The Toxic Royal Marriage of George IV and Caroline of Brunswick

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  • Опубликовано: 11 фев 2025
  • To explore "Mary Anning: The Forgotten Fossil Hunter" and more first-class history content subscribe to History Hit: access.history... for 50% off for your next three months!
    EDIT: Apologies friends, I made a date fumble in this - when talking about George abandoning Mrs Fitzherbert and taking new mistresses - I said "1590s" and "1595". I meant 1790s and 1795. I do make these slips quite frequently as it is a feature of my dyslexia. I always try to pick it up but unfortunately, sometimes, I don't spot the mistake will note taking, filming or editing (I don't work with anyone on these and it can be hard to spot your own mistakes). I can't promise this won't happen again, but I will keep doing my very best to avoid it.
    History is full of examples of types of marriages to avoid… George and Caroline’s is certainly one of them…
    I hope you enjoy this video and find it interesting!
    Please subscribe and click the bell icon to be updated about new videos.
    Also, if you want to get in touch, please comment down below or find me on social media:
    Instagram: katrina.marchant
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    Intro / Outro song: Silent Partner, "Greenery" [ • Greenery - Silent Part... ]
    SFX from freesfx.co.uk/...
    Images (from Wikimedia Commons, unless otherwise stated):
    “How to get Un-married, - Ay, there's the Rub!” by and published by John Lewis Marks (published 1820). Held by the National Portrait Gallery.
    Caroline of Brunswick when Princess of Wales by Gainsborough Dupont (between c.1795 and c.1796). Held by the Royal Collection.
    Portrait of the Prince of Wales (later George IV) by Sir William Beechey R.A. (c.1798). (c) Royal Academy of Arts. Photographer credit: John Hammond.
    King George III in coronation robes by Allan Ramsay (c.1765). Held by the Art Gallery of South Australia.
    Queen Charlotte with her two Eldest Sons by Allan Ramsay (c.1764). Held by the Royal Collection.
    Screenshot of currency converter from: www.nationalar...
    Maria Anne Fitzherbert (née Smythe) by Sir Joshua Reynolds (c.1788). Held by the National Portrait Gallery.
    Portrait of Frances Villiers, Countess of Jersey by Thomas Beach (18th century). Held in an unidentified private collection.
    Portrait of Princess Charlotte of Wales by Sir Thomas Lawrence (c.1801). Held by the Royal Collection.
    (1769-1830) Blue pencil.svg wikidata:Q312096
    Title
    Portrait of Caroline of Brunswick by Thomas Lawrence (1798). Held by the Victoria and Albert Museum.
    Portrait of Princess Charlotte Augusta of Wales, heiress presumptive of the British crown by George Dawe (c.1817). Held by the Museum of New Zealand.
    “The Long and Short of the Tales”, caricature engraving of Queen Caroline and Bartolomeo Pergami by George Cruikshank (1821). Held by the National Portrait Gallery.
    “The Peterloo Massacre” by Richard Carlile (1819). Held by Manchester Libraries.
    The Trial of Queen Caroline 1820, by Sir George Hayter (before 1871). Held by the National Portrait Gallery.
    Coronation of George IV in Westminster Abbey. 19 July 1821, after James Stephanoff (1821). Held by the Royal Collection.
    Princess Caroline of Brunswick-Wolfenbüttel by James Lonsdale (c.1820). Held by the National Portrait Gallery.
    Portrait of Elizabeth Conyngham, Marchioness Conyngham by Thomas Lawrence (c.1801-1802). Held by the Birmingham Museum and Art Gallery.
    Photograph of the exterior or the Royal Pavillion at Brighton, taken by Qmin (2011).
    “A voluptuary under the horrors of digestion” by James Gilray, published. by H. Humphrey, 1792 July 2nd. Held by the Library of Congress, Prints & Photographs Division.
    The Banqueting Room at the Royal Pavilion in Brighton from John Nash's Views of the Royal Pavilion (1826), archive of the Brighton Pavilion.
    George IV in Coronation Robes by Thomas Lawrence (1821). Held by the Royal Collection.
    Quoted texts:
    E. A. Smith, ODNB entry on Caroline [Princess Caroline of Brunswick-Wolfenbüttel]
    Christopher Hibbert, ODNB entry on George IV
    Judith Schneid Lewis, ODNB entry on Charlotte Augusta, Princess [Princess Charlotte Augusta of Wales]
    Martin J. Levy, ODNB entry on Fitzherbert [née Smythe; other married name Weld], Maria Anne
    Also consulted, were:
    Other relevant entries from The Oxford Dictionary of National Biography Online.
    #History #Georgian #Regency

Комментарии • 364

  • @ReadingthePast
    @ReadingthePast  2 года назад +36

    To explore "Mary Anning: The Forgotten Fossil Hunter" and more first-class history content subscribe to History Hit: access.historyhit.com/checkout/subscribe/receipt?code=readingthepast&plan=monthly for 50% off for your next three months!

    • @kwells179
      @kwells179 2 года назад

      Your little one will soon be a good age for the book "stone girl bone girl" all about Mary Anning if you've not heard about it yet

    • @danellewilbraham
      @danellewilbraham 2 года назад +2

      Can I just say I respect you so much for only engaging with sponsors that you are truly passionate about? Doesn’t even feel like a promo!

