November 8, 2017 | Meeting 1461 | “How Queen Victoria Came to the Throne of England: The Death of Charlotte, Princess of Wales, in Childbirth 200 Years Ago”

Gregory Tignor, President of CAAS, convened the formal meeting at 5:30 following a wine reception for the speaker, Professor Ernest Kohorn, President Emeritus of CAAS.

 

Professor Kohorn began his talk with an image of the Windsor Castle and the Princess Charlotte memorial in that chapel.  Fifty years ago, he had visited an historical exhibit that had memorabilia and press cuttings concerning the pregnancy and labor of the Princess Charlotte.  She and her child died in childbirth 200 years ago to this day.  Her obstetrician Richard Croft later committed suicide. 

 

According to Professor Kohorn, this obstetric tragedy changed European and World History.  Charlotte was the only legitimate grandchild of King George III and his wife, the Queen Charlotte. Their eldest son was George, Prince of Wales.  His father was a staunch conservative whose beliefs contributed significantly to the loss of the American colonies.  In contrast, the Prince of Wales was not only handsome but also was witty.  He was known as the first gentleman of Europe.  However, he was a spendthrift.  His liaisons led to the couplet, “Georgie porgie, pudding and pie, Kissed the girls and made them cry.”

He accumulated enormous debts that Parliament had to settle.  Arrangements were made for him to marry Caroline, Princess of Brunswick.  Her behavior was coarse and she was careless in dress and hygiene. These two produced Princess Charlotte who became a darling to the British public.  

 

Professor Kohorn turned to a detailed description of Charlotte’s pregnancy, labor, delivery and aftermath.

Charlotte became pregnant in early 1817.  She went into labor on November 3, 1817.  The first stage lasted 26 hours.  The second stage was tedious.  15 hours later, physician suspected that the child might be dead.  Kohorn has challenged the cause of Charlotte’s death in the light of contemporary practice. But this death didn’t immediately change obstetric practice.

 

Britain deeply mourned Charlotte’s death.  

 

Professor Kohorn’s talk concluded with a discussion of the “Baby Derby” and Victoria’s eventual succession to the Crown.  The young Princess, Alexandrina Victoria ascended to the throne in 1837 at the age of 18.  Her reign describes an entire era of history, including its architecture and moral standards.

 

A lively discussion followed with contributions by a CAAS members including: pathologist Michael Kashgarian; sociologist, Wendell Bell; and CAAS council member, Ann Bliss.

 

Minutes submitted by Gregory Tignor and Monica Aspianto