View source for Charlotte of Mecklenburg-Strelitz

{{Short description|Queen of Great Britain and Ireland from 1761 to 1818}}
{{Redirect-multi|2|Queen Charlotte|Charlotte of the United Kingdom}}
{{EngvarB|date=July 2019}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=November 2022}}
{{good article}}
{{Infobox royalty
| consort      = yes
| image        = Charlotte gainsborough.jpg
| caption      = ''[[Portrait of Queen Charlotte (Gainsborough)|Portrait of Queen Charlotte]]'' by [[Thomas Gainsborough]], 1781
| alt          = Queen Charlotte aged 37
| succession   = {{plainlist|
* [[Queen consort of Great Britain and Ireland]]{{efn|Queen consort of the United Kingdom from 1 January 1801, after the [[Acts of Union 1800]]}}
* [[List of Hanoverian royal consorts|Electress/Queen consort of Hanover]]{{efn|Queen consort from 12 October 1814}}
}}
| reign        = 8 September 1761 – 17 November 1818
| coronation   = 22 September 1761
| cor-type     = [[Coronation of George III and Charlotte|Coronation]]
| birth_name   = Princess Sophia Charlotte of Mecklenburg-Strelitz
| birth_date   = {{Birth date|1744|05|19|df=y}}
| birth_place  = Unteres Schloß, [[Mirow]], [[Duchy of Mecklenburg-Strelitz|Mecklenburg-Strelitz]]
| death_date   = {{Death date and age|1818|11|17|1744|05|19|df=y}}<ref>{{cite book |last1=Panton |first1=James |title=Historical Dictionary of the British Monarchy |date=24 February 2011 |publisher=Scarecrow Press |isbn=978-0-8108-7497-8 |page=xxxv |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=BiyyueBTpaMC}}</ref>
| death_place  = [[Kew Palace]], Kew, England
| burial_date  = 2 December 1818
| burial_place = Royal Vault, [[St George's Chapel, Windsor Castle]]
| spouse       = {{marriage|[[George III]]|8 September 1761}}
| issue        = {{Unbulleted list|[[George IV]]|[[Prince Frederick, Duke of York and Albany]]|[[William IV]]|[[Charlotte, Queen of Württemberg]]|[[Prince Edward, Duke of Kent and Strathearn]]|[[Princess Augusta Sophia]]|[[Elizabeth, Landgravine of Hesse-Homburg]]| [[Ernest Augustus, King of Hanover]]|[[Prince Augustus Frederick, Duke of Sussex]]|[[Prince Adolphus, Duke of Cambridge]]|[[Princess Mary, Duchess of Gloucester and Edinburgh]]|[[Princess Sophia of the United Kingdom|Princess Sophia]]|[[Prince Octavius]]|[[Prince Alfred of Great Britain|Prince Alfred]]|[[Princess Amelia of the United Kingdom|Princess Amelia]]}}
| house        = [[House of Mecklenburg|Mecklenburg-Strelitz]]
| father       = [[Duke Charles Louis Frederick of Mecklenburg, Prince of Mirow]]
| mother       = [[Elisabeth Albertine of Saxe-Hildburghausen]]
| signature    = QueenCharlotteSignature.svg
}}
'''Charlotte of Mecklenburg-Strelitz''' (Sophia Charlotte; 19 May 1744 – 17 November 1818) was [[List of British royal consorts|Queen of Great Britain and Ireland]] as the wife of [[King George&nbsp;III]] from their marriage on 8 September 1761 until her death in 1818. The [[Acts of Union 1800]] unified [[Kingdom of Great Britain|Great Britain]] and [[Kingdom of Ireland|Ireland]] into the [[United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland]]. As George's wife, she was also [[Electress]] of [[Electorate of Hanover|Hanover]] until becoming [[Queen of Hanover]] on 12 October 1814. Charlotte was Britain's longest-serving [[queen consort]], serving for 57 years and 70 days.

Charlotte was born into the ruling family of [[Mecklenburg-Strelitz]], a [[duchy]] in northern Germany. In 1760, the young and unmarried George&nbsp;III inherited the British throne. As Charlotte was a minor German princess with no interest in politics, the King considered her a suitable consort, and they married in 1761. The marriage lasted 57 years and produced 15 children, 13 of whom survived to adulthood. They included two future British monarchs, [[George&nbsp;IV]] and [[William&nbsp;IV]]; as well as [[Charlotte, Princess Royal]], who became [[Queen of Württemberg]]; and [[Ernest Augustus, King of Hanover|Prince Ernest Augustus]], who became [[King of Hanover]].

Charlotte was a patron of the arts and an amateur [[botanist]] who helped expand [[Kew Gardens]]. She introduced the [[Christmas tree]] to Britain, decorating one for a Christmas party for children of [[Windsor, Berkshire|Windsor]] in 1800. She was distressed by her husband's bouts of physical and mental illness, which became permanent in later life. Charlotte was deeply shocked by the events of the [[French Revolution]] and of the ensuing [[Napoleonic Wars]], which threatened the safety and sovereignty of her homeland. Her eldest son, George, was appointed [[prince regent]] in 1811 due to the increasing severity of the King's illness. Charlotte died at [[Kew Palace]] in November 1818, with several of her children at her side. George&nbsp;III died a little over a year later, probably unaware of his wife's death.{{TOC limit}}

==Early life==
[[File:Mirow Schloss.jpg|thumb|left|250px|Charlotte's birth place in [[Mirow]]]]
Charlotte was born on 19 May 1744. She was the youngest daughter of [[Duke Charles Louis Frederick of Mecklenburg, Prince of Mirow]] (1708–1752), and his wife [[Princess Elisabeth Albertine of Saxe-Hildburghausen]] (1713–1761). [[Mecklenburg-Strelitz]] was a small north-German duchy in the [[Holy Roman Empire]].<ref>{{harvp|Fitzgerald|1899 |pp=5–6}}</ref>

The children of Duke Charles were all born at the Unteres Schloss (Lower Castle) in [[Mirow]].<ref>{{cite book |last1= Wurlitzer |first1= Bernd |last2= Sucher |first2= Kerstin |title= Mecklenburg-Vorpommern: Mit Rügen und Hiddensee, Usedom, Rostock und Stralsund |year= 2010 |publisher= Trescher Verlag |isbn= 978-3-89794-163-2 |page= 313 }}</ref> 
According to diplomatic reports at the time of her engagement to [[George&nbsp;III]] in 1761, Charlotte had received "a very mediocre education"{{Sfn|Fraser|2005|p=16}} and contemporary Britons including [[Elizabeth Montagu]] expressed anxiety about the supposed provinciality of Charlotte's upbringing.<ref>{{cite book |last1= Garrett |first1= Natalee |title= Queen Charlotte: Family, Duty, Scandal |year= 2025 |publisher= Routledge |isbn= 978-1-032-28040-0 |page= 20 }}</ref>  Her parents hired notable individuals to tutor their children, among them [[Gottlob Burchard Genzmer]] and [[Friderike Elisabeth von Grabow]].<ref>Garrett (2025), p.29</ref> Charlotte received instruction in literature, [[botany]], [[natural history]], and [[languages]] including French, Italian, and Latin. She was also taught traditional pursuits for upper-class girls, including embroidery, dancing, singing, [[household management]] and [[religion]]{{snd}}the latter taught by a [[priest]]. Charlotte was also taught to play the [[harpsichord]] by composer Johann Georg Linike.<ref>Garrett (2025), p.30</ref> The family lived a modest life at Mirow; only after her brother [[Adolphus Frederick IV, Duke of Mecklenburg-Strelitz|Adolphus Frederick]] succeeded to the ducal throne, in 1752, did Charlotte gain any experience of princely duties and of court life.<ref name="Fitzgerald, Percy 1899">{{harvp|Fitzgerald|1899}}{{pages needed |date=December 2020}}</ref>

==Marriage==
[[File:Ziesenis - Queen Charlotte when Princess, Royal Collection.jpg|thumb|right|Charlotte with a servant by [[Johann Georg Ziesenis]], {{circa}} 1761]]
When George&nbsp;III succeeded to the throne of [[Kingdom of Great Britain|Great Britain]] upon the 1760 death of his grandfather, [[George II of Great Britain|George&nbsp;II]], he was 22 years old and unmarried. His mother, [[Princess Augusta of Saxe-Gotha]], and his advisors were eager to have him settled in marriage.

Charlotte was not originally considered as a potential bride, but the Hanoverian Minister in London, Baron Philip Adolphus von Münchausen, suggested her as a candidate, likely due to the positive relations between Hanover and Mecklenburg-Strelitz.<ref>Garrett (2025), p.36</ref> The 17-year-old Charlotte appealed as a prospective consort partly because she had been brought up in an insignificant north German duchy and, therefore, would probably have had no experience or interest in power politics or party intrigues. That proved to be the case; to make sure, George III instructed her shortly after their wedding "not to meddle", a precept she dutifully followed.<ref>{{cite web |author=Jean L. Cooper and Angelika S. Powell |title=Queen Charlotte from her Letters |date=2003 |publisher=University of Virginia |url=http://people.virginia.edu/~jlc5f/charlotte/letter_intro.html |access-date=6 June 2018}}</ref>

The King announced to his Council in July 1761, according to the usual form, his intention to wed the Princess, after which a party of escorts, led by [[Simon Harcourt, 1st Earl Harcourt|the Earl Harcourt]], departed for Germany to bring Princess Charlotte to England. They reached [[Duchy of Mecklenburg-Strelitz|Strelitz]] on 14 August 1761, and were received the next day by Duke Adolphus Frederick&nbsp;IV, Charlotte's brother, at which time the marriage contract was signed by him on the one hand and Lord Harcourt on the other.<ref>{{Cite web |date=2023-05-16 |title=The True Story of Queen Charlotte's Wedding |url=https://www.cosmopolitan.com/entertainment/tv/a43907021/queen-charlotte-wedding-true-story/ |access-date=2024-04-06 |website=Cosmopolitan |language=en-US}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |date=2023-05-06 |title=Who Was Queen Charlotte's Brother, Adolphus Frederick IV? |url=https://www.townandcountrymag.com/leisure/arts-and-culture/a43688329/who-is-adolphus-frederick-queen-charlotte-brother/ |access-date=2024-04-06 |website=Town & Country |first=Emily |last=Burack|language=en-US}}</ref> Charlotte's mother had died on 29 June, after giving encouragement to the betrothal following a correspondence with George III's mother, Princess Augusta.<ref>Garrett (2025), p.45</ref>