    • @--enyo--
      @--enyo-- 2 года назад +1

      Thank you for your aside around 10:00 calling out the abusive red flag behaviour.

  • @jesm9776
    @jesm9776 2 года назад +156

    There's something lurid and appealing about the antics of people with more money than sense

  • @NewMoonStarlight
    @NewMoonStarlight 2 года назад +57

    "There are a football field of red flags waving in the wind" is definitely one of my new favourite sentences.

  • @Books_Anime_92
    @Books_Anime_92 2 года назад +48

    The one thing that I remember about George IV and Caroline is that when George IV heard that Napoleon had died, the messenger told him "Your majesty, your greatest enemy is now dead". The king responded thinking that the messenger was talking about his wife "By Jove! When did she die?".

  • @historybuff7491
    @historybuff7491 2 года назад +230

    I have always felt sorry for their daughter. Yes, she was a royal princess and could have anything she wanted, but how do you have a happy childhood with such a relationship between your parents. I don't believe you can.

    • @ReadingthePast
      @ReadingthePast  2 года назад +67

      It does sound like she found happiness in her marriage, but of course that tragically ended far too soon 😔

    • @rodneyferris4089
      @rodneyferris4089 2 года назад +26

      Leopold was very much in love with Charlotte apparently. At least he said so. I think that he was more disappointed because he’d never have power over Britain. He was a piece of work that one as well.

    • @mtngrl5859
      @mtngrl5859 2 года назад +14

      @@rodneyferris4089 Well, his subsequent mistress when he was King of Belgium looked very much like Princess Charlotte, so by all accounts he missed her. While he courteous to his second wife, she was physically quite different from his first wife, so he was somewhat distant from her.

    • @stephenbutterfield5986
      @stephenbutterfield5986 2 года назад +5

      all that wasted money

    • @mtngrl5859
      @mtngrl5859 2 года назад +7

      @@stephenbutterfield5986 Yes, but George lV had excellent taste in art and the decorative arts that are part of the UK heritage now. While Charles l was a poor king, he was another excellent art collector that enhanced the UK as well. On another note, Mrs. Fitzherbert was given a 5000 pound annuity until her death, once the Prince Regent moved on. That was an excellent income at that time.

  • @melissaking6019
    @melissaking6019 2 года назад +41

    Caroline's and George's marriage makes Charles' and Diana's union look pretty pleasant. George's suicide attempt is the behavior of a narcissist. In fact, most of his behavior throughout his adult life was that of a narcissist.

    • @indiciaobscure
      @indiciaobscure Год назад +11

      I think of him as an adult baby. His romances with older women he treated as mother figures, his expectation to be indulged and admired in spite of his poor behavior. The good thing is he was one of the most lampooned and mocked figures.

  • @anthonywoodhurst551
    @anthonywoodhurst551 2 года назад +23

    I feel bad for Caroline. She was never wanted by George or even received kindness from him it sounds like. Even Charles II, for all his affairs, showed greater kindness to his wife than George showed to his

  • @Posie-hg1ze
    @Posie-hg1ze 2 года назад +105

    Yet their daughter Charlotte was apparently lovely and loved by everyone. She married for love but tragically died in childbirth. Due to this all the brothers rushed to marry and produce an heir and along came Victoria.

    • @pat412pear
      @pat412pear 2 года назад +34

      Charlotte was mourned as "The Greatest Queen Who Never Was". The entire country had bare- knuckled the way through the Georges and was looking forward to her reign. Sadly, the male doctor brought in to care for her (instead of her wish for midwives) was most likely responsible for her demise. He eventually committed suicide - citing guilt over Charlotte's death as the reason.

    • @leonieromanes7265
      @leonieromanes7265 2 года назад +10

      @@pat412pear that's so sad, if only Charlotte had been allowed autonomy over he pregnancy. The royal family might be very different today.

    • @notnek202
      @notnek202 2 года назад +10

      A 48 hour labor she was a weak from being bleed & starved. The doctor thought the baby was too big and put the mother on a strict diet. The doctor didn’t believe in interfering in the birth so forceps which could of saved both mother & son were no used. He shot himself couple of months later distraught for being responsible for the death of not one heir to the throne but two.

    • @falconeshield
      @falconeshield Год назад +1

      ​@@notnek202 God what a useless doctor

  • @neconeconeco
    @neconeconeco 2 года назад +210

    Thank you for your remarks on coercive control.
    Certainly this behavior has been historically romanticized (yikes!!) and I'm so glad to see you calling it out. You're the best.

    • @lifeinthevoid1595
      @lifeinthevoid1595 2 года назад +20

      Still is romanticised... along with framing stalking and abduction as romance and that persistence (refusing to accept 'no') wins them over... look back at movies and tv through this lens and you'll be so grossed at how often these are portrayed. Pop Culture Detective does great video essays on these topics

    • @kerriemckinstry-jett8625
      @kerriemckinstry-jett8625 2 года назад +13

      And people still persist in playing the song, "Baby, it's cold outside" & calling it "charming". Key & Peele did a great sketch of it, showing just how rapey that song is.

    • @AnastaciaInCleveland
      @AnastaciaInCleveland 2 года назад +16

      I have personal experience of this. I was told, "He must have really loved you." No, he didn't. He was obsessed with a romanticized idea of me that fulfilled his needs and wants without regard to what I needed and wanted. To get back at me, he unalived himself. So, I am grateful for her remarks on the subject. ~ Anastacia in Cleveland

  • @angelsinger4574
    @angelsinger4574 2 года назад +30

    I remember reading a quote of hers years ago, to the effect that she had only ever committed adultery with the husband of Maria Fitzherbert!

