Queen Victoria’s journey to the throne: The line of succession from King George III to Queen Victoria

Born fifth in line to the throne, Princess Alexandrina Victoria’s chances of becoming Queen looked slim; but the death of Princess Charlotte in 1817 and King George III’s lack of legitimate grandchildren paved the way for her to one day become the most powerful woman in the world. Join me as I look at the events that shaped her journey to becoming Queen aged just 18!

On 25th October 1760, 22 year old Prince George ascended the throne following the sudden death of his grandfather, King George II. With his new role as monarch came the responsibility of producing an heir. With many suggestions put forward, the young king was turned down by several potential suitors. Eventually he settled on Princess Charlotte of Mecklenburg-Strelitz. The two got married in 8th September 1761 in the Chapel Royal at St James’s Palace. Almost a year later, on 12th August 1762, Charlotte gave birth to the couples first child, Prince George. In total, the couple had fifteen children, thirteen of which lived to adulthood. However, almost all of them failed to produce any legitimate children of their own, later spinning the royal family into a baby frenzy.

1795 saw the arranged marriage of George, Prince of Wales, to Princess Caroline of Brunswick. From the day they got married, tensions were high between the unhappy couple. Despite this, they undertook their ‘marital duties’ to produce an heir. On 7th January 1796, Caroline gave birth to a girl, who was christened as Princess Charlotte. Although the birth of a female was a disappointment, charlottes birth had secured the future of the monarchy. Soon after, George and Caroline decided to part ways and formally separate.

While Princess Charlotte grew up under the care of servants and governesses, King George III’s health was rapidly declining. Diagnosed at the time as madness, it’s believed that his erratic symptoms were triggered by a genetic disease called porphyria. In November 1810, his condition took a particular blow when his youngest child, Princess Amelia, died aged just 27. As this was the second major episode for his uncontrollable health, parliament decided to pass the 1811 regency act, which gave the Prince of Wales the authority to make decisions on the kings behalf. Put in place without the king’s knowledge, the regency officially began on the 5th February 1811, marking the start of the regency era.

By the time Princess Charlotte had reached adulthood, plans for her to marry had already been put in place. Her father, the Prince Regent, had his heart and mind set in her marrying William, Prince of Orange, future King William II of the Netherlands. However, despite initially agreeing to the match, the princess wasn’t willing to move to the Netherlands and soon called it off with her mothers approval. Instead, the princess wanted to marry Prince Leopold of Saxe-Coburg-Saalfeld, future King of Belgium. At first, the Prince Regent was strongly against the proposed match until he summoned the prince to Britain to undergo his inspection. Before long, his mind had been changed and wedding plans were made for the 2nd May 1816.

Within a few months, Princess Charlotte had become pregnant with her first child but sadly suffered a miscarriage while at an opera. The publicity of the event caused concern amongst the public, who all loved the princess. Although heartbroken, she once again became ‘with child’. The news not only strengthened the crown, but also brought happiness amongst the British people. As with anyone that has experienced a miscarriage, Princess Charlotte tried everything she could to prevent it from happening again. She often spent her days sitting for portraits and eating to fill the time. As the pregnancy progressed, doctors became concerned over the size of the baby and put Charlotte on an incredibly strict diet. Throughout the pregnancy, she had experienced the occasional bleeding, which alongside the prescribed limited diet and exercise, had caused her to weaken.

As mid October passed, concerns began to build over the baby’s due date. Eventually, contractions began in the 3rd November and labour was on its way. Doctors encouraged Charlotte to undergo exercise, as well as refusing her any food. Her body quickly became weak and by 5th November, it was clear that she was unable to deliver the baby herself. Obstetrician, Sir Richard Croft, was called to Claremont House but was refused entry despite having potentially lifesaving forceps. The baby boy was born later that evening but tragically it was too late. Likely to be in shock, Charlotte calmly accepted the news as she was finally allowed to eat after a two day fast. While her strength picked up, she suddenly began violently vomiting and complaining of abdominal pain. As doctors examined her, they noticed that she was bleeding uncontrollably and her breathing had become disordered. She died later that evening, aged just 21. With no other children, King George IV was now without a legitimate heir, thus beginning the famous baby race!

Separated from his wife, the Prince nice Regent was unable to produce an heir of his own. First in line was the childless Prince Frederick, who’s wife was aged 50 and highly unlikely to conceive. Next in line was Prince William and Prince Edward, both of which were unmarried. Knowing this was their only opportunity to secure their bloodline on the throne, they both agreed to marry in a joint ceremony at Kew Palace, which took place in 11th July 1818. The eldest of the two was 56 year old Prince William, Duke of Clarence, who married 26 year old Princess Adelaide of Saxe-Meining. Aged 51, Prince Edward married 33 year old Princess Victoire of Saxe-Coburg-Saalfeld, sister of Princess Charlotte’s widower, Leopold. Despite pressures to produce, both couples had relatively happy marriages.

On 27th March 1819, Princess Adelaide gave birth to her first child, Princess Charlotte, who sadly died just a few hours after being baptised. Two months later, Princess Victoire gave birth to a health baby girl, named Princess Alexandrina Victoria. The Duke of Kent was smitten with his daughter and often told people to take a closer look “for she will one day be queen”. Despite Edward having an heir, the baby race was still on for William. On 5th September, Princess Adelaide gave birth to an unnamed stillborn child less than six months into her pregnancy.

1820 threw the monarchy into chaos. On 23rd January, Prince Edward suddenly died of pneumonia and just six days later, King George III also died. With the Prince Regent now king, Princess Alexandrina Victoria, now known as Princess Victoria, was now just third in line behind her two uncles. However, in December 1820, Princess Adelaide gave birth to another daughter, this time named Elizabeth. While the baby lived longer than her siblings, she died less than three months after being born, resuming princess Victoria back to her rightful place in the line of succession. A year later, Adelaide’s final pregnancy ended on 8th April 1822 with the delivery of stillborn twin boys. From then on, Princess Victorias position was near enough secured.

When Prince Frederick died from dropsy on 5th January 1827, Victoria became one step closer to the throne. Three years later, King George IV also died, making Prince William the new King and eleven year old Princess Victoria heir apparent. Her new position put Victorias life in danger. Her mother, Victoire, Duchess of Kent, was concerned over rumours that the Duke of Cumberland would try and poison his niece so that he could become king. As a result, Victoria was hidden away from court life and privately educated in the walls of Kensington Palace. Due to the princess’s young age, fears arose over the possibility of a regency should anything happen to the aging king. Knowing that the Duchess had been trying to get a regency for years, William IV was determined not to let her succeed, and – during a banquet held to celebrate the Queens birthday – put his ‘trust in God that my life be spared for nine months longer l, after which period, in the event, no regency would take place’. Despite his increasingly fragile health, the Duke stood by his word and died just one month after Princess Victoria turned eighteen. On that day, 20th June 1837, Princess Alexandrina Victoria had defied the odds and became Queen of Great Britain. Her rule went on to cover more than a quarter of the globe and became the longest in British history until Queen Elizabeth II overtook her in 2015.

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