Three days of public celebrations followed, and on 17 August 1761, Charlotte set out for Britain, accompanied by Adolphus Frederick and the British escort party, among them one of Charlotte's new Ladies of the Bedchamber, [[Elizabeth Hamilton, 1st Baroness Hamilton of Hameldon]]. On 22 August, they reached [[Cuxhaven]], where a small fleet awaited to convey them to England. The voyage was extremely difficult; the party encountered three storms at sea and landed at [[Harwich]] only on 7 September. They set out at once for London, spent that night in [[Witham]], at the residence of [[James Hamilton, 8th Earl of Abercorn|Lord Abercorn]], and arrived at 3:30 pm the next day at [[St. James's Palace]] in London. They were received by the King and his family at the garden gate, which marked the first meeting of the bride and groom.<ref>Garrett (2025), p.64</ref>

At 9:00 pm that same evening (8 September 1761), within six hours of her arrival, Charlotte was married to George&nbsp;III. The ceremony was performed at the [[Chapel Royal]], St. James's Palace, by the [[archbishop of Canterbury]], [[Thomas Secker]].<ref name=" Fitzgerald pp. 32-33">{{harvp|Fitzgerald|1899 |pp=32–33}}</ref> Only the royal family, the party who had travelled from Germany, and a handful of guests were present.<ref name="Fitzgerald pp. 32-33"/> [[Coronation of George III and Charlotte|George&nbsp;III and Charlotte's coronation]] was held at [[Westminster Abbey]] a fortnight later on 22 September, after a brief honeymoon at [[Richmond Lodge]].<ref>Garrett (2025), p.69</ref>

==Queen consort==

Upon her wedding day, Charlotte spoke little English. However, she quickly learned the language, albeit speaking with a strong German accent. One observer commented, "She is timid at first but talks a lot, when she is among people she knows."{{sfn|Fraser|2005|p=17}}

[[File:Johan Zoffany - Queen Charlotte (1744-1818) with her Two Eldest Sons - Google Art Project.jpg|thumb|''Queen Charlotte with her Two Eldest Sons'', [[Johan Zoffany]], 1765]]
Less than a year after the marriage, on 12 August 1762, the Queen gave birth to her first child, [[George IV|George, Prince of Wales]]. In the course of their marriage, the couple became the parents of 15 children,<ref>{{cite encyclopedia |encyclopedia= Encyclopedia Britannica |title= Charlotte, Queen of England |url= https://www.britannica.com/biography/Charlotte-queen-of-England |access-date= 26 May 2018}}</ref> all but two of whom ([[Prince Octavius of Great Britain|Octavius]] and [[Prince Alfred of Great Britain|Alfred]]) survived into adulthood.<ref>{{cite journal | url= http://www.london-gazette.co.uk/issues/12437/pages/1 | title= St. James's, May 6 | journal= [[The London Gazette]] |date= May 1783 | issue= 12437 | page= 1}}</ref>{{sfn|Weir|2008|p= 300}}{{sfn|Holt|1820|p= 251}}

[[St James's Palace]] functioned as the official residence of the royal couple, but the King had recently purchased a nearby property, [[Buckingham Palace|Buckingham House]], located at the western end of [[St James's Park]]. More private and compact, the new property stood amid rolling parkland not far from St James's Palace. Around 1762, the King and Queen moved to this residence, which was originally intended as a private retreat. The Queen came to favour this residence, spending so much of her time there that it came to be known as The Queen's House. Indeed, in 1775, an Act of Parliament settled the property on Queen Charlotte in exchange for her rights to [[Somerset House]].<ref>
{{cite book
 | last1 = Walford
 | first1 = Edward
 | author-link1 = Edward Walford
 | chapter = Westminster: Buckingham Palace
 | title = Old and New London
 | url = https://www.british-history.ac.uk/old-new-london/vol4/pp61-74#p15
 | volume = 4
 | location = London
 | publisher = Cassell, Petter & Galpin
 | date = 1878
 | pages = 61–74
 | access-date = 3 December 2018
| quote = In 1775 the property was legally settled, by Act of Parliament, on Queen Charlotte (in exchange for Somerset House, [...]); and henceforth Buckingham House was known in West-end society as the "Queen's House."
}}
</ref> Most of the couple's 15 children were born in Buckingham House, although St James's Palace remained the official and ceremonial royal residence.<ref>''[http://www.british-history.ac.uk/report.aspx?compid=45183 Westminster: Buckingham Palace]'', ''Old and New London'': Volume 4 (1878), pp. 61–74. Date accessed: 3 February 2009</ref>{{efn|The tradition persists of foreign ambassadors being formally accredited to "the [[Court of St James's]]", even though they present their credentials and staff, upon their appointment, to the Monarch at Buckingham Palace.}}{{efn|The house which forms the architectural core of the present palace was built for the first [[John Sheffield, 1st Duke of Buckingham and Normanby|Duke of Buckingham and Normanby]]<!--note - "Normanby" is correct spelling, do not change please --> in 1703 to the design of [[William Winde]]. Buckingham's descendant, [[Sheffield Baronets|Sir Charles Sheffield]], sold Buckingham House to [[George&nbsp;III]] in 1761.}}
[[File:Charlotte1767Cotes.jpg|thumb|upright|left|In 1767, [[Francis Cotes]] drew a pastel of Queen Charlotte with her eldest daughter, [[Charlotte, Princess Royal]]. [[Lady Mary Coke]] called the likeness "so like that it could not be mistaken for any other person".{{sfn|Levey|1977|pp=8–9}}]]
During her first years in Great Britain, Charlotte's strained relationship with her mother-in-law, Augusta, caused her difficulty in adapting to the life of the British court.<ref name="Fitzgerald, Percy 1899"/> Augusta interfered with Charlotte's efforts to establish social contacts by insisting on rigid court etiquette.<ref name="Fitzgerald, Percy 1899"/> Furthermore, Augusta appointed many of Charlotte's staff, among whom several were expected to report to Augusta about Charlotte's behaviour.<ref name="Fitzgerald, Percy 1899"/> Charlotte turned to her German companions for friends, notably her close confidante [[Juliane von Schwellenberg]].<ref name="Fitzgerald, Percy 1899"/> Charlotte's personal correspondence with her brother [[Charles II, Grand Duke of Mecklenburg-Strelitz]] revealed the depth of her loneliness and of her frustration with the regulations of royal life.<ref>Garrett (2025), pp.82-3</ref>

The King enjoyed country pursuits and riding and preferred to keep his family's residence as much as possible in the then rural towns of [[Kew]] and [[Richmond, London|Richmond]]. He favoured an informal and relaxed domestic life, to the dismay of some courtiers more accustomed to displays of grandeur and strict protocol. [[Lady Mary Coke]] was indignant on hearing, in July 1769, that the King, the Queen, her visiting brother [[Duke Ernest Gottlob of Mecklenburg|Prince Ernest]] and [[Elizabeth Howard, Countess of Effingham|Lady Effingham]] had gone for a walk through Richmond by themselves without any servants: "I am not satisfied in my mind about the propriety of a Queen walking in town unattended."{{sfn|Fraser|2005|p=23}}

From 1778, the royal family spent much of their time at a newly constructed residence, the Queen's Lodge at Windsor, opposite [[Windsor Castle]], in [[Windsor Great Park]], where the King enjoyed hunting deer.<ref>{{cite web |url= http://www.berkshirehistory.com/castles/queens_lodge.html | title= Berkshire History|author= <!--Staff writer(s); no by-line.--> | work= Queen's Lodge |access-date= 1 April 2013}}</ref> The Queen was responsible for the interior decoration of their new residence, described by a friend of the royal family and diarist [[Mary Delany]]: "The entrance into the first room was dazzling, all furnished with beautiful Indian paper, chairs covered with different embroideries of the liveliest colours, glasses, tables, sconces, in the best taste, the whole calculated to give the greatest cheerfulness to the place."{{sfn|Fraser|2005|p=23}}

Charlotte treated her children's attendants with friendly warmth which is reflected in this note she wrote to her daughters' assistant governess, Mary Hamilton:
<blockquote>My dear Miss Hamilton, What can I have to say? Not much indeed! But to wish you a good morning, in the pretty blue and white room where I had the pleasure to sit and read with you ''The Hermit'', a poem which is such a favourite with me that I have read it twice this summer. Oh! What a blessing to keep good company! Very likely I should not have been acquainted with either poet or poem was it not for you.{{sfn|Fraser|2005|p=72}}</blockquote>

Charlotte did have some influence on political affairs through the King. Her influence was discreet and indirect, as demonstrated in the correspondence with her brother Charles. She used her closeness with George&nbsp;III to keep herself informed and to make recommendations for offices.<ref name="Clarissa Campbell Orr 2004">Campbell Orr, Clarissa: Queenship in Europe 1660–1815: The Role of the Consort. [[Cambridge University Press]] (2004)</ref> Apparently her recommendations were not direct, as she on one occasion, in 1779, asked her brother Charles to burn her letter, because the King suspected that a person she had recently recommended for a post was the client of a woman who sold offices.<ref name="Clarissa Campbell Orr 2004"/> Charlotte particularly interested herself in German issues. She took an interest in the [[War of the Bavarian Succession]] (1778–1779), and it is possible that it was due to her efforts that the King supported British intervention in the continuing conflict between [[Joseph II, Holy Roman Emperor|Joseph&nbsp;II]] and [[Charles Theodore, Elector of Bavaria|Charles Theodore of Bavaria]] in 1785.<ref name="Clarissa Campbell Orr 2004"/>

==Husband's first period of illness==
[[File:Dance_-_Queen_Charlotte%2C_Uppark_House.jpg|thumb|''[[Portrait of Queen Charlotte (Dance-Holland)|Portrait of Queen Charlotte]]'' by [[Nathaniel Dance-Holland]], {{circa}} 1768]]
Some contemporaries, including [[Charlotte Papendiek]], one of Charlotte's attendants, believed that George III first suffered from mental illness in 1765.<ref> Garrett (2025), pp.218-19</ref> However, the royal governess, [[Lady Charlotte Finch]] recorded that the king was merely ill with a fever; unlike Mrs Papendiek, who was in July 1765, Lady Charlotte was present in the royal household at the time.<ref>{{cite book |last1= Hedley |first1= Olwen |title= Queen Charlotte |year= 1975 |publisher= John Murray  |page= 95}}</ref> Mrs Papendiek claimed in her memoirs that Princess Augusta tried to keep Charlotte unaware of the situation in order to establish herself as regent.<ref>{{cite book |last1= Papendiek |first1= Charlotte |title= Court and Private Life in the Time of Queen Charlotte: Being the Journals of Mrs Papendiek, Assistant Keeper of the Wardrobe and Reader to Her Majesty, Edited by Her Granddaughter Mrs Vernon Delves Broughton |year= 1887 |publisher= R. Bentley & Son |volume=1 |page= 32-4 }}</ref>  The Regency Bill of 1765 stated that if the King should become permanently unable to rule, Charlotte was to act as regent until the Prince of Wales came of age. 

