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When Princess Charlotte Augusta of Wales, Clarence's niece by the Prince Regent (and second in line to the throne after her father) died in childbirth in 1817, the King was left with twelve children, and no legitimate grandchildren. The race was on among the Royal Dukes to marry and produce an heir.

William had a great advantage in this race—with his two older brothers both childless and estranged from their wives (in any case both women were probably beyond childbearing), he would almost certainly become King, if he lived long enough—which was likely, as the former sailor took more care with his health than either older brother. However, William's first choices to wed either met with the disapproval of the Prince Regent or turned him down. Princess Anne of Denmark, appalled at the difference in their ages (and, likely, William's long liaison with Mrs. Jordan), refused to consider the match. His younger brother, the Duke of Cambridge, was sent to Germany to scout out the available Protestant princesses, and, after coming up with one whom William laughingly turned down when it became clear that the Duke of Cambridge was in love with her himself (and shortly thereafter, married her). What if William married her on 11th July 1818 instead of Princess Adelaide of Saxe-Meiningen?

Princess Augusta was the longest-lived daughter-in-law of George III and had three children by the Duke of Cambridge. Whereas Princess Adelaide, although outliving William by twelve years, had a tragic childbirth history without lasting issue despite at least five pregnancies.

It is likely that William and Augusta would have continued the Hanover dynasty with an heir and at least one spare. Hanover would have remained in the empire upon William's death.

How would a different wife have affected William's policies?

The state capital of South Australia would be named Augusta, not Adelaide. Many other settlements and streets were named after the Queen Consort throughout the empire.

Adelaide was strongly Tory, and attempted to influence the King politically. It is unclear how much of William's attitudes during the crisis over the struggles to pass the Reform Act of 1832 were due to her influence. Augusta, with issue and William's ten illegitimate children, born before their marriage, to look after, might be less inclined to meddle in affairs of state. Might William have appointed the liberal peers that the government called for? A more balanced House of Lords would have lasting political impact. Pressure for a Parliament Act (1911 ATL) would be much less. King William would be much less inclined to install a minority Tory government under Wellington and then Peel. Lord Grey, then Lord Melbourne would have a long, uninterupted, runs as Whig Prime Ministers, with more support in the Lords. The reform of the Church of Ireland would be pushed through in 1834 (ten less irish bishoprics in the House of Lords) increasing the reaction of the Oxford Movement within the Anglican Church leading to more Anglo-catholic militancy among the slums of the great cities. The critique of social policy (local and national) would be greater. The Movement's leaders attacked liberalism in theology, and more positively took an interest in Christian origins, which led them to reconsider the relationship of the Church of England with the Roman Catholic Church.
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