Графични страници
PDF файл
ePub
[merged small][graphic][merged small]

DAUGHTER OF HIS ROYAL HIGHNESS THE PRINCE REGENT, AND CONSORT OF HIS SERENE HIGHNESS, THE PRINCE OF SAXE-COBOURG.

THE Princess Charlotte-Caroline-Augusta, was the only child of his Royal Highness George-Augustus- Frederick, Prince of Wales, by Caroline-Amelia-Elizabeth, second daughter of the late Duke of Brunswick, whose mother, Augusta, was eldest sister of his present Majesty George III. Her Royal Highness was born at Carlton-House, on the 7th day of January 1796, precisely nine months after the solemnization of the nuptials between her august parents, who were first cousins. The birth as usual in such cases, was accompanied by an extraordinary degree of publicity; for there were present on that occasion, the sole surviving brother of his present Majesty *, the late Archbishop of Canterbury;

* His Royal Highness the late Duke of Gloucester.

the Lord Chancellor, and all the great officers of state, as well as the most distinguished persons of the Prince's own household. The ladies of the Princess of Wales's bed-chamber, also assisted on this memorable and joyful event.

For a considerable period of her infancy, this Royal Child was reared under the care and tuition of her mother, who then occasionally resided in the vicinity of Greenwich.* The pious and learned Dr. Porteus, late Bishop of London, who appears to have paid a visit to the Princess of Wales, and conversed familiarly with her daughter when only five years and seven months old, not only found her mind imbued with the principles of religion, but discovered a tenacity of memory, and a promise of future excellence, that greatly delighted the worthy prelate. He has indeed left his sentiments on this subject on record; and it is no small degree of praise, thus early to have arrested the attention and obtained the secret praises of so emi

nent a man.

The health of her Royal Highness, however, was not at this period such as could have been wished. But great, and almost instantaneous relief was expected, and readily obtained from the salutary effects of invigorating sea-breezes. Accordingly, a removal for a few weeks to South-End, was now deemed necessary; but Bognor first, and Weymouth after

At Shrewsbury-House, Blackheath.

“Yesterday, the 6th of August, 1801, I passed a very pleasant day at ShrewsburyHouse, near Shooter's Hill, the residence of the Princess Charlotte of Wales. The day was fine, the prospect extensive and beautiful, taking in a large reach of the Thames, which was covered with vessels of various sizes and descriptions.

"We saw a good deal of the young Princess; she is a most captivating and engaging child; and considering the high station she may hereafter fill, a most interesting, and important one. She repeated to me several of her hymns with great correctness and propriety; and being told, when she went to South-End, in Essex, (as she afterwards did for the benefit of sea-bathing,) she would then be in my diocese, she fell down on her knees, and begged my blessing. I gave it her with all my heart, and with my earnest secret prayers to God, that she might adorn her illustrious station with every Christian grace; and that if ever she became the Queen of this truly great and glorious country, she might be the means of diffusing virtue, piety, and happiness, through every part of her dominions!"

Extract from the Journal of the late Bishop of London, published after his lordship's

demise.

wards, became the places selected for her residence, when a recurrence was had to salt-water for relief.

At a proper age, the Princess Charlotte was removed from the nursery, and placed, by her Royal Grandfather, under the superintendence of a very worthy and pious Countess, who acted for some years as Gouvernante. Notwithstanding a certain sprightliness, which is but seldom accompanied with application, her Royal Highness not only exhibited an early promise of talents; but was actually prevailed upon to dedicate a large portion of her time to studies of various kinds. These were at first superintended by females; but as maturity approached, we find the following members of her establishment placed in succession about the person of this amiable and distinguished Princess, who from the moment of her birth, had been constantly looked up to, with eventful eyes, both as the hope of a nation, and the heir to its throne.

List of those employed in the education of her Royal Highness, the Princess Charlotte, from her tender years, until the epoch of marriage.

Countess of ELGIN.

Miss GARTH,

Lady DE CLIFFord.

Mrs. UDNEY.

