The Lost Queen: The Life & Tragedy of the Prince Regent's Daughter

by Anne M. Stott

As the only child of the Prince Regent and Caroline of Brunswick, Princess Charlotte of Wales (1796-1817) was the heiress presumptive to the throne. Her parents' marriage had already broken up by the time she was born. She had a difficult childhood and a turbulent adolescence, but she was popular with the public, who looked to her to restore the good name of the monarchy. When she broke off her engagement to a Dutch prince, her father put her under virtual imprisonment and she endured a period of profound unhappiness. But she held out for the freedom to choose her husband, and when she married Prince Leopold of Saxe-Coburg she finally achieved contentment. Her happiness was cruelly cut short when she died in childbirth at the age of twenty-one only eighteen months later. A shocked nation went into mourning for its 'people's princess', the queen who never was.

Genres: History, Biography, Nonfiction, Audiobook, Historical, Royalty, Ebooks

336 pages, Hardcover

Published May 19, 2020

Reviews

[Beata · Rating 4 out of 5]

I have read extensively on the Hanoverians recently, and was curious to find out more about Princess Charlotte who was Geroge III's granddaughter and who, through dynastic complications, was to become the Queen.
The Author brings us closer this woman who still remains a little mystery to the general public. Ms Stott describes her unhappy childood as the times during which she was actually deprived of parental love and care. She grew up to be independent and after breaking up the enforced engagement, she married and was preparing to become the queen after her uncle's death. Unfortunately, she died after delivering a stillborn baby. This opened path to future Queen Victoria.
The public was devastated since the nation was looking forward to having a fresh, young and intelligent monach after rather heavy rules of the Hanoverian kings.
It is interesting that the romantic memory of Princess Charlotte is still cherished although she died young and did not achieve anything as a monarch. This is the proof of the expectations that were among the Brits during that period.
*Many thanks to Anne Stott, Pen & Sword, and NetGalley for arc in exchange for my honest review.*

[BAM doesn’t answer to her real name · Rating 3 out of 5]

This book should have had much more melodrama for me. George IV, Caroline, Charlotte, Leopold = melodrama and exaggeration ready. I would have loved more dirty laundry because this royal family were definitely born to it. I say you got it, flaunt it! Charlotte is a bit of an unfortunate story, but still that girl missed some deportment classes. Where did the days go when we could wipe our noses on my sleeves? Honestly I think the author prob had a difficult time scratching up enough info on Charlotte for a book this long, so there lots of relative filler. But I did like listening to it. It gets a middle of the road rating from me. I wonder….have I already read so much British history that there just isn’t much left for me to read?
Naaaahhhh


ROYALTY PROJECT READ

[Lois · Rating 4 out of 5]

I know little of this time period, so I can't vouch for the accuracy of this text, but it aligns with what I do know of this time period.
This is a tiny bit dry and I think could've been shorter.
George IV was a turd of epic proportions.
🤷🏾‍♀️

[John · Rating 4 out of 5]

Thorough coverage of the princess, who died at age 21; had she, or her son, lived Victoria might have been a historical footnote. Solid narration kept me engaged in the story.

[Moniek Bloks · Rating 5 out of 5]

Princess Charlotte of Wales was born into tragedy as the only child of parents who had been at war since the moment they married. That Charlotte was born at all seems to be nothing short of a miracle. As the only legitimate child of the Prince of Wales (the future George IV) and Caroline of Brunswick, Charlotte was destined to become Queen one day. She fought her way to freedom, through the stifling circumstances of warring parents and unwanted marriage partners.

She found love with Prince Leopold of Saxe-Coburg and Gotha (who would – long after her death – become the first King of the Belgians) and finally had some happiness in her life. But as tragically as it began, it would end… Charlotte died shortly after giving birth to a stillborn son.

The Lost Queen: The Life & Tragedy of the Prince Regent’s Daughter by Anne M Stott brings Charlotte back to life, as she deserves. You can tell that the book has been thoroughly researched and it is well-written. As a reader, I continued to have hope for a different outcome, despite knowing better.

