She was a popular princess who became a successful queen whose influence helped make vaccination an important medical process. And yet her untimely death saw her forgotten as the royal dynasty she helped form became more famous. But this queen called Caroline had a sweet time as consort and her impact remains today.
A popular princess
Caroline of Ansbach first arrived in England as the House of Hanover took power. She was Princess of Wales from 1714 to 1727; her father-in-law, King George I, inherited the throne upon Queen Anne’s death and began the Hanoverian dynasty.
She remains one of the most interesting women to hold the title of Princess of Wales and left her mark on British society and the monarchy itself.
An enlightened education
Caroline spent much of her teenage years at the Prussian court after both of her parents died in her youth. King Frederik I and Queen Charlotte of Prussia prized intelligence at their court, and invited many mathematicians, theologians, philosophers, historians, and scientists to visit and stay.
Caroline was introduced to a number of notable figures who would influence her own interests, including the German philosopher Gottfried Leibnitz.
From royal bride to stand in consort
Caroline was chosen as a bride for Prince George Augustus of Hanover and they married in 1705. They started their family and began their married life in Hanover.
Their position changed in 1714 when Queen Anne died and King George I inherited the British throne. George had divorced his wife, Sophia Dorothea of Celle, in the 1690s after she had an affair, meaning that he did not have a consort. While he did bring his mistresses with him, he could not have them fill all roles of a consort, And so Caroline was able to stand-in when needed for official state functions as the highest-ranking women at the new king’s court.
The new court of a princess
Both Caroline and her husband worked hard to learn English traditions and customs in addition to the language, making them more popular than the older king who spoke German.
Caroline also quickly grew her own court as Princess of Wales and focused on inviting intellectuals. She continued her correspondence with many academics, including Leibnitz. Caroline is now known as an Enlightenment Princess, and it is clear why- she invited many Enlightenment figures to England and encouraged those around her to do the same.
Handel’s helper
Notably, she was a patron to George Frederic Handel, the German composer who would go on to compose the coronation anthem “Zadok the Priest”. The Princess also served as patron to many artists, and commissioned busts and paintings of previous English and British monarchs. Many of these pieces are still in the Royal Collection today.
Medical mastermind
Caroline was interested in the developing medical practice of inoculation and publicly supported attempts to introduce its use against smallpox in particular. She intervened to offer six prisoners condemned to death the chance to be given a first smallpox vaccine rather than being executed. All six survived.
She went on to have several of her children inoculated and the practise soon became more widely established.
An influential queen
Caroline became queen in 1727 when her husband ascended the throne as King George II.
Her influence over him was well noted and she had an important and wide ranging impact on his political decisions. She influenced George II’s choices of ministers and began another social project as she lobbied for penal reform although with limited success.
A tragic death
In November 1737, Caroline fell seriously ill with stomach pains at a court event. It turned out that part of her intestine had moved through a hernia she had developed after childbirth. For ten agonising days, the queen was treated but to no avail. She begged her husband to marry again and died on November 20th 1737 at the age of 54.
Queen Caroline was widely mourned and her husband rejected her wish and never wed again.
