Princesses: the six daughters of George III
John Murray, 2005
King George III and Queen Charlotte of England (1760–1820) had 15 children, of which six were daughters. The King was devoted to them, but could not bear to let them go. Two of his sisters had married abroad, been ill-treated by their husbands and led very unhappy lives; the Royal Marriages Act of 1772 forbade princes and princesses to marry without the consent of their parents; and Britain's wars against France and other European nations resulted in many otherwise suitable princes being technically enemies of the King. After he became incurably insane, the Queen relied on them more and more.
They were known collectively as ‘the nunnery', and only three were lucky enough to marry, two of them in middle age. Charlotte and Elizabeth married German princes, Mary one of her cousins at home, while the other three – Augusta, Sophia and Amelia - had secret love affairs, Sophia producing an illegitimate child. All had strong personalities, and this book tells the complex, often sad tale of the princesses.
The review of this Book prepared by John Van der Kiste