Early life
Here is my attempt at a long time line, set from 1819, I hope to cover the next 200 years. With the birth of a single baby on Christmas Day, this child would grow on to change the history dramatically.
Early life
In 1819, Her Royal Highness, Adelaide of Saxe-Meiningen, Duchess of Clarence and St Andrews, be came pregnant for a second time, her husband Prince William had hoped to move the household to England so his future heir would be born on British soil, however following the premature state of the last pregnancy, he chose to stay put in Herrenhausen Palace, Hanover. [1]
Their son was born safely and healthy midday on 25th December 1819, with Adelaide also being healthy. He was christened on the day of his birth at the Palace by, his father's Domestic Chaplain, Rev Edward Curtis Kemp (serving as Chaplain to the British Ambassador to the Court of Berlin, The Rt. Hon. Sir George Rose as well), who had already been staying in Hanover to perform the Christmas sermon for the family.
His godparents were his paternal uncles, Prince Regent George (later George IV, represented by his other uncle Prince Ernest Augustus, Duke of Cumberland), Prince Frederick, Duke of York and Albany (represented by Prince Ernest's step son, Prince Frederick of Prussia) and the Prince Edward, Duke of Kent and Strathearn (represented by deputy of the Knighthood of the Principality of Osnabrück, Herbord Sigismund Ludwig von Bar) and his paternal aunt, Charlotte, Princess Royal, the Dowager Queen of Württemberg (represented by Frederica of Mecklenburg-Strelitz, The Duchess of Cumberland and Teviotdale)
The Duke and Duchess of Clarence had been discussing that if it was a girl to name her, Georgina Elizabeth Adelade and if a boy to name him George, in honour of the both Duke's father, King George III and the Duchess's father, George I, Duke of Saxe-Meiningen, but Prince Regent George, asked that the child be named either named Elizabeth or William instead. The couple agreed and on the day, chose to christened him, William George Henry.
At birth, William was fifth in the line of succession after the four eldest sons of George III: George, the Prince Regent; Frederick, the Duke of York; William and, his father, the Duke of Clarence. The Prince Regent had no surviving children, and the Duke of York had no children; further, both were estranged from their wives, who were both past child-bearing age, so the two eldest brothers were unlikely to have any further children.
The small family moved to Great Britain, shortly after Prince William's birth, the family arrived in Great Britain, in mid January, however before the new born was able to meet his grandfather, George III, died on 29 January 1820 and was succeeded by his eldest son, George IV.
On the 10 December 1820, 15 days before his first birthday, the small family was joined by the birth of Princess Elizabeth Georgiana Adelaide of Clarence, however this joy was short lived, as 2 months 22 days after her birth, Princess Elizabeth of Clarence, who had "suddenly been seized with the fatal disease, an intro-susception of the bowels" and died.
For the first few years, his family living in Richmond and at Kew Palace, until 1827, when the family moved into the specially commissioned royal residence of 'Clarence House', situated on The Mall, in the City of Westminster, attached to St. James's Palace and sharing the palace's garden. He was educated by private tutors, selected by his uncle, Prince Augustus Frederick, Duke of Sussex, who was known for his liberal views.
Nine days after Prince William's seventh birthday, Britain mourned another royal death, when the Duke of York died on 5 January 1827, at the age of 63, followed three years later, when King George IV died on 26 June 1830, aged 67, these two young deaths, were said to have had an adverse effect on Prince William's view on immortality.
King George IV was succeeded by his next surviving brother, William IV, and 10 year old, Prince William of Clarence and St Andrews, became Prince of Wales and heir to his father's throne. With William IV, succeeding at the age of 64, the Parliament, under Prime Miniser, Arthur Wellesley, the Duke of Wellington, set about bringing about the Regency Act 1830, which made special provision for William's wife to act as regent in case William died while his son was still a minor.
At the age of thirteen, Prince of Wales had hoped to follow in his father's footsteps and join the Royal Navy as a midshipman, however due to being the only child of the king of Britain, parliament declined the request, he would instead assist his father, during meetings privy meetings.
[1] In our time line, Adelaide became pregnant, but in her seventh month of pregnancy, she caught pleurisy and gave birth prematurely on 27 March 1819 during the illness. Her daughter, Charlotte, lived only a few hours. Another pregnancy in the same year caused William to move the household to England so his future heir would be born on British soil, yet Adelaide miscarried at Calais or Dunkirk during the journey on 5 September 1819.
