On an English Summer day in 1751, an amateur game of cricket was played in London. While such matches were an increasingly common feature in the green spaces of wealthy southeastern England during this era, two reasons made this game particularly notable. Firstly, one player achieved the rare feat of gaining a century, a particularly difficult achievement on early pitches, and secondly, the batter in question was the heir to the throne of Great Britain.
Prince Frederick's achievement was applauded in the London press, who gave particular praise for his gentlemanly sportmanship towards opponents and also the speed of his reactions: a quick dodge by the Prince had resulted in a ball missing his head by less than an inch. The coverage was an early sign of the popularity he enjoyed throughout his reign: whether by accident or design, the Prince of Wales was talented at courting public opinion, which frequently overlooked his vices of drinking, gambling and adultery. Frederick won many plaudits for his patronage of not just cricket, a much loved national sport, but also music, art, theatre and the natural sciences. In addition, he made much of his affinity with England, despite a lasting German accent from his upbringing in Hannover. Indeed, it is one of the ironies of history that the last king to enjoy genuine adoration from the British people was the last to be born on foreign soil.
The Prince's popularity was not shared by his parents, with whom he frequently quarrelled. The King and Queen were largely uninvolved in his childhood and found his behaviour boorish when he arrived in Britain as an adult. This began a split that rapidly deteriorated due to the stubborness of both parties as time progressed. Frederick has also suffered a less favourable opinion among historians, who have viewed him as easily manipulated by those around him, and blame his increasingly aloof disinterest to political matters responsible for Britain's unnecessary stumbling into the various crises that beset his time as King...
Brannan, Andrew (1943);
The Life and Times of Frederick I (2nd edition); Glasgow, Scotland
