William Henry, Duke of Gloucester and Edinburgh
William Henry, Duke of Gloucester and Edinburgh (born November 14 . Jul / 25. November 1743 greg. In London ; † 25. August 1805 ) was a member of the British royal family.
Life
William Henry was the third son of the Prince of Wales , Friedrich Ludwig von Hannover , and his wife Princess Augusta von Sachsen-Gotha- Altenburg. His older brother King George III. awarded him the title of Duke of Gloucester and Edinburgh in 1764 .
William Henry was best known for his secret marriage on September 6, 1766, to Maria Walpole , an illegitimate granddaughter of Sir Robert Walpole . This wedding and that of his brother gave rise to the passing of the Royal Marriages Act ; this law banned royalty under the age of 25 from marrying without permission from the incumbent monarch. His wife bore him the following children:
- Sophia Mathilde (1773–1844), unmarried
- Caroline Auguste (1774–1775)
- Wilhelm Friedrich (1776–1834), Duke of Gloucester and Edinburgh ∞ Princess Maria of Great Britain, Ireland and Hanover
Web links
- William Henry Hanover, 1st Duke of Gloucester on thepeerage.com , accessed July 21, 2015.
- Christenings of the Royal Family , Yvonne's Royalty Home Page
| predecessor | Office | successor |
|---|---|---|
| New title created |
Duke of Gloucester and Edinburgh 1764-1805 |
William Frederick |
| personal data | |
|---|---|
| SURNAME | William Henry, Duke of Gloucester and Edinburgh |
| ALTERNATIVE NAMES | Gloucester, Wilhelm Heinrich Duke of |
| BRIEF DESCRIPTION | Member of the British royal family |
| DATE OF BIRTH | November 25, 1743 |
| PLACE OF BIRTH | London |
| DATE OF DEATH | August 25, 1805 |
| Place of death | London |