Death of Augusta of Saxe-Gotha~Almost Queen
Born on 30th November 1719, Augusta was the youngest daughter in a very large family.
Her mother Magdalena had nineteen pregnancies, of which nine children survived past the age of six.
Her father Frederick II, was a noted soldier who managed to expand his Duchy’s borders.
His death when Augusta was thirteen meant that her marriage was mostly up to the discretion of her mother and her eldest brother.
Even by the relatively rushed standards of some royal marriages, Augusta’s appears to be callously speedy.
Most of the rush was on the side of the groom’s family.
King George II’s trip to Hanover in 1736, led to an opportunity to view some of the local German princesses for his son Frederick.
Frederick was keen to marry, only to increase his allowance from the Civil List….
Augusta, the only remaining unmarried Saxe-Gotha daughter, was now seventeen years old.
She was an unworldly young woman, but all this helped persuade George that she was the ideal candidate for his son Frederick.
For years George and his wife Caroline had hated their eldest son and heir.
They didn’t want him to have a clever, influential wife with a powerful and well-connected family to back her up.
Augusta was sent off with a small entourage, including her governess, and her favourite doll.
Frederick was waiting to greet her when she landed at Greenwich in the royal yacht in April 1736.
The only thing that had been drummed in to Augusta’s head, was that she should do everything to please her new family.
Ten days later, when she met her soon-to-be parents-in-law for the first time, she reportedly threw herself at their feet, in a traditional gesture of submission.
They quickly helped her back up, no doubt very pleased at this self-abasement, and proceeded to greet her properly.
She and Frederick were married shortly after in the Royal Chapel at St James’ Palace, and she became Princess of Wales.
Augusta was eager to please her new husband, and quickly fell in with Frederick’s plans to irritate his parents.
Although at the time of their wedding Frederick already had a mistress, Lady Archibald Hamilton, and would continue to have mistresses throughout his marriage, he and Augusta appear to have settled down in to a relatively happy relationship.
Augusta was happy to accompany her husband on his many excursions, such as trips to the theatre or to masquerades.
Frederick was a great fan of practical jokes, and Augusta was happy to laugh along when his tricks succeeded.
Despite their growing closeness the Prince was not afraid to put his wife’s health at risk in order to infuriate his parents further.
He consistently refused to confirm that his wife was pregnant with their first child, and when he did confirm it he deliberately gave his parents the wrong due date.
Queen Caroline was convinced that her son couldn’t get his wife pregnant, and insisted that she would attend the birth to confirm that Augusta was actually bringing a child in to the world.
They were staying with the King and Queen at Hampton Court Palace, when Augusta did go in to labour.
Frederick hastily carried her in to a carriage and had her transported, with a doctor and a midwife, to St James’ Palace.
The process of being jolted down England’s appalling roads in a carriage with no suspension must have made the pain considerably worse for the poor Princess.
On top of that, St James’ Palace had been closed down while the Royal family were away.
There was a skeleton staff, no bedding, and no rooms made suitable for them to stay in.
Augusta had to give birth on a tablecloth, and people were shocked that she managed to survive the whole ordeal.
The baby princess born on a tablecloth, was named Augusta after her mother.
The baby was small and weak and not expected to survive.
Over the following fourteen years baby Augusta was joined by her siblings – George, Edward, Elizabeth, William, Henry, Louisa, Frederick, and Caroline Matilda.
None of them followed the tradition of being born on a tablecloth, after racing across the English countryside on a summer’s night.
Frederick’s behaviour disgusted the King and Queen and led to a serious rift in the family.
For several years Augusta and Frederick lived relatively quietly, albeit with Frederick causing political problems for his father.
By the time a reconciliation was made in 1745 Queen Caroline was dead, and Augusta had five children and was pregnant with her sixth.
The reconciliation meant that the Prince and Princess of Wales could now host their own court events.
Princess Augusta seems to have grown in to herself more over the years.
No longer the uneducated girl who played with dolls, she was now considered to be graceful, pretty, and a noted hostess.
She and Frederick were determined to give their children a proper home life, and set up Kew as their main family residence.
Frederick was a great believer in modern theories of education, including giving the children plenty of time outdoors.
They were each granted a small plot in the garden, where they were expected to plant and grow a variety of fruits and vegetables, suitable for the family table.
In March 1751 Prince Frederick fell ill, when Augusta was around 5 months pregnant.
Although he appeared to make some improvement during the day, ultimately Frederick took a turn for the worst and died suddenly.
Despite her grief Augusta moved fast to protect her husband and her family.
She personally destroyed Frederick’s papers, and then ensured that her father-in-law found the family in deepest mourning when he paid them a visit.
Rather than demand that her eldest son be taken in to his care, King George allowed the family to stay together, and let Augusta keep custody of Prince George.
Augusta kept her children close to her, and secluded them from the outside world.
She rarely appeared in public, and like Queen Victoria several generations later, this led to rumours about her personal life and the destruction of her reputation.
In particular she was accused of taking a lover, Lord Bute, who was actually Prince George’s tutor.
When King George died in October 1760, Prince George was still unwed.
The search for a wife began at once, and while Augusta had previously helped direct her son’s thoughts, ultimately he felt himself capable of making a choice without his mother’s approval.
As a result the bride, Charlotte of Mecklenburg-Streilitz, was not Augusta’s choice.
The untimely death of George III’s father, Frederick mean’t that Augusta suddenly went from Queen-in-Waiting to Dowager Princess of Wales, and would instead have to watch her daughter-in-law get the coronation she might otherwise have expected for herself.
As her son George and Charlotte settled down and started their own family, Augusta found her own influence diminishing.
Her popularity with the public had never really recovered, and she lived a quiet retirement away from the main court.
One of her biggest passions was the gardens at Kew, which she had extended over the years, and various buildings installed such as the Chinese pagoda.
Augusta began to show signs of what would ultimately prove to be throat cancer.
Still deeply secretive she refused to acknowledge her illness to her children, but eventually it took it’s toll on her.
George and Charlotte had taken to visiting her once a week, and when they realised she was reaching the end of her life they stayed with her.
Augusta died on 8th February 1772, aged fifty two.
George had her buried in Westminster Abbey, next to his father.
But even in death Augusta couldn’t get much peace.
It was reported that members of the public cheered her death at her funeral procession, and tore down the black silk drapes raised in her honour.
Augusta of Saxe-Gotha c.1736
Portrait by Charles Philips
