Editing Caroline of Brunswick (section)

==Troubled marriage==

Caroline and George were married on 8 April 1795 at the [[Chapel Royal]], [[St. James's Palace]], in London. At the ceremony, George was drunk.<ref>Plowden, p. 26; Robins, p. 17</ref> He regarded Caroline as unattractive and unhygienic, and told Malmesbury that he suspected that she was not a virgin when they married.<ref>Robins, p. 17</ref> He had already undergone a form of marriage with [[Maria Fitzherbert]], but as this violated the [[Royal Marriages Act 1772]], both George and Maria knew it was not legally valid.<ref>Plowden, p. 27</ref>
[[File:Caroline, Princess of Wales, 1798 by Sir Thomas Lawrence.jpg|left|thumb|Caroline, Princess of Wales by [[Thomas Lawrence (painter)|Sir Thomas Lawrence]], 1798]]
In a letter to a friend, the prince claimed that the couple only had sexual intercourse three times: twice the first night of the marriage, and once the second night.<ref name="Shingleton">{{cite journal | first= Hugh M | author= Shingleton |date=November–December 2006 | title= The Tumultuous Marriage of The Prince and The Princess of Wales| journal=ACOG Clinical Review | volume=11 | pages=13–16| issue=6}}</ref> He wrote, "it required no small [effort] to conquer my aversion and overcome the disgust of her person."<ref name="Robins18">Robins, p. 18</ref> Caroline claimed George was so drunk that he "passed the greatest part of his bridal night under the grate, where he fell, and where I left him".<ref>Plowden, p. 28</ref>

Nine months after the wedding, Caroline gave birth to [[Princess Charlotte of Wales (1796–1817)|Princess Charlotte]], George's only legitimate child, and at that point the king's only legitimate grandchild, at [[Carlton House]] on 7 January 1796. Charlotte was second in the line of [[succession to the British throne]] after her father. Just three days after Charlotte's birth, George made out a new will. He left all his property to "Maria Fitzherbert, my wife", while to Caroline he left one [[shilling]].<ref>Plowden, pp. 39–40; Robins, p. 20</ref>

Gossip about Caroline and George's troubled marriage was already circulating.<ref>Plowden, pp. 42–43</ref> The newspapers claimed that Lady Jersey opened, read and distributed the contents of Caroline's private letters.<ref>Plowden, p. 44; Robins, pp. 20–21</ref> She despised Lady Jersey and could not visit or travel anywhere without George's permission.<ref>Robins, p. 22</ref> The press vilified George for his extravagance and luxury at a time of war and portrayed Caroline as a wronged wife.<ref>Plowden, p. 48; Robins, pp. 19, 21</ref> She was cheered in public and gained plaudits for her "winning familiarity" and easy, open nature.<ref name="Robins18"/> George was dismayed at her popularity and his own unpopularity, and felt trapped in a loveless marriage with a woman he loathed. He wanted a separation.<ref>Robins, pp. 22–23</ref>
In April 1796, George wrote to Caroline, "We have unfortunately been oblig'd to acknowledge to each other that we cannot find happiness in our union.&nbsp;... Let me therefore beg you to make the best of a situation unfortunate for us both."<ref>Plowden, p. 45</ref> In June, Lady Jersey resigned as Caroline's Lady of the Bedchamber.<ref>Plowden, p. 50</ref> George and Caroline were already living separately, and in August 1797 Caroline moved to a private residence: The Vicarage or Old Rectory in [[Charlton, London]].<ref>Plowden, p. 55; Robins, p. 25</ref> Later, she moved to [[Montagu House, Blackheath|Montagu House]] in [[Blackheath, London|Blackheath]]. No longer constrained by her husband, or, according to rumour, her marital vows, she entertained whomever she pleased.<ref>Plowden, pp. 62–65; Robins, p. 25</ref> She flirted with Admiral Sir [[Sidney Smith (admiral)|Sidney Smith]] and Captain [[Thomas Manby]], and may have had a brief relationship with the politician [[George Canning]].<ref>Robins, pp. 26–27</ref>

===Delicate Investigation===
[[File:Caroline of Brunswick-Wolfenbüttel.jpg|thumb|right|[[Portrait of Caroline of Brunswick|Portrait]] by Sir Thomas Lawrence, 1804]]
Charlotte was placed in the care of a governess, in a mansion near Montagu House in the summers, and Caroline visited her often.<ref>Plowden, p. 60; Robins, p. 27</ref> It seems that a single daughter was not sufficient to sate Caroline's maternal instincts, and she adopted eight or nine poor children who were fostered out to people in the district.<ref>Robins, pp. 27–28</ref> In 1802, she adopted a three-month-old boy, William Austin, and took him into her home. By 1805, Caroline had fallen out with her near neighbours, [[John Douglas (Royal Marines officer)|Sir John]] and Lady Douglas, who claimed that Caroline had sent them obscene and harassing letters. Lady Douglas accused Caroline of infidelity, and alleged that William Austin was Caroline's illegitimate son.<ref>Plowden, pp. 75–78; Robins, p. 29</ref>

