Marriage of Prince William and Adelaide of Saxe-Meiningen (1818)

Prince William, Duke of Clarence and St Andrews, married Adelaide of Saxe-Meiningen on 11 July 1818. The ceremony occurred in the Drawing Room at Kew Palace as part of a double wedding with Prince Edward. This union was arranged to secure the succession following the death of Princess Charlotte.

Episodes

Background and detail

Background. Following the death of Princess Charlotte in 1817, the British succession lacked a legitimate heir. To secure the line, George III's sons sought quick marriages. William, having limited options, arranged a marriage with Adelaide, a princess from an unimportant German state, after other candidates fell through.

Ceremony. The wedding took place on 11 July 1818 in the Drawing Room at Kew Palace. It was a double wedding, coinciding with the marriage of Prince Edward to Victoria, Dowager Princess of Leiningen. Queen Charlotte intended to attend but fell ill with dropsy at the Dutch House, preventing her journey to Windsor.

Participants. Prince William, Duke of Clarence and St Andrews, was a naval officer and son of George III. Adelaide was the daughter of George I, Duke of Saxe-Meiningen. The event involved Prince Edward, Duke of Kent, and his bride Victoria, Dowager Princess of Leiningen, who married simultaneously.

People involved

Sources

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