  • @nicholashext474
    @nicholashext474 2 года назад +105

    I wonder if the constant antagonism between the Hanoverian kings and their heirs had something to do with the changing nature of monarchy in Britain. In the medieval and renaissance periods, royal princes frequently had actual military and governmental duties, whereas their 18th century counterparts increasingly enjoyed wealth and privilege without any corresponding responsibilities. The evolving constitutional settlement, while it gradually defined the role of the monarch, left the heir in a kind of limbo without any function beyond simply waiting to succeed.

    • @ReadingthePast
      @ReadingthePast  2 года назад +66

      It can’t be conducive to having an affectionate relationship if you think your child is counting down the minutes to your death 😬

    • @yensid4294
      @yensid4294 2 года назад +5

      Very perceptive & insightful observation 👍

  • @Laramaria2
    @Laramaria2 2 года назад +18

    To call this marriage a "disaster" is not enough 😬

    • @ReadingthePast
      @ReadingthePast  2 года назад +10

      I agree! I had many other terms in mind but all of them had swearing which I try to avoid on this channel 😂

    • @Laramaria2
      @Laramaria2 2 года назад

      @@ReadingthePast I can relate 🤣

  • @cinemaocd1752
    @cinemaocd1752 2 года назад +10

    "Got drunk. Fell asleep in fireplace. Woke up. Consummated marriage"....what a lad. Legend....Actual LOL at the phrase "cousin wife." Priny's antics are a huge part of the subtext of Jane Austen's novels. You can imagine that for a poor, unmarried woman, dependent on male relatives for a living; a rich, profligate, lecherous ruler would have been a constant source of irritation, especially after he gave her patronage and she had to dedicate Emma to him... A rich vein to mine for satire, that's for sure....At a Jane Austen conference a few years ago we had a speaker who talked about the whole controversy around Princess Charlotte's death. There was a wide-spread belief that her physicians had killed her. Conspiracy Theory for early C19.

  • @laurashannon1177
    @laurashannon1177 2 года назад +8

    "A football field of red flags wafting in the breeze" ROFL! That is brilliant! Great video as always, Dr. Kat.

  • @m.g.4446
    @m.g.4446 2 года назад +48

    There's actually a legend in my family that we're descended from one of those unaccounted for illegitimate children. Obviously, I don't know how much, if any of this is true, but this is how I heard it from my great aunt.
    Whenever something bad would happen in the family, my great aunt's mother (my great grandmother) would say, "Well, there is *bad blood* in the family." My great aunt always wondered what she meant by that, but never got an answer until her uncle (my great grandmother's brother) told her that one of our ancestors had been a servant who had an "encounter" with the the king of England and had a bastard child. When my great grandmother found out that her brother had told my great aunt, she was furious because she had hoped the knowledge would die with their generation.
    The mother died and her child went into the care of her sisters who refused to take the money that she had been receiving from the royal family because it was "dirty money." A couple generations later, my great, great grandmother and her sisters agreed to sign a statement that would basically relinquish any claims of Hanoverian descent in an attempt to cover up that they were descended from a bastard.
    Whether any of this story is true, it's unfortunate that it took four generations and over 100 years for my ancestor to stop being slut shamed.

    • @leonieromanes7265
      @leonieromanes7265 2 года назад +4

      That's so sad.

    • @m.g.4446
      @m.g.4446 2 года назад +2

      @@leonieromanes7265 Yep.

    • @krawlb4walking802
      @krawlb4walking802 2 года назад +6

      Especially, when they probably were forced into that situation.

    • @mariag.215
      @mariag.215 2 года назад

      Some of the story might be true, but I doubt anyone would care generations later about an illegitimate child born to the well-known womanizer uncle. It wouldn't even be scandalous, just something expect from him. George IV's brother, William IV, had plenty of acknowledged illegitimate children and no one did anything about it. Also, there's no need to relinquish claims to the Hanoverian descent, because children born out of wedlock wouldn't be part of the royal house and they wouldn't even have the right to use their father's surname. They were basically nothing in the eyes of the law. And as I already said, it wouldn't be a scandal either.

    • @janebaker966
      @janebaker966 2 года назад

      I read a book by someone who claimed to be a descendant of one of Mrs Fitzherberts children by Prince George. I can't remember the title or author but it involved a PAYNE family. It was well researched but there were gaps that the author had filled in by "intuition".

  • @SeGG8791
    @SeGG8791 2 года назад +125

    I had previously learned of Maria Fitzherbert's relationship with George IV, but was completely unaware of the circumstances of their marriage. Yikes! Thank you for teaching me something new, and for including your disclaimer about toxic behaviors and coercive relationships. I feel like there's a need for more discussions about figures from history behaving as such, and how to combat the romanticism of that behavior that persists to this day.

    • @--enyo--
      @--enyo-- 2 года назад +14

      100 percent. Regardless of who is doing it that sort of behaviour is coercive and manipulative. I feel really sorry for her.

