HM King George II
King William III of Great Britain was widowed in 1694 when Queen Mary II died. As they were childless, King William's heir was his sister-in-law and cousin, Anne. Her only child to survive babyhood, also William, died in 1700. When it seemed likely that Anne would now not leave an heir, Parliament drew up the Act of Settlement of 1701 to secure the Protestant line. This made George Augustus's Grandmother and last surviving grandchild of King James I, Princess Sophia, the next in line to the Throne. Anne became Queen on William III's death in 1702. It was suggested that George Augustus should go to London to help secure the future transition. He was made a British citizen by the Sophia Naturalization Act of 1705 and was created Duke and Marquess of Cambridge. As such he would have been entitled to take his seat in the House of Lords but both his Father and Queen Anne refused to support the plan.
Sophia had died less than two months before Queen Anne in 1714 and so George Augustus's Father became King George I of Great Britain, the first monarch of the House of Hanover. George Augustus became Prince of Wales when he and his Father entered London in a ceremonial procession on 16th/27th September. However his father’s treatment of his mother, whom he had imprisoned, left son George with a hatred of his Father. They regularly quarrelled and George Augustus was excluded from public ceremonies. When his father died in 1727 he became King George II and set about changing his father’s policies. Walpole was expected to be dismissed but survived on the intervention of Queen Caroline.
The death of Holy Roman Emperor Charles VI in 1740 led to the European War of Austrian Succession in which the British and Dutch supported Marie Theresa’s claim to the Austrian throne against the Prussians and French. George II personally led his troops at the Battle of Dettingen in 1743, becoming the last British monarch to do so. The Jacobite Rebellion of 1745, in which Charles Edward Stuart (‘Bonnie Prince Charlie’ and Catholic son of King James II/VII, excluded from the Throne because of his religion) landed in Scotland and marched with a Highland army into England, was defeated at Culloden in 1746 and Scottish opposition brutally suppressed by George’s second son Prince William, Duke of Cumberland. Like his father King George II quarrelled with his eldest son Frederick, Prince of Wales, over his marriage but Frederick died suddenly in 1751.
The final years of his reign saw George retiring from active politics; however it was a period in which British dominance overseas grew. William Pitt became Prime Minister during the Seven Years' War against France which spread to India and North America. Robert Clive secured the Indian continent for Britain at the Battle of Plassey, and General Wolfe captured Quebec in Canada.
King George II died in 1760 of an aneurysm while seated on his water closet and was succeeded by his grandson, also called George, who became the third British monarch of that name.
When George Augustus was made Prince of Wales in 1714, he naturally assumed the traditional Coat of Arms of those of the Sovereign with a plain white Label of three points. As his Father was the first monarch of the House of Hanover, George Augustus was also not only the first Prince of Wales to carry the Hanoverian Quarter but also the first to carry the plain red Inescutcheon of a Hanoverian Electoral Prince or (Erbprinz in German) in Britain. The Elector of Hanover and the Elector of Palatine shared the office of Arch-Treasurer to the Holy Roman Empire and as such carried the Augmentation of a red Inescutcheon with a gold representation of Charlemagne's Crown. The plain red Inescutcheon was the designation for the heir and, according to The Royal Heraldry of England by J. H. & R. V. Pinches, 1974, was an English precedent. Coming from Hanover, George Augustus would previously have taken over his Father's Hanoverian Coat of Arms. Again, according to The Royal Heraldry of England by J. H. & R. V. Pinches, 1974, the many Quarters were as follows: 1. Brunswick; 2, Hanover; 3, Luneburg; 4, Eberstein; 5, Homburg; 6, Per Fess Diepholz Lion and Eagle; 7, Per Fess, in Chief, Hoya and in Base per Fess New and Old Bruckhausen; 8, Per Fess Lauterburg Lion and Lauterburg Barry; 9, Klettenburg; 10, Hohnstein; 11, Regenstein; 12, Blankenburg. The two sets of Antlers at the bottom of the Shield are set to 'respect' each other. |
Although George Augustus was actually created not only Duke and Marquess of Cambridge but also Earl of Milford Haven, Viscount Northallerton, and Baron Tewkesbury, there is no evidence that he was granted a British Coat of Arms before becoming Prince of Wales after his Father's accession in 1714.
Caroline of Ansbach (HM Queen Caroline)
As a young woman, Caroline was much sought-after as a bride. After rejecting the suit of the nominal King of Spain, Archduke Charles of Austria, she married George Augustus and had eight children, seven of whom grew to adulthood.
