Anne, Princess Royal and Princess of Orange
Princess Anne of Orange, Princess Royal and Princess of Hanover, Princess-Regent of Friesland (2 November 1709–12 January 1759) was the second child and eldest daughter of King George II of Great Britain and his consort, Queen Caroline. She was the wife of Prince Willem IV of Orange-Nassau, the first hereditary stadholder of the Netherlands (11 September 1711–22 October 1751). Princess Anne was the second daughter of a British Sovereign to hold the title Princess Royal.
Early life
Princess Anne of Hanover, Duchess of Brunswick and Lüneburg was born at Schloss Herrenhausen, Hanover, five years before her paternal grandfather, the Elector Georg Ludwig, succeeded to the British throne as King George I. Upon her grandfather's ascension in 1714, it became established practice that the legitimate children and the male-line grandchildren of a British Sovereign would be titled prince or princess of Great Britain and Ireland and styled Royal Highness; great grandchildren in the male line would be prince or princess of Great Britain and Ireland and styled Highness. Her father became king on 11 June 1727. On 30 August of that year, George II created his eldest daughter Princess Royal. King Charles I first bestowed this title on his eldest daughter, Princess Mary of Orange (the mother of William III of England), in 1642. However, the title fell from use until the reign of George II. (Princess Anne became Princess Royal during the lifetime of her aunt, Queen Sophia Dorothea of Prussia, who had been eligible for this honor but did not receive it.)
Later life
When her husband died in 1751, Anne was appointed regent for her 3-year-old son William. She was at first a good leader in the government with her quick decision-making skills, but she later became tyrannical and unpredictable. She continued to act as regent until her death in 1759, when she was replaced by her mother-in-law. When her mother-in-law also died, her daughter Carolina was made regent until William V turned 18 in 1766.
The Princess Royal died at The Hague, Netherlands.
Titles, Styles, Honours & Arms
Titles
- 1709-1714: Her Serene Highness Princess Anne of Hanover
- 1714-1727: Her Royal Highness Princess Anne of Hanover and Wales
- 1727: Her Royal Highness The Princess Anne
- 1727-1759: Her Royal Highness The Princess Royal
Issue
The Prince and Princess of Orange-Nassau had a stillborn son in 1735 and two stillborn daughters in 1736 and 1739, respectively. They also had a daughter, Anna (1726), who died in infancy. Their other children were:
| Name | Birth | Death | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Carolina, Princess-Regent of Friesland | 28 February 1743 | 6 May 1787 | married 1760, Karl Christian, Prince of Nassau-Weilburg; had issue |
| Willem V (Batavus) | 8 March 1748 | 9 April 1806 | married 1767, Princess Wilhelmina of Prussia; had issue |
| Princess Royal dates they were Princess Royal in brackets |
|
Mary Stuart (1642-1660) | Anne of Orange (1727-1759) | Charlotte (1766-1828) |
