Augusta of Cambridge
Encyclopedia
Princess Augusta of Cambridge (19 July 1822 – 5 December 1916) was a member of the British Royal Family
, a granddaughter of George III
. She married into the Grand Ducal House of Mecklenburg-Strelitz
and became the Grand Duchess of Mecklenburg-Strelitz.
. Her father was Prince Adolphus, Duke of Cambridge
, the seventh son of George III
and Charlotte of Mecklenburg-Strelitz
. Her mother was Princess Augusta of Hesse-Cassel. The young princess was christened at the same palace on 16 August 1822, by Rev Edward Curtis Kemp (Chaplain to the British Ambassador to the Court of Berlin, The Rt. Hon. Sir George Rose
).
Three of her godparents were present at the christening:
The rest were not present, possibly being represented by proxies:
The Princess spent her earlier years in Hanover, where her father was the viceroy
on behalf of his brother, George IV
.
Princess Augusta had one brother, Prince George
, later 2nd Duke of Cambridge; and one sister, Princess Mary Adelaide
, later Duchess of Teck. As such, Princess Augusta was a first cousin of Queen Victoria
and aunt to Mary of Teck
, later consort of George V
.
, London
. (The two were also second cousins on their fathers' side.) Upon marriage, Augusta became HRH The Hereditary Grand Duchess of Mecklenburg-Strelitz and, on 6 September 1860, HRH The Grand Duchess of Mecklenburg-Strelitz following the death of her father-in-law.
The marriage of the Grand Duke and Grand Duchess produced two children:
apartments.
After her mother's death in 1889, the Grand Duchess acquired a house in London's Buckingham Gate
area, where she spent a portion of the year until advanced old age made it impossible for her to travel abroad.
In making preparations for the coronation of King Edward VII
and Queen Alexandra
in 1901, the Duke of Norfolk
consulted her on matters of etiquette and attire. This was due to her presence at the Coronation of King William IV
and Queen Adelaide
seventy-one years earlier. She was nine years old at the time and kissed the Queen's hand. She was also able to provide details of the Coronation of Queen Victoria, for which no written records existed (she was then sixteen).
The Grand Duchess of Mecklenburg-Strelitz was particularly close to her niece, the future Queen Mary. However, old age prevented her from attending the Coronation of King George V (who was her first cousin twice removed
) and Queen Mary at Westminster Abbey
on 22 June 1911.
Following the outbreak of World War I
the British Government suspended the pension she had been receiving as a member of the British Royal Family. During the war, the Swedish Embassy passed letters from the Queen to her aunt, who still lived in Germany.
As an elderly lady, she was known for being cantankerous. When Princess Maud of Wales
became Queen of Norway, Augusta said she had "become the Queen of a revolutionary throne". During Queen Victoria's Diamond Jubilee Celebrations, Augusta said in a loud voice, "Why is she thanking God in the street?" as Queen Victoria sat in her carriage for a blessing.
She was also known as being quite shrewd and intelligent. In his book, "Queen Mary" (the Queen's official biography), James Pope-Hennessy
reports that the Queen's Aunt Augusta was not fond of the new science of photography, fearing it would intrude deeply into the private lives of Royal personages.
The Dowager Grand Duchess of Mecklenburg-Strelitz died in Neustrelitz
and was buried in Mirow
. As the longest-lived grandchild of George III
, she was the last link to the British branch of the House of Hanover
.
At the time of her death, she was 94 years, 4 months and 16 days old, making her the longest-lived British Princess of the Blood Royal until Princess Alice, Countess of Athlone, a male-line granddaughter of Queen Victoria, broke the record in 1977. Princess Alice died aged over 97 years old.
As the male-line granddaughter of a King of Hanover, Princess Augusta also bore the titles of Princess of Hanover and Duchess of Brunswick and Lunenburg
British Royal Family
The British Royal Family is the group of close relatives of the monarch of the United Kingdom. The term is also commonly applied to the same group of people as the relations of the monarch in her or his role as sovereign of any of the other Commonwealth realms, thus sometimes at variance with...
, a granddaughter of George III
George III of the United Kingdom
George III was King of Great Britain and King of Ireland from 25 October 1760 until the union of these two countries on 1 January 1801, after which he was King of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland until his death...
. She married into the Grand Ducal House of Mecklenburg-Strelitz
House of Mecklenburg
The House of Mecklenburg is a North German dynasty of West Slavic origin that ruled until 1918.- Origins :Niklot was a lord of the Wendish tribe of Obotrites. When the Holy Roman Empire expanded eastwards, notably to the coast of Baltic in 13th century, a portion of Obotrite lords allied with...
and became the Grand Duchess of Mecklenburg-Strelitz.
