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Princess Mary, Duchess of Gloucester and Edinburgh
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
| Princess Mary | |
|---|---|
| Duchess of Gloucester and Edinburgh | |
 |
|
| Spouse | Prince William Frederick, Duke of Gloucester |
| Titles | |
| HRH The Duchess of Gloucester HRH The Princess Mary |
|
| Royal house | House of Hanover |
| Father | George III |
| Mother | Charlotte of Mecklenburg-Strelitz |
| Born | 25 April 1776 Buckingham Palace, London |
| Baptised | 19 May 1776 St. James's Palace, London |
| Died | 30 April 1857 (aged 81) Gloucester House, London |
| Burial | 8 May 1857 St George's Chapel, Windsor |
The Princess Mary, Duchess of Gloucester and Edinburgh (25 April 1776 – 30 April 1857) was a member of the British Royal Family, the eleventh child and fourth daughter of George III.
She was married to Prince William Frederick, Duke of Gloucester and Edinburgh, and was the longest living child of King George III.
Contents |
Princess Mary was born, on 25 April 1776, at Buckingham Palace, London. Her father was the reigning British monarch, George III, the eldest son of Frederick, Prince of Wales and Augusta of Saxe-Gotha. Her mother was Queen Charlotte (née Princess Charlotte of Mecklenburg-Strelitz), the daughter of Charles, Duke of Mecklenburg-Strelitz). Around 1796 Mary fell in love with the Dutch prince Frederick, while he and his family where in exile in London. Frederik was the son of the Dutch stadholder William V, Prince of Orange, and brother to William I of the Netherlands. However Frederik and Mary didn't marry because George III let her older sisters marry first. In 1799 Frederik died in the army because of an infection, and Mary was allowed to mourn officially.
Mary's upbringing was very sheltered and she spent most of her time with her parents and sisters. King George and Queen Charlotte were keen to shelter their children, particularly the girls. Mary, however, married on 22 July 1816, to her first cousin, Prince William Frederick, Duke of Gloucester and Edinburgh, the son of George III's brother, Prince William Henry, Duke of Gloucester and Edinburgh, at the Chapel Royal in St James's Palace. On their wedding day, Mary's brother, The Prince Regent, granted William the style of His Royal Highness to give him an equal rank to Mary.
The couple lived together at Bagshot Park, but after William's death she moved to White Lodge in Richmond Park. They had no children together. Princess Mary was said to be the favourite aunt of her niece, Queen Victoria. At the time of her death, she was the last surviving child of George III and Queen Charlotte.
Princess Mary was quite close to her eldest brother, and she shared his dislike toward his wife Caroline of Brunswick. When the latter left for Italy, Princess Mary congratulated her brother "on the prospect of a good riddance. Heaven grant that she may not return again and that we may never see more of her" [Charlotte Zeepvat's "George III's Children", p.106].
Princess Mary was the last survivor of George III's fifteen children, twelve of whom lived to adulthood. She was eighty one when she died.
- 25 April 1776 – 22 July 1816: Her Royal Highness The Princess Mary
- 22 July 1816 – 30 April 1857: Her Royal Highness The Duchess of Gloucester and Edinburgh