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Caroline of Ansbach

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Caroline of Ansbach
Portrait by Michael Dahl, c. 1730
Queen consort of Great Britain Ireland
Electress consort of Hanover
Tenure11 June 1727 – 20 November 1737
Coronation11 October 1727[1]
Born(1683-03-01)1 March 1683
Ansbach, Holy Roman Empire
Died20 November 1737(1737-11-20) (aged 54)
St. James's Palace, London, Great Britain
Burial17 December 1737
Spouse
(m. 1705)
Issue
Full name
Wilhelmina Charlotte Caroline
German: Wilhelmine Charlotte Karoline
HouseHohenzollern
FatherJohn Frederick, Margrave of Brandenburg-Ansbach
MotherPrincess Eleonore Erdmuthe of Saxe-Eisenach

Caroline of Brandenburg-Ansbach (Wilhelmina Charlotte Caroline; 1 March 1683 – 20 November 1737[1]) was the wife of George II of Great Britain. During her time as queen consort she had a lot of power.

Early life

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Caroline of Ansbach was born in Ansbach in Germany, the daughter of Johann Friedrich, Margrave of Brandenburg-Ansbach, and his second wife, Princess Eleanor Erdmuthe Louise of Saxe-Eisenach. Orphaned at an early age, Caroline grew up an intelligent, cultured and attractive woman, and was much sought-after as a bride.

Possible marriages and marriage to George

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She turned down the King of Spain because it would cause her to renounce the Protestant faith. Shortly after she met the son of the elector of Hanover They married in 1705. Over the next 30 years they had nine children.

George I of Great Britain died 11 June 1727. George Augustus ascended the throne as George II of Great Britain. Caroline held George on a string. When the Prime Minister Sir Robert Walpole met with the King he and Caroline had signs to communicate with each other. George never noticed.

Frederick the Prince of Wales, ca. 1724.

Both the King and Queen truly disliked their eldest son Frederick, Prince of Wales. Caroline once called him the Greatest Ass the world has ever known. They preferred Prince William, Duke of Cumberland over Fredrick.

Later years

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Caroline died 20 November 1737. George was at her side. Caroline asked him to remarry on her deathbed, to which he replied "No, I shall only have mistresses" or in French, "Non, j'aurai seulement des maîtresses!" in tears.

The Princess of Wales, painted by Sir Godfrey Kneller in 1717.

After death

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George had Caroline buried in Westminster Abbey. He bought two coffins with removable sides, so after he died they would lie together again.

Children

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Caroline's nine pregnancies (from 1707-1724) resulted in eight live births. One of them, Prince George William (13 November 1717-17 February 1718), died in infancy. Seven of them lived to adulthood.

Name Birth Death Notes
Frederick, Prince of Wales 1 February 1707 31 March 1751 married 1736, Princess Augusta of Saxe-Gotha-Altenberg; had issue
Anne, Princess Royal 2 November 1709 12 January 1759 married 1734, Prince Willem IV of Orange-Nassau; had issue
Princess Amelia 10 July 1711 31 October 1786  
Princess Caroline 21 June 1713 28 December 1757  
Prince Augustus George 9 November 1716 9 November 1716 stillborn
Prince George William 13 November 1717 17 February 1718 died in infancy
Prince William, Duke of Cumberland 26 April 1721 31 October 1765  
Princess Mary 5 March 1723 14 January 1772 married 1740, Frederick II, Landgrave of Hesse-Kassel (or Hesse-Cassel); had issue
Princess Louise 18 December 1724 19 December 1751 married 1743, Frederick V, King of Denmark and Norway; had issue

Ancestry

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Caroline alongside Prince Albert, and Mary of Modena is regarded one of the most powerful British consorts in History.

References

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  1. 1.0 1.1 Over the course of Caroline's life, two calendars were used: the Old Style Julian calendar and the New Style Gregorian calendar. Hanover switched from the Julian to the Gregorian calendar on 19 February (Old Style) / 1 March (New Style) 1700. Great Britain switched on 3/14 September 1752, after Caroline's death. Unless otherwise indicated, dates before September 1752 are Old Style. All dates after September 1752 are New Style. All years are assumed to start from 1 January and not 25 March, which was the English New Year.
  2. 2.0 2.1 Weir, pp. 277–278.
  3. 3.0 3.1 3.2 3.3 3.4 3.5 Genealogie ascendante jusqu'au quatrieme degre inclusivement de tous les Rois et Princes de maisons souveraines de l'Europe actuellement vivans [Genealogy up to the fourth degree inclusive of all the Kings and Princes of sovereign houses of Europe currently living] (in French). Bourdeaux: Frederic Guillaume Birnstiel. 1768. p. 4.

Other websites

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Caroline of Ansbach
Born: 1 March 1683 Died: 20 November 1737
Royal titles
Vacant
Title last held by
George of Denmark
as consort
Queen consort of Great Britain and Ireland
1727–1737
Vacant
Title next held by
Charlotte of Mecklenburg-Strelitz
Vacant
Title last held by
Sophia of the Palatinate
Electress consort of Hanover
1727–1737