  • @knittersandcritters7365
    @knittersandcritters7365 2 года назад +60

    I've read a lot about this couple, and still it all sounds shocking every single time. Thank you for adding your comment about toxic behavior not being romantic, there is so much of this happening, and I feel bad for young people trapped in these situations and not recognizing them for the manipulation and control that they are. Ok, now I feel suitably old.

    • @jasperhorace7147
      @jasperhorace7147 2 года назад +7

      At least today it is easier and more acceptable to find a way out of an abusive relationship. Poor Caroline had the added burden of being the one without power too. Twice without power really - because she was a woman and because she came from an obscure German Duchy to marry a Prince of Wales. Considering all that, she did very well at making George uncomfortable.
      Yes, I agree with Dr Kat, a visit to The Pavilion in Brighton is well worthwhile. It is completely OTT. It represents all that is eccentric and entitled in the prince regent.

  • @62345005
    @62345005 2 года назад +68

    Excellent video, as always, but I needed to comment on your warning of toxic relationships. You are a wonderful person to point that behaviour is not romantic and help is needed.

  • @HilaryElizabeth9
    @HilaryElizabeth9 2 года назад +7

    "I'm just gonna pause to point out for whomever needs to hear it that this -- is not romantic. It's coercive, and it's abusive. There are a football field of red flags wafting in the breeze in relation to this. If you are anywhere near a situation like this, you call for a welfare check, and then you walk -- nay you run -- away."
    ^^ Your way with words is amazing. This quote demonstrates your wit and just how prescient you are able to make these videos.

  • @jflan92
    @jflan92 2 года назад +10

    I learnt about the marriage of George, Prince of Wales and Princess Caroline of Brunswick from a brilliant book 'An Unruly Queen: The Life Of Queen Caroline' by Flora Fraser. I feel that Princess Caroline was unfairly judged for her alleged behaviours, both in public & in court. Princess Caroline knew of the affair between Prince George and Lady Frances Jersey before she arrived in Britain as someone sent an anonymous letter directly to Princess Caroline when she was living in Brunswick. Lord Malmesbury was both shocked and furious when he was confronted by Princess Caroline over the anonymous letter. He tried to dismiss the letter as fraudulent but Princess Caroline wasn't fooled by his reassurances. This is why the first meeting between Princess Caroline and Lady Jersey didn't go well because Lady Jersey was quite rude and offhand towards Princess Caroline. Lady Jersey's atrocious attitude earned Lord Malmesbury's contempt towards her and he wanted nothing to do with the Prince of Wales & his mistress after that.

    • @tahlia__nerds_out
      @tahlia__nerds_out 2 года назад +1

      Thanks for mentioning that book; I want to check it out now

  • @kimberlyperrotis8962
    @kimberlyperrotis8962 2 года назад +30

    I always thought George IV was a worthless person. All he did was over-indulge himself in every possible way during his entire life, he was a monster of selfishness.

    • @Hugin-N-Munin
      @Hugin-N-Munin 2 года назад

      Mad, bad, sad and fat

    • @janebaker966
      @janebaker966 2 года назад

      So did the whole population of Great Britain. At the time EVERYONE thought George was fat and useless and they resented knowing all the tax they paid went into his overindulgences.

  • @QueenCityHistory
    @QueenCityHistory 2 года назад +22

    I would LOVE to see you do a video on Frederick prince of Wales and his wife Augusta and the horrible and extremely vindictive relationship with his parents George II and Caroline. I've heard a little about it but I'm sure you can shed a better light on the story

  • @cindyschell6870
    @cindyschell6870 2 года назад +6

    The story of George IV and his love life always reminded me of a soap opera!

  • @laceneil4570
    @laceneil4570 2 года назад +11

    "Queen Caroline, we implore
    To go away and sin no more"
    As sung by the jeering crowds to Caroline as she left the abbey. I feel sorry for the poor woman, she didn't have a chance to live her best life.
    I've visited the Pavillion, it's well worth it.

    • @lilymarinovic1644
      @lilymarinovic1644 Год назад +4

      "Most gracious Queen,.we thee implore/to go away and sin no more/or, if that effort be too great/to go away, at any rate..."
      Vicious! Poor woman was probably quite ill at the time, she only died a few weeks later.

  • @theclassicso8094
    @theclassicso8094 2 года назад +49

    I knew bits and pieces about George IV and Caroline of Brunswick. This video filled in so many of the missing pieces. As always, you gave us a wonderful presentation of these people and how toxic this marriage was. The real tragedy of it all is the death of Princess Charlotte following the stillborn birth of her child. Thank you for your astute research and presentation. I loved it.

    • @jennierayner2152
      @jennierayner2152 2 года назад +3

      the library I work in holds a serial called Ackermann's Repository, it ran from around 1810 to 1830...there's an issue that's almost dedicated to Charlotte after her death, it's such a stunning outpour of public grief. She was clearly much loved.

  • @jpr455
    @jpr455 2 года назад +17

    I can never get my head round what is must have been like for these poor women who were brought from a foreign country to marry a man they had never met. (George III and his wife Charlotte married on the same day they met. )
    I do think that Prince George was a real spoilt brat. Having agreed to the marriage, he should have made more effort to get along with his wife. ( If she was smelly, someone should have had a tactful word with her ladies. ) Caroline seems to have been a strong willed women, I bet she was a lot more fun to be around than her spoilt, drunkard husband!

