Death of Maria Fitzherbert – Morganatic wife of King George IV

Death of Maria Fitzherbert – Morganatic wife of King George IV

Maria Fitzherbert is remembered as George IV’s ‘secret wife’, ‘illegal wife’ or even his mistress.

Maria is not really remembered for any qualities or achievements of her own, but simply as a woman who earned her place in the historical hall of fame for capturing the eye of an important man.

Maria Fitzherbert, already twice widowed when she met George, the Prince of Wales in 1784, must have had something a bit different about her.

In a large cast of mistresses, flirtations, dalliances, and infatuations, Maria’s is the name the Prince uttered under his breath when marrying his detested wife, Caroline of Brunswick.

Maria is the person in whose favour he changed his will upon the birth of his daughter Charlotte.
Maria’s miniature portrait is the one that was buried with him upon his death.

The fickle, restless Prince seems to have been at his best, most generous, kind and well behaved when around Maria.

Not only lover, secret wife and spouse, it seems as though Maria also acted as George’s conscience.

Maria Anne Fitzherbert was born on 26th July 1756 at Tong Castle, in Shropshire.

Born into English aristocracy, Maria was the firstborn of Walter Smythe of Brambridge and Mary Ann Errington of Beaufront.

She has been described as having an aquiline nose, loose teeth, hazel eyes, silky blonde hair, and a flawless complexion.

Considered as ” a woman of great accomplishments and beauty ” Maria was unquestionably, a most beautiful woman, but inclined to be a little “full of figure”

At the age of 18, Maria married Edward Weld of Lulworth Castle.
Weld, a rich Catholic landowner was 16 years her senior.
He died just three months after their marriage, from a fall from his horse.

Having failed to sign a new will since his marriage, his entire estate passed to his younger brother.

Maria, now a widow was left destitute, with little or no financial support.

Three years later, Maria was married to Thomas Fitzherbert of Swynnerton, Staffordshire, who was ten years older than her.

She was widowed again on 7th May 1781.
This time, her husband kindly left his widow provided for.
Maria received an annuity of £1,000 and a townhouse in Park Street, Mayfair.

The now twice widowed Maria Fitzherbert entered London high society.

In the spring of 1784, while attending the opera with her uncle Lord Sefton, she was introduced to the young George, Prince of Wales.
George was known to his friends as ‘Prinny’.

The prince was six years younger than Maria, with polished and refined manners.

George was immediately smitten with Maria, and pursued her endlessly.

Maria’s devout Catholic beliefs would not allow her to become his mistress, so George decided that marriage was the only way to secure Maria’s affections.

Secretly, the Prince and Maria underwent a form of marriage on 15th December 1785, in the drawing-room of her house in Park Street, London.

This ‘invalid’ marriage ceremony was performed by one of the prince’s Chaplains, the Reverend Robert Burt, whose debts of £500 were paid by Prince George.

The marriage was deemed as invalid, because it had not been approved by King George III and the Privy Council – as required by the Royal Marriages Act 1772.

However, the largest obstacle to their union was Maria’s Catholic faith.
Under the terms of the Act of Settlement of 1701, no prince married to a ‘Papist’ could succeed to the throne.

During her early days in Brighton with the Prince of Wales, Maria was said to have become pregnant.
One suggested child of the Prince and Maria, is said to be James Ord, born in 1786.

James Ord eventually moved to the United States and became a Jesuit priest.
There is however, no evidence that Maria ever bore a child, although she did adopt two daughters, who were devoted to her.

On 23rd June 1794, Maria was cruelly informed by letter, that her relationship with the Prince was over.

King George III decided that his son would be married to Princess Caroline of Brunswick.
To sweeten the deal, the king agreed to pay all of George’s massive debts of £600,000, the day he married Caroline.

Caroline was not a particularly attractive woman, and was said to neglect her personal hygiene.

At the first sight of his future wife, George was thoroughly dismayed and in a state of shock, “I am not well”, he announced, “pray get me a glass of brandy,”

On 8th April 1795, George and Caroline were married at the Chapel Royal at St. James’ Palace, attended by George’s well-pleased father.

The distraught bridegroom spent his wedding night lying on the bedroom floor by the fireplace in a drunken stupor.

Three days after Caroline gave birth to their daughter, Princess Charlotte of Wales, George wrote his last will and testament.
He bequeathed all his “worldly property . . . to my Maria Fitzherbert, my wife, the wife of my heart and soul”.

During the summer of 1798, George sought a reconciliation with his “second self”
He had separated from Caroline for good, and was bored with his latest mistress, Frances Villiers.

Reunited with the love of his life, George and Maria seemed happy together.
Suddenly, during the first few years of his reign as King George IV, he turned violently against Maria.

Whenever he mentioned her name it was “with feelings of disgust and horror”, claiming that their union “was an artificial marriage.

Maria, however, was in the possession of documents to prove their marriage.
Following the couple’s final split, Maria demanded annuity payments, accompanied by veiled threats to go public.

In June 1830, when the King was dying, he eagerly received a letter from her and, after reading it, placed it under his pillow.
George was too ill to reply to her.

Maria, who did not realise how ill the king was, was deeply hurt that he had never replied to her final letter.

However, before he died, George IV requested that he be buried with a diamond locket with Maria’s miniature around his neck, his wishes were granted.

Following the death of George IV on 26th June 1830, it was discovered that he had kept all of Maria’s letters.
Steps were taken to destroy them.

Maria informed George IV’s brother and successor, King William IV, of their marriage and showed him the document in her possession.

King William offered Maria a dukedom, but she refused, asking only permission to wear widow’s weeds and to dress her servants in royal livery.

Maria retired to the Steine House, on the west side of Old Steine in Brighton.

Maria lived there from 1804 until her death in 1837, at the age of 80.
She was buried at St John the Baptist’s Church, in the Kemp Town area of Brighton.

A queen in all but name….

? Gainsborough portrait of Mrs Maria Fitzherbert.