Behauptung: Queen Charlotte of Britain was a mixed-race woman of African ancestry. Gradually, over the next few years, George descended into permanent madness. Charlotte was also the mother of two future British monarchs, George IV and William IV. Other historians take issue with Valdes' theory, arguing that with a Black ancestor nine generations back, it's nearly impossible to consider Charlotte multi-racial. In fact, there are places all over the world named in her honor — from Queen Charlotte Sound in New Zealand, to Queen Charlotte Bay in West Falkland, to Charlottesville, Virginia. But in the late 18th century Queen Charlotte, wife of King George III (1738-1820), may have been the country’s first multiracial royal. Charlotte arrived in England on September 7, 1761, and the next day, met her prospective groom for the first time. In 1804, Charlotte moved into separate quarters, and seems to have adopted a policy of avoiding her husband entirely. In addition, she educated herself about diplomatic matters, and exercised a quiet and discreet influence over her husband’s political affairs, both foreign and domestic. This weekend, Kensington Palace released Princess Charlotte's fifth birthday portraits, which were taken by her mother, Kate Middleton. The queen founded orphanages and, in 1809, became the patron of London’s General Lying-in Hospital, one of the first maternity hospitals in Great Britain. Wigington, Patti. Portrait of King George III and Queen Charlotte of the United Kingdom. Queen Charlotte and the Prince of Wales would reconcile in 1791, and when she died in 1818, sitting in an armchair at the family’s country retreat, her eldest son was there beside her, holding her hand. Sophia Charlotte of Mecklenburg-Strelitz was born in 1744, the eighth child of Duke Charles Louis Frederick of Mecklenburg and his wife, Princess Elisabeth Albertine of Saxe-Hildburghausen, at the family castle in Mirow, Germany. Meghan Markle in March 2018. If you google Queen Charlotte of Mecklenburg-Strelitz, you'll quickly come across a historian called Mario de Valdes y Cocom. Her husband, King George III, suffered from mental illness, and Charlotte ultimately served as his guardian until her death. Queen Charlotte was born a German princess far away from the British crown. It was discovered many years after her death by keen-eyed art historians. Explorers, such as Captain James Cook, would bring the Queen — something of an amateur botanist — new species of plants, which she displayed and expanded in her gardens. Though born in Germany and a princess of Mecklenburg-Strelitz, Charlotte was directly descended from an African branch of the Portuguese Royal House. MOTHER OF PEARLS GAMING COUNTERS c1780 A full set of Mother of Pearl Gaming Counters made forQueen Charlotte of Mecklenburg-Strelitz of Mecklenburg-Strelitz Queen Consort and wife of King George III (b19 May 1744 – d17 November 1818)was the Queen consort of the United Kingdom as the wife of King George III.These are three of her… Though the two never actually me, they corresponded frequently. But as it turns out, Meghan, whose mother is black and father is white, may not be the very first biracial royal. Retrieved from https://www.thoughtco.com/queen-charlotte-biography-4175819. Philippa of Hainault was the first Black Queen of England. She married into the royal family in 1761 becoming the wife of King George III. The Queen Mother was known to have a great warmth to her character (Image: Getty) Charlotte and her siblings are currently spending time in Anmer Hall in Norfolk, with their parents. She was the first queen to reside in Buckingham Palace (sort of). Charlotte would provide funding to prevent the hospital from closing. When Charlotte was seventeen years old, she was sent from Germany to marry George III, five years her senior. The Duchess of Kent died at half-past nine on 16 March 1861. North Africans who immigrated to Spain in the early 13th century were called Moors. Historian Mario de Valdes y Cocom contends that although Charlotte was German, her family was distantly descended from a 13th-century Black ancestor. She hung out with Mozart. Charlotte’s husband suffered from intermittent bouts of mental illness throughout his adult life. Photo by Northern Ireland Office CC By 2.0. The similarities don't end with the Queen, as Charlotte also bears a resemblance to other members of the royal family, such as her mother Kate Middleton and late grandmother Princess Diana. "Biography of Queen Charlotte." Alas, it never came to be. She was born after the early deaths of her two elder brothers, Octavius (1779–1783) and Alfred (1780–1782). In 1752, when she was eight years old, Sophie Charlotte's father died. Her heavy German accent and tumultuous relationship with George’s mother, Princess Augusta, made it difficult for her to adapt to English court life. In 1765, King George became mentally ill. (It’s now believed that he was suffering from porphyria, an inherited disorder stemming from the buildup of certain chemicals in the brain, but at the time the cause of his illness was unknown.). From her facial features to her adorably stylish outfits — here are 16 times Princess Charlotte looked just like her royal relatives. German composer Johann Christian Bach, son of Johann Sebastian Bach, considered her a friend, and she helped him nab the position of state musician, previously held by George Frideric Handel. Charlotte and George were avid patrons of the arts, taking a particular interest in German music and composers. "Biography of Queen Charlotte." The Queen is the latest addition to a more than 100-year history of monarchs in the UK which started with William of Normandy. In particular, she became involved in English-German relations, and may have had some influence in British intervention in Bavaria. She is the author of Daily Spellbook for the Good Witch, Wicca Practical Magic and The Daily Spell Journal. She was a close friend of Queen Marie Antoinette. Here, some other facts about this most