  • @dangerosajones3981
    @dangerosajones3981 2 года назад +5

    It's a primary example of a marriage that just shouldn't have been, and in which there were no winners. Only losers. Especially their daughter.

  • @KitOfTheWeirdWoods
    @KitOfTheWeirdWoods 2 года назад +19

    Wow, I never knew much about Caroline of Brunswick, beyond that brief mention in Blackadder the Third, but now I love her! Thank you for this video!
    Also, poor Mrs Fitzherbert, what a piece of work George was!

  • @ladyicondraco
    @ladyicondraco 2 года назад +11

    Thank you so much for pointing out how threatening to injure oneself is manipulation, not romance!

  • @AC-el7lx
    @AC-el7lx 2 года назад +14

    I feel so ignorant, I had heard the Victoria's predecessor was a raging drunk and womanizer. I had never heard of his marriage OR his daughter Charlotte. I've dug into monarchs and royal families for the past several years as an almost 50 year old woman of UK blood, but born and raised in the U.S., I'm shocked I hadn't heard most of these juicy tidbits. Well done, I've enjoyed your content for almost a year now (digging into all your videos in the past) and get excited when I see you've uploaded a new video. This one answered a lot of questions for me. Thanks Dr. Kat!

    • @leonieromanes7265
      @leonieromanes7265 2 года назад +3

      The British Royal family has always been pretty dysfunctional.😁

    • @EmeraldAngelEyes
      @EmeraldAngelEyes 2 года назад +5

      Don't forget William IV between George IV and Victoria. There is even more to discover about the royal family and their foibles.

  • @dianebutler5977
    @dianebutler5977 Год назад +1

    Fascinating story which once again brings meaning to the phrase...'the truth is stranger than fiction'... Both were guilty of adultery; however, I feel for Caroline as she was aware of one of George's mistresses upon her arrival in England. She appears to me as a wild young lady, wanting to be noticed and hoping to be the 'centre' of someone's world, she must have been very disappointed; very sad indeed!

  • @heatherjones6647
    @heatherjones6647 2 года назад +5

    My favourite description of Caroline has to be Blackadder telling Baldrick all about it.

  • @nannalange6696
    @nannalange6696 2 года назад +23

    I would love a series of bad historical relationship advice

    • @angie.2757
      @angie.2757 2 года назад +4

      I would love it too

  • @maggie_oshea
    @maggie_oshea 2 года назад +16

    As always, a history well told. Sounds like a miserable experience for both of them, that affected a lot more people than just themselves!

  • @floraposteschild4184
    @floraposteschild4184 2 года назад +19

    I pounced when I saw you were taking on this topic. I heard of it first when Charles and Diana were having their marital struggles, and have been fascinated by royal messiness ever since.

    • @grievousangelic
      @grievousangelic 2 года назад +10

      There are some interesting parallels, for certain. I don't think Charles was ever that kind of abuser, but emotionally distant certainly comes to mind. Check out "The Unruly Queen" by Flora Fraser for some interesting reading.

    • @floraposteschild4184
      @floraposteschild4184 2 года назад

      @@grievousangelic Thanks! I will.

    • @AJA-ie5uu
      @AJA-ie5uu 2 года назад

      @@grievousangelic Excellent book. (And so many interesting parallels!)

  • @Natalie_11188
    @Natalie_11188 2 года назад +5

    I had to wait to watch this one, but I have read a lot about this couple in Eleanor Herman’s “Sex with the Queen”.
    I agree- it’s up there as far as toxicity.
    Supposedly Caroline said in response to accusations of her affairs “I have committed adultery but once, and that with the husband of Mrs FitzHerbert.”

  • @MSK-jd5fi
    @MSK-jd5fi 2 года назад +2

    I so love Dr. Kat’s dry humor, shown here to great effect with the “nobody called for anyone to be beheaded” comment.

  • @be6715
    @be6715 2 года назад +5

    I wonder how many know that the poem 'Georgie Porgie' was written about George IV? There also was a series about him back in the late 70's, early 80's with Hugh Laurie (I think) in the title role? As a reader of Regency fiction, which contains a lot of history, George IV time was always interesting to me, so not a lot of new ground here, but good to hear about it again. It is interesting to see the cartoons of the day and how very unrestrained they were. The Victorian era to me is the very epitome of the rebound effect of the permissiveness of the Regency era. At least, permissiveness for men. For women, unless very rich, AND independent, which didn't often go together, it was an entirely different story. Good video!

  • @jennaolbermann7663
    @jennaolbermann7663 2 года назад +9

    Dr. Kat I appreciate that you remarked about how to handle a situation of manipulation and control. My ex husband tried to keep me in the marriage by threatening self harm. I called his counselor about it and he ended up doing nothing.

  • @kridswonderhowell4541
    @kridswonderhowell4541 2 года назад +1

    'I'm going to stop here ..... whoever needs to hear this..... this is NOT ROMANTIC! " OMG ..... I spit out my food right onto my phone !!! I adore your insight and commentary!!!

  • @jaqqiherrera2917
    @jaqqiherrera2917 2 года назад +5

    "Walk...Nay, you run away!" I actually cackled at this, a very accurate thing one should do in such a situation. I love watching your videos and I feel much more educated with each video I watch

  • @conemadam
    @conemadam 2 года назад +31

    Having spent my formative years obsessed with reading every word that Georgette Heyer wrote, « Prinny » was referred to but not much. Jane Austen confirmed my wish to have been born into a wealthy and respected Regency family. The bubble was burst when I found out about what was really happening. I was flabbergasted to learn from Lord Malmsbury thatCaroline didn’t wash( yuck!)and The Prince Régent was an obese …say….disappointment. What a crazy pair of first cousins ! Thanks so much for bringing this awful story to our attention! It’s pathetic, but it still makes me titter.

