Charlotte was mixed race in appearance, according to Frontline. Margarita de Castro y Souza was a Moor noblewoman who married into the Portuguese royal family. O! In the Flemish masterpieces depicting the Adoration of the Magi, the imagery of the black de Sousas had been utilized as both religious and political propaganda to support Portugal’s expansion into Africa. Her brother Adolf Frederick IV, who assumed their late father’s position as Du… born for rule, – to whose victorious brow 1230–?). She still preserves that title in her face. Bldg. With features as conspicuously negroid as they were reputed to be by her contemporaries, it is no wonder that the black community, both in the U.S. and throughout the British Commonwealth, have rallied around pictures of Queen Charlotte for generations. Queen Charlotte is a descendant of a black branch of the Portuguese royal family; more specifically, Alfonso III and his concubine, Madragana, a black moor. George IV (George Augustus Frederick; 12 August 1762 – 26 June 1830) was King of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland and of Hanover following the death of his father, King George III, on 29 January 1820, until his own death ten years later. Queen Charlotte is mentioned in the award winning cable series “The Crown” and information about her is widely available. Meghan Markle, incidentally, is the daughter of a white father and African-American mother. Queen Charlotte also held the titles of Electress of Hanover and Queen Consort of Hanover. She’s the grandmother of Queen Victoria, the great-great-great-great-grandmother of the current Queen Elizabeth and the namesake for the American city of Charlotte, North Carolina.”, According to The New York Post, Margarita de Castro e Souza claimed she “is a descendant of King Alfonso III of Portugal (1210-1279) and his one-named black mistress, Madragana.” Buckingham Palace’s spokesman was once asked about the claim and said, according to The Washington Post, “This has been rumored for years and years. Consort of George III and Queen Victoria's grandmother possibly “VICTORIA’S SECRET” The Royal couple had fifteen…. Sir Allan Ramsey produced the most African representations of the Queen and was responsible for the majority of the paintings of the Queen. Descended from the warlike Vandal race, The black characteristics of the queen’s portraits certainly had political significance since artists of that period were expected to play down, soften or even obliterate undesirable features in a subjects’s face. The Smithsonian reports that “Queen Charlotte’s features, as recorded by her contemporaries, gave her an ‘unmistakable African appearance,'” but her African features were downplayed by most artists of the time. It was the director of the Burney Project (Fanny Burney, the prolific 19th century British diarist, had been secretary to the Queen), Dr. Joyce Hemlow, who obtained from Olwen Hedly, the most recent biographer of the Queen Charlotte (1975), at least half a dozen quotes by her contemporaries regarding her negroid features. But as it turns out, Meghan, whose mother is black and father is white, may not be the very first biracial royal. Incredible as it would seem to us today, such images had been used to represent not only Our Lady – evidence of which can be found in the cult of the Black Madonna that once proliferated in Europe – but in heraldic traditions, the Saviour and God the Father, Himself. Latest Jobs & BidsClick here to send us your ad and get more information about advertising, or call 800-462-0738. Also the Queen Charlotte Maternity Hospital was established in London. Paintings of the queen, which demonstrate many differences in her portrayal, suggest that she had ‘black… . He was right; Princess Charlotte was brought up in Mecklenburg-Strelitz, a small north-German duchy in the Holy Roman Empire, and not so much as a royal.Diplomatic reports state that the Princess had received “a very mediocre education”. Queen Charlotte died on November 17, 1818 at Dutch House in Surrey, now Kew Palace, in the presence of her eldest son, the Prince Regent. They but subdued the southern world with arms, The answer is that it’s possible that she had African heritage. David Buck, a Buckingham Palace spokesperson, was quoted by the Boston Globe as saying “This has been rumored for years and years. Queen Charlotte, the actual first bi-racial member of royalty, also happens to be Prince Harry’s great-great-great-great-great-grandmother. In order to communicate effectively with the royal family members and her subjects, she started taking lessons in English. Her letters indicate that she was well-read and had interests in the fine arts. Also an amateur botanist, Queen Charlotte helped to establish Kew Gardens bringing among others the Strelitzia Reginae, a flowering plant from South Africa. Ramsey was an anti-slavery intellectual of his day. The House of Windsor has never denied Queen Charlotte’s claimed African ancestry. The Washington Post reported that Cocom claimed “Alfonso III of Portugal conquered a little town named Faro from the Moors. Mecklenburg-Strelitz was a small north-German duchy in the Holy