William, Duke of Gloucester
Encyclopedia
Prince William, Duke of Gloucester (24 July 1689 – 30 July 1700) was the son of Princess Anne, who ascended the British thrones in 1702, and her husband, Prince George of Denmark and Norway. Styled Duke of Gloucester, he was their only child to survive infancy. Because his birth seemed to cement the Protestant succession established in the "Glorious Revolution
", Gloucester was contemporaneously viewed as a Protestant champion.
Gloucester's precarious health was a constant source of worry to Anne. Anne was estranged from her brother-in-law and cousin, King William III
, and her sister, Queen Mary II
, but supported links between them and Gloucester. Gloucester was close to his uncle William, who created him a Knight of the Garter
, and his aunt Mary, who frequently sent him presents and visited his nursery in Kensington
, Campden House. At Kensington, Gloucester befriended his Welsh body-servant, Jenkin Lewis, whose memoir of the Duke is an important source for historians. With Lewis, militarily minded Gloucester operated his own miniature army, called the "Horse Guards", eventually comprising 90 boys.
When Gloucester died, in 1700, the Protestant line of the House of Stuart
lost its only chance at continuation. The English Parliament did not want the throne to revert to a Catholic, and so passed the Act of Settlement 1701
, which settled the throne of England on Sophia, Electress of Hanover, granddaughter of James I of England
, and her Protestant heirs.
Born in Hampton Court Palace
at 5 am on 24 July 1689, four days before his parents' sixth wedding anniversary, he was baptised William Henry by Henry Compton, Bishop of London
, on 27 July 1689. He was named after his uncle King William III, who declared him Duke of Gloucester
, although the peerage was never formally created. King William and Lord Chamberlain
Lord Dorset
stood godfathers. Gloucester was the son of Princess Anne, the second surviving daughter of King James II & VII
, and her husband Prince George of Denmark. James II & VII, a Roman Catholic, had been deposed and replaced by the Protestants
William and Mary
in the "Glorious Revolution" only eight months before. William III was James's nephew and son-in-law, and Mary was James's elder daughter. Gloucester, who was second in line to the throne after his mother, was the hope of those who supported the revolution, because his birth secured the Protestant line of succession created by the Bill of Rights 1689
. The ode The Noise of Foreign Wars, attributed to Henry Purcell
, was written in celebration of the birth. Other odes, such as Purcell's Who Can From Joy Refrain? (his last royal ode) and John Blow
's The Duke of Gloucester's March and A Song upon the Duke of Gloucester, were to follow on his birthdays in later years. However, supporters of James II, the Jacobites
, spoke of Gloucester as "a sickly and doomed usurper".
Despite being described as a "brave livlylike boy", Gloucester became ill with convulsions when he was three weeks old, so his mother moved him into Craven House, Kensington, hoping that the air from the surrounding gravel pits would have a beneficial effect on his health. As part of his treatment, Gloucester was driven outside every day in a small open carriage, pulled by Shetland ponies
, to maximise his exposure to the air of the gravel pits. The effectiveness of Gloucester's treatment having exceeded their expectations, Princess Anne and Prince George acquired a permanent residence in the area, Campden House, a Jacobean
mansion, in 1690. It was here that Gloucester befriended Welsh body-servant Jenkin Lewis, whose memoir of his master is an important source for historians.
Throughout his life, Gloucester suffered from a recurrent "ague", which was treated with regular doses of Jesuit's bark
(an early form of quinine
) by his physician, John Radcliffe. Gloucester disliked the treatment intensely, and usually vomited after being given the medication. He could not walk properly, and was apt to stumble. Nearing the age of five, Gloucester refused to climb stairs without two attendants to hold him, which Lewis blamed on indulgent nurses, who over-protected the boy. His father birched him until he agreed to walk by himself.