George III's bout of physical and mental illness started in October 1788 and lasted until March 1789. Charlotte was deeply distressed by the change in her husband's behaviour. The writer [[Frances Burney]], at that time one of the Queen's attendants, overheard her moaning to herself with "desponding sound": "What will become of me? What will become of me?"{{sfn|Fraser|2005|p=116}} When the King collapsed one night, she refused to be left alone with him and successfully insisted that she be given her own bedroom. When the doctor, [[Richard Warren (physician)|Richard Warren]], was called, she was not informed and was not given the opportunity to speak with him about it. When told by the Prince of Wales that the King was to be removed to Kew, but that she should move to Queen's House or to Windsor, she successfully insisted that she accompany her spouse to Kew, telling her son "Where the king is, ''there I shall be''."<ref>{{cite book |last1= Harcourt |first1= Edward William |title= The Harcourt Papers |year= 1880 |publisher= J. Parker & Co. |volume=4 |page= 601 }}</ref> However, she and her daughters were taken to Kew separately from the King and lived secluded from him during his illness. They regularly visited him, but the visits tended to be uncomfortable, as he had a tendency to embrace them and refuse to let them go.<ref> Fitzgerald (1899)</ref>

During the 1788 illness of the King, a conflict arose between the Queen and the Prince of Wales, who suspected one another of desiring to assume the regency should the illness of the King become permanent, resulting in him being declared unfit to rule. Charlotte suspected her son of a plan to have the King declared insane with the assistance of Doctor Warren, and to take over the regency.<ref name="Fitzgerald, Percy 1899"/> Prince George's followers, notably Sir Gilbert Ellis, in turn suspected the Queen of a plan to have the King declared sane with the assistance of Doctor [[Francis Willis (physician)|Francis Willis]] and Prime Minister [[William Pitt the Younger|William Pitt]], so that he could have her appointed regent should he fall ill again, and then have him declared insane again and assume the regency.<ref name="Fitzgerald, Percy 1899"/> According to Doctor Warren, Doctor Willis had pressed him to declare the King sane on the orders of the Queen.<ref name="Fitzgerald, Percy 1899"/>
[[File:King George and Earl Howe aboard Qn Charlotte.jpg|thumb|''[[Visit of George III to Howe's Flagship the Queen Charlotte]]'' by [[Henry Perronet Briggs]], 1828. George and Charlotte with [[Richard Howe, 1st Earl Howe|Admiral Howe]] on [[HMS Queen Charlotte (1790)|HMS ''Queen Charlotte'']], 1794]]

In the Regency Bill of 1789, the Prince of Wales was declared regent should the King become permanently insane, but it also placed the King himself, his court and minor children under the Queen's guardianship.<ref> Garrett (2025), p.231 </ref> The conflict around the regency led to serious discord between the Prince of Wales and his mother.<ref name="Fitzgerald, Percy 1899"/> In an argument he accused her of having sided with his enemies, while she called him the enemy of the King.<ref name="Fitzgerald, Percy 1899"/> Their conflict became public when she refused to invite him to the concert held in celebration of the recovery of the King, which created a scandal.<ref name="Fitzgerald, Percy 1899"/> During this period, Queen Charlotte was caricatured in satirical prints that depicted her as an unnatural mother and a creature of the Prime Minister.<ref>Garrett, Natalee. "Albion's Queen by All Admir'd': Reassessing the Public Reputation of Queen Charlotte, 1761–1818". ''Journal for Eighteenth-Century Studies'' (2022) 45 (3): pp. 6–9</ref> In January 1789 ''[[The Times]]'' accused the Opposition of beginning "a most scurrilous attack on the queen, not only by private conversation, but through the medium of the prints in their interest".<ref>''The Times'', 15 January 1789, cited in Garrett 2022, p. 9</ref>  Queen Charlotte and the Prince of Wales finally reconciled, on her initiative, in March 1791.<ref name="Fitzgerald, Percy 1899"/>

As a result of the king's illness in 1788–89 and of the public attacks on her character, the Queen's personality altered: she developed a terrible temper and no longer enjoyed appearing in public, not even at the musical concerts she had so loved; and her relationships with her adult children became strained.{{sfn|Fraser|2005|loc=pp. 112–379 passim}} From 1792 she found some relief from her worry about her husband by planning the gardens and decoration of a new residence for herself, [[Frogmore House]], in Windsor Home Park.<ref>
{{cite web
 |url= http://www.berkshirehistory.com/castles/queens_lodge.html
 | title= Berkshire History
 |author= <!--Staff writer(s); no by-line.-->
 | work= Frogmore House |access-date= 1 April 2013
}}
</ref>

When the king's mental health declined again in 1804, it caused a serious rupture in the royal marriage. Despite the entreaties of her daughters and of the king's physicians, Queen Charlotte slept in a separate bedroom, had her meals separate from the king, and avoided spending time alone with him.<ref> Garrett (2025), pp.132-3 </ref>

==Interests and patronage==
[[Image:Margaret botany.jpg|thumb|"Patroness of Botany, and of the Fine Arts"]]
[[Image:Queen-charlotte-1744-1818.jpg|thumb|Queen Charlotte in Robes of State, by [[Joshua Reynolds]], 1779]]

Charlotte and her husband were music connoisseurs with German tastes, who gave special honour to German artists and composers.  They were passionate admirers of the music of [[George Frideric Handel]].<ref>{{cite book |first1=Otto |last1=Jahn |first2=Sir George |last2=Grove |title=Life of Mozart |volume=1 |year=1882 |url=https://archive.org/details/lifeofmozart01jahn/}} [https://archive.org/details/lifeofmozart01jahn/page/38/mode/2up p. 39.]</ref>

In April 1764, [[Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart]], then aged eight, arrived in Britain with his family as part of their [[Mozart family grand tour|grand tour of Europe]] and remained until July 1765.<ref>Engel, Louis: ''From Mozart to Mario: Reminiscences of half a century, Volume 1'', 1886, p. 275.</ref> The Mozarts were summoned to court on 19 May and played before a limited circle from six to ten o'clock. [[Johann Christian Bach]], eleventh son of the great [[Johann Sebastian Bach]], was then music-master to the Queen. He put difficult works of Handel, J. S. Bach, and [[Carl Friedrich Abel]] before the boy: he played them all [[sight reading|at sight]], to the amazement of those present.<ref>Engel, Louis. ''From Mozart to Mario: Reminiscences of Half a Century, Volume 1'', 1886, p. 39.</ref> Afterwards, the young Mozart accompanied the Queen in an [[aria]] that she sang, and played a solo work on the flute.<ref>Gehring, Franz Eduard. ''Mozart'', 1911, p. 18.</ref> On 29 October, the Mozarts were in London again, and were invited to court to celebrate the fourth anniversary of the King's accession. As a memento of the royal favour, [[Leopold Mozart]] published six sonatas composed by Wolfgang, known as Mozart's [[Violin Sonatas, KV 10-15 (Mozart)|Opus 3]], that were dedicated to the Queen on 18 January 1765, a dedication she rewarded with a present of 50 guineas.<ref>{{harvnb|Jahn|Grove|1882|loc=[https://archive.org/details/lifeofmozart01jahn/page/40/mode/2up p. 41]}}</ref>

Queen Charlotte was an amateur [[botanist]] who took a great interest in [[Kew Gardens]]. In an age of discovery, when such travellers and explorers as [[Captain James Cook]] and [[Sir Joseph Banks]] were constantly bringing home new species and varieties of plants, she ensured that the collections were greatly enriched and expanded.<ref>Murray, John. ''A Handbook for Travellers in Surrey, Hampshire, and the Isle of Wight'', 1876, pp. 130–131.</ref> Her interest in botany led to the South African flower, the bird of paradise, being named ''[[Strelitzia reginae]]'' in her honour.<ref>{{Cite journal |date=1922 |title=Bird of Paradise Flower (Strelitzia Reginae) |url=https://www.biodiversitylibrary.org/page/3951501 |journal=Missouri Botanical Garden Bulletin |location=St. Louis, MO |publisher=[[Missouri Botanical Garden]] |volume=10 |issue=2 |page=27 |via=[[Biodiversity Heritage Library]]}}</ref>