In 1806, a secret commission was set up, known as the "Delicate Investigation", to examine Lady Douglas's claims. The commission comprised four of the most eminent men in the country: Prime Minister [[Lord Grenville]], the [[Lord Chancellor]] [[Thomas Erskine, 1st Baron Erskine|Lord Erskine]], the [[Lord Chief Justice of England and Wales]] [[Edward Law, 1st Baron Ellenborough|Lord Ellenborough]] and the [[Home Secretary]] [[George Spencer, 2nd Earl Spencer|Lord Spencer]].<ref>Plowden, p. 79; Robins, pp. 29–30</ref> Lady Douglas testified that Caroline herself had admitted to her in 1802 that she was pregnant, and that Austin was her son.<ref>Plowden, pp. 69–71; Robins, pp. 29–30</ref> She further alleged that Caroline had been rude about the royal family, touched her in an inappropriately sexual way, and had admitted that any woman friendly with a man was sure to become his lover.<ref>Plowden, p. 78; Robins, pp. 29–30</ref> In addition to Smith, Manby and Canning, artist [[Thomas Lawrence]] and [[Henry Hood, 2nd Viscount Hood|Henry Hood]], son of [[Samuel Hood, 1st Viscount Hood|Lord Hood]], were also mentioned as potential paramours. Caroline's servants could or would not confirm that these gentlemen were her lovers, nor that she had been pregnant, and said that the child had been brought to Caroline's house by his true mother, Sophia Austin. Sophia was summoned before the commissioners, and testified that the child was hers.<ref>Plowden, pp. 79–82; Robins, p. 31</ref>

The commissioners decided that there was "no foundation" for the allegations, but despite being a supposedly secret investigation, it proved impossible to prevent gossip from spreading, and news of the investigation leaked to the press.<ref>Robins, pp. 31–32</ref> Caroline's conduct with her gentlemen friends was considered improper, but there was no direct proof that she had been guilty of anything more than flirtation. Perhaps Caroline had told Lady Douglas that she was pregnant out of frustrated maternal desire, or as part of a foolish prank that, unfortunately for her, backfired.<ref>Robins, p. 31</ref> Later in the year, Caroline received further bad news as Brunswick was overrun by the French, and her father was killed in the [[battle of Jena-Auerstadt]]. Her mother and brother, [[Frederick William, Duke of Brunswick-Wolfenbüttel]], fled to England. Caroline had wanted to return to Brunswick and leave Britain behind her, but with much of Europe controlled by the French she had no safe haven to run to.<ref>Robins, p. 32</ref>

During the Delicate Investigation, Caroline was not permitted to see her daughter, and afterwards her visits were essentially restricted to once a week and only in the presence of Caroline's own mother, the Dowager Duchess of Brunswick.<ref>Plowden, pp. 109, 128</ref> Meetings took place at either Blackheath or an apartment in [[Kensington Palace]] designated for Caroline's use.<ref>Plowden, p. 109</ref>

===Social isolation===
[[File:Anticipations for the Pillory.jpg|thumb|upright=1.2|Satirical cartoon showing Sir John and Lady Douglas being led to the pillory outside Montagu House, Blackheath, after being discredited in giving evidence against Caroline]]
By the end of 1811, King George III had become permanently insane, and the Prince of Wales was appointed [[regent]]. He restricted Caroline's access to Princess Charlotte further, and Caroline became more socially isolated as members of high society chose to patronise George's extravagant parties rather than hers.<ref>Plowden, pp. 122, 133; Robins, p. 36</ref> She moved her London residence to Connaught House in Bayswater.<ref>Plowden, p. 175</ref> Caroline needed a powerful ally to help her oppose George's increasing ability to prevent her from seeing her daughter. In league with [[Henry Brougham, 1st Baron Brougham and Vaux|Henry Brougham]], an ambitious [[British Whig Party|Whig]] politician who favoured reform, she began a propaganda campaign against George.<ref>Robins, pp. 37–41</ref> George countered by leaking Lady Douglas's testimony from the "Delicate Investigation", which Brougham repudiated by leaking the testimonies of the servants and Mrs Austin.<ref>Robins, p. 42</ref> Charlotte favoured her mother's point of view, as did most of the public. [[Jane Austen]] wrote of Caroline: "Poor woman, I shall support her as long as I can, because she ''is'' a Woman and because I hate her Husband."<ref>Letter from Jane Austen to [[Martha Lloyd]], 16 February 1813, quoted in Robins, p. 42</ref>

In 1814, after [[Napoleon]]'s defeat, nobility from throughout Europe attended [[Allied sovereigns' visit to England|celebrations in London]], but Caroline was excluded.<ref>Plowden, pp. 184–185; Robins, p. 46</ref> George's relationship with his daughter was also deteriorating, as Charlotte sought greater freedom from her father's strictures. On 12 July, he informed Charlotte that she would henceforth be confined at [[Cranbourne Lodge]], Windsor, that her household would be replaced, and that she could have no visitors except her grandmother [[Queen Charlotte]] once a week.<ref>Plowden, pp. 194–195</ref> Horrified, Princess Charlotte ran away to her mother's house in Bayswater.<ref>Plowden, pp. 195–196</ref> After an anxious night, Charlotte was eventually persuaded to return to her father by Brougham, since legally she could be placed in her father's care and there was a danger of public disorder against George, which might prejudice Charlotte's position if she continued to disobey him.<ref>Plowden, pp. 201–202</ref>

Caroline, unhappy at her situation and treatment in Britain, negotiated a deal with the [[Foreign Secretary (United Kingdom)|Foreign Secretary]], [[Lord Castlereagh]]. She agreed to leave the country in exchange for an annual allowance of £35,000. Both Brougham and Charlotte were dismayed by Caroline's decision, as they both realised that Caroline's absence would strengthen George's power and weaken theirs.<ref>Robins, pp. 47–50</ref> On 8 August 1814, Caroline left Britain.<ref>Robins, p. 49</ref>