Prince Henry Frederick, Duke of Cumberland and Strathearn
Encyclopedia
Prince Henry, Duke of Cumberland and Strathearn (Henry Frederick; 7 November 1745 – 18 September 1790) was the sixth child of Frederick, Prince of Wales
and Augusta of Saxe-Gotha, and a younger brother of George III
.
, London
to Frederick, Prince of Wales
, son of George II
and Caroline of Ansbach
, and his wife The Princess of Wales. He was christened at Leicester House twenty-three days later.
(1772–1834) from this relationship, though the duke's parenthood was never proven, and Olivia Wilmot was accused of forging the evidence. A landscape painter and novelist, Olivia Wilmot married John Thomas Serres, 1759–1825, and later, controversially, assumed the style of Princess Olivia of Cumberland.
In 1769, the Duke of Cumberland was sued by Earl Grosvenor
for "criminal conversation" (that is, adultery
), after the Duke and Lady Grosvenor were discovered in flagrante delicto
. Lord Grosvenor was awarded damages
of £10,000, which together with costs, amounted to an award of £13,000 (£ as of ).
as a midshipman
and was sent to Corsica
in HMS Venus
. However, he returned in September when the ship was recalled following the French invasion of the Corsican Republic
. He was promoted to Rear-Admiral the following year and Vice-Admiral in 1770.
, which forbids any descendant of George II
to marry without the monarch's permission. There were no children from this marriage. Anne, though from a noble family - she was a daughter of the Viscount (later Earl of) Carhampton
, and the widow of Christopher Horton of Catton Hall - seems to have been rather loose with her favours, given one wag's comment that she was "the Duke of Grafton's Mrs Houghton, the Duke of Dorset's Mrs Houghton, everyone's Mrs Houghton."
The marriage between Anne Horton and Prince Henry, Duke of Cumberland, was described as a “conquest at Brighthelmstone” (now Brighton
) by Mrs. Horton, the widow of one Christopher Horton of Calton Park, Derbyshire, "who", Horace Walpole says, "had for many months been dallying with his passion, till (sic) she had fixed him to more serious views than he had intended."
Anne was however generally thought one of the great beauties of the age and Thomas Gainsborough
painted her several times.
. He was promoted Admiral
in 1778, though was forbidden from assuming any command. The Duke was also instrumental in the development of Brighton
(at the time called Brighthelmstone) as a popular resort; he had first visited in 1771 and in 1783 the Prince of Wales
visited his uncle there.
The Duke of Cumberland died in London
on 18 September 1790. His widow died in 1808.
Frederick, Prince of Wales
Frederick, Prince of Wales was a member of the House of Hanover and therefore of the Hanoverian and later British Royal Family, the eldest son of George II and father of George III, as well as the great-grandfather of Queen Victoria...
and Augusta of Saxe-Gotha, and a younger brother 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...
.
Early life
HRH Prince Henry was born on 7 November 1745, at Leicester HouseLeicester House
There have been two mansions in London, England called Leicester House:*A house in the Strand near the Temple: Leicester House, Strand. This existed in the Tudor period, and possibly earlier ....
, 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...
to Frederick, Prince of Wales
Frederick, Prince of Wales
Frederick, Prince of Wales was a member of the House of Hanover and therefore of the Hanoverian and later British Royal Family, the eldest son of George II and father of George III, as well as the great-grandfather of Queen Victoria...
, son of George II
George II of Great Britain
George II was King of Great Britain and Ireland, Duke of Brunswick-Lüneburg and Archtreasurer and Prince-elector of the Holy Roman Empire from 11 June 1727 until his death.George was the last British monarch born outside Great Britain. He was born and brought up in Northern Germany...
and Caroline of Ansbach
Caroline of Ansbach
Caroline of Brandenburg-Ansbach was the queen consort of King George II of Great Britain.Her father, John Frederick, Margrave of Brandenburg-Ansbach, was the ruler of a small German state...
, and his wife The Princess of Wales. He was christened at Leicester House twenty-three days later.
Royal Dukedom
On 22 October 1766, just prior to his twenty-first birthday, the prince was created Duke of Cumberland and Strathearn and Earl of Dublin.Allegations
On 4 March 1767 the Duke of Cumberland allegedly married Olive Wilmot (later Mrs Payne), a commoner, in a secret ceremony. There reportedly was one child, Olivia WilmotOlivia Serres
Olivia Serres , known as Olive, was a British painter and writer. She is also known as an English impostor, who claimed the title of Princess Olive of Cumberland, born at Warwick.-Origins and Early Career:...
(1772–1834) from this relationship, though the duke's parenthood was never proven, and Olivia Wilmot was accused of forging the evidence. A landscape painter and novelist, Olivia Wilmot married John Thomas Serres, 1759–1825, and later, controversially, assumed the style of Princess Olivia of Cumberland.
In 1769, the Duke of Cumberland was sued by Earl Grosvenor
Richard Grosvenor, 1st Earl Grosvenor
Richard Grosvenor, 1st Earl Grosvenor , known as Sir Richard Grosvenor, 7th Baronet between 1755 and 1761 and as The Lord Grosvenor between 1761 and 1784, was a British peer, racehorse owner and art collector...
for "criminal conversation" (that is, adultery
Adultery
Adultery is sexual infidelity to one's spouse, and is a form of extramarital sex. It originally referred only to sex between a woman who was married and a person other than her spouse. Even in cases of separation from one's spouse, an extramarital affair is still considered adultery.Adultery is...