Queen Charlotte has also been credited with introducing the [[Christmas tree]] to Britain and its colonies.<ref name= charlotteobserver>{{cite news| last = Simmons| first = John D.| title = How Queen Charlotte Mecklenburg brought Christmas tree here| newspaper = [[The Charlotte Observer]]| location = [[Charlotte, North Carolina]], U.S.| publisher = McClatchy Company| date = 10 December 2021| url = https://www.charlotteobserver.com/news/local/article256013462.html | access-date = 21 December 2021}}</ref> Initially, Charlotte decorated a single [[yew]] branch, a common Christmas tradition in her native Mecklenburg-Strelitz, to celebrate Christmas with members of the royal family and the royal household.<ref name= historytoday>{{cite news| last = Barnes| first = Alison| title = The First Christmas Tree| newspaper = History Today|  date = 12 December 2006| url = https://www.historytoday.com/archive/history-matters/first-christmas-tree| access-date = 21 December 2021}}</ref> She decorated the branch with the assistance of her ladies-in-waiting and then had the court gather to sing carols and distribute gifts.<ref name= historytoday/> In December 1800, Queen Charlotte set up the first known English Christmas tree at [[Royal Lodge|Queen's Lodge, Windsor]].<ref name= historytoday/><ref name= indpendent>{{cite news| last = Sommerlad| first = Joe| title = Why Queen Charlotte Really Deserves The Credit For Bringing The Christmas Tree To Britain| newspaper = [[The Independent]]| location = London, U.K.| publisher = Independent Digital News & Media Ltd| date = 21 December 2018| url = https://www.independent.co.uk/life-style/christmas-tree-queen-charlotte-history-prince-albert-charles-dickens-a8694626.html| access-date = 21 December 2021}}</ref> That year, she held a large Christmas party for the children of all the families in [[Windsor, Berkshire|Windsor]] and placed a whole tree in the drawing-room, decorated with tinsel, glass, [[baubles]] and fruits.<ref name= historytoday/> [[John Watkins (writer)|John Watkins]], who attended the Christmas party, described the tree in his biography of the Queen: "from the branches of which hung bunches of sweetmeats, almonds and raisins in papers, fruits and toys, most tastefully arranged; the whole illuminated by small wax candles. After the company had walked round and admired the tree, each child obtained a portion of the sweets it bore, together with a toy, and then all returned home quite delighted."<ref name= historytoday/> The practice of decorating a tree became popular among the British nobility and [[landed gentry|gentry]], and later spread to the colonies.<ref name= charlotteobserver/><ref name= historytoday/>

Among the royal couple's favoured craftsmen and artists were the cabinetmaker [[William Vile]], silversmith [[Thomas Heming]], the landscape designer [[Capability Brown]], and the German painter [[Johann Zoffany]], who frequently painted the King and Queen and their children in charmingly informal scenes, such as a portrait of Queen Charlotte and her children as she sat at her dressing table.<ref>{{harvnb|Levey|1977|p=4}}</ref> In 1788, the royal couple visited the Worcester Porcelain Factory (founded in 1751, and later to be known as [[Royal Worcester]]), where Queen Charlotte ordered a porcelain service that was later renamed "Royal Lily" in her honour. Another well-known porcelain service designed and named in her honour was the "Queen Charlotte" pattern.<ref>Appendix III of ''Flight & Barr Worcester Porcelain'' by [[Henry Sandon]].</ref>

The Queen founded orphanages and, in 1809, became the patron (providing new funding) of the General Lying-in Hospital, a hospital for expectant mothers. It was subsequently renamed as the Queen's Hospital, and is today the [[Queen Charlotte's and Chelsea Hospital]].<ref name="Thomas1885">{{cite book|url=https://archive.org/stream/historyofqueench00ryan#page/n5/mode/2up |title=The History of Queen Charlotte's Lying-in Hospital from its foundation in 1752 to the present time, with an account of its objects and present state|year= 1885|publisher= Hutchings & Crowsley|first= Thomas |last=Ryan}}</ref>

Up until 1788, portraits of Charlotte often depict her in maternal poses with her children, and she looks young and contented;<ref>{{harvnb|Levey|1977|pp= 7–8}}</ref> however, that year, her husband fell seriously ill and became temporarily insane. It is now thought that the King had [[porphyria]],<ref>{{cite journal |last1=Cox, Timothy M. |last2=Jack |first2=N. |last3=Lofthouse |first3=S. |last4=Watling |first4=J. |last5=Haines |first5=J. |last6=Warren |first6=M. J. |title=King George&nbsp;III and porphyria: an elemental hypothesis and investigation |journal=[[The Lancet]] |volume=366 |issue=9482 |pages=332–335 |date=2005 |pmid=16039338 |s2cid=13109527 |doi=10.1016/S0140-6736(05)66991-7}}</ref> though [[bipolar disorder]] has also been named as another possible underlying cause for his condition.<ref>{{cite journal |last1=Peters |first1=Timothy J. |last2=Wilkinson |first2=D. |title=King George&nbsp;III and porphyria: a clinical re-examination of the historical evidence |journal=History of Psychiatry |volume=21 |issue=1 |pages=3–19 |date=2010 |pmid=21877427 |s2cid=22391207 |doi=10.1177/0957154X09102616}}</ref><ref>{{cite journal |last1=Peters |first1=T. |title=King George&nbsp;III, bipolar disorder, porphyria and lessons for historians |journal=Clinical Medicine |date=June 2011 |volume=11 |issue=3 |pages=261–264 |doi=10.7861/clinmedicine.11-3-261 |pmid=21902081|pmc=4953321 }}</ref><ref>{{cite journal |last1=Rentoumi |first1=V. |last2=Peters |first2=T. |last3=Conlin |first3=J. |last4=Gerrard |first4=P. |title=The acute mania of King George&nbsp;III: A computational linguistic analysis |journal=[[PLOS One]] |volume=3 |issue=12 |article-number=e0171626 |date=2017 |bibcode=2017PLoSO..1271626R |pmc=5362044 |pmid=28328964 |doi=10.1371/journal.pone.0171626 |doi-access=free}}</ref> Sir [[Thomas Lawrence]]'s portrait of Charlotte at this time marks a transition point, after which she looks much older in her portraits; the assistant keeper of Charlotte's wardrobe, [[Charlotte Papendiek]], wrote that the Queen was "much changed, her hair quite grey".<ref>{{harvnb|Levey|1977|p=7}}</ref>

==Friendship with Marie Antoinette==
[[File:Queen Charlotte by Sir Thomas Lawrence 1789.jpg|thumb|Charlotte sat for Sir [[Thomas Lawrence]] in September 1789. His [[Portrait of Queen Charlotte (Lawrence)|portrait of her]] was exhibited at the Royal Academy the following year. Reviewers thought it "a strong likeness".<ref>{{harvnb|Levey|1977|p=16}}</ref>{{efn|The building in the distance is [[Eton College Chapel]], as seen from [[Windsor Castle]].}}]]

The [[French Revolution]] of 1789 probably added to the strain that Charlotte felt.<ref>{{harvnb|Levey|1977|p=15}}</ref> She had maintained a close relationship with Queen [[Marie Antoinette]] of France. Charlotte was 11 years older than Marie Antoinette, yet they shared many interests, such as their love of music and the arts, about which they were both enthusiastic. Never meeting face to face, they confined their friendship to pen and paper. Marie Antoinette confided in Charlotte upon the outbreak of the French Revolution. Charlotte had organized apartments to be prepared and ready for the refugee royal family of France to occupy.<ref>[[Fraser, Antonia]]: ''Marie Antoinette: The Journey'', 2001; p. 287.</ref>
She was greatly distraught when she heard the news that the King and Queen of France had been executed.

==During the Regency==
[[File:Stroehling - Queen Charlotte, 1807, Royal Collection.jpg|thumb|Queen Charlotte in her later years, painted by [[Peter Edward Stroehling|Stroehling]], 1807, Royal Collection]]
After the onset of his permanent madness in 1811, George&nbsp;III was placed under the guardianship of his wife in accordance with the [[Regency Acts|Regency Bill of 1789]].<ref name="Fitzgerald, Percy 1899"/>
She could not bring herself to visit him very often, due to his erratic behaviour and occasional violent reactions. It is believed she did not visit him again after June 1812. However, Charlotte remained supportive of her spouse as his illness worsened in old age. While her son, the [[George IV|Prince Regent]], wielded the royal power, she was her spouse's legal guardian from 1811 until her death in 1818. Due to the extent of the King's illness, he was incapable of knowing or understanding that she had died.<ref>{{harvnb|Ayling|1972|pp=453–455}}; {{harvnb|Brooke|1972|pp=384–385}}; {{harvnb|Hibbert|1999|p=405}}</ref>

During the Regency of her son, Queen Charlotte continued to fill her role as first lady in royal representation because of the estrangement of the Prince Regent and [[Caroline of Brunswick|his spouse]].<ref name="Fitzgerald, Percy 1899"/> As such, she functioned as the hostess by the side of her son at official receptions, such as the [[Allied sovereigns' visit to England|festivities given in London]] to celebrate the defeat of Emperor [[Napoleon]] in 1814.<ref name="Fitzgerald, Percy 1899"/> She also supervised the upbringing of her granddaughter, [[Princess Charlotte of Wales (1796–1817)|Princess Charlotte of Wales]].<ref name="Fitzgerald, Percy 1899"/>
During her last years, she was met with a growing lack of popularity and was sometimes subjected to demonstrations.<ref name="Fitzgerald, Percy 1899"/> After having attended a reception in London on 29 April 1817, she was jeered by a crowd. She told the crowd that it was upsetting to be treated like that after such long service.<ref name="Fitzgerald, Percy 1899"/>

==Death==
[[File:Inside Kew Palace (g) - geograph.org.uk - 4534916.jpg|thumb|Queen Charlotte's funerary hatchment on display at [[Kew Palace]]. The right is black and the left white because she was survived by her husband, King George&nbsp;III.]]
The Queen died in the presence of her eldest son, the Prince Regent, who was holding her hand as she sat in an armchair at the family's country retreat, [[Kew Palace|Dutch House]] in Surrey (now known as [[Kew Palace]]).<ref>{{harvnb|Fitzgerald|1899|pp=258–260}}</ref> She was buried at [[St George's Chapel, Windsor Castle]].<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.stgeorges-windsor.org/about-st-georges/royal-connection/royal-burials/royal-burials-chapel-since-1805/|title=Royal Burials in the Chapel since 1805|work=College of St George - Windsor Castle|access-date=5 March 2023}}</ref> Her husband died just over a year later.<!-- this is correct: she died on 17 November 1818, George&nbsp;III died 29 January 1820, just over 14 months later - i.e., much closer to 1 year than to 2 years --> She is the longest-serving female consort and second-longest-serving consort in British history (after [[Prince Philip, Duke of Edinburgh]]), having served as such from her marriage (on 8 September 1761) to her death (17 November 1818), a total of 57 years and 70 days.<ref>{{cite web |title=Prince Philip, the longest-serving British monarch consort, dies aged 99 |url=https://www.guinnessworldrecords.com/news/2021/4/prince-philip-the-longest-serving-british-monarch-consort-dies-aged-99-655309 |website=Guinness World Records |date=9 April 2021 |access-date=12 May 2023}}</ref>