. Intermittently, his surgeons pierced his head and drew off the fluid. Gloucester's language acquisition
was delayed: he did not speak correctly until the age of three. Consequently, the commencement of his education was delayed one year. The Reverend Samuel Pratt, a Cambridge
graduate, was duly appointed the Duke's tutor in 1693. Pratt was an enemy of Jenkin Lewis and the chaplain of Barbara Villiers, Viscountess Fitzharding, Gloucester's governess. They frequently disagreed over how Gloucester should be educated. Lewis remained Gloucester's favourite attendant because, unlike Pratt, he was knowledgeable of military matters and could therefore help him with his "Horse Guards". The "Horse Guards" was Gloucester's miniature army, consisting of local children. Over a couple of years, the size of the army grew from 22 to 90 boys. Princess Anne had fallen out with her sister and brother-in-law, William and Mary, and Anne reluctantly agreed to the advice of her friend Sarah Churchill, Duchess of Marlborough
, that Gloucester should visit William and Mary regularly to ensure their continued goodwill towards him. In an attempt to heal the rift, she invited them to see Gloucester drill the "Horse Guards". They drilled at Kensington Palace
for the King and Queen, and William praised the boys, making a return visit to Campden House the following day. Gloucester was close to his aunt and uncle: Mary bought him presents from his favourite toy shop. The death of the former, in 1694, led to a superficial reconciliation between Anne and William, which occasioned a move to St James's Palace, London
. Gloucester having tired of him, Lewis only attended St James's every two months.
On his seventh birthday, Gloucester attended a ceremony at St George's Chapel, Windsor Castle, to install him as a Knight of the Garter
, an honour William III had given him six months before. Gloucester became ill during the celebratory banquet afterwards and left early, but after his recovery went deer hunting
in Windsor Great Park
, where he was blooded by Samuel Masham
, his father's page
. Princess Anne wrote to her friend the Duchess of Marlborough, "My boy continues yet very well, and looks better, I think, than ever he did in his life; I mean more healthy, for though I love him very well, I can't brag of his beauty."
During the trial of Sir John Fenwick, 3rd Baronet, who was implicated in a plot to assassinate King William, Gloucester signed a letter to William promising his loyalty. "I, your Majesty's most dutiful subject," the letter read, "had rather lose my life in your Majesty's cause than in any man's else, and I hope it will not be long ere you conquer France." Added to the letter was a declaration by the boys in Gloucester's army: "We, your Majesty's subjects, will stand by you while we have a drop of blood."
In 1697, Parliament granted William III £50,000 to establish a household for the Duke of Gloucester, though William only permitted the release of £15,000, keeping the difference for himself. The establishment of Gloucester's own household in early 1698 revived the feud between Anne and William. William was determined to limit Anne's involvement in the household, and therefore appointed, against Anne's wishes, Gilbert Burnet
, Bishop of Salisbury
, as Gloucester's preceptor
. Burnet knew Anne was unhappy, and attempted to decline the appointment, but William III insisted he accept it. Anne's anger was only placated by an assurance from William that she could choose all the lower servants of the household. The Duke of Marlborough
, a friend of Anne's, was appointed Gloucester's governor, after the Duke of Shrewsbury
declined the office on the grounds of ill health. Marlborough presented Anne's choices to William shortly before the latter sailed for the Netherlands, but William refused to accept them. William's favourite, Arnold van Keppel, 1st Earl of Albemarle
, eventually convinced him to agree to Anne's appointments, and William's acceptance was sent from the Netherlands in September 1698. Marlborough's son, who was twelve years old, was appointed Gloucester's Master of the Horse
, and became a friend and playmate. Abigail Hill, a kinswoman of the Duchess of Marlborough, was appointed his laundress, and Abigail's brother, Jack Hill, was made one of Gloucester's gentlemen of the bedchamber
.
Burnet lectured Gloucester for hours at a time on subjects such as the feudal constitutions of Europe and law before the time of Christianity. Burnet also encouraged Gloucester to memorise facts and dates by heart. William's ministers inspected Gloucester's academic progress every four months, finding themselves "amazed" by Gloucester, who enjoyed "a wonderful memory and good judgement". His childhood troop was disbanded, and William made him the honorary commander of a real regiment of Dutch footguards. In 1699, he attended the trials in the House of Lords of Charles Mohun, 4th Baron Mohun
, and Edward Rich, 6th Earl of Warwick
, who were accused of murder. (Mohun was acquitted; Warwick was found guilty of manslaughter but escaped punishment by pleading privilege of peerage
.)
