Rebel of the Regency: Princess Charlotte Augusta of Wales, Part One

The early life of the original People's Princess

I’m writing Rebel of the Regency, a new biography of England’s uncrowned Queen, Caroline of Brunswick (coming at you in early 2026 from Hanover Square Press! Stay tuned for pre-order info!!). If you don’t know who Caroline is, here’s my primer on her scandalous life.

In researching Caroline’s story, I fell in love with the story of her daughter, Princess Charlotte of Wales. But there wasn’t room for this much Charlotte info in a Caroline book, so I had to remove quite a bit of it. Therefore, enjoy these deleted scenes about Princess Charlotte Augusta of Wales, the woman who should have become Queen.

Princess Charlotte Augusta, painted by George Dawe c. 1817

Princess Charlotte Augusta of Wales was born on 7 January 1796, nine months after her parents’ marriage. Her mother was Caroline of Brunswick, and her father was George, Prince of Wales (aka Prinny). Caroline and Prinny separated soon after Charlotte’s birth, and the Princess spent her childhood (like so many children of separated parents) going back and forth between their households. As the only child of the Prince of Wales, Charlotte was next in the line of succession and was expected to become Queen after her grandfather (George III) and father (Prinny) died.

As a child, Charlotte was athletic, melodramatic, and fond of animals (especially horses). Her personality was not the modest, ladylike one required to be heir to the throne, which frustrated her more than her various governesses and guardians. Charlotte desperately wanted to please the adults around her, but the behaviour they expected did not come naturally to her. She was a girl who slid down bannisters, climbed trees, and loved to practice jumping her horse over hurdles while riding astride. She was frequently in trouble with her prim grandmother, Queen Charlotte, and rebelled against her monstrous father, Prince George, from a young age.

The one place Charlotte experienced unconditional love was when she spent time with her mother, Caroline of Brunswick. Caroline had longer her whole life to be a mother and adored her spirited daughter. Charlotte spent summers with her mother and was often able to visit on weekends. Both of her parents constantly badmouthed the other, leaving Charlotte in the middle (like so many children of separated parents).

Charlotte grew up in various homes, the most consistent person in her life being her nanny, Lady Elgin. Unlike her parents and their many siblings, Charlotte was often left with only adults for company. While she thrived in performing for adult audiences (a trait she shared with her mother), she had a stammer which emerged when excited or nervous. She often stammered when confronted by her mercurial father.

In 1805, Charlotte’s household staff changed with the resignation of Lady Elgin, who claimed to be handing over a child whose educational capabilities were “uncommonly great.” Her replacement was the Dowager Baroness de Clifford, assisted by sub-governess Mrs. Alicia Campbell and assisted by Mrs. Udney. She acquired new teachers, who discovered that ten-year-old Charlotte was functionally illiterate. Like her mother, she made frequent spelling mistakes in written communication and had messy handwriting. She was unengaged with most topics but, like her mother, best enjoyed the company of interesting people, including her tutors. In the summer of 1806, her tutor, Mr. Nott, suffered some sort of breakdown, which Charlotte was seemingly told was her fault for not excelling as a student.

She wrote: “What should I have had to answer for, if you had been taken out of the world? ... Oh, what a dreadful recollection that would have been! But now I shall labour to recover your health by my industry, and wish to please and make you happy.”

That said, she entertained herself by applying silly nicknames to the adults who annoyed her. The Bishop of Exeter, the overall supervisor of her education, became the “Great U.P.” in reference to his habit of emphasizing the second syllable of his title, Bishop. When his back was turned, she would imitate his gestures.