Charlotte of Mecklenburg-Strelitz

Charlotte of Mecklenburg-Strelitz (Sophia Charlotte; 19 May 1744 – 17 November 1818) was Queen of Great Britain and Ireland as the wife of King George III from their marriage on 8 September 1761 until her death in 1818. During her husband's reign, the Acts of Union 1800 merged Great Britain and Ireland into the United Kingdom. As George's wife, she was also electress of Hanover until becoming Queen of Hanover on 12 October 1814. Charlotte was Britain's longest-serving queen consort, serving for 57 years and 70 days.

Charlotte was born into the ruling family of Mecklenburg-Strelitz, a duchy in northern Germany. In 1760, the young and unmarried George III inherited the British throne. As Charlotte was a minor German princess with no interest in politics, the King considered her a suitable consort, and they married in 1761. Their 15 children, 13 of whom survived to adulthood, included two future British monarchs, George IV and William IV; as well as Charlotte, Princess Royal, who became Queen of Württemberg; and Prince Ernest Augustus, who became King of Hanover.

Charlotte was a patron of the arts and an amateur botanist who helped expand Kew Gardens. She introduced the Christmas tree to Britain, decorating one for a Christmas party for children of Windsor in 1800. She was distressed by her husband's bouts of physical and mental illness, which became permanent in later life. Charlotte was deeply shocked by the events of the French Revolution and of the ensuing Napoleonic Wars, which threatened the safety and sovereignty of her homeland. Her eldest son, George, was appointed prince regent in 1811 due to the increasing severity of the King's illness. Charlotte died at Kew Palace in November 1818, with several of her children at her side. George III died a little over a year later, probably unaware of his wife's death.