Roman Empire.. The riddle of Queen Charlotte’s African ancestry was solved as a result of an earlier investigation into the black magi featured in 15th century Flemish paintings. In 1752, when she was eight years old, Sophie Charlotte's father died. Portraits of the Queen had been reduced to fiction, until two art historians suggested that the definite African features of the paintings derive from actual subjects, not the minds of painters. She conquers still with her triumphant charms, The claims about Charlotte of Mecklenburg-Strelitz trace to a historian named Mario de Valdes y Cocom, who argued that Charlotte “though German, was directly descended from a black branch of the Portuguese royal family, related to Margarita de Castro e Souza, a 15th-century Portuguese noblewoman nine generations removed, whose ancestry she traces from the 13th-century ruler Alfonso III and his lover Madragana, whom Valdes takes to have been a Moor and thus a black African,” The Guardian reported. © 2017 Copyright Greater Diversity News. Charlotte was the eighth child of the Prince of Mirow, Germany, Charles Louis Frederick, and his wife, Elisabeth Albertina of Saxe-Hildburghausen. An exhibition took place in 2004, at the Queen’s Gallery, Buckingham Palace displaying Charlotte and George’s collections and tastes in the arts. Charlotte of Mecklenburg-Strelitz (19 May 1744 - 17 November 1818) Sophia Charlotte of Mecklenburg-Strelitz was born on 19 May 1744 at the Untere Schloss in Mirow, she was the child of Duke Charles Louis Frederick of Mecklenburg-Strelitz and Elizabeth Albertine of Saxe-Hildburghausen. She came into the world on May 19, 1744, as Sophia Charlotte of Mecklenburg-Strelitz, a northern German territory that at the time was part of the Holy Roman Empire. Sophia Charlotte, Queen of Great Britain and the United Kingdom from 1751-1818, may hold that title. Art Instructor Spanish Instructor American, Sign Language Instructor . Many of the portraits portray her as very fair skinned, which was the fashion of the time. Six different lines can be traced from Princess Sophie Charlotte back to Margarita de Castro y Sousa. It is a matter of history, and frankly, we’ve got far more important things to talk about.”, As the Post describes the claims: A historian alleges “Queen Charlotte was directly descended from a black branch of the Portuguese royal family: Alfonso III and his concubine, Ouruana, a black Moor.”, Queen Charlotte's African ancestry 1:24 secSix different lines can be traced from English Queen Charlotte back to Margarita de Castro y Sousa, thus explaining the Queen's unmistakable African appearance. And and Alusian fields their name retain; However, the queen’s African lineage is not certain. He had three children with her.”, According to the Smithsonian, “The queen, who lived from 1744 to 1818,​ was the eighth child—also the youngest daughter—of Duke Charles Louis Frederick and Duchess Elizabeth Albertine.”. North Carolina Department of Transportation, Modular Office Relocation to NCDOT Buncombe County Maintenance Yard, South Durham WRF Process Improvements Phase 2, Edenton State Historic Site Visitor Center, SCO #16-15801-01A, Executive Assistant to the Vice President of Instruction and Support Services, Medical Office Administration Instructor (9 Months), Seeking Minority Prices for work relating to HVAC, County Forsyth SR 1920 Memorial Industrial School Road Grading, Paving, Drainage, Guilford County Description Bridge #235 Over Big Alamance Creek on SR 1005 (Alamance Church Road) Grading, Drainage, Elizabeth City State University Hurricane Dorian Repairs Viking Village Roof Replacement SCO ID# 20-21855-01A. You can learn more about Meghan’s mom here: Doria Ragland (Radlan), Meghan Markle’s Mother: 5 Fast Facts You Need to Know. She most likely was highly powdered to appear more “fashionable”. The Print Collector, Contributor / … The only private writings that have survived are Queen Charlotte’s 444 letters to her closest confidant her older brother, Charles II, Grand Duke of Mecklenburg-Strelitz. As princess of Mecklenburg-Strelitz, Sophie Charlotte was descended directly from an African branch of the Portuguese Royal House, Margarita de Castro y Sousa. All Rights reserved. She married into the royal family in 1761 becoming the wife of King George III. Smart News Keeping you current Five Things to Know About Queen Charlotte Before Meghan Markle, the late 18th-century Queen Sophia Charlotte of … project, City of Winston-Salem – City Hall Roof project, North Carolina Central University Shepard Administration Building Comptroller Office Renovations in Durham, NC, Wake County Holly Ridge Middle School & Reedy Creek Middle School Tilt Up Wall Panel Repair Project in Cary, NC, North Carolina School Of Science And Mathematics, North Carolina School of Science & Mathematics Hill Residence Hall Renovations – Phase I SCO # 20-22466-02A, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, NC, Hamilton Hall – Install Addressable Fire Alarm Panels project, Housing Authority of the City of Goldsboro, East Main Street Sewer Rehabilitation CIP NO. Married to King George III (who is portrayed by James Fleet on the series), Charlotte of Mecklenburg-Strelitz was Queen of the United Kingdom from 1761 to 1818. The Queen who had the first one in her house in 1800 introduced the Christmas tree to England. 