Charlotte, Princess Royal

1.1. Childhood and Education

Princess Charlotte was born on 29 September 1766 at Buckingham House, London. She was the fourth child and eldest daughter of King George III and Queen Charlotte. She was christened on 27 October 1766 at the Chapel Royal, St James's Palace, by the Archbishop of Canterbury, Thomas Secker. Her godparents were her paternal aunt and uncle, Queen Caroline Matilda and King Christian VII of Denmark, and her paternal aunt Princess Louisa. The Duke of Portland, who was Lord Chamberlain, and the Dowager Countess of Effingham, stood proxy for the King and Queen of Denmark. Charlotte Augusta Matilda was named Charlotte after her mother, Augusta after her paternal grandmother Augusta of Saxe-Gotha-Altenburg, and Matilda after her paternal aunt Caroline Matilda of Great Britain. Because she was born on Michaelmas Day, her mother sometimes affectionately referred to her as "Michaelmas Goose."

After the birth of three sons, her parents were particularly delighted to have a daughter. They hoped a daughter would bring peaceful days and feminine grace, contrasting with the more boisterous nature of her elder brothers. Like all her siblings, Charlotte was inoculated against smallpox; in her case, this occurred in December 1768 alongside her brother William. As the eldest daughter of the reigning monarch, Charlotte was presumed to be destined for an important marriage on the European continent. Consequently, her education was deemed of utmost importance, commencing when she was only eighteen months old. Given that French was the official language in nearly every European court, the young Princess was provided with a French tutor to ensure she spoke without an accent. Memory training was another early subject; she was taught to recite short verses and stories, which contributed to her remarkable ability to recall details throughout her life.

Her early childhood was not solely dedicated to academic pursuits. When she was almost three years old, she participated in her first tableau, dressed as Columbine, where she danced with her seven-year-old brother, George, Prince of Wales. Charlotte was not naturally inclined towards music and later expressed disdain for such public displays involving children, believing they fostered vanity and self-importance. Despite her reservations, her parents continued to showcase her. In late 1769, she and the Prince of Wales were again presented, this time to the public in a "junior drawing room" at St James's Palace. Charlotte was dressed in a Roman toga and reclined on a sofa. While such exhibitions were common in German courts, they were considered vulgar in England. In response, a London mob drove a hearse into the Palace courtyard as a protest. Afterwards, the Prince of Wales recounted to Lady Mary Coke that the entire event had left Charlotte "terribly tired." The King and Queen wisely decided never to repeat the experience.

Although she was the eldest daughter, Charlotte was frequently compared to her sister Augusta Sophia, who was only two years her junior. When Augusta was a month old, Lady Mary Coke described her as "the most beautiful baby I have ever seen," while Charlotte was deemed "very plain." Three years later, Lady Mary's assessment of Charlotte was "the most sensible agreeable child I ever saw, but in my opinion far from pretty," while Augusta was still considered "rather pretty." Despite never possessing her younger sister's beauty, Charlotte did not share Augusta's significant flaw: painful shyness. Charlotte also had a stammer, which her attendant, Mary Dacres, diligently tried to help her manage. In 1770, the trio of the three eldest princesses was completed with the birth of Princess Elizabeth, the seventh royal child overall. For a time, the royal family remained relatively small, though they eventually numbered fifteen children in total. Charlotte was fortunate to have parents who preferred spending time with their numerous children over constant court engagements and who took her education seriously. However, the high frequency of royal births and the political troubles that plagued King George III's reign meant Charlotte's childhood was not as idyllic as her parents had envisioned. Like her siblings, Princess Charlotte was educated by private tutors and spent most of her childhood at Buckingham House, Kew Palace, and Windsor Castle. Her wet nurse during this period was Frances, the wife of James Muttlebury.

1.2. Designation as Princess Royal

The title of Princess Royal is traditionally bestowed upon the eldest daughter of the British monarch. Charlotte was officially designated as Princess Royal on 22 June 1789. This formal conferral solidified her position within the royal hierarchy, and she was often informally referred to as "Royal" by members of the family.