[Janilyn Kocher · Rating 5 out of 5]

The Lost Queen is a comprehensive look at Princess Charlotte's life. I enjoyed reading more about her. I liked the detail the author provided about her parents' history and tormented marriage. Charlotte wasn't the healthiest woman, either, which I had not known. I never really knew how she met Leopold and this reveals their story. She had such a brief life with not a lot of happiness. How different English history would have turned out and the British royal family had not she and her child died. Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for the advance read.

[Alexis Patterson · Rating 4 out of 5]

“The Lost Queen: The Life & Tragedy of the Prince Regent’s Daughter” by Anne Scott ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

“The Lost Queen” chronicles the short life of Princess Charlotte of Wales (1796-1817), daughter of George IV and Queen Caroline of Brunswick.

Princess Charlotte is such a complex and tragic figure in British history. Born to parents who despised each other from the day they were married, she was removed from the care of her mother, neglected by her father, isolated from society, ill educated, rebellious and reckless, and once she finally gets her grasp on a happy life, she dies due to compilations during childbirth caused by the uneducated men on the realities of women’s health.

I always knew that Princess Charlotte was a tragic figure in British history. She’s the queen that never was. Without her death, there would have been no Queen Victoria so it stands to reason that her death brought about the most prosperous period of British Imperial history headed by a head strong female monarch that exuded the modern ideals of womanhood and family values. If that is true, it can also be true that her death also brought with it the colonial pushback and the rise of the women’s suffrage movement.

These are loose strings, I know, but Scott really made me think about the “what if’s” as I listened. As historians, we’re not supposed to ponder and waste our time with such frivolities but I can’t help it. Princess Charlotte’s death feels so much like a cannon even that I too am in mourning for her 200+ years on.

[Rebecca Hill · Rating 5 out of 5]

Princess Charlotte should have had a life of glittering balls and possibly sitting on throne of England. Her life was one tragedy after another. As she was first the product of an unhappy marriage, she was pulled between her parents, both of whom wanted to control her, and yet, they found that her will was just as stubborn as theirs was. She turned down one marriage, to make a match of her own choosing, and found some happiness there, yet the happiness was not to last.

As she prepared to give birth to her first child, she was on top of the world, planning a future that was hers. Yet tragedy was waiting in the wings...

This book was amazing! I knew of the story of Princess Charlotte, but I learned so much while reading this book! The ins and outs, the ups and downs, it is all played out on these pages - and leaves you with a picture of her life that will have you shaking your head. Her character was strong, and yet she found herself pulled between to parents, both of whom didn't really love her as they should. She was a pawn, and useful to the games that they were playing, not the daughter that she could have been if they had given her the chance.

Grab this book, it is well worth your time to read! You will not be sorry at all!

[Donna Pingry · Rating 5 out of 5]

I was provided a kindle copy of this book by NetGalley for the purpose of posting my honest opinion.

I could not put it down. Princess Charlotte was born between a rock and a hard place. His father was self indulgent, self absorbed and had decided ahead of time, the wife chosen for him would never be honored or loved. His wife, a sheltered young woman who had little knowledge of her future role in history or even how to care for her own personal hygiene. For years, Princess Charlotte was manipulated between her parents and grandparents. Her grandfather was George III of England, who floated in and out of sanity. In spite of her horrible past, she found the courage to insist on choosing her own husband rather than accept the one her father tried to force on her.

Should things have gone differently, there might never have been a Queen Victoria. Queen Charlotte might have been known for her bravery, her care of the poor and the love of her family.

[Emma's Things to Read · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is one of the best biographies I have read in a long time.
Thoroughly researched and based on so many letters and contemporary resources it recreates such a vivid picture of Princess Charlotte's life.
Her childhood is chaotic and miserable. She is at once spoiled and neglected. Her parents, the Prince Regent and Princess of Wales are selfish and childish and she is pawn in their power games.
Knowing the tragic outcome of Charlotte's life, as I read I was still almost hoping for a different ending.
A fascinating glimpse into Georgian life, the Prince Regent and the Royal Family.
Highly recommend this book and will purchasing an actual copy to read again as soon as it's available.
Thank you Netgalley for the advanced copy in return for an honest review.

