Queen consort Wilhelmina Charlotte Caroline of Brandenburg-Ansbach

Female 1683 - 1737  (54 years)


Personal Information    |    Notes    |    All    |    PDF

  • Name Wilhelmina Charlotte Caroline of Brandenburg-Ansbach 
    Title Queen consort 
    Born 1 Mar 1683  Ansbach, Stadtkreis Ansbach, Bavaria (Bayern), Germany Find all individuals with events at this location 
    Gender Female 
    Died 20 Nov 1737  St James, City of Westminster, Greater London, England Find all individuals with events at this location 
    Buried Henry VII Chapel, Westminster Abbey Westminster, City of Westminster, Greater London, England Find all individuals with events at this location 
    Person ID I14394  OGrady Family Tree
    Last Modified 8 Jul 2021 

    Family George Augustus "George" of Great Britan and Ireland and Elector of Hanover, II,  
    Children 
    +1. Mary von Hannover,   b. 22 Feb 1723, Westminster, City of Westminster, Greater London, England Find all individuals with events at this location,   d. 14 Jan 1772, Hanau, Main-Kinzig-Kreis, Hessen, Germany Find all individuals with events at this location  (Age 48 years)  [Birth]
    Last Modified 8 Jul 2021 
    Family ID F5775  Group Sheet  |  Family Chart

  • Notes 
    • British Monarch. She was the Queen consort of King George II. Daughter of Johann Friedrich, margrave of Brandenburg-Ansbach. She married George, electorate of Hanover, in September of 1705. They ascended the throne of England in 1727. Theirs was a successful marriage, despite George's mistresses, and she bore 12 children, 8 of whom survived. Beautiful and intelligent, she was very popular with the people, and was involved in matters of state more than any other queen since the Middle Ages. A popular satirical verse of the time went "You may strut, dapper George, but 'twill all be in vain, We all know 'tis Queen Caroline, not you, that reign". She died at the age of 54 of complications following a rupture of the womb.
    • Caroline of Brandenburg-Ansbach (Wilhelmina Charlotte Caroline; 1 March 1683 ? 20 November 1737[1]) was Queen of Great Britain as the wife of King George II.

      Her father, Margrave John Frederick of Brandenburg-Ansbach, belonged to a branch of the House of Hohenzollern and was the ruler of a small German state, the Principality of Ansbach. Caroline was orphaned at a young age and moved to the enlightened court of her guardians, King Frederick I and Queen Sophia Charlotte of Prussia. At the Prussian court, her previously limited education was widened, and she adopted the liberal outlook possessed by Sophia Charlotte, who became her good friend and whose views influenced Caroline all her life.

      As a young woman, Caroline was much sought-after as a bride. After rejecting the suit of the nominal King of Spain, Archduke Charles of Austria, she married George Augustus, the third-in-line to the British throne and heir apparent to the Electorate of Hanover. They had eight children, seven of whom grew to adulthood.

      Caroline moved permanently to Britain in 1714 when her husband became Prince of Wales. As Princess of Wales, she joined her husband in rallying political opposition to his father King George I. In 1717, her husband was expelled from court after a family row. Caroline came to be associated with Robert Walpole, an opposition politician who was a former government minister. Walpole rejoined the government in 1720, and Caroline's husband and King George I reconciled publicly, on Walpole's advice. Over the next few years, Walpole rose to become the leading minister.

      Caroline became queen and electress consort upon her husband's accession in 1727. Her eldest son, Frederick, became Prince of Wales. He was a focus for the opposition, like his father before him, and Caroline's relationship with him was strained. As princess and as queen, Caroline was known for her political influence, which she exercised through and for Walpole. Her tenure included four regencies during her husband's stays in Hanover, and she is credited with strengthening the House of Hanover's place in Britain during a period of political instability. Caroline was widely mourned by her political allies following her death in 1737, as well as by the King, who refused to remarry.

      Please read the full text in Memories: en.Wikipedia
    • https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/9560/caroline_of_brandenburg-ansbach