On the day before her death, the Queen dictated her will to her husband's secretary, [[Sir Herbert Taylor]], appointing him and [[Charles Perceval, 2nd Baron Arden|Lord Arden]] as her executors; at her death, her personal estate was valued at less than £140,000 ({{Inflation|UK-GDP|140000|1818|r=-5|fmt=eq|cursign=£}}{{Inflation-fn|UK-GDP|df=y}}), with her jewels accounting for the greater portion of her assets.<ref name="Queen_will">{{cite news |title=The Late Queen's Will |work=[[The Times]] |date=9 January 1819 }}</ref> In her will, proven at [[Doctor's Commons]] on 8 January 1819, the Queen bequeathed her husband the jewels she had received from him, unless he remained in his state of insanity, in which case the jewels were to become an heirloom of the House of Hanover. Other jewels, including some given to Charlotte by [[Muhammad Ali Khan Wallajah|the Nawab of Arcot]], were to be evenly distributed among her surviving daughters. The furnishings and fixtures at the royal residence at Frogmore, along with "live and dead stock...on the estates", were bequeathed to her daughter [[Augusta Sophia]] along with the Frogmore property, unless its maintenance would prove too expensive for her daughter, in which case it was to revert to the Crown. Her daughter [[Princess Sophia of the United Kingdom|Sophia]] inherited the [[Royal Lodge]].<ref name="Queen_will"/> Certain personal assets that the Queen had brought from Mecklenburg-Strelitz were to revert to the senior branch of that dynasty, while the remainder of her assets, including her books, linen, art objects and china, were to be evenly divided among her surviving daughters.<ref name="Queen_will"/>

At the Queen's death, the Prince Regent claimed Charlotte's jewels, and on his death, they were in turn claimed by his heir, [[William&nbsp;IV]]. On William's death, Charlotte's bequest then sparked a protracted dispute between her granddaughter [[Queen Victoria]], who claimed the jewels as the property of the British Crown, and Charlotte's now eldest-surviving son [[Ernest Augustus, King of Hanover]], who claimed the jewels by right of being the most senior male member of the [[House of Hanover]]. The dispute would not be resolved in Ernest's lifetime. Eventually in 1858, over twenty years after the death of William&nbsp;IV and nearly forty years after Charlotte's death, the matter was decided in favour of Ernest's son [[George V of Hanover|George]], upon which Victoria had the jewels given into the custody of the Hanoverian ambassador.<ref>Van der Kiste, John (2004), ''George&nbsp;III's Children'' (revised ed.), Stroud, United Kingdom: Sutton Publishing Ltd, {{ISBN|978-0-7509-3438-1}}</ref>

The rest of Charlotte's property was sold at auction from May to August 1819. Her clothes, furniture, and even her snuff were sold by [[Christie's]].<ref>[[Kenneth Baker, Baron Baker of Dorking|Baker, Kenneth]] (2005), ''George&nbsp;IV: A Life in Caricature''. London: Thames & Hudson, p. 114. {{ISBN|978-0-500-25127-0}}.</ref> It is highly unlikely that her husband ever knew of her death; he died blind, deaf, lame and insane 14 months later.<ref>Brooke, p. 386</ref>

==Legacy==
[[File:Statue probably of Queen Charlotte, Bloomsbury, London.jpg|thumb|upright|Statue in [[Queen Square, London|Queen Square]], London]]
Places named after Charlotte include the [[Queen Charlotte Islands]] (now known as ''Haida Gwaii'') in [[British Columbia]], Canada, and [[Queen Charlotte City]] (now known as ''Daajing Giids'') on Haida Gwaii; [[Queen Charlotte Sound (Canada)|Queen Charlotte Sound]] in British Columbia; [[Queen Charlotte Channel]] (near [[Vancouver]], Canada); Queen Charlotte Bay in West Falkland; [[Queen Charlotte Sound (New Zealand)|Queen Charlotte Sound]], South Island, New Zealand; [[Fort Charlotte (disambiguation)|several fortifications]], including [[Fort Charlotte, Saint Vincent]]; [[Charlottesville, Virginia]]; [[Charlottetown, Prince Edward Island]]; [[Charlotte, North Carolina]];<ref name=Caucus>{{cite web|last1=Bernstein|first1=Viv|title=Welcome to Charlotte, a City of Quirks|url=https://thecaucus.blogs.nytimes.com/2012/09/03/welcome-to-charlotte-a-city-of-quirks/|website=The Caucus|date=3 September 2012 |access-date=4 June 2018}}</ref> [[Mecklenburg County, North Carolina]]; [[Mecklenburg County, Virginia]]; [[Charlotte County, Virginia]]; [[Charlotte County, Florida]]; [[Port Charlotte, Florida]]; [[Charlotte Harbor, Florida]]; and [[Charlotte, Vermont]]. The proposed [[British America|North American colonies]] of [[Vandalia (colony)|Vandalia]]<ref>{{cite book|first=Otis K. |last=Rice|author2=Stephen W. Brown|title=West Virginia: A History|edition=2nd |publisher=University Press of Kentucky|date= 1994|page=30|isbn=978-0-8131-1854-3}}</ref><ref>{{cite book|first=David W. |last=Miller|title=The Taking of American Indian Lands in the Southeast: A History of Territorial Cessions and Forced Relocations, 1607–1840|publisher=McFarland|date=2011|page=41|isbn=978-0-7864-6277-3}}</ref><ref>{{cite book|first=Thomas J. |last=Schaeper|title=Edward Bancroft: Scientist, Author, Spy|publisher=Yale University Press|date=2011|page=34|isbn=978-0-300-11842-1}}</ref> and [[Charlotina]] were also named for her.<ref>"The Expediency of Securing Our American Colonies, &c." (1763), p. 14. Reprinted in ''[https://books.google.com/books?id=RWYOAAAAIAAJ The Critical Period, 1763–1765]''. Volume 10 of the ''Collections of the Illinois State Historical Library''. Clarence Walworth Alvord, ed. Illinois State Historical Library, 1915, p. 139.</ref> In Tonga, the royal family adopted the name Sālote (the Tongan version of Charlotte) in her honour, and notable individuals included [[Sālote Lupepauʻu]] and [[Sālote Tupou III]].<ref>{{cite book|last=Wood-Ellem|first=Elizabeth|author-link=Elizabeth Wood-Ellem|title=Queen Sālote of Tonga: The Story of an Era 1900–1965|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=h5LL854qzTAC|year=1999|publisher=Auckland University Press|location=Auckland, N.Z|isbn=978-0-8248-2529-4|oclc=262293605}}</ref>

Charlotte's provision of funding to the General Lying-in Hospital in London prevented its closure; today it is named [[Queen Charlotte's and Chelsea Hospital]], and is an acknowledged centre of excellence amongst maternity hospitals. A large copy of the [[Allan Ramsay (artist)|Allan Ramsay]] portrait of Queen Charlotte hangs in the main lobby of the hospital.<ref name="Thomas1885" /> The [[Queen Charlotte's Ball]], an annual debutante ball that originally funded the hospital, is named after her.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.businessinsider.com/inside-queen-charlottes-ball-2017-for-affluent-debutantes-2017-9|title=Inside Queen Charlotte's Ball, the glamorous, Champagne-filled event for affluent debutantes from around the world|first=Alison |last=Millington|website=Business Insider|date=11 September 2017|access-date=14 September 2019}}</ref>

A lead statue probably of Queen Charlotte, dating to {{circa|1775}}, stands on [[Queen Square, London|Queen Square]] in [[Bloomsbury]], London,<ref>{{NHLE|num=1245488|desc=Statue of a Queen at north end of Queen Square Gardens|fewer-links=yes|access-date=22 May 2023}}</ref><ref>[https://bloomsburysquares.wordpress.com/sculptures/ Sculptures], Bloomsbury Squares & Gardens. Wordpress. Retrieved 4 June 2018.</ref> and there are two statues of her in [[Charlotte, North Carolina|Charlotte]], North Carolina: at [[Charlotte Douglas International Airport]]<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://docsouth.unc.edu/commland/monument/540/|title=Queen Charlotte of Mecklenburg, Charlotte|website=Commemorative Landscapes of North Carolina|date=19 March 2010 |access-date=21 September 2020}}</ref> and at the International Trade Center.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://docsouth.unc.edu/commland/monument/342|title=Queen Charlotte Walks in Her Garden, Charlotte|website=Commemorative Landscapes of North Carolina|date=19 March 2010 |access-date=21 September 2020}}</ref>

[[Rutgers, The State University of New Jersey]], was chartered in 1766 as ''Queen's College'', in reference to Queen Charlotte.<ref>[http://www.libraries.rutgers.edu/rul/libs/scua/university_archives/ru_historical_sketch.shtml A Historical Sketch of Rutgers University] {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20060822014043/http://www.libraries.rutgers.edu/rul/libs/scua/university_archives/ru_historical_sketch.shtml |date=22 August 2006 }} by Thomas J. Frusciano, University Archivist. Retrieved 4 June 2018.</ref> It was renamed in 1825 in honour of [[Henry Rutgers]], a Revolutionary War officer and college benefactor. Its oldest extant building, [[Old Queen's]] (built 1809–1823), and the city block that forms the historic core of the university, [[Queens Campus, Rutgers University|Queen's Campus]], retain their original names.<ref name="QueensCampus1973NRHPApp">Barr, Michael C. and Wilkens, Edward. {{NRHP url|id=73001113|title=National Register of Historic Places Inventory Nomination Form for Queens Campus at Rutgers, The State University of New Jersey}} (1973). Retrieved 5 September 2013.</ref>