. At his birthday party at Windsor, on 24 July 1700, Gloucester overheated himself while dancing. By nightfall, he was suffering from a sore throat and chills. The doctors could not agree on a diagnosis, and he developed a high fever. Radcliffe thought he had scarlet fever
, while others thought it was smallpox
. Gloucester was bled, to which Radcliffe strongly objected. He told his colleagues, "you have destroyed him and you may finish him". He prescribed blistering, which was no more effective.
Prince William died on 30 July 1700, with his parents beside him. An autopsy showed he had an abnormal amount of fluid in the ventricles of his brain. William, who was in the Netherlands, wrote, "It is so great a loss to me as well as to all England, that it pierces my heart." His body was moved from Windsor to Westminster on the night of 1–2 August, and he lay in state in the Palace of Westminster
before being entombed in Westminster Abbey on 9 August.
His death destabilised the Protestant succession. The English parliament did not want the throne to revert to a Catholic, so it passed the Act of Settlement 1701
, which settled the throne of England on Sophia, Electress of Hanover
, granddaughter of James VI and I
, and her Protestant heirs.
, with an inescutcheon Or
semy of hearts Gules
three lions passant Azure
crowned of the first (for Denmark
), the whole differenced by a label
of three points Argent
, the centre point bearing a cross Gules.
Glorious Revolution
The Glorious Revolution, also called the Revolution of 1688, is the overthrow of King James II of England by a union of English Parliamentarians with the Dutch stadtholder William III of Orange-Nassau...
", Gloucester was contemporaneously viewed as a Protestant champion.
Gloucester's precarious health was a constant source of worry to Anne. Anne was estranged from her brother-in-law and cousin, King William III
William III of England
William III & II was a sovereign Prince of Orange of the House of Orange-Nassau by birth. From 1672 he governed as Stadtholder William III of Orange over Holland, Zeeland, Utrecht, Guelders, and Overijssel of the Dutch Republic. From 1689 he reigned as William III over England and Ireland...
, and her sister, Queen Mary II
Mary II of England
Mary II was joint Sovereign of England, Scotland, and Ireland with her husband and first cousin, William III and II, from 1689 until her death. William and Mary, both Protestants, became king and queen regnant, respectively, following the Glorious Revolution, which resulted in the deposition of...
, but supported links between them and Gloucester. Gloucester was close to his uncle William, who created him a Knight of the Garter
Order of the Garter
The Most Noble Order of the Garter, founded in 1348, is the highest order of chivalry, or knighthood, existing in England. The order is dedicated to the image and arms of St...
, and his aunt Mary, who frequently sent him presents and visited his nursery in Kensington
Kensington
Kensington is a district of west and central London, England within the Royal Borough of Kensington and Chelsea. An affluent and densely-populated area, its commercial heart is Kensington High Street, and it contains the well-known museum district of South Kensington.To the north, Kensington is...
, Campden House. At Kensington, Gloucester befriended his Welsh body-servant, Jenkin Lewis, whose memoir of the Duke is an important source for historians. With Lewis, militarily minded Gloucester operated his own miniature army, called the "Horse Guards", eventually comprising 90 boys.
When Gloucester died, in 1700, the Protestant line of the House of Stuart
House of Stuart
The House of Stuart is a European royal house. Founded by Robert II of Scotland, the Stewarts first became monarchs of the Kingdom of Scotland during the late 14th century, and subsequently held the position of the Kings of Great Britain and Ireland...
lost its only chance at continuation. The English Parliament did not want the throne to revert to a Catholic, and so passed the Act of Settlement 1701
Act of Settlement 1701
The Act of Settlement is an act of the Parliament of England that was passed in 1701 to settle the succession to the English throne on the Electress Sophia of Hanover and her Protestant heirs. The act was later extended to Scotland, as a result of the Treaty of Union , enacted in the Acts of Union...
, which settled the throne of England on Sophia, Electress of Hanover, granddaughter of James I of England
James I of England
James VI and I was King of Scots as James VI from 24 July 1567 and King of England and Ireland as James I from the union of the English and Scottish crowns on 24 March 1603...