    • @silva7493
      @silva7493 2 года назад +7

      I've heard that not washing was not at all uncommon. Or bathing anyway, more than once a year was considered unhealthy. Here in America the natives were said to have literally been able to detect the English settlers coming from a mile away.

    • @conemadam
      @conemadam 2 года назад +4

      @@silva7493 i was simply reducing into two images - unhygienic vs obese-what was a very complex and tragic pairing.

    • @BoninBrighton
      @BoninBrighton 2 года назад

      The Prince was used to bathing in the sea at Brighton at will so was his court.

  • @beverleightodd5710
    @beverleightodd5710 2 года назад +8

    I would love you do do one about Catherine de Medici and Diane de Poitier, and the relationship with Henri II.

  • @kathleenweigelt3183
    @kathleenweigelt3183 2 года назад +10

    Thank you Dr Kat for another great video. I live in Brighton, so took a special interest in todays topic. I love to have tea in the gardens of Prinnie's Beach Hut by the sea. Nearby is Steine House, Maria Fitzherbert's residence, which now used by YMCA. There is said to be secret tunnel running between Steine House and the Pavilion. Maria's buried at John the Baptist Church in Kemptown.
    I think Maria was very hard done by, by the Prince Regent. But Caroline, I can't help having a sneaking admiration for her. She wasn't going to put up with Georgie's bull.
    If you visit Brighton you can see a pair of George's britches in the museum. They're enormous!

    • @ReadingthePast
      @ReadingthePast  2 года назад +8

      I lived in Brighton for a decade, it is where I met my husband and lived with him for the first time (in a minuscule attic flat off St James’ Street) - Brighton and it’s history will always hold a very special place in my heart ❤️

  • @memyselfi8461
    @memyselfi8461 2 года назад +5

    Dude imagine a whole series on nightmare toxic royal marriages! My insomnia would totally appreciate something like that lol

  • @freedpeeb
    @freedpeeb 2 года назад +6

    You know there are eerie echoes of Charles and Diana in this.

  • @eshim3961
    @eshim3961 2 года назад +7

    Dr Kat covering one of my favorite tragi comic Royal marriages was a dream come true for me today. I came homes from a long, grueling day at work, but I was wide awake, and hanging on every word when she went over this. Excellent as always!

  • @linniem0529
    @linniem0529 Год назад +1

    Thank you for addressing the abuses in his relationships.

  • @debraturner4559
    @debraturner4559 2 года назад +4

    I think Charolette analyzed her parents correctly in her famous assessment, and its why her mother also had the support of her father-in-law, George III. Son George was more horrible than Caroline who was disrepected and stopped from performing her duties from the day she arrived in the UK. I'm surprised Parliament didn't step in to give her the Queen Consort title once her juvenille husband became King. I guess that body of government didn't want to intervene. Caroline was left without a marriage, the role of becoming a British Queen, the chance to raise her daugher and have other children, so I have smpathy for her. George choose her and to get married for his own benefit, and he then started toxicity between them.

  • @DneilB007
    @DneilB007 2 года назад +6

    It’s kinda weird to say, but I think that Horrible Histories may have made the relationships that George IV had with his dad & wife look healthier than they were.

  • @dhoward8816
    @dhoward8816 2 года назад +7

    Great advice for abused women! Nice job!

  • @rodneyferris4089
    @rodneyferris4089 2 года назад +6

    Lucy Worsely’s delightful documentary on the Regency is a wonderful insight into the people’s thoughts on King/Prince George. One of the Palace interpreters recited the old saw: “ Bad Sad and Fat” so far we’ve dodged other bullets with King Edward VII and Edward VIII. #VII took his Royal duty seriously # VIII declared to Wallis that if she left him he’d do himself in! Your advice? “Ask for the welfare cheque and make speedy retreat!”
    I’m truly glad that our Prince of Wales has settled into his duty, no matter how some of us feel about the state of grace of his morganatic marriage. At least both are showing great signs of regal intent! God save the Queen!

    • @pat412pear
      @pat412pear 2 года назад

      Bad, Sad, Mad and Fat was what I was taught.

    • @rodneyferris4089
      @rodneyferris4089 2 года назад

      Heehee! I missed the Mad part! I’m old what can I say?! 🙃💨

  • @molnotmole3428
    @molnotmole3428 2 года назад +2

    I never thought about him being high & surrounded by intense paintings like that. Hope he had some terrify dreams

  • @catherineseear7069
    @catherineseear7069 2 года назад +1

    What a hideous marriage Caroline found herself in. Who could blame her for trying to find some comfort elsewhere? It’s okay for him, but not her. Having been in an abusive marriage I can see that if your partner has power like this he will use it constantly to blame, shame, hold the purse strings & withhold access to children. Her husband and the government were against her!
    I wouldn’t want to marry a Prince for love nor money!

  • @beverleightodd5710
    @beverleightodd5710 2 года назад +35

    Loved this as I am a Georgian/recency fan. The one thing that struck was that Edward VIII also threatened to kill himself if Mrs Wallis left him.