Queen Charlotte was played by [[Frances White (actress)|Frances White]] in the 1979 television series ''[[Prince Regent (TV series)|Prince Regent]]'', by [[Helen Mirren]] in the 1994 film ''[[The Madness of King George]]'',<ref>{{cite news|last=Maslin|first=Janet|author-link=Janet Maslin|title=Going Mad Without Being a Sore Loser|url=https://www.nytimes.com/1994/12/28/movies/film-review-going-mad-without-being-a-sore-loser.html|date=1994|newspaper=[[The New York Times]]|access-date=4 June 2018}}</ref> by [[Golda Rosheuvel]] in the 2020 [[Netflix original]] series ''[[Bridgerton]]'',<ref>{{cite web|last=Andrea Park|date=30 December 2020|title=What 'Bridgerton' Got Right About Queen Charlotte|url=https://www.marieclaire.com/culture/a35092348/queen-charlotte-bridgerton-true-story/|access-date=1 January 2021|website=Marie Claire}}</ref> and by [[India Amarteifio]] in her younger years and Rosheuvel, in her older years, in ''[[Queen Charlotte: A Bridgerton Story]]''.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/tv/tv-news/bridgerton-spinoff-netflix-young-queen-charlotte-1235122634/|title='Bridgerton' Spinoff Finds Its Young Queen Charlotte|first=Rick|last=Porter|website=[[The Hollywood Reporter]] |date=30 March 2022|access-date=2 January 2024|archive-date=11 April 2022|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220411213453/https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/tv/tv-news/bridgerton-spinoff-netflix-young-queen-charlotte-1235122634/|url-status=live}}</ref><ref>{{Cite magazine |last=Berman |first=Judy |date=8 May 2023 |title='Queen Charlotte' Fixes What Was Broken About 'Bridgerton' |url=https://time.com/6278029/queen-charlotte-vs-bridgerton/ |access-date=28 May 2023 |magazine=[[Time (magazine)|Time]] |language=en-US}}</ref><ref>{{Cite news |last=Richardson |first=Kalia |date=11 May 2023 |title=Here's What to Know About 'Queen Charlotte: A Bridgerton Story' |language=en-US |work=[[The New York Times]] |url=https://www.nytimes.com/2023/05/11/arts/television/queen-charlotte-bridgerton-history-shonda-rhimes.html |access-date=28 May 2023 |issn=0362-4331}}</ref>

''[[Strelitzia]]'', a genus of flowering plants native to South Africa that has become ubiquitous in warm-weather regions worldwide, is named for Charlotte's native Mecklenburg-Strelitz.<ref>{{Cite web|date=2017 |title=Strelitzia reginae Banks|url=http://powo.science.kew.org/taxon/urn:lsid:ipni.org:names:798194-1|website=Plants of the World Online| language=en |access-date=4 March 2023}}</ref>

==Arms==
The [[royal coat of arms of the United Kingdom]] are impaled with her father's arms as a [[Duke of Mecklenburg-Strelitz]]. The arms were: Quarterly of six, 1st, Or, a buffalo's head cabossed Sable, armed and ringed Argent, crowned and langued Gules ([[Mecklenburg]]); 2nd, Azure, a griffin segreant Or ([[Rostock]]); 3rd, Per fess, in chief Azure, a griffin segreant Or, and in the base Vert, a bordure Argent ([[Duchy of Mecklenburg-Schwerin|Principality of Schwerin]]); 4th, Gules, a cross patée Argent crowned Or ([[Ratzeburg]]); 5th, Gules, a dexter arm Argent issuant from clouds in sinister flank and holding a finger ring Or ([[County of Schwerin]]); 6th, Or, a buffalo's head Sable, armed Argent, crowned and langued Gules ([[Werle|Wenden]]); Overall an inescutcheon, per fess Gules and Or ([[Burg Stargard|Stargard]]).<ref>{{Cite book|last=Pinches|first=John Harvey|author2=Pinches, Rosemary|title=The Royal Heraldry of England |series=Heraldry Today |year=1974|publisher=Hollen Street Press |location=Slough, Buckinghamshire |isbn=0-900455-25-X|page=297}}</ref>

The Queen's arms changed twice to mirror the changes in her husband's arms, once in 1801 and then again in 1816. A [[funerary hatchment]] displaying the Queen's full [[coat of arms]], painted in 1818, is on display at [[Kew Palace]].<ref>[http://www.middlesex-heraldry.org.uk/publications/seaxe/Seaxe56-200909.pdf "Queen Charlotte's Hatchment returns to Kew"], ''The Seaxe'', No. 56, September 2009.</ref><ref>[http://www.hrp.org.uk/discoverthepalaces/Historyandstories/Surprisingstories/QueenCharlotteshatchment.aspx Queen Charlotte's hatchment] {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110101094028/http://www.hrp.org.uk/discoverthepalaces/Historyandstories/Surprisingstories/QueenCharlotteshatchment.aspx |date=1 January 2011 }}, [[Historic Royal Palaces|Historic Royal Palaces website]]: Surprising stories. Retrieved 15 December 2010.</ref>
<gallery mode="packed" heights="180px">
Image:Coat of Arms of Charlotte of Mecklenburg-Strelitz (1761–1801).svg|Arms of Queen Charlotte, from 1761 to 1801
Image:Coat of Arms of Charlotte of Mecklenburg-Strelitz (1801–1816).svg|Arms of Queen Charlotte, from 1801 to 1816
Image:Coat of Arms of Charlotte of Mecklenburg-Strelitz (1816–1818).svg|Arms of Queen Charlotte, from 1816 to 1818
</gallery>
{{Clear}}

==Issue==
{{See also|Descendants of George&nbsp;III}}
[[File:George&nbsp;III, Queen Charlotte and their Six Eldest Children.png|center|upright=1.35|thumb|King George&nbsp;III and Queen Charlotte with their six eldest children, by [[Johan Zoffany]], 1770]]
{| class="wikitable sortable"
!Name!!Birth!!Death!!class="unsortable"|Notes<ref>{{cite book |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=yiwTDQAAQBAJ&pg=PT205 |title=George&nbsp;III's Children |last=Kiste |first=John Van der |year= 2004 |publisher=The History Press |isbn=978-0-7509-5382-5 |page=205 }}</ref>
|-
|[[George IV]]||12 August 1762||26 June 1830||(1) married 1785 Mrs. [[Maria Fitzherbert]], marriage legally invalid as George&nbsp;III had not consented to the match. (2) 1795, [[Princess Caroline of Brunswick-Wolfenbüttel]]; had issue ([[Princess Charlotte of Wales (1796–1817)|Princess Charlotte of Wales]]); no surviving descendants today 
|-
|data-sort-value="Frederick"|[[Prince Frederick, Duke of York and Albany]]||16 August 1763||5 January 1827||married 1791, [[Princess Frederica of Prussia]]; no issue
|-
|[[William IV]]||21 August 1765||20 June 1837||married 1818, [[Princess Adelaide of Saxe-Meiningen]]; no surviving legitimate issue, but had illegitimate issue
|-
|[[Charlotte, Princess Royal]]||29 September 1766||6 October 1828||married 1797, [[King Frederick of Württemberg]]; no surviving issue
|-
|data-sort-value="Edward"|[[Prince Edward, Duke of Kent and Strathearn]]||2 November 1767||23 January 1820||married 1818, [[Princess Victoria of Saxe-Coburg-Saalfeld]]; had issue ([[Queen Victoria]])
|-
|data-sort-value="Augusta Sophia"|[[Princess Augusta Sophia]]||8 November 1768||22 September 1840|| never married, no issue
|-
|data-sort-value="Elizabeth"|[[Princess Elizabeth of the United Kingdom|Princess Elizabeth]]||22 May 1770||10 January 1840||married 1818, [[Frederick VI, Landgrave of Hesse-Homburg]]; no issue
|- 
|data-sort-value="Ernest Augustus"|[[Ernest Augustus, King of Hanover]]||5 June 1771||18 November 1851||married 1815, [[Frederica of Mecklenburg-Strelitz|Princess Friederike of Mecklenburg-Strelitz]]; had issue ([[King George V of Hanover]])
|-
|data-sort-value="Augustus Frederick"|[[Prince Augustus Frederick, Duke of Sussex]]||27 January 1773||21 April 1843||(1) married in contravention of the [[Royal Marriages Act 1772]], [[Lady Augusta Murray]]; had issue; marriage annulled 1794<br />(2) married 1831, [[Cecilia Underwood, Duchess of Inverness|Lady Cecilia Buggin]] (later [[Duchess of Inverness|1st Duchess of Inverness]]); no issue
|-
|data-sort-value="Adolphus"|[[Prince Adolphus, Duke of Cambridge]]||24 February 1774||8 July 1850||married 1818, [[Princess Augusta of Hesse-Kassel]]; had issue
|-
|data-sort-value="Mary"|[[Princess Mary, Duchess of Gloucester and Edinburgh|Princess Mary]]||25 April 1776||30 April 1857||married 1816, [[Prince William Frederick, Duke of Gloucester and Edinburgh]]; no issue
|-
|data-sort-value="Sophia"|[[Princess Sophia of the United Kingdom|Princess Sophia]]||3 November 1777||27 May 1848||never married, no issue
|-
|data-sort-value="Octavius"|[[Prince Octavius]]||23 February 1779||3 May 1783||died in childhood, of smallpox
|-
|data-sort-value="Alfred"|[[Prince Alfred of Great Britain|Prince Alfred]]||22 September 1780||20 August 1782||died in childhood, of smallpox
|-
|data-sort-value="Amelia"|[[Princess Amelia of the United Kingdom|Princess Amelia]]||7 August 1783||2 November 1810||never married, no issue
|}