18th century skin lightening was lead based. The Coronation painting by Ramsey, of the queen was sent out to the colonies/commonwealth and played a subtle political role in the anti-slavery movement. According to Mario de Valdes y Cocom, Charlotte had African ancestry, via descent from Margarita de Castro e Souza, a 15th-century Portuguese noblewoman, who traced her ancestry to King Afonso III of Portugal (1210–1279) and one of his mistresses, Madragana (c. The greatest monarch of the north must bow. He demanded [the governor’s] daughter as a paramour. Queen Charlotte's African ancestry 1:24 sec, Six different lines can be traced from English Queen Charlotte back to Margarita de Castro y Sousa, thus explaining the Queen's unmistakable African appearance. Queen Charlotte: Was She the First Black English Queen? Her personal physician, Baron Stockmar described her as having “…a true mulatto face,” according to Africa Resource.com. More about Research into the Black Magi: In addition, the Flemish artists had drawn from a vocabulary of blackness which, probably due to the Reformation and the Enlightenment, has long since been forgotten. Charlotte, who was born May 19, 1744, was the youngest daughter of Duke Carl Ludwig Friedrich of Mecklenburg-Strelitz and Princess Elisabeth Albertine of Saxe-Hildburghausen. Ania Loomba, a professor at the University of Pennsylvania, told The Philadelphia Inquirer “that it can’t be assumed that a person is black if they were once described as Moor, or ‘blackamoor. It didn’t mean black necessarily. Obviously prompted by or meant to appeal to abolitionist sympathies, they depicted the celebrated friendship between herself and her white cousin, Elizabeth Murray, another member of the Mansfield family. She was the youngest daughter of Duke Charles Louis Frederick of Mecklenburg, Prince of Mirow (1708–1752) and of his wife Princess Elisabeth Albertine of Saxe-Hildburghausen (1713–1761). Wikimedia Commons Charlotte of Mecklenburg-Strelitz, who married Britain’s George III in 1761, was also black, claims historian Mario Valdes. She is buried at St George’s Chapel, Windsor. Queen Charlotte was the wife of King George III of England, and she is also regarded by many as England’s first black queen, although her possible mixed race heritage is not proven. Sophie Charlotte Herzogin von Mecklenburg-Strelitz. Although the Queen had an interest in what was happening in the world, especially the war in America, she fulfilled her marital agreement. Six different lines can be traced from Princess Sophie Charlotte back to Margarita de Castro y Sousa. Six different lines can be traced from English Queen Charlotte back to Margarita de Castro y Sousa, in a gene pool which because of royal inbreeding was already minuscule, thus explaining the queen’s unmistakable African appearance. These portraits are among those that are available to view now, which could be seen as continuing the political interests of those that disapprove of a multi-racial royal family for Britain. Their fourth eldest son was Edward Augustus, Duke of Kent, later fathered Queen Victoria. Historians traced Queen Charlotte’s lineage directly from Castro, making her mixed-race; something quite profound for its day. It was said to be decorated with, ‘sweetmeats, almonds and raisins in papers, fruits and toys. She was extremely generous to Bach’s wife after Bach’s death. Charlotte of Mecklenburg-Strelitz was the queen consort of the British king George III from their marriage on 8 September 1761 until her death. United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland, Confirmation of Latest Right-Wing Judge for Lifetime Post ‘Should Send Shockwaves Across the Nation’, President-Elect Joe Biden Announces Key Members of Health Team, The Economics of Politics: Voters of Color Seek Fair Share, GDN eNews Subscription for Economic Equity Updates. . Queen Charlotte of Mecklenburg-Strelitz arrived in Britain as a teenager to marry King George III, and theirs would become a marriage of deep affection and domesticity, with celebrated Georgians flocking to their court. Two art historians had suggested that the black magi must have been portraits of actual contemporary people (since the artist, without seeing them, would not have been aware of the subtleties in colouring and facial bone structure of quadroons or octoroons which these figures invariably represented) Enough evidence was accumulated to propose that the models for the black magi were, in all probability, members of the Portuguese de Sousa family. It should be noted too that by the time Sir Ramsay was commissioned to do his first portrait of the queen, he was already, by marriage, uncle to Dido Elizabeth Lindsay, the black grand niece of Lord Mansfield. This would make a great miniseries! Comptroller Office Reno. Princess Sofia Charlotte was born May 19,1744, to Duke Charles Ludwig Friedrich of Mecklenburg-Strelitz and Princess Elisabeth Albertine of Saxe-Hildburghausen. 