Born – 30th November 1719
Died – 8th February 1772
Father – Frederick II of Saxe-Gotha-Altenburg
Mother – Magdalena Augusta of Anhalt-Zerbst
Spouse – m. 1736 – Prince Frederick of Great Britain (1707 – 1751)
Children – Augusta (1737 – 1813), King George III (1738 – 1820), Edward Duke of York (1739 – 1767), Elizabeth (1741 – 1759), William Duke of Gloucester and Edinburgh (1743 – 1805), Henry Duke of Cumberland and Strathearn (1745 – 1790), Louisa (1749 – 1768), Frederick (1750 – 1765), Caroline Queen of Denmark and Norway (1751 – 1775)
1719 (30th November)
Augusta of Saxe-Gotha was born to Frederick II, Duke of Saxe-Gotha-Altenburg and Magdalena Augusta of Anhalt-Zerbst at Gotha.
1719 (30th November)
Augusta’s brother Johann Adolf was born to Frederick II, Duke of Saxe-Gotha-Altenburg and Magdalena Augusta of Anhalt-Zerbst at Gotha.
1736 (early)
Arrangements were put in place for Augusta to marry Frederick, eldest son of King George II of Britain.
1736 (17th April)
Augusta left her home and began the journey to Britain.
1736 (25th April)
Augusta arrived at Greenwich, London and met her husband to be for the first time.
1736 (27th April)
Augusta, married Frederick Louis at the Chapel Royal St James’s Palace, London.
1736 (Summer)
Frederick made his mistress, Lady Archibald Hamilton, a lady of the bedchamber and convinced Augusta that he was not having an affair.
1737 (during)
Sixteen year old Augusta was very young for her age and enjoyed playing with her dolls. Her sister-in-law, Caroline told her that a lady of her station should not be seen playing with dolls.
1737 (31st July)
Augusta, went into labour. Rather than allow his parents to witness the birth, as was the custom, Frederick put Augusta in a carriage and drove her from Hampton Court, where the royal family was resident, to St James’s Palace where a daughter, Augusta was born. The Queen mother, Caroline of Ansbach was furious at Frederick’s action.
1737 (August)
Augusta and her family moved to Leicester House after Frederick was banished from court.
1737 (20th November)
Augusta’s mother-in-law Caroline of Ansbach died.
1738 (4th June)
A son, George, was born to Frederick and Augusta at Norfolk House.
1739 (25th March)
A son, Edward, was born to Frederick and Augusta at Norfolk House.
1741 (10th January)
A daughter, Elizabeth, was born to Frederick and Augusta at Norfolk House.
1743 (25th November)
A son, William Henry, was born to Frederick and Augusta at Leicester House.
1745 (7th November)
A son, Henry, was born to Frederick and Augusta at Leicester House.
1749 (19th March)
A daughter, Louisa, was born to Frederick and Augusta at Leicester House.
1750 (13th May)
A son, Frederick, was born to Frederick and Augusta at Leicester House.
1751 (31st March)
Augusta’s husband, Frederick died at Leicester House, London from a pulmonary embolism. Her son, George, became heir to the throne.
1751 (13th April)
Frederick was buried in Westminster Abbey.
1751 (11th July)
A daughter Caroline Matilda, was born to Augusta and posthumously to Frederick at Leicester House.
1751 (after 11th July)
King George II made Augusta regent for her son, heir to the throne, George, if he were to become king before the age of 18 years. Augusta’s brother-in-law, William, duke of Cumberland was very unhappy with the appointment feeling that he should have been nominated as regent.
1755 (during)
Augusta’s popularity fell after it was rumoured that she was involved in a relationship with John Stuart, Earl of Bute, who was appointed tutor to Prince George.
1756 (4th June)
Augusta’s son, heir to the throne, George, celebrated his 18th birthday.
1760 (25th October)
King George II died and Augusta’s son, George succeeded as King George III.
1761 (8th September)
Augusta’s son, George III, married Charlotte of Mecklenburg-Strelitz at the Chapel Royal, St James’s Palace.
1762 (26th May)
Augusta further lost popularity after George III dismissed Whig Prime Minister Thomas Pelham Holles, Duke of Newcastle and appointed his former tutor, John Stuart, Earl of Bute as Tory Prime Minister.
1763 (8th April)
John Stuart, Earl of Bute, resigned as Prime Minister after his popularity with the King fell. Augusta tried to influence her son to restore Bute to government but had no success.
1765 (during)
George III had a temporary episode of mental instability. Augusta and Bute conspired to keep this from George’s wife, Charlotte since the Regency Bill of 1765 named her as regent in the event of George III being unable to rule.
1770 (during)
Augusta paid a visit to her daughter, Queen Caroline Matilda of Denmark. Augusta was critical of her daughter’s court in particular the lack of etiquette.
1772 (8th February)
Augusta died of throat cancer at Carlton House, London.
Published Jan 16, 2019 @ 2:45 pm – Updated – [last-modified]
Harvard Reference for this page::
Heather Y Wheeler. (2019 – 2020). Augusta of Saxe-Gotha 1719 – 1772. Available: http://www.thetimelinegeekhttps://www.thetimelinegeek.com/augusta-of-saxe-gotha-1719-1772. Last accessed [date]