Early life
Princess Augusta was born on 19 July 1822 at the Palace of Montbrillant, HanoverHanover
Hanover or Hannover, on the river Leine, is the capital of the federal state of Lower Saxony , Germany and was once by personal union the family seat of the Hanoverian Kings of Great Britain, under their title as the dukes of Brunswick-Lüneburg...
. Her father was Prince Adolphus, Duke of Cambridge
Prince Adolphus, Duke of Cambridge
The Prince Adolphus, 1st Duke of Cambridge , was the tenth child and seventh son of George III and Queen Charlotte. He held the title of Duke of Cambridge from 1801 until his death. He also served as Viceroy of Hanover on behalf of his brothers George IV and William IV...
, the seventh son of George III
George III of the United Kingdom
George III was King of Great Britain and King of Ireland from 25 October 1760 until the union of these two countries on 1 January 1801, after which he was King of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland until his death...
and Charlotte of Mecklenburg-Strelitz
Charlotte of Mecklenburg-Strelitz
Charlotte of Mecklenburg-Strelitz was the Queen consort of the United Kingdom as the wife of King George III...
. Her mother was Princess Augusta of Hesse-Cassel. The young princess was christened at the same palace on 16 August 1822, by Rev Edward Curtis Kemp (Chaplain to the British Ambassador to the Court of Berlin, The Rt. Hon. Sir George Rose
George Henry Rose
Sir George Henry Rose GCH PC was the eldest son of George Rose. He was Member of Parliament for Southampton from 1794–1813 and for Christchurch from 1818–32 and 1837–44, Clerk of the Parliaments from 1818–55 and sometime Envoy Extraordinary to Munich and Berlin, and to the...
).
Three of her godparents were present at the christening:
- Princess Caroline, Landgravine Frederick of Hesse-Kassel (her maternal grandmother)
- Princess Louisa of Nassau-Usingen (presumably her maternal aunt)
- a Princess Louisa, a Landgravine of Hesse, being her maternal aunt either by marriagePrincess Louise Charlotte of DenmarkPrincess Louise Charlotte of Denmark was a princess of Denmark.She was born in Christiansborg Palace to Hereditary Prince Frederick of Denmark and Norway and Sophia Frederica of Mecklenburg-Schwerin , Princess and Duchess of Mecklenburg-Schwerin.-Marriage:On 10 November 1810 in Amalienborg Palace...
or blood
The rest were not present, possibly being represented by proxies:
- The Duke of YorkPrince Frederick, Duke of York and AlbanyThe Prince Frederick, Duke of York and Albany was a member of the Hanoverian and British Royal Family, the second eldest child, and second son, of King George III...
(her paternal uncle) - all of her six living paternal aunts (by blood)
- Queen Charlotte of WürttembergCharlotte, Princess RoyalThe Princess Charlotte, Princess Royal was a member of the British Royal Family, the eldest daughter of George III. She was later the Queen Consort of Frederick of Württemberg...
- The Princess Augusta SophiaPrincess Augusta Sophia of the United KingdomThe Princess Augusta Sophia was a member of the British Royal Family, second daughter of George III and Charlotte of Mecklenburg-Strelitz. She was a Princess of the United Kingdom and a Princess of Hanover....
- The Landgravine of Hesse-HomburgPrincess Elizabeth of the United KingdomThe Princess Elizabeth was a member of the British Royal Family, the seventh child and third daughter of King George III and Queen Charlotte...
- The Duchess of GloucesterPrincess Mary, Duchess of Gloucester and EdinburghThe Princess Mary, Duchess of Gloucester and Edinburgh was a member of the British Royal Family, the eleventh child and fourth daughter of George III....
- The Princess SophiaPrincess Sophia of the United KingdomThe Princess Sophia was a member of the British Royal Family, the twelfth child and fifth daughter of King George III and Queen Charlotte...
- Queen Charlotte of Württemberg
- The Electress of HessePrincess Augusta of PrussiaPrincess Augusta of Prussia was a German salonist and electress consort of Hesse. She was the third daughter and fifth child of Frederick William II of Prussia and Frederika Louisa of Hesse-Darmstadt. She was the first consort of William II, Elector of Hesse. Augusta was a talented painter...
(wife of Wilhelm II, her mother’s cousin) - The Grand Duchess of Mecklenburg (her maternal aunt)
- Princess Charlotte, Landgravine William of Hesse-KasselPrincess Louise Charlotte of DenmarkPrincess Louise Charlotte of Denmark was a princess of Denmark.She was born in Christiansborg Palace to Hereditary Prince Frederick of Denmark and Norway and Sophia Frederica of Mecklenburg-Schwerin , Princess and Duchess of Mecklenburg-Schwerin.-Marriage:On 10 November 1810 in Amalienborg Palace...