, and her Protestant heirs.
Birth
Hampton Court Palace
Hampton Court Palace is a royal palace in the London Borough of Richmond upon Thames, Greater London; it has not been inhabited by the British royal family since the 18th century. The palace is located south west of Charing Cross and upstream of Central London on the River Thames...
at 5 am on 24 July 1689, four days before his parents' sixth wedding anniversary, he was baptised William Henry by Henry Compton, Bishop of London
Bishop of London
The Bishop of London is the ordinary of the Church of England Diocese of London in the Province of Canterbury.The diocese covers 458 km² of 17 boroughs of Greater London north of the River Thames and a small part of the County of Surrey...
, on 27 July 1689. He was named after his uncle King William III, who declared him Duke of Gloucester
Duke of Gloucester
Duke of Gloucester is a British royal title , often conferred on one of the sons of the reigning monarch. The first four creations were in the Peerage of England, the next in the Peerage of Great Britain, and the last in the Peerage of the United Kingdom; this current creation carries with it the...
, although the peerage was never formally created. King William and Lord Chamberlain
Lord Chamberlain
The Lord Chamberlain or Lord Chamberlain of the Household is one of the chief officers of the Royal Household in the United Kingdom and is to be distinguished from the Lord Great Chamberlain, one of the Great Officers of State....
Lord Dorset
Charles Sackville, 6th Earl of Dorset
Charles Sackville, 6th Earl of Dorset and 1st Earl of Middlesex was an English poet and courtier.-Early Life:He was son of Richard Sackville, 5th Earl of Dorset...
stood godfathers. Gloucester was the son of Princess Anne, the second surviving daughter of King James II & VII
James II of England
James II & VII was King of England and King of Ireland as James II and King of Scotland as James VII, from 6 February 1685. He was the last Catholic monarch to reign over the Kingdoms of England, Scotland, and Ireland...
, and her husband Prince George of Denmark. James II & VII, a Roman Catholic, had been deposed and replaced by the Protestants
Protestantism
Protestantism is one of the three major groupings within Christianity. It is a movement that began in Germany in the early 16th century as a reaction against medieval Roman Catholic doctrines and practices, especially in regards to salvation, justification, and ecclesiology.The doctrines of the...
William and Mary
William and Mary
The phrase William and Mary usually refers to the coregency over the Kingdoms of England, Scotland and Ireland, of King William III & II and Queen Mary II...
in the "Glorious Revolution" only eight months before. William III was James's nephew and son-in-law, and Mary was James's elder daughter. Gloucester, who was second in line to the throne after his mother, was the hope of those who supported the revolution, because his birth secured the Protestant line of succession created by the Bill of Rights 1689
Bill of Rights 1689
The Bill of Rights or the Bill of Rights 1688 is an Act of the Parliament of England.The Bill of Rights was passed by Parliament on 16 December 1689. It was a re-statement in statutory form of the Declaration of Right presented by the Convention Parliament to William and Mary in March 1689 ,...
. The ode The Noise of Foreign Wars, attributed to Henry Purcell
Henry Purcell
Henry Purcell – 21 November 1695), was an English organist and Baroque composer of secular and sacred music. Although Purcell incorporated Italian and French stylistic elements into his compositions, his legacy was a uniquely English form of Baroque music...
, was written in celebration of the birth. Other odes, such as Purcell's Who Can From Joy Refrain? (his last royal ode) and John Blow
John Blow
John Blow was an English Baroque composer and organist, appointed to Westminster Abbey in 1669. His pupils included William Croft, Jeremiah Clarke and Henry Purcell. In 1685 he was named a private musician to James II. His only stage composition, Venus and Adonis John Blow (baptised 23 February...
's The Duke of Gloucester's March and A Song upon the Duke of Gloucester, were to follow on his birthdays in later years. However, supporters of James II, the Jacobites
Jacobitism
Jacobitism was the political movement in Britain dedicated to the restoration of the Stuart kings to the thrones of England, Scotland, later the Kingdom of Great Britain, and the Kingdom of Ireland...
, spoke of Gloucester as "a sickly and doomed usurper".
