Desperate Facts About Princess Sophia, The Royal Secret-Keeper
As a daughter of King George III and Queen Charlotte, Princess Sophia should've had the world at her feet. Instead, she lived in a near-lifelong lockdown thanks to a family riddled with illness, fear, and scandal.
Let’s unlock these desperate facts about Princess Sophia, the good girl who couldn’t shake her bad reputation.
1. She Was A Daddy’s Girl
Princess Sophia, born November 3, 1777, was the fifth daughter of King George III and Queen Charlotte—and the 12th child out of a whopping 15. The King was especially thrilled to have another girl in the family, as he’d always preferred his daughters to his sons.
Sophia was equally devoted to her doting papa, but that didn’t mean she was a perfect angel.
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2. She Wasn’t A Poser
Queen Charlotte ran a pretty tight ship, but with such a big family, she couldn't control everyone, especially Sophia and her younger sisters. How wild were they? They caused a public embarrassment. In 1785, while famous artist John Singleton Copley was trying to paint their portrait, he couldn’t get them to hold still.
The girls' bouncing off the walls so frazzled him, in fact, that he never accepted another portrait request again. But Sophia did have her good sides.
3. She Was Compassionate
Many considered Sophia to be the cleverest of her sisters. She was a “delightful though moody girl” with a passionate nature and sympathy for the less fortunate. Once, when her father read her a news article about poor conditions for starving prisoners, Sophia even donated her allowance to buy them bread.
It’s hard to imagine such a sensitive child dealing with the nightmare that was about to unfold.
4. Her Dad Went Mad
In 1788, Sophia witnessed a nightmare. Her father suffered the first of several mental breakdowns that changed her family forever. After likely suffering an attack of the blood disease porphyria or bipolar disorder, the King began rambling for hours on end, sometimes foaming at the mouth in the process.
The distraught Queen grew terrified of her husband and kept daughters close. Like, really close.
