King George IV (1762-1830) and Caroline of Brunswick (1768-1821)

[gogm]

I read somewhere that he did not like her body odor. That must have been something back then!

[Mary1966]

Originally Posted by tiaraprin

There was dysfunction long before this. Go Back to Henry II's reign with his wife Eleanor of Aquitaine. That was a dysfunctional marriage that produced children who all wanted their father's crown. Eleanor wanted revenge for Henry's affair with Rosamund Clifford. This was truly a violent, dysfunctional family during the Plantagenet saga.

The film "The Lion in Winter" did an interesting job of portraying the dysfunctional Plantagenets, with Peter O'Toole as Henry and Katherine Hepburn as Eleanor. Choice line from Eleanor: "This is 1183 and we are barbarians!"

[acdc1]

Originally Posted by gogm

I read somewhere that he did not like her body odor. That must have been something back then!

I have heard that there was very, very little about her that WAS likeable! She apparantly had awful hygene (one book I read said that it bordered on barbaric), horrendous manners and was just plain ugly. He was so upset that he got terribly drunk, but he managed to perform his, um, "duties" because Charlotte was born. After that first night, she didn't sleep with him in the same bed again, and she didn't have many nights under his roof after Charlotte's birth.

[sirhon11234]

I would imagine that a good majority of people back then would have bad body odor. But she was the Princess of Wales and eventually Queen one would think she would have baths often.

[Elspeth]

Apparently George IV was unusually fastidious for the time, and Caroline was unusually casual about personal hygiene. Not a good combination.

[gogm]

Originally Posted by Elspeth

Apparently George IV was unusually fastidious for the time, and Caroline was unusually casual about personal hygiene. Not a good combination.

George IV did have Beau Brummel as a fashion advisor so he apparently was fastidious.

The picture in the Wikipedia article makes her look very attractive (painters can flatter out of all proportions). But the picture isn't "smellivision."

[Mahoogie]

According to the book I've read about Royal Scandals, before their wedding, British envoy sent to Germany to bring Caroline to England persuaded her to wash herself and her underwear before they left..but I really feel sorry for Princess Caroline the way Prince George treated her

[Kelly]

Well much of England was at her side due to the treatment done to her by her husband. Very interesting story by the way. I think George actually became this way due to the fact that he lost his true love for the crown of England.

[daisygoogles]

Originally Posted by tiaraprin

Yes, she was barred from Westminster Abbey at many entrances such as Poet's Corner. She was a broken woman after this and died just a few weeks later.

On her tombstone it has the inscription "Caroline, the Injured Queen of England"

***********
I wonder who had that inscribed on her stone??
Where is she buried ,does anyone know?
Thanks

[Royal Fan]

How Sad. George seems Arrogant was he or just very shy and aloof

[Elspeth]

I don't think he was shy by any means.

[Royal Fan]

Did he have many Lovers and Illegitimate Children I Read somewhere he loved spending vast amounts of Money and almost went Bankrupt

[Elspeth]

Yes, he was very extravagant. I don't think he had many illegitimate children, if any, but his brother the Duke of Clarence (later William IV) had something like 10 illegitimate children with Dorothy Jordan, although when he had to get married to a princess to try and produce an heir, they never managed to have a child who survived infancy.

[PrincessKoreen]

Originally Posted by gogm

I read somewhere that he did not like her body odor. That must have been something back then!

Yup.

Unwrapping the royal mummy Spectator, The - Find Articles

[Skydragon]

Unless you are a member of the Royal Family, a top politician, a senior public servant or married to any of the above, you will probably not have experienced the sensation of walking into the ultimate dinner party - a state banquet given by the Queen

As the Queen opens her Palace Ballroom to the public, the story of the most decadent royal banquet ever | Mail Online

[georgiea]

Originally Posted by daisygoogles

***********
I wonder who had that inscribed on her stone??
Where is she buried ,does anyone know?
Thanks

If my memory serves me right it was Caroline herself asked for that insciption. I think she is buried in Brunwick where she was born and raised.

Also she sis not want to waste time on washing herself like her husband would.

[Jo of Palatine]

Originally Posted by Elspeth

Yes, he was very extravagant. I don't think he had many illegitimate children, if any, but his brother the Duke of Clarence (later William IV) had something like 10 illegitimate children with Dorothy Jordan, although when he had to get married to a princess to try and produce an heir, they never managed to have a child who survived infancy.

At one point queen Sophie-Charlotte, the consort of George III. was very angry about that fact that she had more than 21 illegitimate grandchildren but only one legitimate one: Princess Charlotte of Wales. She even lived to see this one legitimate grandchild die in childbirth in 1817, but died herself in 1818, before the future queen Victoria was born. Poor lady!

[Esmeralda]

She might have had some more legitimate grandchildren if she'd been more inclined to let her daughters marry. But even then, grandchildren who weren't the children of the royal princes might not have been as important to her.

[Grace Angel]

Originally Posted by Kelly

Well much of England was at her side due to the treatment done to her by her husband. Very interesting story by the way. I think George actually became this way due to the fact that he lost his true love for the crown of England.

You mean he treated her badly because he lost his true love for the crown of England or he became extravagant and also had all those mistresss and and a bad reputation because he lost his true love for the crown of England? Well, it seems from the very begining he was extravagant and had a bad reputation much like his brothers, for whom debts, mistresses and a bad reputation seemed to be very common. As for his treatment of his wife Caroline, it also fit into the long pattern of his life- sure,Caroline was no Princess Diana, but she deserved better than he gave her. I don't think George ever had any true love for the crown of England, at all, whether when he was king or before that ( most of his life he wasn't king anyway, merely Prince Regent or Prince of Wales)- he seemed more concerned about himself. Charlotte being head strong reminds me of Queen Victoria- so was she.

[hennybenny]

Originally Posted by gogm

George IV did have Beau Brummel as a fashion advisor so he apparently was fastidious.

The picture in the Wikipedia article makes her look very attractive (painters can flatter out of all proportions). But the picture isn't "smellivision."

I have to agree. In this protrait of Caroline which is on her Wikipedia page, she looks downright gorgeous!