3.1. Becoming Queen

Frederick succeeded his father as the reigning Duke of Württemberg on 23 December 1797. In 1800, during the Napoleonic Wars, the French army occupied Württemberg, compelling Duke Frederick and Duchess Charlotte to flee to Vienna. The following year, Duke Frederick negotiated a private treaty with France, agreeing to cede Montbéliard in exchange for Ellwangen two years later. On 25 February 1803, Frederick assumed the title of Elector of Württemberg. In a strategic move, Frederick agreed to provide France with a substantial auxiliary military force. In return, Napoleon recognized Frederick as King of Württemberg on 26 December 1805. Electress Charlotte thus became Queen of Württemberg when her husband formally ascended the throne on 1 January 1806. She was crowned Queen on the same day in Stuttgart, Germany.

3.2. Political Context and Reign

Following its elevation to a kingdom, Württemberg formally seceded from the Holy Roman Empire and joined Napoleon's Confederation of the Rhine. This alliance with France technically positioned King Frederick as an adversary to his father-in-law, King George III of the United Kingdom. King George III, incensed by his son-in-law's adoption of the royal title and his role as one of Napoleon's most devoted vassals, consequently refused to address his daughter as "Queen of Württemberg" in his correspondence.

However, the political landscape shifted in 1813 when King Frederick changed allegiances and joined the Allied forces against Napoleon. His status as the brother-in-law of the Prince Regent (who would later become George IV) proved beneficial to his standing among the Allies. After the ultimate defeat of Napoleon, King Frederick attended the Congress of Vienna, where his status as king was officially confirmed. He continued to reign until his death in October 1816.

4.1. Return to Britain

In 1827, Charlotte made her first return to Britain since her wedding in 1797. At 60 years old, she was very heavy and wished to undergo surgery for dropsy in England. The newly introduced steam propulsion on the Rhine River promised a convenient journey home. On 31 May, she embarked on the new steamboat Friedrich Wilhelm^German. After traveling down the Rhine, the steamboat reached Bath on the Western Scheldt. Due to her considerable weight, Charlotte had to be lifted aboard HMS Royal Sovereign using a hoisted chair. Adverse weather conditions subsequently forced Royal Sovereign to depart Bath and anchor near Vlissingen. By 5 June, Charlotte had arrived in Greenwich.

In London, she took up residence at St James's Palace, where she received numerous visits from her family members. King George IV paid her a final visit from Windsor Castle on 6 October. On Tuesday, 9 October, Charlotte departed England aboard Royal Sovereign, but a storm compelled her vessel to return to Harwich. On 14 October, Royal Sovereign anchored near Klundert on the Hollands Diep. After spending the night on board, Charlotte transferred to the steamboat Stad Nijmegen^Dutch. By 19 October, she had arrived in Frankfurt, where she was met by the King and Queen of Württemberg and the Duke of Cambridge. She finally returned to Ludwigsburg Palace on 24 October.

8.1. Positive Contributions

While Charlotte's life was primarily shaped by her status as a royal consort, she fulfilled her duties as Duchess, Electress, and Queen of Württemberg. Her education, which began at a very young age, equipped her with a sharp memory and proficiency in French, the diplomatic language of the time. Her role as godmother to her niece, the future Queen Victoria, highlights her continued connection to the British royal family even after her marriage abroad. She provided stability as consort during her husband's reign, which saw Württemberg's status elevate from a duchy to a kingdom.

8.2. Criticisms and Controversies

Charlotte's early life included instances where she was subjected to public displays by her parents, such as the "junior drawing room" exhibition. These events, though common in some European courts, were considered vulgar in England and reportedly left the young princess "terribly tired," indicating a disregard for her comfort and well-being. Later in her life, her husband's alliance with Napoleon created a diplomatic strain with her father, King George III, who notably refused to acknowledge her title as "Queen of Württemberg" in correspondence. This situation underscored the complex political pressures that could impact even personal family relations within European royalty.