Prince Henry, Duke of Cumberland and Strathearn (Henry Frederick; 7 November [O.S. 27 October] 1745 – 18 September 1790) was the sixth child and fourth son of Frederick, Prince of Wales, and Princess Augusta of Saxe-Gotha, and a younger brother of George III. His 1771 marriage to a commoner against the King's wishes prompted the Royal Marriages Act 1772.
Prince Henry | |||||
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Duke of Cumberland and Strathearn | |||||
![]() Portrait by Thomas Gainsborough, 1777 | |||||
Born | Leicester House, London | 27 October 1745||||
Died | 18 September 1790 Cumberland House, London | (aged 44)||||
Burial | 28 September 1790 Westminster Abbey | ||||
Spouse | Anne Horton (m. 1771) | ||||
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House | Hanover | ||||
Father | Frederick, Prince of Wales | ||||
Mother | Princess Augusta of Saxe-Gotha | ||||
Signature | ![]() | ||||
Military career | |||||
Allegiance | |||||
Service | |||||
Years of service | 1768–1790 | ||||
Rank | Admiral of the White |
Early life


Prince Henry was born on 27 October 1745 at Leicester House, London, to Frederick, Prince of Wales, son of George II and Caroline of Ansbach, and his wife Augusta, the Princess of Wales.
Royal Dukedom

On 22 October 1766, just prior to his twenty-first birthday, the prince was created Duke of Cumberland and Strathearn and Earl of Dublin. He was Ranger of Windsor Forest and Great Park, from 1766 to 1790. He became a Privy Councillor in 1766 and was appointed Knight of the Garter the following year (1767).
Allegations
On 4 March 1767, the Duke of Cumberland allegedly married Olive Wilmot (later Mrs Payne), a commoner, in a secret ceremony. There reportedly was one child, Olivia Wilmot (1772–1834), from this relationship, though the duke's paternity was never proven, and a jury found unanimously that Olivia Wilmot had forged the evidence. A landscape painter and novelist, Olivia Wilmot married John Thomas Serres (1759–1825) and later, controversially, assumed the title of "Princess Olivia of Cumberland".
Cumberland's mistresses included Ann Elliot who had been an actress before another had taken her off the stage. Cumberland set her up in a house in Greek Street in Soho where she died after an illness in 1769. Cumberland arranged for her burial and memorial and gave a large sum to her estate.
In 1769, the Duke of Cumberland was sued by Lord Grosvenor for "criminal conversation" (that is, adultery) after the Duke and Lady Grosvenor were discovered in flagrante delicto. Lord Grosvenor was awarded damages of £10,000, which together with costs amounted to an award of £13,000 (equivalent to £2,280,000 in 2023).
Royal Navy
In 1768, at the fairly late age of 22, the Duke entered the Royal Navy as a midshipman and was sent to Corsica in HMS Venus. However, he returned in September when the ship was recalled following the French invasion of the Corsican Republic. He was promoted to Rear-Admiral the following year and Vice-Admiral in 1770.
Marriage
On 2 October 1771, the Duke married Anne Horton (1743–1808), daughter of Irish peer and British MP Simon Luttrell, 1st Earl of Carhampton (then Lord Irnham) and the widow of Christopher Horton of Catton Hall. The marriage caused a rift with the King, who considered it a mismatch, and was the catalyst for the Royal Marriages Act 1772, which forbade any descendant of George II to marry without the monarch's permission.
The marriage between Anne Horton and the Duke of Cumberland was described as a "conquest at Brighthelmstone" (now Brighton) by Mrs. Horton, "who", Horace Walpole says, "had for many months been dallying with his passion, till she had fixed him to more serious views than he had intended". Anne was however generally thought one of the great beauties of the age (even Walpole found her green eyes "enchanting"), and Thomas Gainsborough painted her several times.
Later life
In 1775, the Duke established the Cumberland Fleet, which would later become the Royal Thames Yacht Club. He was promoted vice-admiral of the White in 1776, admiral of the Blue in 1778, and admiral of the White in 1782, though he was forbidden from assuming any command. The Duke was also instrumental in the development of Brighton as a popular resort. He had first visited in 1771, and in 1783, the Prince of Wales visited his uncle there.
The Duke of Cumberland died in London on 18 September 1790. His widow died in 1808.
Titles, styles, honours and arms
Titles
- 27 October 1745 – 22 October 1766: His Royal Highness Prince Henry
- 22 October 1766 – 18 September 1790: His Royal Highness The Duke of Cumberland and Strathearn
The prince's full style, as recited by Garter King of Arms at his funeral, was the "Most High, Most Mighty and Illustrious Prince Henry Frederick, Duke of Cumberland and Strathearn, Earl of Dublin, Knight of the Most Noble Order of the Garter".
Arms
Henry was granted use of the arms of the kingdom, differenced by a label argent of five points, the centre bearing a cross gules, the other points each bearing a fleur-de-lys azure.
Ancestors
Ancestors of Prince Henry, Duke of Cumberland and Strathearn | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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References
- Henry Churchyard "Royal Genealogies, Part 10"
- Sam Sloan "Big Combined Family Trees (pafg733)"
Citations
- He is called simply "(His Royal Highness) Prince Henry" in the London Gazette 8 September 1761; 25 May; 28 December 1765; 14 December 1771
- Alison Weir, Britain's Royal Family: A Complete Genealogy (London, U.K.: The Bodley Head, 1999), page 280.
- "No. 10668". The London Gazette. 14 October 1766. pp. 2–3.
