Geography Reference
In-Depth Information
A royal scandal
'GREEN BAG LAND', 1820
King George IV was not a success as a husband. As Prince of Wales, he first went through a
marriage ceremony with Maria Fitzherbert, but this marriage, contracted without permission
from his father or the Privy Council, was not legally valid. His second, official marriage, to
his cousin Princess Caroline of Brunswick-Wolfenbüttel, was unhappy from the start. By the
time George became king in January 1820, they had been married for nearly 25 years but had
lived apart for most of that time and had been publicly estranged for almost a decade. The
couple's only child, Princess Charlotte, had died aged 21. George was openly unfaithful to
Caroline and many people believed that she was also unfaithful to him. The most senior ser-
vant in her household, Bartolomeo Pergami, was rumoured to be her lover.
George decided to divorce Caroline, which required an Act of Parliament. The Pains and
Penalties Bill, which proposed to end their marriage and prevent Caroline from using the title
of queen, was introduced to Parliament on 5 July 1820. Obtaining a divorce depended on
