Princess Sophia of Gloucester

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Princess Sophia
File:Princess Sophia Matilda of Gloucester - Beechey 1803-5.jpg
c. 1803-5 portrait by Sir William Beechey
Born (1773-05-29)29 May 1773
Mayfair, Middlesex
Died Script error: The function "death_date_and_age" does not exist.
Blackheath, Kent
Burial St George's Chapel, Windsor
Full name
Sophia Matilda
House Hanover
Father Prince William Henry
Mother Maria Walpole

Princess Sophia Matilda of Gloucester (29 May 1773 – 29 November 1844) was a great-granddaughter of King George II of Great Britain and niece of King George III.

Early life

She was born in Grosvenor Street, Mayfair. Her father was Prince William Henry, Duke of Gloucester and Edinburgh, the third eldest son of The Prince Frederick, Prince of Wales. Her mother was the Duchess of Gloucester, the illegitimate daughter of Edward Walpole. As a great granddaughter in the male line of George II, Sophia was styled Her Highness Princess Sophia of Gloucester from birth.

The princess was privately christened in a drawing room at Gloucester House on 26 June 1773, by Charles Moss, The Bishop of St David's. She had three godparents: The Duke of Cumberland, her paternal uncle; The Duchess of Cumberland, her aunt by marriage; and The Queen of Denmark and Norway, her paternal aunt (who was represented by a proxy). The King had been asked to stand as godfather, but he refused, upset by his brother's marriage to Maria Walpole, a commoner.[1]

Royal Highness

On 22 July 1816 Sophia's brother, Prince William Frederick, Duke of Gloucester, married their cousin, The Princess Mary, a daughter of George III. On their wedding day, the Prince Regent bestowed the style of His Royal Highness on the Duke of Gloucester. The next day, Sophia was also bestowed with the style Her Royal Highness, to give her equal rank with her brother. From then on, she was styled Her Royal Highness Princess Sophia of Gloucester.

Sophia was considered as a potential bride for the Duke of Clarence (who later ruled as King William IV), but she expressed no enthusiasm for the match.[2] Sophia never married nor had any children. She lived at New Lodge in Winkfield, near Windsor in Berkshire and held the office of Ranger of Windsor Great Park. She died on 29 November 1844 and is buried in St. George's Chapel, Windsor.

Ancestry

Family of Princess Sophia of Gloucester
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
16. George I of Great Britain
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
8. George II of Great Britain
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
17. Duchess Sophia Dorothea of Celle
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
4. Frederick, Prince of Wales
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
18. Johann Friedrich, Margrave of Brandenburg-Ansbach
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
9. Margravine Caroline of Brandenburg-Ansbach
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
19. Princess Eleonore Erdmuthe of Saxe-Eisenach
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
2. Prince William Henry, Duke of Gloucester and Edinburgh
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
20. Frederick I, Duke of Saxe-Gotha-Altenburg
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
10. Frederick II, Duke of Saxe-Gotha-Altenburg
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
21. Magdalena Sibylle of Saxe-Weissenfels
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
5. Princess Augusta of Saxe-Gotha
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
22. Karl, Prince of Anhalt-Zerbst
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
11. Princess Magdalena Augusta of Anhalt-Zerbst
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
23. Sophia of Saxe-Weissenfels
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
1. Princess Sophia of Gloucester
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
24. Robert Walpole
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
12. Robert Walpole, 1st Earl of Orford
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
25. Mary Burwell
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
6. Edward Walpole
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
26. John Shorter
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
13. Catherine Shorter
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
27. Elizabeth Philipps
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
3. Maria Walpole
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
14. Hammond Clement
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
7. Dorothy Clement
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
15. Priscilla Clement
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 

Titles, styles, honours and arms

Titles

  • 29 May 1773 – 22 July 1816: Her Highness Princess Sophia of Gloucester
  • 22 July 1816 – 29 November 1844: Her Royal Highness Princess Sophia of Gloucester[3]
    • 16 December 1834 – 29 November 1844: Her Royal Highness Princess Sophia Matilda of Gloucester[3]

References

  1. Yvonne's Royalty Home Page: Royal Christenings
  2. Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  3. 3.0 3.1 The London Gazette styles her "Princess Sophia of Gloucester" consistently [1][2][3] up to and including The Duke of Clarence's Wedding, 14 July 1818. After this point, (or at least after her brother's death (his funeral Gazette, 16 December 1834) the Gazette consistently styles her "Princess Sophia Matilda of Gloucster" [4][5][6]

See also