    • @christopherbrown5409
      @christopherbrown5409 2 года назад +6

      *Mrs/Wallis Simpson... Wow; I didn't know that... I hope Dr Kat will do a vid on them, though I know they're much more modern

    • @sandrahart6033
      @sandrahart6033 2 года назад

      That’s exactly where my mind went! They were both petulant man children that used potential suicide as a means to control the women that they decided that they must have 🤯😡

    • @cassiemontgomery45
      @cassiemontgomery45 2 года назад +9

      It must run in the family; the Windsors are descended from the Hanovers.

    • @leonieromanes7265
      @leonieromanes7265 2 года назад +18

      @@christopherbrown5409 its true, Edward used suicide as a threat to coerce Wallis to be with him. I think Britain dodged a bullet when Edward abdicated.

  • @realitycheck4842
    @realitycheck4842 2 года назад +4

    Love everything about you and your videos. You can match facial expressions to each video, and some are hilarious. Your sense of humor is amazing. Thank you for all your hard work.

  • @lillianmcgrew217
    @lillianmcgrew217 Год назад +1

    This is so sad 😔

  • @lindsaydrewe8219
    @lindsaydrewe8219 2 года назад +2

    Apart from Blackadder 3rd and Horrible Histories I didn't know a lot about him. Thanks for this.

  • @michaellewis6510
    @michaellewis6510 Год назад

    Thank you for a detailed description of this very unfortunate marriage. I have to admire Caroline. The poor daughter 😢

  • @kathrn2577
    @kathrn2577 2 года назад

    It finally happened. RUclips mysteriously unsubscribed me. Not only from this channel, but from all of my favorites! I'm so glad you warned us.

  • @Marcsika72
    @Marcsika72 2 года назад +2

    Thank you for bringing history close to us, talking about people from hundreds of years ago as they were our neighbours. This is very entertaining :-)

  • @shorty9273
    @shorty9273 2 года назад +4

    The reason why I love Friday is I get a new video from yourself Dr Kat :D I used to pop into the Caroline of Brunswick pub, just up from the Pavillion on a night in Brighton. Now I have the history lesson to go with it, thanks

    • @ReadingthePast
      @ReadingthePast  2 года назад +2

      Is the Caroline of Brunswick pub still open on the Level? Maybe pop in for a beer to spite George 😂

    • @shorty9273
      @shorty9273 2 года назад +2

      @@ReadingthePast It is still there, she is a strong one!

  • @mariavi33
    @mariavi33 Год назад +2

    Poor Maria Fitzherbert, her situation sounds like a complete nightmare

    • @Lionstar16
      @Lionstar16 Год назад

      A wife and yet not a wife in the eyes of the law

  • @MorningSong8
    @MorningSong8 2 года назад +5

    As always, another great video. My only complaint is that I cannot get enough of your channel. Well done, my dear. 😄

  • @Beach_flower
    @Beach_flower 3 дня назад

    10:10 your advice here should be mandatory viewing for every teenager in the world getting ready to begin their dating lives!!! ❤

  • @johndavidwestby
    @johndavidwestby Год назад +1

    Have been fascinated by this totally toxic mismatched pair. Thank you for putting it into a succinct storyline. so much recrimination and vitriol and poor charlotte, who must have been seen as a light in the darkness as heir, and then her untimely death. Ugh. she deserves her own movie.

  • @lauratittensor2691
    @lauratittensor2691 2 года назад +1

    The description of Caroline sounds like the descriptions used for fergie in the modern royal family

  • @prettysimplemum
    @prettysimplemum 2 года назад +1

    Absolutely well done on the calling abuse abuse and to suggest a welfare check. Thank you for giving us history but also being clear on healthy behaviours.

  • @C4RYB34R
    @C4RYB34R 15 дней назад

    I Love all the tiny animals behind you.

  • @mellieemerton3080
    @mellieemerton3080 2 года назад +6

    How many of the Villiers family became mistresses or lovers of the royal family?

    • @ReadingthePast
      @ReadingthePast  2 года назад +8

      I’m going to investigate this!

    • @mellieemerton3080
      @mellieemerton3080 2 года назад +3

      @@ReadingthePast fabulous! I look forward to seeing the video

  • @jenneal297
    @jenneal297 2 года назад +3

    Oh I am so happy to see one of your episodes! I am recovering from surgery and this is a much needed distraction 😌

  • @catgladwell5684
    @catgladwell5684 2 года назад

    I love the way Dr Kat says "the miserable marriage of 'this' prince and princess of Wales". Plus ça change...

  • @thequeen321
    @thequeen321 Год назад +1

    Whilst we’re talking about George IV I would highly recommend the tv series called prince regent

    • @Lionstar16
      @Lionstar16 Год назад

      I have that TV series on DVD and absolutely love it - it's for the most part historical accurate, has amazing costuming and Peter Egan was perfectly cast as George

  • @IntrepidFraidyCat
    @IntrepidFraidyCat 2 года назад

    Whenever I think of Princess Charlotte, I'm reminded of the quote by John Greenleaf Whittier- "For all sad words of tongue and pen, the saddest are these, “It might have been.”
    I'm just brushing up on the Georges for History After Dark's Deceased Git episode! LOL! 👑😆

  • @ashleydavis1937
    @ashleydavis1937 Год назад

    The look on your face after telling us about how George threatened to remove his bandages if Maria didn't come to him!😅

  • @LKMNOP
    @LKMNOP 22 дня назад

    Something that most channels, not yours, failed to mention is that the people liked Carolyn. She was popular with the English people. And they resented George's treatment of her.

