumbent Whig government of Thomas Pelham-Holles, 1st Duke of Newcastle , was replaced with one led by Lord Bute, a Scottish Tory. Bute's opponents worked against him by spreading the calumny that he was having an affair with the King's mother, and by exploiting anti-Scottish sentiment amongst
16128-721: Was publicly baptised at Norfolk House, again by Secker. His godparents were King Frederick I of Sweden (for whom Lord Baltimore stood proxy), his uncle Frederick III, Duke of Saxe-Gotha (for whom Lord Carnarvon stood proxy), and his great-aunt Sophia Dorothea, Queen in Prussia (for whom Lady Charlotte Edwin stood proxy). George grew into a healthy, reserved and shy child. The family moved to Leicester Square , where George and his younger brother Edward (later Duke of York and Albany ) were educated together by private tutors. Family letters show that he could read and write in both English and German, as well as comment on political events of
16256-485: Was replaced by the Fox–North Coalition . Portland became prime minister, with Fox and Lord North, as foreign secretary and home secretary respectively. The King disliked Fox intensely, for his politics as well as his character: he thought Fox unprincipled and a bad influence on the Prince of Wales. George III was distressed at having to appoint ministers not of his liking, but the Portland ministry quickly built up
16384-519: Was the fifteenth sibling christened there. She was later confirmed by the Archbishop on 24 December 1799. Coming so soon after the death of Prince Octavius and shortly before the end of the war between Great Britain and the United States, Amelia's birth was felt to be a beginning of a new period of hope, and much was expected of her, even from birth. When Amelia was only a month old, Princess Charlotte wrote to her brother William , "Our littlest sister
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