Caroline moved permanently to Britain in 1714 when her husband became Prince of Wales. As Princess of Wales, she joined her husband in rallying political opposition to his father King George I, but in 1717 her husband was expelled from court after a family row. Caroline came to be associated with Robert Walpole, an opposition politician who was a former government minister. Walpole rejoined the government in 1720, and Caroline's husband and King George I reconciled publicly, on Walpole's advice. Over the next few years, Walpole rose to become the leading minister.
Caroline became queen and electress consort upon her husband's accession in 1727. Her eldest son, Frederick, became Prince of Wales. He was a focus for the opposition, like his father before him, and Caroline's relationship with him was strained.
As princess and as queen, Caroline was known for her political influence, which she exercised through and for Walpole. Her tenure included four regencies during her husband's stays in Hanover, and she is credited with strengthening the House of Hanover's place in Britain during a period of political instability. Caroline was widely mourned following her death in 1737, not only by the public but also by the King, who, despite his many mistresses, refused to remarry.
As Princess of Wales and as Queen, Caroline impaled her Father's Arms alongside the relevant version of her Husband's Arms. According to The Royal Heraldry of England by J. H. & R. V. Pinches, 1974 there was a total of 27 Quarters, including Prussia, Pomerania and Hohenzollern, and an Inescutcheon, as shown above, for Brandenburg. They acknowledge artistic license with regard to the conglomeration of Quarters which was the German fashion of the time and so Sodacan's representation may be a simplification.
HRH Prince Frederick, Prince of Wales
(* See Amelia's entry below. The illustration from the 1724 edition of A Display Of Heraldry by John Guillim shows the Coat of Arms of Frederick already carrying a central single St George's Cross. This was previously reported in the Blog mentioned above as having been granted sometime between Frederick's creation as Duke of Edinburgh in 1726 and his creation as Prince of Wales on 8th January 1729. Surely, however, his Label would have been changed over on his Father's Accession in 1727 and, as we will see later with the write-up about Frederick's Brother William, before August of that year anyway as William was assigned this same Label with a St George's Cross to replace the five-pointed one he's been previously assigned. The illustration, if dated correctly, would confirm that Frederick was granted the Label of a senior prince other than the Prince of Wales before he was created Duke of Edinburgh.)
HRH Princess Anne, Princess Royal (Princess of Orange)
Princess Anne was the second daughter of a British sovereign to hold the title Princess Royal. (Princess Mary (born 1631), the daughter of King Charles I and Queen Henrietta Maria, became the first Princess Royal in 1642.) In the Netherlands she was sometimes known as Anna van Hannover.
On 31st January 1719, as a grandchild of the sovereign, Anne was granted use of the arms of the realm differenced by a Label argent of five Points, each bearing a St George's Cross gules. On 30th August 1727, as then a child of the sovereign, Anne's Label changed to that of three Points, each still bearing a St George's Cross gules.
This was the first Label for a princess royal and sees the start of the regularisation of such things as royal titles and heraldry which the Hanoverians began, especially for female members of the Family. It is not an enormous leap of faith to imagine that the Label would carry three St George's Crosses for the senior Princess, seeing as the senior Prince after the Prince of Wales was generally, if not traditionally, assigned a Label with one St George's Cross. Having said that, we have already seen in a previous Blog that a Label with a central Rose vies for contention.
HRH Princess Amelia
Though comparatively healthy as an adult, Amelia was a sickly child. In 1722, her mother, who had progressive ideas, had Amelia and her sister Caroline inoculated against smallpox by an early type of immunisation known as variolation. She lived with her father until his death in 1760.
Amelia's aunt Sophia Dorothea, Queen in Prussia, suggested Amelia as a suitable wife for her son Frederick (later known as Frederick the Great) but his father Frederick William I of Prussia forced his son to marry Elisabeth Christine of Brunswick-Bevern instead.
Amelia greatly enjoyed riding and hunting. She was disliked by artistic fops and Lady Pomfret considered her "one of the oddest princesses that ever was known; she has ears shut to flattery and her heart open to honesty."
Amelia may have been the mother of composer Samuel Arnold (1740–1802) through an affair with a commoner of the name Thomas Arnold.
In 1751, Princess Amelia became ranger of Richmond Park after the death of Robert Walpole, 2nd Earl of Orford. Immediately afterwards, the Princess caused major public uproar by closing the park to the public, only allowing few close friends and those with special permits to enter. This continued until 1758, when a local brewer, John Lewis, took the gatekeeper, who stopped him from entering the park, to court and Princess Amelia was forced to lift the restrictions.
