Augusta of Saxe-Gotha-Altenburg (1719 – 1722) might have been Britain’s most awkward Princess of Wales. Her wedding was awkward, her married life was miserable, and in a rarity for Princesses of Wales, she never even got to become queen. Below are some interesting facts about the unfortunate Princess Augusta.
A Stranger in a Strange Land
Augusta of Saxe-Gotha-Altenburg, a German noblewoman, was born in Gotha, Germany, the second youngest of its duke’s nineteen children. She became Princess of Wales by marrying Frederick, Prince of Wales, the son and designated successor of King George II. She did not marry for love, but most aristocratic marriages in her day were not love matches. Her marriage kicked off inauspiciously, with a terrible wedding ceremony, and continued as disastrously as it had started. To cap off her marital bad luck, she was one of only four Princesses of Wales who never got to become queen.
In 1736, aged sixteen and young for her age at that, Augusta was sent to Britain, still clutching her doll, as a bride in an arranged royal wedding. She did not know a word of English when she arrived in England. The royal family was in a rush to conduct the wedding, to squelch rumors that the Prince of Wales was about to marry a British noblewoman. There was no wooing or any attempt to try and get Augusta to fall in love with Prince Frederick. Soon as she arrived in England, she was shoved into a wedding dress. On May 8th, 1736, she was led up the aisle of the Royal Chapel in Saint James Palace to marry the 29-year-old Frederick.
An Awkward Wedding, and an Equally Awkward Marriage
Augusta found herself in an entirely new environment, where she had to participate in a ceremony conducted in a language she did not understand. She grew increasingly nervous. As the groom’s mother, Queen Caroline, translated from English into German and whispered it into Augusta’s ear, the bride suddenly vomited all over her wedding gown. As her mother-in-law lent a hand to wipe the mess off Augusta’s dress, the nervous bride had a second bout of the heaves, and hurled all over the queen. The new Princess of Wales’ married life proved just as awkward as her wedding had been. Among other things, she continued to play with her dolls, until her relatives finally forced her to stop.
The Prince of Wales took advantage of his wife’s naivety. He got Augusta to employ his mistress as her lady of the bedchamber, after he convinced her that rumors of an affair were fake news. Prince Frederick and his parents had a lot of family drama going on. Augusta was often dragged unwillingly into the middle of the mess, and took fire from both sides. Stuck in a marriage without a glimmer of love, she nonetheless performed her expected role and gave birth to nine children. However, she never got the hoped-for payout of becoming queen: Augusta’s husband died before her father-in-law. Upon the latter’s death, the crown went to her son, George III.
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Some Sources & Further Reading
Beyond the Palette – The Barfing Bride
Unofficial Royalty – Augusta of Saxe-Gotha, Princess of Wales