[Trick Wiley · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is a very well written and researched book of how the royalty lived,their lives,the loves,marriages,of these people who were to be the King and Queen,Prince and Princess,they have the same problems that normal people do except their lives are on display and have to answer to the world, to their country,morally and politically! You will understand more about these people as you read and the children are the ones who pay the price in most cases! Read for yourself you will really enjoy England and her history and understand maybe a little bit more! Glad I didn't belong to this family,will you??

[Emy · Rating 5 out of 5]

Got an ARC from Netgally in exchange for an honest review.

I was pleased with this book! I barely knew anything about Princess Charlotte and this book allowed me to learn so much while also not being overwhelming like some historical books can be.
If you're a fan of female rulers/princesses I definitely recommend this.

[Alexandra · Rating 3 out of 5]

An interesting look at Charlotte's life from birth, marriage, parents relationship, friends and more. For those wanting a look at other members in the monarchy.

[Naomi · Rating 5 out of 5]

No one expected royal marriages to be happy, least of all George, Prince of Wales, who was already illegally married to his mistress Maria Fitzherbert. He only agreed to marry his first cousin because he had spiralling debts. His new bride, Caroline of Brunswick, had no choice in the matter. Women were mere diplomatic bargaining chips and her consent was not an issue. It was not a good match. On first meeting, George called for a glass of brandy. He said she stank. She thought he was fat.

Nevertheless they did their duty and Princess Charlotte, the ‘lost queen’ of the title, was born in 1796. They never lived together and they never ‘came together’ again.

What a terrible, lonely childhood poor Princess Charlotte had. Effectively she was a looked-after child, brought up by paid (and often reluctant) help and tutored by lofty bishops and scholars. She was simultaneously treated as both highly important – she was second in line to the throne – and worthless, a know-nothing girl with little understanding of the world (understanding she was prevented from acquiring because she was a girl, of course).

She was a gawky child. She sometimes made inappropriate remarks and had to be reminded to be more ladylike and not show her underfrillies as she climbed into carriages. She could be tempestuous (and sweetly contrite afterwards), funny, generous to the poor. Who could she trust to love her for herself? Certainly not her selfish immature parents and certainly not the staff who fussed over and criticised her.

I nearly cheered out loud when reading the chapter covering Charlotte’s teenage years. She might have been infuriating at times, but she was finding her voice. Her family did not necessarily think this was a good thing. ‘Self-opinionated to a great degree and holding every soul as cheap as dirt,’ was the verdict of an unamused Princess Elizabeth on her 15-year-old niece, but there was worse to come when Charlotte called off her engagement to William, Hereditary Prince of Orange. Charlotte accepted that her future probably lay in an arranged marriage but balked at being forced to leave England with her new husband, possibly never to return. She also dreamed of real romance and real love.

Dad swiftly ordered that she be confined at Cranbourne Lodge at Windsor where she would have to think about her behaviour, but before she could be taken off, she ran out into the street and hailed a cab to her mother’s house. She knew so little of real life that she gave the somewhat astonished driver ten guineas for his trouble. She returned to her father the next day, but she had made her point. The engagement was terminated.

Ordinary people, exhausted by long wars and economic strife, loved her as much as they disliked her profligate, corrupt father. When she did marry, in 1816, huge crowds poured in to London to cheer her and her bridegroom. Thwarted in a romance with Prince Frederick of Prussia, she had settled instead for handsome-but-poor Prince Leopold of Saxe-Coburg. It was a pragmatic choice on both sides but, somewhat to their surprise, they found a deep and genuine mutual love. Interestingly, years earlier Charlotte compared herself to Jane Austen’s fragile and emotionally uninhibited Marianne Dashwood in Sense & Sensibility, whose journey stretches from obsession with John Willoughby to lasting love with Colonel Brandon.

Charlotte’s happiness did not last long. On 6 November 1817 she died just a few hours just after delivering a stillborn son. And yes, I did weep in the final chapter, in which Anne Stott takes us through about Charlotte’s last hours and the distracted grief of her young widower.

