[1817] - Princess Charlotte dies in childbirth

Princess Charlotte Augusta of Wales (1796–1817) was the only child of the Prince Regent (subsequently George IV) and Caroline of Brunswick. She would have become Queen of England had she outlived her father, but she died in childbirth on 6 November 1817. In 1813 she had reluctantly agreed to marry Prince William of Orange, but she subsequently broke off the engagement, a decision that deeply angered her father. On 2 May 1816, however, she married Prince Leopold of Saxe-Coburg and lived in Esher in Surrey. In November 1817 a 54-hour labour resulted in the birth of a stillborn son. Five hours later, Princess Charlotte died. The Prince Regent was prostrated with grief, and the nation at large entered a period of mourning. In the aftermath of her death Sir Richard Croft, the accoucheur (or midwife) who presided over the birth, committed suicide.

Useful Links and Further Reading