Prince Alfred Of Great Britain

Prince Alfred of Great Britain was born on 22 September 1780 at Windsor Castle. He was the fourteenth child and the youngest son of King George III of Great Britain and Queen Charlotte of Mecklenburg-Strelitz. As a member of the House of Hanover, Alfred was baptised on 21 October 1780 in the Great Council Chamber at St James's Palace by Frederick Cornwallis, the Archbishop of Canterbury. His godparents included his older siblings: George, Prince of Wales; Prince Frederick; and Charlotte, Princess Royal.

From birth, Alfred was noted to be a delicate child, experiencing eruptions on his face and suffering from a persistent cough throughout his life. His early upbringing took place within the royal household, and he was known to have garnered affection from family members, notably his older sister Princess Sophia.

In 1782, prophylactic inoculation against smallpox was administered to Alfred, consistent with the Queen's lifelong advocacy for the procedure. The inoculation, known as variolation, was intended to immunize against the disease but adversely affected his health. Following the procedure, Alfred developed eruptions on his face and eyelids, along with chest issues. His condition led to his being taken to Deal for recovery, where he was cared for by his governess Lady Charlotte Finch and nurse Mrs Cheveley. Despite efforts including sea bathing and horseback riding, his health continued to decline.

By August 1782, Alfred's health worsened significantly, and physicians assessed that he had only weeks remaining. He died on 20 August 1782 at Lower Lodge in Windsor Great Park, less than two years old. His death was a profound loss for the royal family; his parents, King George III and Queen Charlotte, were deeply affected. Queen Charlotte sent Lady Charlotte Finch a lock of Alfred's hair in a locket as a memento. Alfred was initially buried at Westminster Abbey on 27 August 1782, and his remains were subsequently moved to the Royal Vault in St George's Chapel at Windsor Castle in February 1820.

Six months after Alfred's death, his elder brother Prince Octavius, aged four, also succumbed to smallpox following inoculation. The loss of both of these young princes significantly impacted King George III. Observers, including Horace Walpole, noted the king's deep sorrow; the king remarked that he would have died had Octavius died instead of Alfred.

Throughout his life, Alfred was styled as His Royal Highness The Prince Alfred, with the title of Prince of Great Britain and Ireland. He was the first of King George III and Queen Charlotte's children to die; the last surviving child of their fifteen children was Princess Mary, who died in 1857. Alfred was the only one of the younger siblings who predeceased his older siblings while still alive, as he was born after most of them.

Alfred's early death occurred during a period when King George III experienced episodes of madness, during which the monarch reportedly imagined conversations with his youngest sons. Alfred's brief life is recorded in historical accounts that detail his birth, health challenges, inoculation, illness, and death, as well as the familial and national impacts of his passing.