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Early life
In 1819, Her Royal Highness, Adelaide of Saxe-Meiningen, Duchess of Clarence and St Andrews, be came pregnant for a second time, her husband Prince William had hoped to move the household to England so his future heir would be born on British soil, however following the premature state of the last pregnancy, he chose to stay put in Herrenhausen Palace, Hanover. [1]
Their son was born safely and healthy midday on 25th December 1819, with Adelaide also being healthy. He was christened on the day of his birth at the Palace by, his father's Domestic Chaplain, Rev Edward Curtis Kemp (serving as Chaplain to the British Ambassador to the Court of Berlin, The Rt. Hon. Sir George Rose as well), who had already been staying in Hanover to perform the Christmas sermon for the family.
His godparents were his paternal uncles, Prince Regent George (later George IV, represented by his other uncle Prince Ernest Augustus, Duke of Cumberland), Prince Frederick, Duke of York and Albany (represented by Prince Ernest's step son, Prince Frederick of Prussia) and the Prince Edward, Duke of Kent and Strathearn (represented by deputy of the Knighthood of the Principality of Osnabrück, Herbord Sigismund Ludwig von Bar) and his paternal aunt, Charlotte, Princess Royal, the Dowager Queen of Württemberg (represented by Frederica of Mecklenburg-Strelitz, The Duchess of Cumberland and Teviotdale)
The Duke and Duchess of Clarence had been discussing that if it was a girl to name her, Georgina Elizabeth Adelade and if a boy to name him George, in honour of the both Duke's father, King George III and the Duchess's father, George I, Duke of Saxe-Meiningen, but Prince Regent George, asked that the child be named either named Elizabeth or William instead. The couple agreed and on the day, chose to christened him, William George Henry.
At birth, William was fifth in the line of succession after the four eldest sons of George III: George, the Prince Regent; Frederick, the Duke of York; William and, his father, the Duke of Clarence. The Prince Regent had no surviving children, and the Duke of York had no children; further, both were estranged from their wives, who were both past child-bearing age, so the two eldest brothers were unlikely to have any further children.
The small family moved to Great Britain, shortly after Prince William's birth, the family arrived in Great Britain, in mid January, however before the new born was able to meet his grandfather, George III, died on 29 January 1820 and was succeeded by his eldest son, George IV.
On the 10 December 1820, 15 days before his first birthday, the small family was joined by the birth of Princess Elizabeth Georgiana Adelaide of Clarence, however this joy was short lived, as 2 months 22 days after her birth, Princess Elizabeth of Clarence, who had "suddenly been seized with the fatal disease, an intro-susception of the bowels" and died.
For the first few years, his family living in Richmond and at Kew Palace, until 1827, when the family moved into the specially commissioned royal residence of 'Clarence House', situated on The Mall, in the City of Westminster, attached to St. James's Palace and sharing the palace's garden. He was educated by private tutors, selected by his uncle, Prince Augustus Frederick, Duke of Sussex, who was known for his liberal views.
Nine days after Prince William's seventh birthday, Britain mourned another royal death, when the Duke of York died on 5 January 1827, at the age of 63, followed three years later, when King George IV died on 26 June 1830, aged 67, these two young deaths, were said to have had an adverse effect on Prince William's view on immortality.
King George IV was succeeded by his next surviving brother, William IV, and 10 year old, Prince William of Clarence and St Andrews, became Prince of Wales and heir to his father's throne. With William IV, succeeding at the age of 64, the Parliament, under Prime Miniser, Arthur Wellesley, the Duke of Wellington, set about bringing about the Regency Act 1830, which made special provision for William's wife to act as regent in case William died while his son was still a minor.
At the age of thirteen, Prince of Wales had hoped to follow in his father's footsteps and join the Royal Navy as a midshipman, however due to being the only child of the king of Britain, parliament declined the request, he would instead assist his father, during meetings privy meetings.
[1] In our time line, Adelaide became pregnant, but in her seventh month of pregnancy, she caught pleurisy and gave birth prematurely on 27 March 1819 during the illness. Her daughter, Charlotte, lived only a few hours. Another pregnancy in the same year caused William to move the household to England so his future heir would be born on British soil, yet Adelaide miscarried at Calais or Dunkirk during the journey on 5 September 1819.
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