The Wives of George IV: The Secret Bride & the Scorned Princess

The scandalous life of George IV is revealed in this account of his marriage to Princess Caroline and his secret union with a longtime mistress.

In Georgian England, few men were more eligible than the Prince of Wales. The heir to George III’s throne would seem to be an excellent catch. Though the two women who married him might beg to differ.

Maria Fitzherbert was a twice-widowed Roman Catholic with a natural aversion to trouble. When she married the prince in a secret ceremony, she opened the door on three decades of heartbreak. Cast aside by her husband one minute, pursued by him tirelessly the next, Maria’s clandestine marriage was anything but blissful. It was also the worst kept secret in England.

Caroline of Brunswick was George’s official bride. Little did she know that her husband was marrying for money. When she arrived for the ceremony, she found him so drunk that he couldn’t even walk to the altar. Caroline might not have her husband’s love, but the public adored her. In a world where radicalism was stirring, it was a recipe for disaster.

In The Wives of George IV, Maria and Caroline navigate the choppy waters of marriage to the capricious, womanizing king-in-waiting. With a queen on trial for adultery and the succession itself in the balance, Britain had never seen scandal like it.

"1140074677"
The Wives of George IV: The Secret Bride & the Scorned Princess

The scandalous life of George IV is revealed in this account of his marriage to Princess Caroline and his secret union with a longtime mistress.

In Georgian England, few men were more eligible than the Prince of Wales. The heir to George III’s throne would seem to be an excellent catch. Though the two women who married him might beg to differ.

Maria Fitzherbert was a twice-widowed Roman Catholic with a natural aversion to trouble. When she married the prince in a secret ceremony, she opened the door on three decades of heartbreak. Cast aside by her husband one minute, pursued by him tirelessly the next, Maria’s clandestine marriage was anything but blissful. It was also the worst kept secret in England.

Caroline of Brunswick was George’s official bride. Little did she know that her husband was marrying for money. When she arrived for the ceremony, she found him so drunk that he couldn’t even walk to the altar. Caroline might not have her husband’s love, but the public adored her. In a world where radicalism was stirring, it was a recipe for disaster.

In The Wives of George IV, Maria and Caroline navigate the choppy waters of marriage to the capricious, womanizing king-in-waiting. With a queen on trial for adultery and the succession itself in the balance, Britain had never seen scandal like it.

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The Wives of George IV: The Secret Bride & the Scorned Princess

The Wives of George IV: The Secret Bride & the Scorned Princess

by Catherine Curzon
The Wives of George IV: The Secret Bride & the Scorned Princess

The Wives of George IV: The Secret Bride & the Scorned Princess

by Catherine Curzon

eBook

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Overview

The scandalous life of George IV is revealed in this account of his marriage to Princess Caroline and his secret union with a longtime mistress.

In Georgian England, few men were more eligible than the Prince of Wales. The heir to George III’s throne would seem to be an excellent catch. Though the two women who married him might beg to differ.

Maria Fitzherbert was a twice-widowed Roman Catholic with a natural aversion to trouble. When she married the prince in a secret ceremony, she opened the door on three decades of heartbreak. Cast aside by her husband one minute, pursued by him tirelessly the next, Maria’s clandestine marriage was anything but blissful. It was also the worst kept secret in England.

Caroline of Brunswick was George’s official bride. Little did she know that her husband was marrying for money. When she arrived for the ceremony, she found him so drunk that he couldn’t even walk to the altar. Caroline might not have her husband’s love, but the public adored her. In a world where radicalism was stirring, it was a recipe for disaster.

In The Wives of George IV, Maria and Caroline navigate the choppy waters of marriage to the capricious, womanizing king-in-waiting. With a queen on trial for adultery and the succession itself in the balance, Britain had never seen scandal like it.


Product Details

ISBN-13: 9781473897519
Publisher: Pen & Sword Books Limited
Publication date: 04/04/2023
Sold by: Barnes & Noble
Format: eBook
Pages: 216
File size: 19 MB
Note: This product may take a few minutes to download.

About the Author

CATHERINE CURZON is a royal historian who writes on all matters 18th century at www.madamegilflurt.com. Her work has been featured on HistoryExtra.com, the official website of BBC History Magazine, and in publications such as Explore History, All About History, History of Royals, and Jane Austen’s Regency World. She has spoken at venues including Kenwood House, Wellington College, the Royal Pavilion, the Hurlingham Club, the National Maritime Museum and Dr Johnson’s House.Catherine holds a master’s degree in film and when not dodging the furies of the guillotine, can be found cheering on the mighty Terriers. She lives in Yorkshire atop a ludicrously steep hill.

Table of Contents

Acknowledgements ix

The Royal Family x

Introduction xii

Act 1 Maria Fitzherbert (26 July 1756-27 March 1837) 1

A Catholic Girl 1

Marriage and Mourning 4

The Prince of Wales 9

The Widow Fitzherbert 11

A Royal Miracle 16

To Europe 20

A Lady Surrenders 23

Marriage Plans 29

Royal Wedding 34

Money Troubles 36

A Seaside Romance 40

Marriage Denied 42

Reconciliation 48

The Split 53

The Single Life 56

Husband and Wife 58

Mary Seymour 61

A Pecuniary Embarrassment 64

Prinny 68

A Parting of Ways 70

The King's Widow 72

Letters from a Prince 75

The Late Mrs Fitzherbert 76

Act 2 Caroline of Brunswick (17 May 1768-7 August 1821) 78

The Little Princess 78

Teenage Maladies 83

An Eligible Princess 87

Paying Debts 89

The Mentor 99

Leaving Home 102

The Last Leg 107

Meeting the Family 110

The Royal Wedding 113

The Honeymoon Days 117

Princess Charlotte 120

A Domestic Estrangement 125

Blackheath 131

An Infamous Calumny 135

The Aftermath 146

Family Life 152

The Regency 156

The Regent's Valentine 159

A Royal Wedding 163

Whooping It Up 167

The Milan Commission 171

Mrs King 174

Pains and Penalties 176

An Injured Queen 181

The End 183

Afterword 185

Bibliography 186

Index 194

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