Bells were tolled across the country; theatres closed; shopkeepers dressed their windows in black cloth. Stott compares the nation’s grief to that felt for Lord Nelson and, 180 years later, for Princess Diana.

What kind of queen did we lose? A good one, I think. As a child Charlotte may have dismayed her tutors with her hopeless attempts to learn Latin, but she was bright and interested in other things. She took the initiative and informed herself comprehensively about history and politics. She was an excellent amateur musician. Ironically, her passing gave us another queen: after it was clear that George could not divorce Caroline and could not therefore produce any more heirs, his brothers got busy. Edward, Duke of Kent married Leopold’s sister Victoire and promptly died soon after leaving his daughter Victoria as the heir to the throne after the childless William IV. For Victoria, Charlotte was always shadowy presence. ‘What a dreadfully sad life my poor Cousin’s & Aunt’s was & and only 18 or 19 months of real happiness,’ she wrote in 1873, 36 years after she ascended the throne.

This perspicacious study of Charlotte’s short life is superb. Stott is an accomplished and highly readable biographer whose earlier subjects have included William Wilberforce and Hannah More. She wears her research lightly – which is not to say that the book is anything less than scholastic (quite the opposite). Highly recommended.

Pen & Sword provided a copy to me for review.

[Jamie Bee · Rating 4 out of 5]

The Tragic Life of Princess Charlotte in the Regency Era

As a fan of Regency romance, I had a passing familiarity with Princess Charlotte, and I knew of her tragic end as well. But I didn't know the details. This book is a well-researched tribute to that young woman who died so tragically after delivering a stillborn son at the age of just 21. The author traces her story from her parents and after her death. There’s even a postscript about Queen Victoria. So much of her life was pretty miserable, as a pawn in her parents' extremely dysfunctional marriage and also as someone that her parents and the court wanted to control because she was a princess. Historically, princesses have been bargaining chips to form or maintain national alliances. But she wanted some control over her own life and especially the choice of her life's partner. She found happiness only ever so briefly in the last 18 months of her life. It's interesting to imagine that if she had lived, we would have never had the Victorian age. How would Britain's history and Britain itself have changed if Charlotte and her descendants were the monarchs of Great Britain? This book is perfect for lovers of British history, and readers of Regency romance!

I received a free copy of this book, but that did not affect my review.

[Natalie L · Rating 4 out of 5]

Usually, the death of Princess Charlotte in 1817 is a preface to the story of Queen Victoria. Charlotte's life was short: she died two months short of her 22nd birthday, but it is still very much worth remembering and celebrating.
👰
In this book, her tragic death in childbirth is only the very unforeseeable ending, as it was in real life. This book tells the reader about everything that came before that.
💃🏻
Her intense friendships, her fighting parents, her relationships with the politicians of the time, and of course, the search for Prince Charming - all of those make her life fascinating and incredibly modern, too. 👸🏻
Really recommend this book, ’tis one of the very few biographies of this majestic royal.👑

[Gypsi · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is a well-written, thoroughly researched biography of Princess Charlotte of Wales (1796-1817). In it Stott discusses the doomed marriage of Charlotte's parents, Caroline of Brunswick and George, Prince of Wales (later Prince Regent, and finally King George IV), and how the terrible aftermath affected Charlotte's childhood and short adult life. Her "rebellious" teenage years and her brief happy marriage are detailed, along with the influence of friends and relations, world events, and domestic situations. Overall, it's easily accessible and completely engrossing, painting a living portrait of this ill-fated princess.

[Tam Wallace · Rating 4 out of 5]

A wonderfully in-depth look at one of the forgotten princesses, and the most important princess, of the Georgian dynasty - the daughter of George IV. Her death created the dynastic nightmare that forced her libidinous uncles to ditch their long-term mistresses, and multiple children, to marry into the German houses in search of a legitimate heir/ess. Victoria would never have been born had her cousin lived. Rich in history and knowledge.

