William IV (1765-1837) and Adelaide of Saxe-Meiningen (1792-1849)

[XeniaCasaraghi]

I think the speech is both funny immature. I can see the situation from both sides. William should have had more time with his heir; but the Duchess of Kent, while wanting to control and manipulate her daughter, also knew how vile and low class her in laws were. If I recall correctly, most foreigners and Germans especially the German relations looked down on the behavior of George IV and William V while they were king. I can imagine that Victoria's husband, Prince Albert, would not have looked kindly on the behavior of the Hanover's either.

[Vasillisos Markos]

Yes, but wasn't the Duchess of Kent acting at the behest of Conroy? And wasn't it he who wished to keep Victoria separate from the King as a way to control her or to wheedle concessions from the throne in exchange for allowing Victoria to come to Court?

I don't think the Duchess of Kent behaved sensibly in this matter at all. It resulted in hurt feelings and caused a rift between mother and daughter.

[Zonk]

I agree..the Duchess of Kent (regardless of the King's past) did take certain liberities that caused unnecessary conflict with the King IMO.

Yes, Conroy did attempt to separate Victoria from the King (and others) in order to cement his power. He wanted Victoria to name her mother (and thus thru the mother he would hold power) Regent.

Thankfully the Regency wasn't necessary as the King died after Victoria reached the age of majority. I also read somewhere that Conroy mismanaged the Duchess as well as one of the old Princesses (Amelia or Sophia one of them) money.

Victoria from what I have read did get along with her her uncle, William and was very supportive of Adelaide after the King's death.

[MAfan]

Conroy also managed Princess Sophia's finances, or better he mismanaged Sophia's finances; she received an huge income from the Civil List, she was unmarried and lived rather modestly and retired, also due to some health issues (she was blind, if I recall correctly) but at her death it came out that she was almost penniless.

[jungleboy_oz]

[QUOTE=tiaraprin;263732]Adelaide was not William IV's first choice. He had proposed to a couple of other princesses who did reject him with their family's approval. William was desperate to get married and Adelaide of Saxe-Meinigen was a "spinster" princess at the age of 26. She, not wanting to remain a spinster, and the possibility of having a child who would succeed to the throne, led her to accept William. She couldn't completely foretell she would be Queen because Frederick, The Duke of York, was still alive then but childless. His wife was barren.

At 65 years of age and overweights William would not have been any woman of child bearing ages first choice.

Apparently when Princess Adelaide had the preposal of marraige put to her she locked her self away in Elizabethburg Castle and cried for several days before accepting due to lack of suiters and as a matter of duty and to allow for the smallest and poorest of german ducy of Meiningen, ruled by her brother Bernard II to benifit by the marriage to the future King of England. She did apparentley have one other suiter at the time; a german soldier who had lost a leg during the Nepoliantic wars but she wasn't too keen on this gentleman either.

[XeniaCasaraghi]

The Duchess of Kent was not very happy with the Hanovers before Conroy appeared, his prescence exacerbated the situation and led to the isolation of Victoria. But part of said isolation was because the Duchess did not approve of the Kings personal life and his behavior; long after Conroy, Prince Albert expressed disdain for some of Victoria's court for their lax morals as well.
As for Johnny C., it would also serve him to isolate Victoria from her paternal family and fan the Duchess' disdain for them so he alone would be the only man to control the regent.

[Grandduchess24]

I like him and I am sure was sweet to Victoria and had his reasons for not liking the duchess of Kent.