Inasmuch as I had had no response to the original posting in an extended time, I did was not sure this AH was of any interest to anyone. However; since there has been interest recently expressed, I thought I might post Part Two of this biography at this time. Thanks for your time and attention.
Introduction- This WI hypothesizes what might have happened had Princess Charlotte of Wales's son been born alive and what this might have meant for the Hanoverians, Coburgs, British, Europe and the world. As I update the story, I will also update the 'vital stats' of my protagonist's life. My schedule preclude me from posting updates more frequently than on a monthly basis but I welcome constructive criticisms and comments over this.
POD- After a labor of more than two days, on November 5,1817, 21-year-old Princess Charlotte of Wales (the wife of Prince Leopold of Saxe-Coburg Saalfeld- and the only legitimate child of George, Prince of Wales[Prince Regent of Great Britain for King George III ] gave birth to a stillborn son who went unnamed but termed ‘a Prince’ in genealogical accounting . Despite the physician having brought forceps, those had never been used and the child evidently was strangled in the birth canal while the physicians waited for his mother to give birth. Eight hours later, early in the morning of November 6th, Princess Charlotte of Wales herself died of a hemorrhage- and it was these dual deaths that would have great impact on both the Hanoverian and Saxe-Coburg Dynasties thereafter. This alt history hypothesizes one possible outcome had the baby boy been born alive but his mother Princess Charlotte of Wales died nonetheless (not an uncommon event even amongst noble families in the 18th Century).
Alexander I, King of Great Britain and Ireland ( November 5,1817- )( H.R.H. Prince Alexander of Saxe-Coburg Saalfeld and Great Britain and Ireland-,Duke of Durham November 6,1817- June 26,1830)(reigned 1830-1835, ruled 1835- ). (Father-Prince Leopold of Saxe-Coburg Saalfeld[later Saxe-Coburg Gotha] -1790- [Prince Regent of Great Britain and Ireland 1830-1835] (Mother- Charlotte, Princess Leopold of Saxe-Coburg Saalfeld born Princess Charlotte of Wales (1796-November 6,1817).
Here is a link to Part One.
https://www.alternatehistory.com/discussion/showthread.php?t=143089
Morning of June 26,1830. King George IV had just breathed his last and his oldest surviving brother, William, Duke of Clarence [now William I, King of Hanover] had just departed for his own new kingdom, leaving the 12-year-old new king of Great Britain and Ireland to await the arrival of his father HRH, Prince Leopold of Saxe-Coburg Gotha.
"Who goes there?" the Windsor guards were heard to call from directly outside the Great Hall.
"His Highness, the Prince Leopold- Regent to His Majesty!" was heard replied.
"You can't let him in! Grandpapa's hardly breathed his last!" Alexander pleaded.
"Forgive me, Your Majesty but Parliament has long proclaimed him to be Regent for the duration of your minority!" the Lord Chamberlain insisted.
While the Durham Regiment attempted to put themselves in front of Alexander to try to forestall the inevitable, Alexander merely nodded to indicate that he had to face it alone which sent them running back.
"Son! It is pointless to resist," Leopold shouted from behind the door.
"Father, I know that you must are to be my Regent and. .." Alexander started to say.
"Congratulations to Your Majesty! The House of Saxe-Coburg now reigns over Great Britain and its dominions!" Leopold proclaimed as he entered the Great Hall and bowed to Alexander.
"But Grandpapa is. .." Alexander started to say in shock.
"A mere happenstance and no real loss to the Kingdom, "Leopold sniffed.
"What are you. ..?" Alexander started to ask.
"The first order of business will be to rid you of these toadies at once so that you may learn true dignity," Leopold proclaimed as he pointed to the Durham Regiment.
With a proclamation in hand [ironically in the name of Alexander himself],in his very first act of Regent, Leopold had his squadron round up Alexander's de facto brothers and by daybreak, they were each placed in separate carriages with their belongings- dispatched post haste to their own parental homes.
Although Alexander himself did his best to physically defend the Durham Regiment and he threatened Leopold's squadron and those who aided them with grave consequences upon his Majority, there simply were too many for him to overcome and the Durham Regiment themselves were in too great shock to even begin to resist being sent into exile.
"Are you done, Father?" Alexander seethed.
"Oh, I've only just begun! Your First Council is due to convene here in just a few hours but you need to make yourself presentable to them," Leopold proclaimed as he took a large pair of sheep clipping shears from his vest pocket and brandished them.
It would take six burly men in all to accomplish Leopold's command of cutting Alexander's shoulder-length hair to virtual stubble -with four having to stand upon a limb each and a fifth standing directly on his chest and even with all their combined weight and efforts efforts, they barely were able to achieve the Regent's command before Alexander managed to throw two of them off.
Immediately, Alexander cupped his hand over his mangled right ear but with the six assistants physically carrying out the task, Leopold coldly forced him to the nearest wall mirror.
"What will Your Subjects think of their King with the Mark of Cain for all the world to see?" Leopold while pointing at the ear.
"Father!" Alexander gasped.
"Yes, the sign that you exist because you were the death of your mother! This should been the start of our rei -
her reign with me guiding her every move but thanks to you , the most I can hope for now is barely five years!" Leopold seethed.
"Father, I've loved her and missed her all my life!" Alexander pleaded.
"If that were true, you wouldn't look at me with such disdain while having adored your Grandpapa," Leopold proclaimed.
"Father, . I. ." Alexander sputtered.
"Guards, put His Majesty in his quarters until sometime after the First Council leaves. It seems he is too griefstricken to be of any use," Leopold ordered.
So for the next few hours, Alexander was locked in his quarters as far away as possible from the First Council while Leopold attempted to receive them in his son's name.
What Leopold didn't count on was Alexander knowing every square inch of Windsor Castle's hidden passageways including having long since explored the fireplace grates and drains of Windsor Castle and, of course, being strong enough to uproot the fireplace grate from the floor of his room then being able to crawl through to outside before making his way to the Castle Laundry where he was able to get a hasty scrub and a guardsman's uniform in his size. With longtime Windsor guards who he knew were far more sympathetic to him than wanting to curry favor to the Regent, he was able to reach the First Council with mere seconds to spare before they were ready to leave.
Although Alexander was in a guard's uniform rather than a mourning suit and his shoulder-length hair was shorn to virtual stubble- which laid bare the forcep-mangled right ear, the Council recognized him at once and once they overcame their shock at seeing him in the guard's uniform, they all bowed at once.
"Your Majesty. His Highness the Prince Leopold said you were too griefstricken for His Late Majesty to meet with us today," the Prime Minister the Duke of Wellington gasped as Alexander entered the meeting chamber.
"It is with a sincerely heavy heart that I meet with My Council today .However, I would be remiss in not ensuring that the needs of Great Britain, Ireland and all our domains will be my most pressing duty,"Alexander insisted as the Council all bowed to him.
"Yes, Your Majesty. Your official name is to be Leopold after your father to proclaim the Saxe-Coburg Dynasty, am I correct?" the Duke of Wellington asked.
"No, my late mother- Princess Charlotte of Wales and my father himself bestowed the name of Alexander to me first for a purpose so that is what I am to be known by rather than my last Christian name," Alexander insisted.
At once, quite a few loud, hasty scratches were rendered upon virtually every document that had been brought to that chamber while Leopold was seen turning beet red.
Thus was what was done would be considered the First Routing of Leopold but he was far from done.