==Ancestry==
[[File:Margarita de Castro e Souza genealogy and descent.JPG|thumb|One of three lines of descent between Charlotte, Margarita de Castro e Sousa, and [[Madragana]]. This portion of Charlotte's ancestry has often been used to justify claims that she was of African descent.<ref name="Motlalepula">{{cite news |last1=Chabaku |first1=Motlalepula |title=Queen's Features Altered |newspaper=The Charlotte Observer |date=3 February 1989}}</ref>]]

Claims that Queen Charlotte may have had partial [[Demographics of Africa|African]] ancestry first emerged in ''Racial Mixture as the Basic Principle of Life'' published in 1929 by German historian, Brunold Springer, who challenged her Thomas Gainsborough portrait as inaccurate.<ref name=gregory>{{cite thesis |type=Master of Arts |last=Gregory |first=Bethany |date=2016 |title=Commemorating Queen Charlotte: Race, Gender, and the Politics of Memory, 1750 to 2014 |publisher=The University of North Carolina at Charlotte |page=27 |url=https://island1.uncc.edu/islandora/object/etd%3A362 |archive-date=24 December 2020 |access-date=31 December 2020 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20201224101431/https://island1.uncc.edu/islandora/object/etd%3A362/ }}</ref> 

Based on her alternative portrait by [[Allan Ramsay (artist)|Allan Ramsay]] and contemporary descriptions of her appearance, Springer concluded that Charlotte's "broad nostrils and heavy lips" must point to African heritage. Jamaican-American amateur historian [[Joel Augustus Rogers|J.&nbsp;A. Rogers]] agreed with Springer in his 1940 book ''Sex and Race: Volume I'',<ref name="sex_and_race">{{Cite web|url=https://archive.org/details/sexAndRacevol.1/|title=Sex and Race: Negro-Caucasian Mixing in All Ages and All Lands, Volume I: The Old World|first=J. A.|last=Rogers Freire|date=1967|access-date=20 February 2020|via=Internet Archive|page=206}}</ref><ref name="indianexpress.com">{{Cite web|date=23 March 2021|title=Explained: What we know of Queen Charlotte, claimed to be 'Britain's Black queen'|url=https://indianexpress.com/article/explained/meghan-markle-racism-what-we-know-of-queen-charlotte-britains-black-queen-7222924/|access-date=28 August 2021|website=The Indian Express|language=en}}</ref> where he concluded that Queen Charlotte must be "biracial"<ref name=blakemore/> or "black".<ref name="Motlalepula"/><ref name='jefferies'/>
[[File:Allan Ramsay (1713-84) - Queen Charlotte (1744-1818) - RCIN 405308 - Royal Collection.jpg|thumb|Queen Charlotte by [[Allan Ramsay (artist)|Allan Ramsay]], 1762]]
Proponents of the African ancestry claim also hold to a literal interpretation of [[Baron Stockmar]]'s diary, in which he described Charlotte as "small and crooked, with a real [[Mulatto]] face". Stockmar, who served as personal physician to the Queen's grandson-in-law [[Leopold&nbsp;I of Belgium]], arrived at court just two years before Charlotte's death in 1816. His descriptions of Charlotte's children in this same diary are equally unflattering.<ref name="Christian Friedrich von Stockmar">{{cite book |last=von Stockmar |first=Christian Friedrich |author-link=Christian Friedrich von Stockmar |title=Memoirs of Baron Stockmar |publisher=Longmans, Green, and Company |year=1872 |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=s1M0AQAAIAAJ&q=mulatto|page=50}}</ref>

In 1997, Mario de Valdes y Cocom, a genealogist and self-described "independent researcher",<ref>{{cite news | access-date = 24 May 2023 | url = https://www.huffpost.com/author/mario-valdes | title = Contributor Mario Valdes | publisher = Huffington Post | quote=Independent researcher specializing in still relatively unexplored areas of black history and the black image […] My PBS Frontline web site on […] I hope to elaborate more extensively […] I could go on […] I cannot help feeling}}</ref><ref name="Ungoed-Thomas">{{cite news |last1=Ungoed-Thomas |first1=Jon |last2=Goncalves |first2=Eduardo |title=Revealed: The Queen's Black Ancestors |newspaper=The Sunday Times |date=6 June 1999 |quote=Mario Valdes, a professional genealogist from Boston, Massachusetts}}</ref> popularized and expanded on earlier arguments in an article for [[Frontline (American TV program)|PBS ''Frontline'']],<ref name="valdes">{{cite web |last1=de Valdes y Cocom |first1=Mario |title=The Blurred Racial Lines of Famous Families: Queen Charlotte  |url= https://www.pbs.org/wgbh/pages/frontline/shows/secret/famous/royalfamily.html |website=Frontline |date=1997|access-date=23 February 2020}}</ref> which has since been cited as the main source by a number of articles on the topic.<ref name="brown">{{cite news |last=Brown |first=DeNeen |title=Britain's black queen: Will Meghan Markle really be the first mixed-race royal? |url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/retropolis/wp/2017/11/27/britains-black-queen-will-meghan-markle-really-be-the-first-mixed-race-royal/|newspaper=[[Washington Post]] |access-date=20 February 2020 |date=28 November 2017}}</ref><ref>{{cite news |last1=Park |first1=Andrea |title=What 'Bridgerton' Got Right About Queen Charlotte |url=https://www.marieclaire.com/culture/a35092348/queen-charlotte-bridgerton-true-story/ |access-date=7 March 2021 |work=Marie Claire |date=30 December 2020}}</ref><ref>{{cite news |last=Brown |first=DeNeen |title=Was Queen Charlotte Black? Here's what we know |url=https://www.seattletimes.com/nation-world/was-queen-charlotte-black-heres-what-we-know/ |access-date=7 March 2021 |newspaper=The Seattle Times |date=25 February 2021}}</ref><ref>{{cite news |last1=Owen |first1=Nathalie |title=The real story behind Queen Charlotte from Bridgerton |url=https://www.cosmopolitan.com/uk/reports/a35475998/queen-charlotte-bridgerton-real-royal/ |access-date=7 March 2021 |publisher=Cosmopolitan |date=12 February 2021}}</ref> Valdes also seized on Charlotte's 1762 [[Allan Ramsay (artist)|Allan Ramsay]] portrait as evidence of African ancestry, citing the Queen's "unmistakable African appearance" and "[[negroid]] physiogomy" {{sic}}.<ref name="valdes" /> 

Valdes claimed that Charlotte had inherited these features from one of her distant ancestors, [[Madragana]] (born {{circa|1230}}), a mistress of King [[Afonso&nbsp;III of Portugal]] ({{circa|1210}}&nbsp;– 1279).<ref name="pbs">Mario de Valdes y Cocom [https://www.pbs.org/wgbh/pages/frontline/shows/secret/famous/royalfamily.html "The blurred racial lines of famous families – Queen Charlotte"], PBS Frontline.</ref> His conclusion is based on various historical sources that describe Madragana as either [[Moorish]]<ref>[http://purl.pt/15305/3/ LEAO, Duarte Nunes de, Primeira parte das Chronicas dos reis de Portvgal (sheet 97)]</ref> or [[Mozarab]],<ref>Sousa, António Caetano de, [https://archive.org/details/bub_gb_GbBBAAAAcAAJ <!-- quote=Historia Genealógica da casa Real Portugueza tomo xii. --> ''História Genealógica da Casa Real Portuguesa''], Tomo XII, Parte II, 1735 (pp. 702 & 703).</ref> which Valdes erroneously interpreted to mean that she was black.<ref name="jefferies" />

Although popular among the general public, the claims are rejected by most scholars.<ref name=":0">{{Cite news |last=Linge |first=Mary |date=13 November 2021 |title=Real-life queen of 'Bridgerton' wasn't biracial – but she was a badass |work=New York Post |url=https://nypost.com/2021/11/13/real-queen-bridgerton-wasnt-biracial-but-she-was-a-badass/ |access-date=15 March 2022}}</ref><ref name="indianexpress.com" /><ref name="Lisa Hilton">{{cite web |last1=Hilton |first1=Lisa |title=The "mulatto" Queen Lisa Hilton Debunks a Growing Myth About a Monarch's Consort |url=https://thecritic.co.uk/issues/february-2020/the-mulatto-queen/ |website=TheCritic.co.uk |date=28 January 2020 |publisher=TheCritic |access-date=7 March 2021}}</ref><ref name="Jill Sudbury">{{cite web |author=Jill Sudbury |title=Royalty, Race and the Curious Case of Queen Charlotte |url=http://acaciatreebooks.com/blog/royalty-race-and-the-curious-case-of-queen-charlotte/ |access-date=22 September 2020 |website=Acacia Tree Books|date=20 September 2018 }}</ref><ref name="jefferies">[https://www.theguardian.com/world/2009/mar/12/race-monarchy Stuart Jeffries, "Was this Britain's first black queen?"] ''[[The Guardian]]'', 12 March 2009.</ref> 

Aside from Stockmar's jab at her appearance shortly before her death, Charlotte was never referred to as having any specifically African physical features, let alone ancestry, during her lifetime. 