(wife of her maternal uncle)
The Princess spent her earlier years in Hanover, where her father was the viceroy
Viceroy
A viceroy is a royal official who runs a country, colony, or province in the name of and as representative of the monarch. The term derives from the Latin prefix vice-, meaning "in the place of" and the French word roi, meaning king. A viceroy's province or larger territory is called a viceroyalty...
on behalf of his brother, George IV
George IV of the United Kingdom
George IV was the King of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland and also of Hanover from the death of his father, George III, on 29 January 1820 until his own death ten years later...
.
Princess Augusta had one brother, Prince George
Prince George, Duke of Cambridge
Prince George, Duke of Cambridge was a member of the British Royal Family, a male-line grandson of King George III. The Duke was an army officer and served as commander-in-chief of the British Army from 1856 to 1895...
, later 2nd Duke of Cambridge; and one sister, Princess Mary Adelaide
Princess Mary Adelaide of Cambridge
Princess Mary Adelaide Wilhelmina Elizabeth of Cambridge was a member of the British Royal Family, a granddaughter of George III, and great-grandmother of Elizabeth II. She held the title of Duchess of Teck through marriage.Mary Adelaide is remembered as the mother of Queen Mary, the consort of...
, later Duchess of Teck. As such, Princess Augusta was a first cousin of Queen Victoria
Victoria of the United Kingdom
Victoria was the monarch of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland from 20 June 1837 until her death. From 1 May 1876, she used the additional title of Empress of India....
and aunt to Mary of Teck
Mary of Teck
Mary of Teck was the queen consort of the United Kingdom and the British Dominions, and Empress of India, as the wife of King-Emperor George V....
, later consort of George V
George V of the United Kingdom
George V was King of the United Kingdom and the British Dominions, and Emperor of India, from 6 May 1910 through the First World War until his death in 1936....
.
Marriage
On 28 June 1843, Princess Augusta married her first cousin, Frederick William of Mecklenburg-Strelitz, at Buckingham PalaceBuckingham Palace
Buckingham Palace, in London, is the principal residence and office of the British monarch. Located in the City of Westminster, the palace is a setting for state occasions and royal hospitality...
, London
London
London is the capital city of :England and the :United Kingdom, the largest metropolitan area in the United Kingdom, and the largest urban zone in the European Union by most measures. Located on the River Thames, London has been a major settlement for two millennia, its history going back to its...
. (The two were also second cousins on their fathers' side.) Upon marriage, Augusta became HRH The Hereditary Grand Duchess of Mecklenburg-Strelitz and, on 6 September 1860, HRH The Grand Duchess of Mecklenburg-Strelitz following the death of her father-in-law.
The marriage of the Grand Duke and Grand Duchess produced two children:
- Frederick William, Hereditary Prince (born and died in London, 13 January 1845)
- Duke Adolphus Frederick (22 July 1848 – 11 June 1914), who succeeded his father as Grand Duke Adolphus Frederick V in May 1904.
Later life
Although she spent most of her adult life in Germany, the Grand Duchess Augusta retained close personal ties to the British royal family. She frequently visited her mother, the Duchess of Cambridge, at her Kensington PalaceKensington Palace
Kensington Palace is a royal residence set in Kensington Gardens in the Royal Borough of Kensington and Chelsea in London, England. It has been a residence of the British Royal Family since the 17th century and is the official London residence of the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge, the Duke and...
apartments.
After her mother's death in 1889, the Grand Duchess acquired a house in London's Buckingham Gate
Buckingham Gate
Buckingham Gate is a street in London, England, near Buckingham Palace.The Albanian Embassy and 51 Buckingham Gate, a 5* hotel, are located here. At number 59 is Swire House, accommodating the Britain-Australia Society, the The Hong Kong Association and Society, and the Japan Society...
area, where she spent a portion of the year until advanced old age made it impossible for her to travel abroad.
In making preparations for the coronation of King Edward VII
Edward VII of the United Kingdom
Edward VII was King of the United Kingdom and the British Dominions and Emperor of India from 22 January 1901 until his death in 1910...
and Queen Alexandra
Alexandra of Denmark
Alexandra of Denmark was the wife of Edward VII of the United Kingdom...
in 1901, the Duke of Norfolk
Henry Fitzalan-Howard, 15th Duke of Norfolk
Henry Fitzalan-Howard, 15th Duke of Norfolk, , styled Baron Maltravers until 1856 and Earl of Arundel and Surrey between 1856 and 1860, was a British Unionist politician and philanthropist...
consulted her on matters of etiquette and attire. This was due to her presence at the Coronation of King William IV
William IV of the United Kingdom
William IV was King of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland and of Hanover from 26 June 1830 until his death...
and Queen Adelaide
Adelaide of Saxe-Meiningen
Princess Adelaide of Saxe-Meiningen was the queen consort of the United Kingdom and of Hanover as spouse of William IV of the United Kingdom. Adelaide, the capital city of South Australia, is named after her.-Early life:Adelaide was born on 13 August 1792 at Meiningen, Thuringia, Germany...
seventy-one years earlier. She was nine years old at the time and kissed the Queen's hand. She was also able to provide details of the Coronation of Queen Victoria, for which no written records existed (she was then sixteen).