Despite being described as a "brave livlylike boy", Gloucester became ill with convulsions when he was three weeks old, so his mother moved him into Craven House, Kensington, hoping that the air from the surrounding gravel pits would have a beneficial effect on his health. As part of his treatment, Gloucester was driven outside every day in a small open carriage, pulled by Shetland ponies
Shetland pony
The Shetland pony is a breed of pony originating in the Shetland Isles. Shetlands range in size from a minimum height of approximately 28 inches to an official maximum height of 42 inches at the withers. Shetland ponies have heavy coats, short legs and are considered quite intelligent...
, to maximise his exposure to the air of the gravel pits. The effectiveness of Gloucester's treatment having exceeded their expectations, Princess Anne and Prince George acquired a permanent residence in the area, Campden House, a Jacobean
Jacobean architecture
The Jacobean style is the second phase of Renaissance architecture in England, following the Elizabethan style. It is named after King James I of England, with whose reign it is associated.-Characteristics:...
mansion, in 1690. It was here that Gloucester befriended Welsh body-servant Jenkin Lewis, whose memoir of his master is an important source for historians.
Throughout his life, Gloucester suffered from a recurrent "ague", which was treated with regular doses of Jesuit's bark
Jesuit's bark
Jesuit's Bark, also called Peruvian Bark, is the historical name of the most celebrated specific remedy for all forms of malaria. It is so named because it was obtained from the bark of several species of the genus Cinchona, of the order Rubiaceae, that have been discovered at different times and...
(an early form of quinine
Quinine
Quinine is a natural white crystalline alkaloid having antipyretic , antimalarial, analgesic , anti-inflammatory properties and a bitter taste. It is a stereoisomer of quinidine which, unlike quinine, is an anti-arrhythmic...
) by his physician, John Radcliffe. Gloucester disliked the treatment intensely, and usually vomited after being given the medication. He could not walk properly, and was apt to stumble. Nearing the age of five, Gloucester refused to climb stairs without two attendants to hold him, which Lewis blamed on indulgent nurses, who over-protected the boy. His father birched him until he agreed to walk by himself.
Education
Princess Anne was concerned by Gloucester's enlarged head, which was possibly the result of hydrocephalusHydrocephalus
Hydrocephalus , also known as "water in the brain," is a medical condition in which there is an abnormal accumulation of cerebrospinal fluid in the ventricles, or cavities, of the brain. This may cause increased intracranial pressure inside the skull and progressive enlargement of the head,...
. Intermittently, his surgeons pierced his head and drew off the fluid. Gloucester's language acquisition
Language acquisition
Language acquisition is the process by which humans acquire the capacity to perceive, produce and use words to understand and communicate. This capacity involves the picking up of diverse capacities including syntax, phonetics, and an extensive vocabulary. This language might be vocal as with...
was delayed: he did not speak correctly until the age of three. Consequently, the commencement of his education was delayed one year. The Reverend Samuel Pratt, a Cambridge
University of Cambridge
The University of Cambridge is a public research university located in Cambridge, United Kingdom. It is the second-oldest university in both the United Kingdom and the English-speaking world , and the seventh-oldest globally...
graduate, was duly appointed the Duke's tutor in 1693. Pratt was an enemy of Jenkin Lewis and the chaplain of Barbara Villiers, Viscountess Fitzharding, Gloucester's governess. They frequently disagreed over how Gloucester should be educated. Lewis remained Gloucester's favourite attendant because, unlike Pratt, he was knowledgeable of military matters and could therefore help him with his "Horse Guards". The "Horse Guards" was Gloucester's miniature army, consisting of local children. Over a couple of years, the size of the army grew from 22 to 90 boys. Princess Anne had fallen out with her sister and brother-in-law, William and Mary, and Anne reluctantly agreed to the advice of her friend Sarah Churchill, Duchess of Marlborough
Sarah Churchill, Duchess of Marlborough
Sarah Churchill , Duchess of Marlborough rose to be one of the most influential women in British history as a result of her close friendship with Queen Anne of Great Britain.Sarah's friendship and influence with Princess Anne was widely known, and leading public figures...
