Princess Caroline of Gloucester
Prince William Frederick, Duke of Gloucester
HRH Prince William[1]
Leicester House, Westminster
St Anne, London
Gloucester House, Westminster
St George's Chapel, Windsor
| Prince William | |
|---|---|
| Duke of Gloucester and Edinburgh | |
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| Duke of Gloucester and Edinburgh | |
| Successor | Prince William Frederick of Gloucester |
| Spouse | Maria Walpole |
| Issue | |
| Princess Sophia of Gloucester Princess Caroline of Gloucester Prince William Frederick, Duke of Gloucester |
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| Full name | |
| William Henry | |
| Titles and styles | |
| HRH The Duke of Gloucester HRH Prince William[1] |
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| Royal house | House of Hanover |
| Father | Frederick, Prince of Wales |
| Mother | Princess Augusta of Saxe-Gotha |
| Born | 25 November 1743 Leicester House, Westminster |
| Baptised | 6 December 1743 St Anne, London |
| Died | 25 August 1805 (aged 61) Gloucester House, Westminster |
| Burial | 4 September 1805 St George's Chapel, Windsor |
Prince William, Duke of Gloucester and Edinburgh KG PC FRS (William Henry[1]; 25 November 1743 – 25 August 1805) was a member of the British Royal Family, a grandson of George II and a younger brother of George III.
Contents |
Prince William[2] was born at Leicester House, London. His father was The Prince Frederick, Prince of Wales, eldest son of King George II and Caroline of Ansbach. His mother was The Princess of Wales (née Augusta of Saxe-Gotha). He was christened at Leicester House eleven days later. His godparents were his paternal uncle by marriage, The Prince of Orange; his paternal uncle, The Duke of Cumberland; and his paternal aunt, The Princess Amelia Sophia. As a grandchild of the sovereign, he was styled His Royal Highness Prince William at birth. He was fourth in the line of succession at birth.
Prince William later joined the British Army. His father died in 1751, leaving the Prince's elder brother, Prince George, heir-apparent to the throne. He succeeded as George III on 25 October 1760, and created William Duke of Gloucester and Edinburgh and Earl of Connaught on 19 November 1764[3]. He had been made a Knight of the Garter on 27 May 1762, and invested on 22 September of that year[4].
The Duke was Warden of Windsor Forest and resided at Cranbourne Lodge. He was most known for his secret marriage 1766 to Maria Walpole, the Dowager Countess of Waldegrave, an illegitimate granddaughter of Sir Robert Walpole, from nearby Frogmore House. This marriage and that of his brother prompted the passing of the Royal Marriages Act 1772. They lived at St Leonard's Hill in Clewer, near Windsor, and had three children:
Princess Caroline died aged nine months following a smallpox inoculation, intended to protect her from the disease[5]. As great-grandchildren in the male line of King George II, Prince William's children were styled Highness from birth and used the territorial designation of Gloucester in conjunction with their princely styles. After William Frederick married his cousin Princess Mary, he and his surviving sister Sophia received the style of Royal Highness.
The Duke also had an illegitimate daughter by his mistress Lady Almeria Carpenter, a daughter of the Earl of Tyrconnell.
The Duke was appointed (in an honorary fashion) to Colonel of the 13th Regiment of Foot, 3rd Regiment of Foot Guards, and 1st Regiment of Foot Guards, and he became a Field Marshal on 12 October 1793.
He served as the thirteenth Chancellor of Trinity College, Dublin from 1771 to 1805.
He died at Gloucester House in London.
William was granted use of the arms of the kingdom, differenced by a label argent of five points, the centre bearing a fleur-de-lys azure, the other points each bearing a cross gules.[6]
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Prince William Henry, Duke of Gloucester and Edinburgh
Cadet branch of the House of Welf
Born: 14 November 1743 Died: 25 August 1805 |
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| Military offices | ||
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| Preceded by Harry Pulteney |
Colonel of the 13th Regiment of Foot 1766–1767 |
Succeeded by James Murray |
| Preceded by The Earl of Rothes |
Colonel of the 3rd Regiment of Foot Guards 1767–1770 |
Succeeded by The Earl of Loudoun |
| Preceded by The Earl Ligonier |
Colonel of the 1st Regiment of Foot Guards 1770–1805 |
Succeeded by The Duke of York and Albany |
| Peerage of Great Britain | ||
| New creation | Duke of Gloucester & Edinburgh 1764–1805 |
Succeeded by Prince William Frederick |
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