Miss GALE,

Dr. FISHER, first Lord Bishop of Exeter, and afterwards

of Salisbury.

Rev. Dr. NOTT.

Rev. Dr. SHORT.

The Duchess of LEEDS.

Rev. A. STERKY.

Mrs. LEWIS.

Mrs. CAMPBELL.

The Misses COATES.

It is eminently disagreeable even in private life, to recur to family dissensions; and it would be both painful and indelicate to detail any of the differences that may have occurred among

the most august personages in the empire. It is sufficient therefore to state, that unhappily such actually did exist, and were productive of the most distressing results to all parties.

The Princess of Wales had presided, both over the infancy and riper years of a beloved daughter, who, on the retreat of Lady Elgin, was confided to the superintendence of Sophia, Dowager Baroness de Clifford, a personage not a little attached to, and greatly beloved by, the distinguished female, under her immediate care. A limited, although uninterrupted intercourse was still suffered to take place between Warwick-House and Connaught-Place, even after her Royal Highness had obtained a separate establishment. But this was not fated long to endure.

In 1814, when the Princess Charlotte had attained the mature age of eighteen, her birth-day was celebrated with a considerable degree of splendour; and her Royal Highness received the compliments of the nobility and gentry for the first time. On this occasion a visit was permitted to her royal mother, who descended to the door and embraced her daughter, with the most cordial affection.

On the 12th of July, 1814, all the household of the Princess Charlotte was suddenly and unexpectedly dismissed, and her person confided for a short period to the Dowager Countess of Rosslyn, and the Countess of Ilchester. Her Royal Highness at the same time received intimation, that she was to remove to Cranbourne-Lodge, and there to remain, under the sole superintendence of certain ladies, without whose acquiescence neither letters nor visits were to be received.

On this, the young Princess, actuated by a sudden movement of filial affection, instantly repaired, unknown to, and unaccompanied by any one, to Connaught-Place, in order to disclose her sorrows: but having been disappointed in her hopes of seeing her mother, who happened to be absent, she was at length persuaded to return to Carlton-House, whither she was accompanied by her Uncle the Duke of York.

T

Soon after this the Princess of Wales (August 9, 1814,) repaired to the Continent, and has since settled in Italy. Mean

[ocr errors]

while the daughter resided, as before stated, in the vicinity of Windsor; and the next anniversary of her birth day, at which period she had completed her nineteenth year, was observed at the Castle, with great splendour. The entertainment concluded with a grand fête, not only to all the branches of the royal family, but also to several of the nobility, at Frogmore.

On May 18th, 1815, her Royal Highness was presented at Court, for the first time. Nearly about the same time, this amiable female received the addresses of the young Prince of Orange, whose family had sought and obtained refuge here after their expulsion from Holland. His Majesty had taken an early and a lively interest in the fate of this youth, who was grandson to the late Stadtholder. Under the royal auspices, he had been sent to Oxford, and was always deemed the intended husband of the future Queen of England. But her Royal Highness, from the very first, declined this match, and with due prudence, sheltered her objections under the most decorous pretexts which filial duty could wish for, or an affec¬ tion to her future subjects suggest. His Royal Highness, after the battle of Waterloo, which conferred-a diadem on his father, returned to this country, to renew his suit; but without success.

Another lover was the object of her choice. This proved to be Prince Leopold, the third brother of the reigning Duke of Cobourg, who constitutes the head of a younger branch of the family of the king of Saxony. On taking leave of the unfortunate and gallant Duke of Brunswick-Oels, for the purpose of visiting England, his Serene Highness, whose mother was nearly related to the Royal Family of England, presented him with letters of introduction; accordingly, during the memorable summer of 1814, he was presented at Court. His Highness had fought gallantly in the Austrian army during the recent continental war, and although he possessed no very high rank in the service of the Emperor, yet he found means to make himself distinguished, on more than one occasion, by his bravery. This young German, in consequence of his amiable qualities, at length attracted the notice of the Princess Charlotte, who could not be insensible either to his many personal

« ПредишнаНапред »