, that Gloucester should visit William and Mary regularly to ensure their continued goodwill towards him. In an attempt to heal the rift, she invited them to see Gloucester drill the "Horse Guards". They drilled at Kensington Palace
Kensington Palace
Kensington Palace is a royal residence set in Kensington Gardens in the Royal Borough of Kensington and Chelsea in London, England. It has been a residence of the British Royal Family since the 17th century and is the official London residence of the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge, the Duke and...
for the King and Queen, and William praised the boys, making a return visit to Campden House the following day. Gloucester was close to his aunt and uncle: Mary bought him presents from his favourite toy shop. The death of the former, in 1694, led to a superficial reconciliation between Anne and William, which occasioned a move to St James's Palace, London
London
London is the capital city of :England and the :United Kingdom, the largest metropolitan area in the United Kingdom, and the largest urban zone in the European Union by most measures. Located on the River Thames, London has been a major settlement for two millennia, its history going back to its...
. Gloucester having tired of him, Lewis only attended St James's every two months.
On his seventh birthday, Gloucester attended a ceremony at St George's Chapel, Windsor Castle, to install him as a Knight of the Garter
Order of the Garter
The Most Noble Order of the Garter, founded in 1348, is the highest order of chivalry, or knighthood, existing in England. The order is dedicated to the image and arms of St...
, an honour William III had given him six months before. Gloucester became ill during the celebratory banquet afterwards and left early, but after his recovery went deer hunting
Deer hunting
Deer hunting is survival hunting or sport hunting, harvesting deer, dating back to tens of thousands of years ago. Which occurred though out Europe Asia and North America There are numerous types of deer throughout the world that are hunted.- New Zealand :...
in Windsor Great Park
Windsor Great Park
Windsor Great Park is a large deer park of , to the south of the town of Windsor on the border of Berkshire and Surrey in England. The park was, for many centuries, the private hunting ground of Windsor Castle and dates primarily from the mid-13th century...
, where he was blooded by Samuel Masham
Samuel Masham, 1st Baron Masham
Samuel Masham, 1st Baron Masham , was a courtier in the court of Queen Anne, and the husband of her favourite, Abigail Masham , Baroness Masham....
, his father's page
Page (servant)
A page or page boy is a traditionally young male servant, a messenger at the service of a nobleman or royal.-The medieval page:In medieval times, a page was an attendant to a knight; an apprentice squire...
. Princess Anne wrote to her friend the Duchess of Marlborough, "My boy continues yet very well, and looks better, I think, than ever he did in his life; I mean more healthy, for though I love him very well, I can't brag of his beauty."
During the trial of Sir John Fenwick, 3rd Baronet, who was implicated in a plot to assassinate King William, Gloucester signed a letter to William promising his loyalty. "I, your Majesty's most dutiful subject," the letter read, "had rather lose my life in your Majesty's cause than in any man's else, and I hope it will not be long ere you conquer France." Added to the letter was a declaration by the boys in Gloucester's army: "We, your Majesty's subjects, will stand by you while we have a drop of blood."
In 1697, Parliament granted William III £50,000 to establish a household for the Duke of Gloucester, though William only permitted the release of £15,000, keeping the difference for himself. The establishment of Gloucester's own household in early 1698 revived the feud between Anne and William. William was determined to limit Anne's involvement in the household, and therefore appointed, against Anne's wishes, Gilbert Burnet
Gilbert Burnet
Gilbert Burnet was a Scottish theologian and historian, and Bishop of Salisbury. He was fluent in Dutch, French, Latin, Greek, and Hebrew. Burnet was respected as a cleric, a preacher, and an academic, as well as a writer and historian...
, Bishop of Salisbury
Bishop of Salisbury
The Bishop of Salisbury is the ordinary of the Church of England's Diocese of Salisbury in the Province of Canterbury.The diocese covers much of the counties of Wiltshire and Dorset...
, as Gloucester's preceptor
Preceptor
A preceptor is a teacher responsible to uphold a certain law or tradition, a precept.-Christian military orders:A preceptor was historically in charge of a preceptory, the headquarters of certain orders of monastic Knights, such as the Knights Hospitaller and Knights Templar, within a given...