276-63, Wake County 2021 Multi-site Solar PV Project (RFP/Bid No. 1769. of England’s First Black Queen. That’s right. As princess of Mecklenburg-Strelitz, Sophie Charlotte was descended directly from an African branch of the Portuguese Royal House, Margarita de Castro y Sousa. Queen Charlotte (1744-1818), wife of the English King George III (1738-1820), was directly descended from Margarita de Castro y Sousa, a Black branch of the Portuguese royal house. Finally, it should be noted that the Royal Household itself, at the time of Queen Elizabeth II’s coronation, referred to both her Asian and African bloodlines in an apologia it published defending her position as head of the Commonwealth. North Africans who immigrated to Spain in the early 13th century were called Moors. 5 – SCADA Improvements, The Park Seniors Apartments in Charlotte, NC, NCDOT Manns Harbor Shipyard Main Building HVAC Modifications, Elizabeth Street Apartments in Durham, NC, GIS Division: GIS Analyst Water/Sewer Maintenance Division: Skilled Laborer, Recreation & Parks Department: Temporary Recreation Intern, Temporary Recreation Supervisors – Summer Camp, Parks Maintenance Division: Temporary Laborers, Ocracoke Elementary School and Media Center Building Elevations 20020EF.1, City of Greensboro (Guilford County) – Reedy Fork Water Line Extension and Sewer Outfall Contract No. Queen Charlotte may have actually been Black. '” She added to the newspaper: “The word ‘blackamoor’ in Shakespeare’s time meant Muslim. Charlotte “was directly descended from Margarita de Castro y Sousa, a black branch of the Portuguese Royal House,” according to PBS’ Frontline. Yet the theory that Queen Charlotte may have been black, albeit sketchy, is nonetheless one that is gaining currency. She married George III of England on September 8, 1761, at the Chapel Royal in St James’s Palace, London, at the age of 17 years of age becoming the Queen of England and Ireland. The royal couple had fifteen children, thirteen of whom survived to adulthood. Thus, from just a cursory look at the social awareness and political activism at that level of English society, it would be surprising if the Queen’s negroid physiogomy was of no significance to the Abolitionist Movement. Charlotte of Mecklenburg-Strelitz travelled to England at 17 to marry a man she never met (Image: The Jules Bache Collection). Sophia Charlotte ( Charlotte of Mecklenburg-Strelitz; May 19 1744 - November 17 1818) was the youngest daughter of Duke Charles Louis Frederick of … Charlotte was a German princess who was the youngest daughter of Duke Carl Ludwig Friedrich of Mecklenburg-Strelitz and Princess Elisabeth Albertine of Saxe-Hildburghausen. In 1752, when she was eight years old, Sophie Charlotte’s father died. As princess of Mecklenburg-Strelitz, Sophie Charlotte was descended directly from an African branch of the Portuguese Royal House, Margarita de Castro y Sousa. Queen Charlotte with her children and brothers, by John Zoffany, 1771-72. Queen Charlotte was born in a castle in the Duchy of Mecklenburg-Strelitz (in present-day Germany) as the daughter of a Duke and a Princess. In 1761, when she turned 17, Princess Sophia was betrothed — rather unexpectedly — to the King of England, George III. In Queen Charlotte’s era slavery was prevalent and the anti-slavery campaign was growing. Tho’ shone their triumphs o’er Numidia’s plain, Duchess Charlotte Sophia of Mecklenburg-Strelitz (Sophia Charlotte, 1738-1820) was the queen consort of King George III (1738-1820). Born on 19 May 1744, Charlotte of Mecklenburg-Strelitz was the youngest daughter of Duke Charles Louis Frederick of Mecklenburg, styled as the Prince of Mirow, and Princess Elisabeth Albertine of Saxe-Hildburghausen. The pictures and captions are courtesy of Wikipedia from their article, Charlotte of Mecklenburg-Strelitz. at the age of 17 years of age becoming the Queen of England and Ireland. Kew gardens still flourishes and is always being expanded, also the Queen Charlotte Maternity Hospital and many other places still carry her name in honor globally such as Charlotte, NC; Canada and Fort Charlotte, St Vincent, West Indies. April 20, 2021 (C204154) Pasquotank; (C204178) Beaufort; (C204594) Beaufort; (C204630) Durham; (C204624) Wake . Grounds Maintenance Services on the Halifax Community College Campus, Vice President of Student Services & Institutional Effectiveness, Reedy Fork Water Line Extension and Sewer Outfall, Architectural and Engineering Design Services RFQ 14-9, PTI Airport Lower Level Short Term Parking Lighting Upgrades Piedmont Triad International Airport Greensboro, North Carolina, Vidant Medical Center-Cancer Center Tower 5th & 6th Floors Upfit-Greenville, NC, NCCU – Shephard Admin. Notably, Queen Charlotte was of African descent which adds intrigue and interest to this novel. Powered by. The Queen is known to have supported and been taught music by Johann Christian Bach. at the age of 17 years of age becoming the Queen of England and Ireland. In 1767, Francis Cotes drew a pastel of Queen Charlotte with her eldest daughter Charlotte, Princess Royal. It is a matter of history, and frankly, we’ve got far more important things to talk about.”.