unusual woman’s life: She had fifteen children, thirteen of whom survived to adulthood. Impressive, to be sure, but being pregnant for a good part of her marriage weighed on the Queen. She put the “Charlotte” in Charlotte, North Carolina. In addition, they made sure she was kept in the dark about the Regency Bill, which stated that in the event of George’s full incapacity, Charlotte herself would become Regent. Charlotte had the first evergreen in her house in 1800, decorating it with sweetmeats, almonds, fruits and toys. Queen Charlotte with her Two Eldest Sons, Johan Zoffany, 1765. Queen Charlotte, wife of the English King George III (1738-1820), was directly descended from Margarita de Castro y Sousa, a black branch of the Portuguese Royal House. Portrait painters of the royal family played down Charlotte’s African features, much to the Queen’s dismay. Charlotte's physician, Baron Stockmar, described her as having “a true mulatto face.”. Charlotte's widower, Prince Leopold, went on to become the first King of Belgium - a role he would not have been offered if she was Queen of England. According to Olwen Hedley, Queen Charlotte's biographer, "As a young mother, [Queen Charlotte] extended her liberality to the eight-year-old Wolfgang … Is the Queen related to Elizabeth I? Her brother Adolf Frederick IV, who assumed their late father’s position as Du… Caroline of Brunswick (Caroline Amelia Elizabeth; German: Caroline Amalie Elisabeth von Braunschweig-Wolfenbüttel; 17 May 1768 – 7 August 1821) was Queen of the United Kingdom and Hanover as the wife of King George IV from 29 January 1820 until her death … Charlotte passed on her mixed-race heritage to her granddaughter, Queen Victoria, and to Britain’s present-day monarch, Queen Elizabeth II. Although Sophia was not George’s choice, their bond was duty. King George III and Queen Charlotte were music connoisseurs with German tastes, who gave special honour to German artists and composers. Sophia Charlotte of Mecklenburg-Strelitz was born in 1744, the eighth child of Duke Charles Louis Frederick of Mecklenburg and his wife, Princess Elisabeth Albertine of Saxe-Hildburghausen, at the family castle in Mirow, Germany. Duchess Sophia Charlotte of Mecklenburg-Strelitz, was the queen consort of George III of the United Kingdom. Charlotte's contemporaries described her as having an "unmistakable African appearance." Mary Queen of Scots, mother of James I of England, was the cousin of Elizabeth I who executed her for treason, and both were descended from … Their court hosted performances by Bach and Mozart, and they enjoyed the compositions of Handel and many others. But the queen in question is Charlotte, who married King George III (yes, that King George) six hours after arriving in London and meeting him for the first time on Sept. 8, 1761. Portrait of the British queen consort Charlotte of Mecklenburg-Strelitz. When Meghan Markle married Prince Harry in May of this year, much was made of her biracial heritage. George had ascended to the throne following the death of his father, George II, and was as yet unmarried. Charlotte was taught the basics of language, music, and art, but much of her education was focused on domestic life and household management, in preparation for future as a wife and mother. The claims about Charlotte of Mecklenburg-Strelitz trace to a historian named Mario de Valdes y Cocom, who argued that Charlotte though German, was directly descended from a black branch of the Portuguese royal family, related to Margarita de Castro e Souza, a 15th-century Portuguese noblewoman nine generations removed, whose ancestry she traces from the 13th-century ruler Alfonso III and his lover Madragana, whom Valdes tak… Join 1000s of subscribers and receive the best Vintage News in your mailbox for FREE, Police arrest a 72-year-old “suburban grandfather” suspected of being the Golden State Killer, “I’m not dead yet”: some Buddhist monks followed self-mummification, Project Azorian: Howard Hughes’ secret mission, 1960s U.S. satellite that started transmitting again in 2013, The “Walk of Shame” in Game of Thrones historical inspiration, The only unsolved skyjacking case in U.S. history might have a break, Kurt Gödel became too paranoid to eat and died of starvation, “Little Ease”: One of the most feared torture devices in the Tower of London, The humble English girl who became Cora Pearl, Walt Disney softened the original Snow White story. The riddle of Queen Charlotte’s African ancestry was solved as a result of an earlier investigation into the black magi featured in 15th century Flemish paintings. She is the grandmother of Queen Victoria and the great-great-great-great-grandmother of the current Queen Elizabeth II. As a token of their appreciation, it would be re-named the Queen Charlotte’s and Chelsea Hospital, and is now one of the most respected maternity hospitals in London. Although she spoke no English at first, Charlotte learned the language of her new country quickly. By using ThoughtCo, you accept our. Although Charlotte attempted to expand her social circle, Augusta challenged her every step of the way, even going as far as to replace Charlotte’s German ladies-in-waiting with English ladies of Augusta’s choosing. In 1761, when she turned 17, Princess Sophia was betrothed — rather unexpectedly — to the King of England, George III. Charlotte was the eighth child of the Prince of Mirow, Germany, Charles Louis Frederick, and his wife, Elisabeth Albertina of Saxe-Hildburghausen. Queen Charlotte in the studio of Allan Ramsay, oil on canvas, (1762). George III gave Richmond Lodge and estate to Queen Charlotte in 1761 as part of their marriage settlement, and, during the 1770s, she developed a retreat, known today as Queen Charlotte’s Cottage, within the grounds of what is now Kew Gardens, as a picnic place for her family. She was pregnant regularly, yet still managed to find time to organize the decoration of a lodge in Windsor Park, which was where she and her family spent most of their time.