[Denise · Rating 3 out of 5]

Well, that was depressing... The short and largely miserable life of Princess Charlotte, the queen who never was, growing up in a severely dysfunctional family, always under the thumb of an extremely controlling father, and dying in childbirth instead of wearing a crown.

[Fern · Rating 3 out of 5]

Readable if a bit pedestrian retelling of the life of Princess Charlotte.

[Candida · Rating 3 out of 5]

Interesting part of English history. It gives you a bit more background on the royal family and how Queen Victoria became queen.

[JP · Rating 4 out of 5]

Really well written and engaging history. Will be looking for more by the author.

[P. Farber · Rating 5 out of 5]

Good biography

Very good biography of the princess. Well written and researched. Wordy in spots and I had to reread some passages but very good read.

[Alexis · Rating 2 out of 5]

2.5, a little slow to get into

[Sayuri Guerrillero · Rating 2 out of 5]

Another I didn't finish since it wasn't very engaging but it's great to have in the background while doing tasks.

[Mandy · Rating 4 out of 5]

The only child of the Prince Regent and Caroline of Brunswick, Princess Charlotte (1796-1817) had a difficult time of it, as even before she was born her parents had split up acrimoniously and she was constantly being torn between them. Perhaps not surprisingly, she became a difficult woman herself, as this lively and accessible biography demonstrates. Heir to the throne, she sadly died in childbirth at just 21, so never had the opportunity to show what she might have become. Well-researched and engagingly written, this comprehensive account is enhanced with many excellent illustrations and manages to bring to life this lost Queen.

[Marissa · Rating 3 out of 5]

The Lost Queen is a biographical account of Princess Charlotte of Wales. Being the product of a very unhappy marriage, her parents used her as a pawn in their power struggles. As is the case with most monarchy, her parents were essentially non-existent from her life, which was probably a blessing in disguise. The author did a great job capturing the warring between her parents. Her father was a self-absorbed, greedy man who didn't keep it a secret that he hated his wife and preferred his mistress. Her mother had a couple of screws loose, needless to say.

I believe the princess benefited from her tumultuous childhood and it shaped her into a strong, self-confident woman. From an early age, this monarch was wise beyond her years, exhibiting political savvy and a level of maturity much greater than those surrounding her. It was apparent that she was learning from those around her by not only her tutors but also observing the behaviors of her relatives. She wasn't afraid to stand up for what she believed in, contrary to what others wanted her to believe in. Her subjects grew to love and appreciate her. This story by no means has a happy ending. Just when you think things are finally taking a turn for the better for Charlotte, tragedy strikes. It truly makes one think what kind of monarch she could have become. This was a well researched biography of this young monarch whose life was cut tragically short.

I received a copy of this book from the publisher through NetGalley.

[Jennifer Lynch · Rating 5 out of 5]

I know very little about the Recency period of British history so I was interested to read this biography of Charlotte, Princess of Wales. Born into a broken marriage, the majority her life was spent as the pawn of two parents who never had her best interests at heart. When she finally found happiness and independence, her life was cut short. This is an incredibly detailed and well written biography of a woman, who had she become Queen, may have led Britain down a different path to her cousin, Victoria.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for providing me with a free e-copy of this book in exchange for my honest opinion.

[Flora · Rating 4 out of 5]

It never ceases to amaze me how there is so much written record on and by the British royal family from so long ago that writers can actually piece together really detailed accounts of the lives and loves of those personalities. Some of these writers do such a wonderful job that you actually enjoy these histories.

Anne Stott did marvelously with the biography of Princess Charlotte and her really dysfunctional family.. You really get a sense of all that she went through, and actually feel sad that she died so young just when she had found some happiness at long last. You also actually felt you could strangle her father the awful Prince Regent at the time.

I read this book cover to cover, and then went online to read a bit more about them!

Thank you Netgalley and Pen & Sword for this ARC . This is my honest review.

[Paul · Rating 4 out of 5]

Nicely done. This is an engaging biography with all the appropriate drama to go with the Royalty. It often feels quite real, and the pacing is good. Recommended for historical fiction and non-fiction fans.

I really appreciate the NetGalley advanced copy for review!!