. Burnet knew Anne was unhappy, and attempted to decline the appointment, but William III insisted he accept it. Anne's anger was only placated by an assurance from William that she could choose all the lower servants of the household. The Duke of Marlborough
John Churchill, 1st Duke of Marlborough
John Churchill, 1st Duke of Marlborough, Prince of Mindelheim, KG, PC , was an English soldier and statesman whose career spanned the reigns of five monarchs through the late 17th and early 18th centuries...
, a friend of Anne's, was appointed Gloucester's governor, after the Duke of Shrewsbury
Charles Talbot, 1st Duke of Shrewsbury
Charles Talbot, 1st Duke of Shrewsbury, KG, PC was an English statesman. Born to Roman Catholic parents, he remained in that faith until 1679 when—during the time of the Popish Plot and following the advice of the divine John Tillotson—he converted to the Church of England...
declined the office on the grounds of ill health. Marlborough presented Anne's choices to William shortly before the latter sailed for the Netherlands, but William refused to accept them. William's favourite, Arnold van Keppel, 1st Earl of Albemarle
Arnold van Keppel, 1st Earl of Albemarle
Arnold Joost van Keppel, 1st Earl of Albemarle KG, and lord of De Voorst in Guelders , was the son of Oswald van Keppel and his wife Anna Geertruid van Lintelo...
, eventually convinced him to agree to Anne's appointments, and William's acceptance was sent from the Netherlands in September 1698. Marlborough's son, who was twelve years old, was appointed Gloucester's Master of the Horse
Master of the Horse
The Master of the Horse was a position of varying importance in several European nations.-Magister Equitum :...
, and became a friend and playmate. Abigail Hill, a kinswoman of the Duchess of Marlborough, was appointed his laundress, and Abigail's brother, Jack Hill, was made one of Gloucester's gentlemen of the bedchamber
Gentleman of the Bedchamber
A Gentleman of the Bedchamber was the holder of an important office in the royal household of the Kingdom of England from the 11th century, later used also in the Kingdom of Great Britain.-Description and functions:...
.
Burnet lectured Gloucester for hours at a time on subjects such as the feudal constitutions of Europe and law before the time of Christianity. Burnet also encouraged Gloucester to memorise facts and dates by heart. William's ministers inspected Gloucester's academic progress every four months, finding themselves "amazed" by Gloucester, who enjoyed "a wonderful memory and good judgement". His childhood troop was disbanded, and William made him the honorary commander of a real regiment of Dutch footguards. In 1699, he attended the trials in the House of Lords of Charles Mohun, 4th Baron Mohun
Charles Mohun, 4th Baron Mohun
Charles Mohun, 4th Baron Mohun was an English politician best known for his frequent participation in duels and his reputation as a rake....
, and Edward Rich, 6th Earl of Warwick
Edward Rich, 6th Earl of Warwick
Edward Rich, 6th Earl of Warwick and 3rd Earl of Holland was an English peer and member of the House of Lords, styled Lord Rich until 1675.Rich succeeded his father Robert as Earl of Warwick and Holland in 1675...
, who were accused of murder. (Mohun was acquitted; Warwick was found guilty of manslaughter but escaped punishment by pleading privilege of peerage
Privilege of Peerage
The privilege of peerage is the body of special privileges belonging to members of the British peerage. It is distinct from Parliamentary privilege, which applies only to those peers serving in the House of Lords and the members of the House of Commons, while Parliament is in session and forty days...
.)
Death
As he neared his eleventh birthday, Gloucester was assigned Mary's old apartments in Kensington PalaceKensington Palace
Kensington Palace is a royal residence set in Kensington Gardens in the Royal Borough of Kensington and Chelsea in London, England. It has been a residence of the British Royal Family since the 17th century and is the official London residence of the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge, the Duke and...
. At his birthday party at Windsor, on 24 July 1700, Gloucester overheated himself while dancing. By nightfall, he was suffering from a sore throat and chills. The doctors could not agree on a diagnosis, and he developed a high fever. Radcliffe thought he had scarlet fever
Scarlet fever
Scarlet fever is a disease caused by exotoxin released by Streptococcus pyogenes. Once a major cause of death, it is now effectively treated with antibiotics...
