Caroline, AMELIA ELIZABETH

Caroline, AMELIA ELIZABETH, wife of George IV., was the second daughter of Charles William, Duke of Brunswick-Wolfenbüttel, and of George III.'s sister, the Princess Augusta of Britain. She was born on 17th May 1768. Her education was defective, but she was kind-hearted and very fond of children. In 1795 she was married to the Prince of Wales. The marriage was disagreeable to him, and although she bore him a daughter, the Princess Charlotte, he separated from her immediately on her recovery from childbed; and she lived by herself at Shooters Hill and Blackheath, the object of much sympathy, the people regarding her as the victim of her husband's love of vice. Reports to her discredit led the king in 1806 to cause investigation to be made into her conduct, which was found to be imprudent, but not criminal. In 1814 she obtained leave to visit Brunswick, and afterwards to make a farther tour. She visited the coasts of the Mediterranean, and lived for some time on the Lake of Como, an Italian, by name Bergami, being all the while in her company. When her husband ascended the throne in 1820, she was offered an annuity of £50,000 sterling to renounce the title of queen, and live abroad; but she refused, and made a triumphal entry into London, whereupon the government instituted proceedings against her for adultery. Much that was very reprehensible was proved as to her conduct; but the manner in which she had been used by her husband, and the splendid defence of Brougham, caused such a general feeling in her favour, that the ministry were obliged to give up the Divorce Bill after it had passed the House of Lords. She now fully assumed the rank of royalty, but was refused coronation, and turned away with needless brutality from the door of Westminster Abbey on the day of the coronation of her husband, on 19th July 1821. On 7th August she died.