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Princess Sophia of Gloucester (Sophia Matilda; 29 May 1773 – 29 November 1844) was a great-granddaughter of King George II of Great Britain and niece of
Princess Sophia was born in Grosvenor Street,
http://www.gazettes-online.co.uk/ViewPDF.aspx?pdf=14075&gpn=120
up to and includin
The Duke of Clarence's Wedding, 14 July 1818
After this point, (or at least after her brother's death
his funeral Gazette, 16 December 1834
the Gazette consistently styles her "Princess Sophia Matilda of Gloucester
http://www.gazettes-online.co.uk/ViewPDF.aspx?pdf=20223&gpn=154
/ref> **16 December 1834 – 29 November 1844: ''Her Royal Highness'' Princess Sophia Matilda of Gloucester As a great-granddaughter in the male-line of George II of Great Britain, George II, Sophia had the style of ''Highness'' from birth. On 22 July 1816, Sophia's brother, Prince William Frederick, Duke of Gloucester, married their cousin Princess Mary, a daughter of
King George III
George III (George William Frederick; 4 June 173829 January 1820) was King of Great Britain and of Ireland from 25 October 1760 until the union of the two kingdoms on 1 January 1801, after which he was King of the United Kingdom of Great B ...
.
Life
Princess Sophia was born in Grosvenor Street, Mayfair
Mayfair is an affluent area in the West End of London towards the eastern edge of Hyde Park, in the City of Westminster, between Oxford Street, Regent Street, Piccadilly and Park Lane. It is one of the most expensive districts in the world ...
. Her father was Prince William Henry, Duke of Gloucester and Edinburgh, the third son of The Prince Frederick, Prince of Wales. Her mother, the Duchess of Gloucester
Duke of Gloucester () is a British royal title (after Gloucester), often conferred on one of the sons of the reigning monarch. The first four creations were in the Peerage of England and the last in the Peerage of the United Kingdom; the curren ...
, born Maria Walpole, was the illegitimate daughter of Sir Edward Walpole.
She was privately baptized in a drawing room at her parents' London home, Gloucester House
Gloucester House or Gloucester Lodge is a former royal residence on the esplanade in the seaside resort of Weymouth on the south coast of England. It was the summer residence of Prince William Henry, Duke of Gloucester and Edinburgh (1743– ...
, on 26 June 1773, by Charles Moss, The Bishop of St David's. She had three godparents: The Duke of Cumberland and Strathearn, her paternal uncle; the Duchess of Cumberland and Strathearn, her aunt by marriage; and the Queen of Denmark and Norway, her paternal aunt (who was represented by a proxy). The King had been asked to stand as godfather, but he refused, upset by his brother's marriage to Maria Walpole, a commoner.
Sophia was considered as a potential bride for the Duke of Clarence and St Andrews
Duke of Clarence and St Andrews was a title awarded to a prince of the British Royal family. The creation was in the Peerage of Great Britain.
While there had been several creations of Dukes of Clarence (and there was later a Duke of Clarence ...
(who later ruled as King William IV), but she expressed no enthusiasm for the match.
She lived at Gloucester Lodge on the Gloucester Road from about 1805 and remained there after her mother's death in 1807, but by 1809 she had sold the villa to George Canning
George Canning (11 April 17708 August 1827) was a British Tory statesman. He held various senior cabinet positions under numerous prime ministers, including two important terms as Foreign Secretary, finally becoming Prime Minister of the Uni ...
. She also lived at New Lodge in Winkfield, near Windsor in Berkshire
Berkshire ( ; in the 17th century sometimes spelt phonetically as Barkeshire; abbreviated Berks.) is a historic county in South East England. One of the home counties, Berkshire was recognised by Queen Elizabeth II as the Royal County of Ber ...
.
In 1811, Sophia visited the Royal Yacht Squadron, at Northwood on the Isle of Wight
The Isle of Wight ( ) is a county in the English Channel, off the coast of Hampshire, from which it is separated by the Solent. It is the largest and second-most populous island of England. Referred to as 'The Island' by residents, the Is ...
with her brother the Duke of Gloucester: the Gloucester Hotel, by the Parade, was named in their honour.
From 1816, she held the office of Ranger of Greenwich Park and had a home at the Ranger's House, Blackheath, London
Blackheath is an area in Southeast London, straddling the border of the Royal Borough of Greenwich and the London Borough of Lewisham. It is located northeast of Lewisham, south of Greenwich and southeast of Charing Cross, the traditional ...
.
Sophia was an early patron of the new seaside town of St Leonard's on Sea, where she stayed at Gloucester Lodge on Quarry Hill in 1831. The building was formerly named the Castellated Villa but changed to Gloucester Lodge in honour of her.
She died at the Ranger's House, Blackheath, on 29 November 1844, unmarried. Princess Sophia is buried in St. George's Chapel, Windsor.
Ancestry
Titles and styles
* 29 May 1773 – 23 July 1816: ''Her Highness'' Princess Sophia of Gloucester * 23 July 1816 – 29 November 1844: ''Her Royal Highness'' Princess Sophia of Gloucester''The London Gazette'' styles her "Princess Sophia of Gloucester" consistentlhttp://www.gazettes-online.co.uk/ViewPDF.aspx?pdf=14075&gpn=120
up to and includin
The Duke of Clarence's Wedding, 14 July 1818
After this point, (or at least after her brother's death
his funeral Gazette, 16 December 1834
the Gazette consistently styles her "Princess Sophia Matilda of Gloucester
http://www.gazettes-online.co.uk/ViewPDF.aspx?pdf=20223&gpn=154
/ref> **16 December 1834 – 29 November 1844: ''Her Royal Highness'' Princess Sophia Matilda of Gloucester As a great-granddaughter in the male-line of George II of Great Britain, George II, Sophia had the style of ''Highness'' from birth. On 22 July 1816, Sophia's brother, Prince William Frederick, Duke of Gloucester, married their cousin Princess Mary, a daughter of
George III
George III (George William Frederick; 4 June 173829 January 1820) was King of Great Britain and of Ireland from 25 October 1760 until the union of the two kingdoms on 1 January 1801, after which he was King of the United Kingdom of Great Br ...
. On their wedding day, the Prince Regent
A prince regent or princess regent is a prince or princess who, due to their position in the line of succession, rules a monarchy as regent in the stead of a monarch regnant, e.g., as a result of the sovereign's incapacity (minority or illne ...
bestowed the style of ''Royal Highness'' on the Duke of Gloucester. The next day, Sophia was also bestowed with this style, giving her equal rank with her brother.
See also
*List of British princesses
The use of the title of Princess of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland is entirely at the will of the sovereign as expressed in letters patent. Individuals holding the title of princess are styled "Her Royal Highness" ( ...
* British Royal Family
*House of Hanover
The House of Hanover (german: Haus Hannover), whose members are known as Hanoverians, is a European royal house of German origin that ruled Hanover, Great Britain, and Ireland at various times during the 17th to 20th centuries. The house or ...
References