The Daughters of George III: Sisters and Princesses

By Catherine Curzon

From secret marriages to scandalous pregnancies and leeches to love affairs, the six daughters of George III and their isolated world are bought vividly back to life.

In the dying years of the 18th century, the corridors of Windsor echoed to the footsteps of six princesses. They were Charlotte, Augusta, Elizabeth, Mary, Sophia, and Amelia, the daughters of King George III and Queen Charlotte of Mecklenburg-Strelitz. Though more than fifteen years divided the births of the eldest sister from the youngest, these princesses all shared a longing for escape. Faced with their father’s illness and their mother’s dominance, for all but one a life away from the seclusion of the royal household seemed like an unobtainable dream.

The six daughters of George III were raised to be young ladies and each in her time was one of the most eligible women in the world. Tutored in the arts of royal womanhood, they were trained from infancy in the skills vial to a regal wife but as the king’s illness ravaged him, husbands and opportunities slipped away.

Yet even in isolation, the lives of the princesses were filled with incident. From secret romances to dashing equerries, rumors of pregnancy, clandestine marriage and even a run-in with Napoleon, each princess was the leading lady in her own story, whether tragic or inspirational. In The Royal Nunnery: Daughters of George III, take a wander through the hallways of the royal palaces, where the king’s endless ravings echo deep into the night and his daughters strive to be recognized not just as princesses, but as women too.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Pen and Sword
• Release date: Aug 31, 2020
• ISBN: 9781473897557

Catherine Curzon

Catherine Curzon is a royal historian who writes on all matters of 18th century. Her work has been featured on many platforms and Catherine has also spoken at various venues including the Royal Pavilion, Brighton, and Dr Johnson’s House. Catherine holds a Master’s degree in Film and when not dodging the furies of the guillotine, writes fiction set deep in the underbelly of Georgian London. She lives in Yorkshire atop a ludicrously steep hill.

Reviews for The Daughters of George III

[barbaras2016 · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

I have read all the other books by Catherine Curzon. I have especially enjoyed the books on the Georgian kings and Georgian Queens. Now I have had the pleasure of reading about King George III's and Queen Charlotte's six daughters. George and Charlotte had fifteen children, nine sons, and six daughters. This is truly remarkable because not only did Charlotte survive fifteen births in an age of high maternal deaths but all fifteen children survived infancy and only two died in childhood. The author starts the books by giving a brief overview of the parents, their early marriage, the early days of the family, and the parenting style of George and Charlotte. The book also explains the spectacular failure of George's sister's marriage in Denmark and the unsuitable marriages of George's brothers. These incidents explains George's extreme reluctance to marry off his daughters. Charlotte wanted to keep her daughters with her as George's mental and physical health declined. After this overview the author gives each daughter her own chapter to tell her own story. Each account is lively, not just dry history. I enjoyed the book. The book is complete with footnotes, a bibliography and photos. Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for allowing me to read this book by a favorite author in exchange for a review.