She was, however, generous in her gifts to charitable organisations and owned property such as Gunnersbury Estate, Middlesex and Cavendish Square, Soho, London, where she died unmarried, the last surviving child of King George II and Queen Caroline. A miniature of Prince Frederick of Prussia was found on her body.
On 31st January 1719, as a grandchild of the sovereign, Amelia was granted use of the arms of the realm, differenced by a Label argent of five Points ermine. On 30th August 1727, as then a child of the sovereign, Amelia's Label changed to a one of three Points still ermine. The Royal Heraldry of England by J. H. & R. V. Pinches, 1974 makes mention of the 1724 edition of A Display Of Heraldry by John Guillim which can still be purchased for as little as £24.25 for a photocopied reproduction or as high as £1,579.72, which is actually for the 1638 version, an original in hardcover. As well as her elder brother's Coat of Arms as eldest son of the Prince of Wales* and her sisters' Labels, Amelia's Label is shown but, of course, in the 5-pointed version as their Father didn't come to the Throne until 3 years later. Looking at the illustration here, Amelia's Label is clearly shown, bottom left, as being 'ermine', i.e. by definition covered in Ermine Spots. Sodacan's representation above only shows one large Ermine Spot per Point when, in practice, there were three smaller ones per Point. This matches the Roses and Torteaux of her sisters Caroline and Louisa. Strangely, though, this Label had previously been that of King Henry VIII and King James II as Dukes of York in its 3-pointed version and of two of King James's sons (the first Charles and James, both created Duke of Cambridge) neither of whom survived infancy in its 5-pointed version. Amelia's is the only instance of a Label ermine to have been assigned to a princess. |
HRH Princess Caroline
In 1722, at the direction of her mother, she was inoculated against smallpox along with her sister Amelia.
Caroline was her mother's favourite, and when any disagreement took place among the royal children, her parents would say, "Send for Caroline, and then we shall know the truth!" Allegedly according to Dr. John Doran, "The truth-loving Caroline Elizabeth was unreservedly beloved by her parents, was worthy of the affection, and repaid it by an ardent attachment. She was fair, good, accomplished, and unhappy."
According to popular belief, Caroline's unhappiness was due to her love for the married courtier Lord Hervey. When Hervey died in 1743, Caroline retired to St. James's Palace for many years prior to her own death, accessible only to her family and closest friends. She never married and died childless.
Horace Walpole is alleged to have written of her:
"Though her state of health had been so dangerous for years, and her absolute confinement for many of them, her disorder was, in a manner, new and sudden, and her death unexpected by herself, though earnestly her wish. Her goodness was constant and uniform, her generosity immense, her charities most extensive; in short, I, no royalist, could be lavish in her praise."
HRH Prince George William
His baptism was the catalyst for a family quarrel. The infant's parents wanted to call the baby Louis and suggested the Queen of Prussia and the Duke of York as sponsors. The King chose the names George William and, supposedly following custom, appointed the Lord Chamberlain, the Duke of Newcastle, as one of the sponsors. The King was angered when George Augustus, who disliked Newcastle, shook his fist at him and said "You are a rascal, but I shall find you out!" The Duke apparently misheard this as "I shall fight you!"
The Prince of Wales was banished from court, and he and Caroline moved into Leicester House, while their children remained in the care of the King. By January, the King had relented and allowed Caroline unrestricted access, but by the next month Prince George William fell ill. The King allowed both George and Caroline to see him at Kensington Palace without any conditions. When George William died, a post-mortem was conducted to prove that the cause of death was disease (a polyp on the heart) rather than the separation from his mother.
As an infant George William was not granted a Label.
HRH Prince William, Duke of Cumberland
He was intended by the King and Queen for the office of Lord High Admiral, and, in 1740, sailed, as a volunteer in the fleet under the command of Sir John Norris. However, he quickly became dissatisfied with the Navy and, instead, secured the post of Colonel of the First Regiment of Foot Guards.
In 1745, during the War of the Austrian Succession (1740–48), he became commander of the allied forces and was severely defeated by France’s Marshal Maurice de Saxe at the Battle of Fontenoy. Later in 1745 Cumberland was recalled to England to oppose the invasion of Jacobites under Charles Edward, the Young Pretender, grandson of the deposed Stuart king James II. After triumphing over Charles at the decisive Battle of Culloden Moor in Inverness-shire on 16th April 1746 (at which about 1,000 Scots died), he remained in Scotland for three months, rounding up some 3,500 men and executing about 120. Cumberland was nicknamed "Sweet William" by his Whig supporters and "The Butcher" by his Tory opponents, who were goaded on by his elder brother, The Prince of Wales.
