| Adelaide Of Saxe-meiningen |
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| british royal consorts | |
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| 1792 births | |
| 1849 deaths | |
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Princess Adelaide of Saxe-Meiningen (Adelheid Amalie Luise Theresa Carolin) ( 13 August 1792 - 2 December 1849 ) later '''Queen Adelaide,''' was the Queen Consort of King William IV Of The United Kingdom . Prior to becoming Queen, she was known as '''The Duchess of Clarence.''' EARLY LIFE Adelaide was born on 13 August , 1792 at Meiningen , Thuringia , Germany . Her father was George I, the Duke of Saxe-Meiningen . Her mother was Louisa Eleonora, the daughter of Prince Christian of Hohenlohe-Langenburg. She was styled as a Princess of Saxe-Meiningen from her birth. MARRIAGE Adelaide married Prince William, Duke Of Clarence , a son of King George III , in a double marriage with William's brother, Edward, Duke Of Kent and his bride, Victoria Of Saxe-Coburg-Saalfeld on 13 July , 1818 , at Kew Palace in Surrey , England . It was the first marriage for both William and Adelaide; however, William was over twenty years her senior, and previously had illegitimate children by the popular actress Dorothy Jordan . The 6 November , 1817 death in childbirth of the heir to the throne, Princess Charlotte Augusta Of Wales , wife of Prince Leopold of Saxe-Coburg-Saalfield (later King Léopold I Of The Belgians ) prompted William and his brothers to secure the line of succession, thus marrying quickly late in life with the intent of producing heirs {Link without Title} . Another likely incentive on William's part was the offer put forth by Parliament after Charlotte's death to settle his debts upon marriage. Despite these unromantic circumstances, the couple settled amicably in Hanover, and by all accounts were devoted to each other throughout their marriage. CHILDREN Adelaide is alternately cited as having four and five [http://www.royalist.info/execute/biog?person=1402 pregnancies; however, she suffered at least two miscarriages. Her first child, born prematurely eight months after the wedding, lived but one day.
Another pregnancy in 1819 caused William to move the household to England so his future heir would be born on English soil, yet Adelaide miscarried in Calais during the journey. Her third pregnancy successfully resulted in a live birth at St. James Palace's in London .
Elizabeth, initially a healthy and vigourous child was favoured by King George IV during her brief life, as she preceded the future Queen Victoria (then Princess Victoria of Kent) in the line of succession, whose mother he disliked. Her death of convulsions and possible "entanglement of the bowels" [http://www.royalist.info/execute/biog;jsessionid=F93B5010429A2DF99AC3908882287588?person=1405 was sudden and unexpected. William and Adelaide ultimately did not produce an heir to the throne. Twin boys were stillborn on 23 April 1822 , and a possible brief pregnancy may have occurred within the same year. Princess Victoria of Kent came to be acknowledged as William's heir, as Adelaide had no further pregnancies. QUEEN At the time of their marriage, William was not heir to the throne, but became so when his brother, Frederick, Duke Of York , died childless in 1827 . In 1830 , on the death of his elder brother, George IV , William acceded to the throne, and Adelaide was crowned along with him on September 8 , 1831 , at Westminster Abbey . As queen, Adelaide aroused none of the controversy of her immediate predecessor, Caroline Of Brunswick . She was beloved by the British people for her modesty, charity, and her tragic childbirth history. A large portion of her household income was given to charitable causes. She also treated the young Princess Victoria of Kent, later Queen Victoria , with kindness, despite her own inability to produce an heir. The city of Adelaide , capital of South Australia , was named in her honour. DOWAGERHOOD Adelaide survived her husband by twelve years. She died during the reign of Queen Victoria , on 2 December 1849 of natural causes at Bentley Priory in Middlesex and was buried at St. George's Chapel, Windsor . TITLES
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