*review copy*
King George III and Queen Charlotte had 15 children together, of which 6 were daughters. He has been famously quoted as saying, “I cannot deny that I have never wished to see any of them marry: I am happy in their company and do not in the least want a separation.”1
Several of their daughters either remained unmarried or married so late in life that they were unable to become mothers. The eldest, Charlotte, Princess Royal, married the future King Frederick of Württemberg at the age of 30. Her only pregnancy ended in the stillbirth of a daughter. The second daughter, Princess Augusta Sophia, never married. The third daughter, Princess Elizabeth, married the future Frederick VI, Landgrave of Hesse-Homburg, at the age of 47. The fourth daughter, Princess Mary, married her first cousin, Prince William Frederick, Duke of Gloucester and Edinburgh, at the age of 40. The fifth daughter, Princess Sophia, never married. The sixth daughter, Princess Amelia, also never married.
The Daughters of George III: Sisters and Princesses by Catherine Curzon explores the lives of these women, who were trapped in a life they wished they could escape. Princess Sophia bitterly gave her address as “the nunnery.”2 There’s no shortage of rumours of illegitimate children and relationships concerning some of these women, but as there is simply no evidence, rumours they shall remain.
You can tell that a lot of research has gone into this subject, and this isn’t the first book about the Georgians by this author either. I enjoyed how easily this book flowed, and it didn’t get boring. However, I am not sure it can top Princesses: the six daughters of George III by Flora Fraser. If you prefer a more chatty read, I’d go for this one.
The Daughters of George III: Sisters and Princesses by Catherine Curzon is available now in the US and the UK.
Be the first to comment