Legend says that the flower Sweet William is named after him (in England) and called 'Stinking Billy' after him in Scotland. However, legends mention other Williams (including William Shakespeare) and other flowers are called 'Stinking Billy' in Scotland. So, take your pick... [Pun unapologetically intended!]
Cumberland's unpopularity began to rise and, when the death of the Prince of Wales brought the latter's son, a minor, next in succession to the throne, the Duke was not able to secure the regency for himself. As a compromise, the regency was vested in the boy's Mother, Dowager Princess of Wales, who considered Cumberland an enemy. However, her powers were curtailed by a committee of twelve men, headed by Cumberland.
William then returned to the war against the French and in July 1747 he lost the Battle of Lauffeld to Saxe. During the Seven Years’ War (1756–63) he was defeated by the French at the Battle of Hastenbeck (July 1757) in Hanover, one of George II’s possessions. Because he signed the Convention of Klosterzeven (September 1757), promising to evacuate Hanover, he was dismissed by his father, who repudiated the agreement. His refusal to serve as commander in chief unless William Pitt was dismissed as prime minister led to Pitt’s fall in April 1757.
Cumberland's final years were lived out during the first years of the reign of his nephew, George III. He never fully recovered from a wound at the Battle of Dettingen, and was obese. He died at the age of 44.
On 20th July 1725, as a grandchild of the sovereign, William was granted use of the arms of the realm, differenced by a Label of five Points, the centre Point bearing a red St George's Cross, the others each bearing a red Canton. (This Label was later granted to William's nephew, Edward Augustus, in 1752.) On 30th August 1727, now as a child of the sovereign, William's difference changed to a Label of three Points, the centre Point bearing a red St George's Cross.
HRH Princess Mary (Landgravine of Hesse-Kassel)
Mary's arranged marriage to Landgrave Frederick of Hesse-Kassel was unhappy, and Frederick was said to be "brutal" and "a boor". The couple separated in 1754 on Frederick's conversion to Roman Catholicism at the deathbed of his mistress. Mary was supported by her father-in-law, who provided her with a residence in Hanau, as she wished to stay on the Continent to raise her children.
Mary moved to Denmark on the death of her younger sister Louise to look after her children, taking her own children with her. Her sons married Danish princesses.
Mary died, however, back in Hanau at the age of 48.
Mary was not granted a Label of five Points. But on 30th August 1727, as a child of the sovereign, Mary was granted use of the arms of the realm, differenced by a Label of three Points, each bearing a red Canton.
Please note that the graphic above shows the Label on the Unicorn Supporter as the mirror image of that on the Lion Supporter with the Canton in the wrong top corner of each Point.
HRH Princess Louisa (HM Queen Louise of Denmark and Norway)
Louisa was married to Crown Prince Frederick of Denmark and Norway on 11th December 1743 in Copenhagen in a dynastic marriage, which her father-in-law, King Christian VI, hoped would lead to British support for his or his son's claim to the throne of Sweden. There had been a proxy marriage ceremony in Hanover the month before. Louisa now became Louise.
Although Frederick came to feel high regard for Louise and always treated her with kindness, he was reportedly not in love with her and Louise pretended not to notice his adultery with multiple partners. She, on the other hand, quickly made herself popular in the Danish court, helped by learning to speak Danish. Her vivacious, easy-going character made for a more relaxed court when Frederick became King in 1746 and she became Queen Consort.
Maybe because of her own marriage, but also because of the anti-Danish feeling of the Queen of Sweden, Louise opposed the dynastic marriage between her daughter Sophia Magdalena and Crown Prince of Sweden in 1751. She was unsuccessful.
Louise died due to complications from a miscarriage a day after her 27th birthday.
On 30th August 1727, at the age of nearly three and as a child of the sovereign, Louisa (as she was then) was granted use of the arms of the realm, differenced by a Label of three Points, each charged with three Torteaux (or red circles). Her seal as Queen shows her Husband's Arms alongside her Father's. However, her parental Arms carry the plain Inescutcheon in the Hanover Quarter instead of the Label, which is considered incorrect. If the Inescutcheon were to be used at all, the fashion of the day means that it should have reflected her Father and have carried the Crown of Charlemagne.