The Grand Duchess of Mecklenburg-Strelitz was particularly close to her niece, the future Queen Mary. However, old age prevented her from attending the Coronation of King George V (who was her first cousin twice removed
Cousin
In kinship terminology, a cousin is a relative with whom one shares one or more common ancestors. The term is rarely used when referring to a relative in one's immediate family where there is a more specific term . The term "blood relative" can be used synonymously and establishes the existence of...
) and Queen Mary at Westminster Abbey
Westminster Abbey
The Collegiate Church of St Peter at Westminster, popularly known as Westminster Abbey, is a large, mainly Gothic church, in the City of Westminster, London, United Kingdom, located just to the west of the Palace of Westminster. It is the traditional place of coronation and burial site for English,...
on 22 June 1911.
Following the outbreak of World War I
World War I
World War I , which was predominantly called the World War or the Great War from its occurrence until 1939, and the First World War or World War I thereafter, was a major war centred in Europe that began on 28 July 1914 and lasted until 11 November 1918...
the British Government suspended the pension she had been receiving as a member of the British Royal Family. During the war, the Swedish Embassy passed letters from the Queen to her aunt, who still lived in Germany.
As an elderly lady, she was known for being cantankerous. When Princess Maud of Wales
Maud of Wales
Princess Maud of Wales was Queen of Norway as spouse of King Haakon VII. She was a member of the British Royal Family as the youngest daughter of Edward VII and Alexandra of Denmark and granddaughter of Queen Victoria and also of Christian IX of Denmark. She was the younger sister of George V...
became Queen of Norway, Augusta said she had "become the Queen of a revolutionary throne". During Queen Victoria's Diamond Jubilee Celebrations, Augusta said in a loud voice, "Why is she thanking God in the street?" as Queen Victoria sat in her carriage for a blessing.
She was also known as being quite shrewd and intelligent. In his book, "Queen Mary" (the Queen's official biography), James Pope-Hennessy
James Pope-Hennessy
James Pope Hennessy CVO was a British biographer and travel writer.-Life:Richard James Arthur Pope-Hennessy was born in London on 20 November 1916, the younger son of Ladislaus Herbert Richard Pope-Hennessy, a soldier from County Cork in Ireland, and his wife, Una Constance Pope-Hennessy who was...
reports that the Queen's Aunt Augusta was not fond of the new science of photography, fearing it would intrude deeply into the private lives of Royal personages.
The Dowager Grand Duchess of Mecklenburg-Strelitz died in Neustrelitz
Neustrelitz
Neustrelitz is a town in the Mecklenburgische Seenplatte district in the state of Mecklenburg-Vorpommern, Germany. It is situated on the shore of the Zierker See in the Mecklenburg Lake District. From 1738 until 1918 it was the capital of the duchy of Mecklenburg-Strelitz...
and was buried in Mirow
Mirow
Mirow is a city in the district of Mecklenburgische Seenplatte in southern Mecklenburg-Western Pomerania, Germany.-Geography:Mirow lies in the middle of the Mecklenburg Lake District on the southern shore of Lake Mirow, which is connected to the Müritz and the Havel by a system of lakes, rivers,...
. As the longest-lived grandchild of George III
George III of the United Kingdom
George III was King of Great Britain and King of Ireland from 25 October 1760 until the union of these two countries on 1 January 1801, after which he was King of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland until his death...
, she was the last link to the British branch of the House of Hanover
House of Hanover
The House of Hanover is a deposed German royal dynasty which has ruled the Duchy of Brunswick-Lüneburg , the Kingdom of Hanover, the Kingdom of Great Britain, the Kingdom of Ireland and the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland...
.
At the time of her death, she was 94 years, 4 months and 16 days old, making her the longest-lived British Princess of the Blood Royal until Princess Alice, Countess of Athlone, a male-line granddaughter of Queen Victoria, broke the record in 1977. Princess Alice died aged over 97 years old.
Titles and styles
- 19 July 1822 – 28 June 1843: Her Royal Highness Princess Augusta of Cambridge
- 28 June 1843 – 6 September 1860: Her Royal Highness The Hereditary Grand Duchess of Mecklenburg-Strelitz
- 6 September 1860 – 30 May 1904: Her Royal Highness The Grand Duchess of Mecklenburg-Strelitz
- 30 May 1904 – 5 December 1916: Her Royal Highness The Dowager Grand Duchess of Mecklenburg-Strelitz
As the male-line granddaughter of a King of Hanover, Princess Augusta also bore the titles of Princess of Hanover and Duchess of Brunswick and Lunenburg