, while others thought it was smallpox
Smallpox
Smallpox was an infectious disease unique to humans, caused by either of two virus variants, Variola major and Variola minor. The disease is also known by the Latin names Variola or Variola vera, which is a derivative of the Latin varius, meaning "spotted", or varus, meaning "pimple"...
. Gloucester was bled, to which Radcliffe strongly objected. He told his colleagues, "you have destroyed him and you may finish him". He prescribed blistering, which was no more effective.
Prince William died on 30 July 1700, with his parents beside him. An autopsy showed he had an abnormal amount of fluid in the ventricles of his brain. William, who was in the Netherlands, wrote, "It is so great a loss to me as well as to all England, that it pierces my heart." His body was moved from Windsor to Westminster on the night of 1–2 August, and he lay in state in the Palace of Westminster
Palace of Westminster
The Palace of Westminster, also known as the Houses of Parliament or Westminster Palace, is the meeting place of the two houses of the Parliament of the United Kingdom—the House of Lords and the House of Commons...
before being entombed in Westminster Abbey on 9 August.
His death destabilised the Protestant succession. The English parliament did not want the throne to revert to a Catholic, so it passed the Act of Settlement 1701
Act of Settlement 1701
The Act of Settlement is an act of the Parliament of England that was passed in 1701 to settle the succession to the English throne on the Electress Sophia of Hanover and her Protestant heirs. The act was later extended to Scotland, as a result of the Treaty of Union , enacted in the Acts of Union...
, which settled the throne of England on Sophia, Electress of Hanover
Sophia of Hanover
Sophia of the Palatinate was an heiress to the crowns of England and Ireland and later the crown of Great Britain. She was declared heiress presumptive by the Act of Settlement 1701...
, granddaughter of James VI and I
James I of England
James VI and I was King of Scots as James VI from 24 July 1567 and King of England and Ireland as James I from the union of the English and Scottish crowns on 24 March 1603...
, and her Protestant heirs.
Titles, styles, honours and arms
27 June 1689 – 30 July 1700: His Royal Highness Prince William, Duke of GloucesterArms
Gloucester bore the royal armsRoyal coat of arms of the United Kingdom
The Royal coat of arms of the United Kingdom is the official coat of arms of the British monarch, currently Queen Elizabeth II. These arms are used by the Queen in her official capacity as monarch of the United Kingdom, and are officially known as her Arms of Dominion...
, with an inescutcheon Or
Or (heraldry)
In heraldry, Or is the tincture of gold and, together with argent , belongs to the class of light tinctures called "metals". In engravings and line drawings, it may be represented using a field of evenly spaced dots...
semy of hearts Gules
Gules
In heraldry, gules is the tincture with the colour red, and belongs to the class of dark tinctures called "colours". In engraving, it is sometimes depicted as a region of vertical lines or else marked with gu. as an abbreviation....
three lions passant Azure
Azure
In heraldry, azure is the tincture with the colour blue, and belongs to the class of tinctures called "colours". In engraving, it is sometimes depicted as a region of horizontal lines or else marked with either az. or b. as an abbreviation....
crowned of the first (for Denmark
Coat of arms of Denmark
The royal coat of arms is more complex. The shield is quartered by a silver cross fimbriated in red, derived from the Danish flag, the Dannebrog. The first and fourth quarters represent Denmark by three crowned lions passant accompanied by nine hearts; the second quarter contains two lions passant...
), the whole differenced by a label
Label (heraldry)
In heraldry, a label is a charge resembling the strap crossing the horse’s chest from which pendants are hung. It is usually a mark of difference, but has sometimes been borne simply as a charge in its own right....
of three points Argent
Argent
In heraldry, argent is the tincture of silver, and belongs to the class of light tinctures, called "metals". It is very frequently depicted as white and usually considered interchangeable with it...
, the centre point bearing a cross Gules.
Ancestry
Further reading
- Holmes, G. E. F.; Holmes, F. F. (February 2008). "William Henry, Duke of Gloucester (1689–1700), son of Queen Anne (1665–1714), could have ruled Great Britain" Journal of Medical Biography 16: 44–51.