  • @margarethoskins6625
    @margarethoskins6625 2 года назад +4

    This relationship is similar the WALLIS Simpson and duke of Windsor who also threatened similar things to keep her.

  • @csmith63
    @csmith63 Год назад +1

    If you've never seen A Royal Scandal from 1997, it's a hilarious must add to your rainy day watch list! (If History after Dark ever does a feature on movies that skewer the past in the most delicious way and still manage to have some bits that are reasonably in line with the broad official strokes, it needs to get featured!) There's good reason it was made in that particular year that had nothing to do with the DISTANT past so much as astonishingly similar stories playing out in the present, but it's still an ok historical anyone who's going to be putting on a similar play as the expected entertainment you must provide as part of your Phi Alpha Theta induction (as we traditionally do on this side of the pond) can take notes!

  • @MyTinyBalcony
    @MyTinyBalcony 2 года назад

    Your face at 2:20 says it all... HAHAHA... Volatile is an understatement for these 2,.

  • @rachelhayes3376
    @rachelhayes3376 2 года назад +4

    As an American, I know very little of George VI, as the U.S. was just in its infancy and history class did not focus on world events. However, I now understand why Jane Austen (who had to dedicate Emma to him) did not like him.

  • @mikalbell8125
    @mikalbell8125 2 года назад +2

    George used emotional blackmail against Mariah Fitzherbert.

  • @lpronovost84
    @lpronovost84 2 года назад +4

    Thank you Dr.Katt for your amazing channel

  • @diggerfan1936
    @diggerfan1936 2 года назад +5

    Great video as always Dr. Kat!

  • @BTScriviner
    @BTScriviner 2 года назад +1

    Why was Caroline so beloved in the first place?

  • @archer1949
    @archer1949 2 года назад +1

    The fact that the British monarchy survived George IV is a small miracle.

  • @lwoods1940
    @lwoods1940 2 года назад +6

    Thank you so much for your insightful, educational, and entertaining content.

  • @WilliamHorsley1962
    @WilliamHorsley1962 2 года назад

    Hi Dr. Haven't been able to watch much RUclips lately and now that I have time to relax I find that a good story teller is the best way to relax and in America relaxation is a very difficult state of mind to achieve ! Thank you for that Dr Katt . Sincerely William Horsley

  • @katharper655
    @katharper655 2 года назад

    Dr. Kat. .I WAS one of the ticked-off ones unceremoniously dropped from your channel. AT LONG LAST I have re-discovered your delightful videos! The RUclips deities being merciful, I shall REMAIN YOUR DEVOTED VIEWER-AND NAMESAKE KAT HARPER-JENNINGS.

  • @heatherrobinson6087
    @heatherrobinson6087 18 дней назад

    Thank you for pointing out that threatening self harm to manipulate someone else is abuse and not romance :)

  • @hyperactivehyperbole
    @hyperactivehyperbole 2 года назад +2

    Very interesting, thanks for sharing and all the time dedicated to making it!🙏

  • @susannjarvis5587
    @susannjarvis5587 2 года назад

    Another interesting and insightful video. Thank you. And I loved your statement regarding Prince George's coercion of Maria Fitzherbert: ". . .a football field of red flags waving in the wind" A wonderful visual and one worth remembering whenever I suspect that I'm being manipulated.

    • @mickimicki
      @mickimicki 2 года назад

      I think she said "wafting". I loved the picture too.

  • @LoriLikeBAMM18
    @LoriLikeBAMM18 2 года назад

    “Then you wal- nay run away” 😂😂😂😂☠️

  • @whitniedouglass611
    @whitniedouglass611 Год назад

    Just like most royals, this sounds like both are victims of circumstances. George of being born to a royal family, Maria and Caroline and Charolte of being entangled, estranged and born without much choice as women of the time. That's why we look to history to see how to do it better, and sometimes we get it right. Thank you, this video was amazing.

  • @SebastianGrimthwayte
    @SebastianGrimthwayte 2 года назад +1

    I absolutely love your tone and facial expressions when discussing this marriage! Delightful!

  • @claireconolly8355
    @claireconolly8355 2 года назад +2

    Thank you for the red flag warning!! Always good for the reminder 👏👍🧡

  • @elisebrodeur-jacobs5215
    @elisebrodeur-jacobs5215 2 года назад

    I love your voice. You are most soothing and very enjoyable to listen too. Thank you!

  • @Saezimmerman
    @Saezimmerman 2 года назад +1

    Thanks for this fascinating video. I'm honestly floored by the amount of money this unstable man managed to throw away.

  • @annfisher3316
    @annfisher3316 2 года назад

    Let's share this wonderful history channel far and wide, Dr Kat is so close to 100,000 subscribers!
    Bravo!👍👏

  • @clairefreewheelin1530
    @clairefreewheelin1530 2 года назад +1

    Every single aspect of this was brilliant. Well done, you've certainly hit your groove. Its really lovely to see.

  • @patriciadean5320
    @patriciadean5320 2 года назад +2

    You’re a very informative and interesting historian