), after the Duke and Lady Grosvenor were discovered in flagrante delicto
In flagrante delicto
In flagrante delicto or sometimes simply in flagrante is a legal term used to indicate that a criminal has been caught in the act of committing an offence...
. Lord Grosvenor was awarded damages
Damages
In law, damages is an award, typically of money, to be paid to a person as compensation for loss or injury; grammatically, it is a singular noun, not plural.- Compensatory damages :...
of £10,000, which together with costs, amounted to an award of £13,000 (£ as of ).
Royal Navy
In 1768, at the fairly late age of 22, the Duke entered the Royal NavyRoyal Navy
The Royal Navy is the naval warfare service branch of the British Armed Forces. Founded in the 16th century, it is the oldest service branch and is known as the Senior Service...
as a midshipman
Midshipman
A midshipman is an officer cadet, or a commissioned officer of the lowest rank, in the Royal Navy, United States Navy, and many Commonwealth navies. Commonwealth countries which use the rank include Australia, New Zealand, South Africa, India, Pakistan, Singapore, Sri Lanka and Kenya...
and was sent to Corsica
Corsica
Corsica is an island in the Mediterranean Sea. It is located west of Italy, southeast of the French mainland, and north of the island of Sardinia....
in HMS Venus
HMS Venus (1758)
HMS Venus was the name ship of the 36-gun Venus-class fifth-rate frigates of the Royal Navy. She was launched in 1758 and served for more than half a century until paid off in 1809, although she was reduced from 36 guns to 32 guns in 1792....
. However, he returned in September when the ship was recalled following the French invasion of the Corsican Republic
Corsican Republic
In November 1755, Pasquale Paoli proclaimed Corsica a sovereign nation, the Corsican Republic, independent from the Republic of Genoa. He created the Corsican Constitution, which was the first constitution written under Enlightenment principles, including the first implementation of female...
. He was promoted to Rear-Admiral the following year and Vice-Admiral in 1770.
Marriage
The Duke's marriage to the commoner Anne Horton (or Houghton) (1743–1808) on 2 October 1771 caused a rift with the King, and was the catalyst for the Royal Marriages Act 1772Royal Marriages Act 1772
The Royal Marriages Act 1772 is an Act of the Parliament of Great Britain which prescribes the conditions under which members of the British Royal Family may contract a valid marriage, in order to guard against marriages that could diminish the status of the Royal House...
, which forbids any descendant of George II
George II of Great Britain
George II was King of Great Britain and Ireland, Duke of Brunswick-Lüneburg and Archtreasurer and Prince-elector of the Holy Roman Empire from 11 June 1727 until his death.George was the last British monarch born outside Great Britain. He was born and brought up in Northern Germany...
to marry without the monarch's permission. There were no children from this marriage. Anne, though from a noble family - she was a daughter of the Viscount (later Earl of) Carhampton
Simon Luttrell, 1st Earl of Carhampton
Simon Luttrell, 1st Earl of Carhampton was a British politician and Irish nobleman.He was the second son of Col. Henry Luttrell, of Luttrellstown...
, and the widow of Christopher Horton of Catton Hall - seems to have been rather loose with her favours, given one wag's comment that she was "the Duke of Grafton's Mrs Houghton, the Duke of Dorset's Mrs Houghton, everyone's Mrs Houghton."
The marriage between Anne Horton and Prince Henry, Duke of Cumberland, was described as a “conquest at Brighthelmstone” (now Brighton
Brighton
Brighton is the major part of the city of Brighton and Hove in East Sussex, England on the south coast of Great Britain...
) by Mrs. Horton, the widow of one Christopher Horton of Calton Park, Derbyshire, "who", Horace Walpole says, "had for many months been dallying with his passion, till (sic) she had fixed him to more serious views than he had intended."
Anne was however generally thought one of the great beauties of the age and Thomas Gainsborough
Thomas Gainsborough
Thomas Gainsborough was an English portrait and landscape painter.-Suffolk:Thomas Gainsborough was born in Sudbury, Suffolk. He was the youngest son of John Gainsborough, a weaver and maker of woolen goods. At the age of thirteen he impressed his father with his penciling skills so that he let...
painted her several times.
Later life
In 1775, the Duke of Cumberland established the Cumberland Fleet, which would later become the Royal Thames Yacht ClubRoyal Thames Yacht Club
The Royal Thames Yacht Club is the oldest sailing club in the United Kingdom. Its headquarters are located at 60 Knightsbridge, London, England, overlooking Hyde Park....
. He was promoted Admiral
Admiral (United Kingdom)
Admiral is a senior rank of the Royal Navy of the United Kingdom, which equates to the NATO rank code OF-9, outranked only by the rank Admiral of the Fleet...
in 1778, though was forbidden from assuming any command. The Duke was also instrumental in the development of Brighton
Brighton
Brighton is the major part of the city of Brighton and Hove in East Sussex, England on the south coast of Great Britain...
(at the time called Brighthelmstone) as a popular resort; he had first visited in 1771 and in 1783 the Prince of Wales
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...
visited his uncle there.
The Duke of Cumberland died in 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...
on 18 September 1790. His widow died in 1808.
Titles
- 7 November 1745–22 October 1766: His Royal Highness Prince Henry
- 22 October 1766–18 December 1790: His Royal Highness The Duke of Cumberland and Strathearn