Furthermore, her portraiture was not atypical for her time, and painted portraits in general should not be considered reliable evidence of a sitter's true appearance.<ref name="Jill Sudbury" /> 

The use of the term "Moor" as a racial identifier for Charlotte's ancestor [[Madragana]] is also inconclusive as during the Middle Ages the term was not used to describe race but religious affiliation.<ref>Blackmore, Josiah (2009). ''Moorings: Portuguese Expansion and the Writing of Africa''. U of Minnesota Press. pp. xvi, 18. {{ISBN|978-0-8166-4832-0}}.</ref><ref>Menocal, María Rosa (2002). ''Ornament of the World: How Muslims, Jews and Christians Created a Culture of Tolerance in Medieval Spain''. Little, Brown, & Co. {{ISBN|0-316-16871-8}}, p. 241</ref> Regardless, Madragana was more likely an Iberian [[Mozarab]],<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://purl.pt/15305/3/|title=Primeira parte das Chronicas dos reis de Portvgal|website=purl.pt|access-date=14 September 2019}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web|url=http://archive.org/details/brasesdasalade01braauoft|title=Brasões da Sala de Sintra|first=Anselmo|last=Braamcamp Freire|date=14 September 1921|publisher=Coimbra : Imprensa da Universidade|access-date=14 September 2019|via=Internet Archive}}</ref><ref>Felgueiras Gayo & Carvalhos de Basto, Nobiliário das Famílias de Portugal, Braga, 1989</ref><ref>Pizarro, José Augusto de Sotto Mayor, ''Linhagens Medievais Portuguesas'', 3 vols., Porto, Universidade Moderna, 1999.</ref> and any genetic contribution from an ancestor fifteen generations removed would be so diluted as to have a negligible effect on her appearance.<ref name="Lisa Hilton" /><ref name="jefferies" /> 

Historian [[Andrew Roberts (historian)|Andrew Roberts]] describes the claims as "utter rubbish", and attributes its public popularity to a hesitancy among historians to openly address it due to its "[[cultural cringe]] factor".<ref name=":0" />

In 2017, following the announcement of the engagement of [[Prince Harry]] and [[Meghan Markle]], a number of news articles were published promoting the claims.<ref name=brown/><ref name=blakemore>{{cite news |last1=Blakemore |first1=Erin |title=Meghan Markle Might Not Be the First Mixed-Race British Royal |url=https://www.history.com/news/biracial-royalty-meghan-markle-queen-charlotte |date=10 May 2023|access-date=21 September 2020}}</ref><ref name=kgb>{{cite news |last1=Bates |first1=Karen Grigsby  |title=The Meaning Of Meghan: 'Black' And 'Royal' No Longer An Oxymoron In Britain |url=https://www.npr.org/sections/codeswitch/2017/11/29/567012180/the-meaning-of-meghan-black-and-royal-no-longer-an-oxymoron |access-date=23 September 2020}}</ref> 

David Buck, a [[Buckingham Palace]] spokesperson, was quoted by the ''[[Boston Globe]]'' as saying: "This has been rumoured for years and years. It is a matter of history, and frankly, we've got far more important things to talk about."<ref>{{cite news|url=https://www.independent.co.uk/news/uk/home-news/meghan-markle-prince-harry-engaged-royal-wedding-mixed-race-black-princess-british-monarchy-history-a8079251.html|title=Prince Harry and Meghan Markle wedding: Will the bride really be our first mixed-race royal?|first=Deneen L.|last=Brown|newspaper=[[The Independent]]|date= 28 November 2017}}</ref>

{{ahnentafel
|collapsed=yes |align=center |ref=<ref>{{cite book|title=Genealogie ascendante jusqu'au quatrieme degre inclusivement de tous les Rois et Princes de maisons souveraines de l'Europe actuellement vivans| trans-title=Genealogy up to the fourth degree inclusive of all the Kings and Princes of sovereign houses of Europe currently living |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=AINPAAAAcAAJ&pg=PA84|year=1768|publisher=Frederic Guillaume Birnstiel|location=Bourdeaux|language=fr|page=84}}</ref>
|boxstyle_1=background-color: #fcc;
|boxstyle_2=background-color: #fb9;
|boxstyle_3=background-color: #ffc;
|boxstyle_4=background-color: #bfc;
|1= 1. '''Princess Charlotte of Mecklenburg-Strelitz'''
|2= 2. [[Duke Charles Louis Frederick of Mecklenburg-Strelitz]]
|3= 3. [[Princess Elisabeth Albertine of Saxe-Hildburghausen]]
|4= 4. [[Adolphus Frederick II, Duke of Mecklenburg-Strelitz]]
|5= 5. [[Princess Christiane Emilie of Schwarzburg-Sondershausen]]
|6= 6. [[Ernest Frederick I, Duke of Saxe-Hildburghausen]]
|7= 7. [[Countess Sophia Albertine of Erbach-Erbach]]
|8= 8. [[Adolphus Frederick I, Duke of Mecklenburg-Schwerin]]
|9= 9. [[Duchess Marie Katharina of Brunswick-Dannenberg]]
|10= 10. [[Christian William I, Prince of Schwarzburg-Sondershausen]]
|11= 11. Countess Antonie Sibylle of [[House of Arnstein|Barby-Mühlingen]]
|12= 12. [[Ernest, Duke of Saxe-Hildburghausen]]
|13= 13. [[Countess Sophie Henriette of Waldeck]]
|14= 14. [[George Louis I, Count of Erbach-Erbach]]
|15= 15. [[Countess Amalia Katharina of Waldeck]]
}}

==Notes==
{{notelist|1}}

==References==
{{Reflist}}

===Bibliography===
*{{cite book  |last=Ayling |first=Stanley |date=1972 |title=George the Third |location=London |publisher=Collins |isbn=0-00-211412-7}}
*Barr, Michael C. and Wilkens, Edward (1973). {{NRHP url|id=73001113|title=National Register of Historic Places Inventory Nomination Form for Queens Campus at Rutgers, The State University of New Jersey}}. Retrieved 5 September 2013.
*{{cite book |author-link=John Brooke (English historian) |last=Brooke |first=John |date=1972 |title=King George&nbsp;III |location=London |publisher=Constable |isbn=0-09-456110-9}}
*{{cite book |last=Fitzgerald |first=Percy |date=1899 |title=The Good Queen Charlotte |url=https://archive.org/details/goodqueencharlo01fitzgoog |publisher=Downey Publishing |access-date=4 June 2018}}
*{{cite book |author-link=Flora Fraser (writer) |last=Fraser |first=Flora |date=2005 |title=Princesses: The Six Daughters of George&nbsp;III |publisher=Alfred A. Knopf |isbn=0-679-45118-8}}
*{{cite journal |last=Garrett |first=Natalee |date=2022 |title=Albion's Queen by All Admir'd': Reassessing the Public Reputation of Queen Charlotte, 1761-1818 |journal=Journal for Eighteenth-Century Studies |volume=45 |issue=3 |pages=351–370 |doi=10.1111/1754-0208.12822 |s2cid=246071347 |doi-access=free |hdl=10023/24706 |hdl-access=free }}
*{{cite book |last=Garrett |first=Natalee |date=2025 |title=Queen Charlotte: Family, Duty, Scandal |publisher= Abingdon: Routledge |isbn=978-1-032-28041-7}}
*{{cite book |author-link=Christopher Hibbert |last=Hibbert |first=Christopher |date=1999 |title=George&nbsp;III: A Personal History |location=London |publisher=Penguin Books |isbn=0-14-025737-3}}
*{{cite book |first=Edward |last=Holt |title=The public and domestic life of His late Most Gracious Majesty, George the Third |volume=1 |publisher=Sherwood, Neely, and Jones |location=London |year=1820 |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=mWMBAAAAYAAJ&pg=PA256}}
*{{cite book |author-link=Michael Levey |last=Levey |first=Michael |date=1977 |title=A Royal Subject: Portraits of Queen Charlotte |location=London |publisher=[[National Gallery]]}}
*{{cite book|first=Alison|last=Weir|author-link=Alison Weir|title=Britain's Royal Families, The Complete Genealogy|publisher=Vintage Books|location=London|year=2008|isbn=978-0-09-953973-5}}

==Further reading==
*{{cite book |last=Drinkuth |first=Friederike |date=2011 |title=Queen Charlotte. A Princess from Mecklenburg-Strelitz ascends the Throne of England |publisher=[[Thomas Helms Verlag]] Schwerin |isbn=978-3-940207-79-1}}
*{{cite book |last=Hedley |first=Olwen |date=1975 |title=Queen Charlotte |publisher=J Murray |isbn=0-7195-3104-7}}
*{{cite encyclopedia |editor-last=Kassler |editor-first=Michael |date=2015 |title=The Diary of Queen Charlotte, 1789 and 1794 |volume=4 |encyclopedia=Memoirs of the Court of George&nbsp;III |location=London |publisher=Pickering & Chatto |isbn=978-1-8489-34696}}
*{{cite journal |last=Kassler |first=Michael |date=2019 |title=Queen Charlotte's 1789 Account Book |journal=Eighteenth-Century Life |volume=43 |issue=3 |pages=86–100|doi=10.1215/00982601-7725749 |s2cid=208688081 }}
* {{cite magazine |last=Sedgwick |first=Romney |title=The Marriage of George&nbsp;III |magazine=History Today |date=June 1960 |volume=10 |issue=6 |pages=371–377}}

==External links==
{{Commons category-inline|Charlotte of Mecklenburg-Strelitz}}
*[https://www.royal.uk/queen-charlotte Queen Charlotte] at the official website of the [[British monarchy]]
*[https://www.rct.uk/collection/people/queen-charlotte-of-the-united-kingdom-1744-1818#/type/subject Queen Charlotte] at the official website of the [[Royal Collection Trust]]
*[http://people.virginia.edu/~jlc5f/charlotte/ Queen Charlotte, 1744–1818: A Bilingual Exhibit (c. 1994)]
*[https://www.pbs.org/wgbh/pages/frontline/shows/secret/famous/royalfamily.html "The Blurred Racial Lines of Famous Families – Queen Charlotte"] at the [[PBS]] site
*{{UK National Archives ID}}
*Stuart Jeffries, [https://www.theguardian.com/world/2009/mar/12/race-monarchy "Was this Britain's first black queen?"] ''The Guardian'' (12 March 2009)
* [https://www.npg.org.uk/collections/search/person/mp00845/charlotte-of-mecklenburg-strelitz Portraits of Charlotte of Mecklenburg-Strelitz] at the [[National Portrait Gallery, London|National Portrait Gallery]], London

{{S-start}}
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{{S-vac|rows=2|last=[[Caroline of Ansbach]]}}
{{S-ttl|title=[[Queen consort of Great Britain and Ireland]]|years=1761–1800}}
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{{S-ttl|title=[[Electress consort of Hanover]]|years=1761–1814}}
{{S-non|reason=Title abandoned<br /><small>[[Dissolution of the Holy Roman Empire|Holy Roman Empire dissolved in 1806]]</small>}}
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{{S-ttl|title=[[Queen consort of the United Kingdom]]|years=1801–1818}}
{{S-vac|rows=2|next=[[Caroline of Brunswick]]}}
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{{S-ttl|title=[[Queen consort of Hanover]]|years=1814–1818}}
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