- "The Oxford Dictionary of National Biography". Oxford Dictionary of National Biography (online ed.). Oxford University Press. 2004. doi:10.1093/ref:odnb/64332. ISBN 9780198614111. (Subscription or UK public library membership required.)
- Stella Tillyard (2010). A Royal Affair: George III and His Troublesome Siblings. Random House. pp. 169–175. ISBN 978-1-4090-1769-1.
- UK Retail Price Index inflation figures are based on data from Clark, Gregory (2017). "The Annual RPI and Average Earnings for Britain, 1209 to Present (New Series)". MeasuringWorth. Retrieved 7 May 2024.
- The Oxford Dictionary of National Biography
- Walpole, Horace. Memoirs and Portraits, 244.
- "No. 11637". The London Gazette. 3–6 February 1776. p. 1.
- "No. 11844". The London Gazette. 27–31 January 1778. p. 2.
- "No. 12286". The London Gazette. 9–13 April 1782. p. 2.
- "No. 13241". The London Gazette. 2 October 1790. p. 598.
- Marks of Cadency in the British Royal Family
- Genealogie ascendante jusqu'au quatrieme degre inclusivement de tous les Rois et Princes de maisons souveraines de l'Europe actuellement vivans [Genealogy up to the fourth degree inclusive of all the Kings and Princes of sovereign houses of Europe currently living] (in French). Bourdeaux: Frederic Guillaume Birnstiel. 1768. p. 4.
External links
- Portraits of Prince Henry, Duke of Cumberland and Strathearn at the National Portrait Gallery, London
Author: www.NiNa.Az
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Prince Henry Duke of Cumberland and Strathearn Henry Frederick 7 November O S 27 October 1745 18 September 1790 was the sixth child and fourth son of Frederick Prince of Wales and Princess Augusta of Saxe Gotha and a younger brother of George III His 1771 marriage to a commoner against the King s wishes prompted the Royal Marriages Act 1772 Prince HenryDuke of Cumberland and StrathearnPortrait by Thomas Gainsborough 1777Born 1745 10 27 27 October 1745 Leicester House LondonDied18 September 1790 1790 09 18 aged 44 Cumberland House LondonBurial28 September 1790 Westminster AbbeySpouseAnne Horton m 1771 wbr NamesHenry FrederickHouseHanoverFatherFrederick Prince of WalesMotherPrincess Augusta of Saxe GothaSignatureMilitary careerAllegiance Great BritainService wbr branch Royal NavyYears of service1768 1790RankAdmiral of the WhiteEarly lifeHenry right with his brother William Henry from a family group portrait of 1751 Prince Henry aged 9 by Liotard Prince Henry was born on 27 October 1745 at Leicester House London to Frederick Prince of Wales son of George II and Caroline of Ansbach and his wife Augusta the Princess of Wales Royal DukedomEquestrian portrait by David Morier around 1765 On 22 October 1766 just prior to his twenty first birthday the prince was created Duke of Cumberland and Strathearn and Earl of Dublin He was Ranger of Windsor Forest and Great Park from 1766 to 1790 He became a Privy Councillor in 1766 and was appointed Knight of the Garter the following year 1767 AllegationsOn 4 March 1767 the Duke of Cumberland allegedly married Olive Wilmot later Mrs Payne a commoner in a secret ceremony There reportedly was one child Olivia Wilmot 1772 1834 from this relationship though the duke s paternity was never proven and a jury found unanimously that Olivia Wilmot had forged the evidence A landscape painter and novelist Olivia Wilmot married John Thomas Serres 1759 1825 and later controversially assumed the title of Princess Olivia of Cumberland Cumberland s mistresses included Ann Elliot who had been an actress before another had taken her off the stage Cumberland set her up in a house in Greek Street in Soho where she died after an illness in 1769 Cumberland arranged for her burial and memorial and gave a large sum to her estate In 1769 the Duke of Cumberland was sued by Lord Grosvenor for criminal conversation that is adultery after the Duke and Lady Grosvenor were discovered in flagrante delicto Lord Grosvenor was awarded damages of 10 000 which together with costs amounted to an award of 13 000 equivalent to 2 280 000 in 2023 Royal NavyIn 1768 at the fairly late age of 22 the Duke entered the Royal Navy as a midshipman and was sent to Corsica in HMS Venus However he returned in September when the ship was recalled following the French invasion of the Corsican Republic He was promoted to Rear Admiral the following year and Vice Admiral in 1770 MarriageOn 2 October 1771 the Duke married Anne Horton 1743 1808 daughter of Irish peer and British MP Simon Luttrell 1st Earl of Carhampton then Lord Irnham and the widow of Christopher Horton of Catton Hall The marriage caused a rift with the King who considered it a mismatch and was the catalyst for the Royal Marriages Act 1772 which forbade any descendant of George II to marry without the monarch s permission The marriage between Anne Horton and the Duke of Cumberland was described as a conquest at Brighthelmstone now Brighton by Mrs Horton who Horace Walpole says had for many months been dallying with his passion till she had fixed him to more serious views than he had intended Anne was however generally thought one of the great beauties of the age even Walpole found her green eyes enchanting and Thomas Gainsborough painted her several times Later lifeIn 1775 the Duke established the Cumberland Fleet which would later become the Royal Thames Yacht Club He was promoted vice admiral of the White in 1776 admiral of the Blue in 1778 and admiral of the White in 1782 though he was forbidden from assuming any command The Duke was also instrumental in the development of Brighton as a popular resort He had first visited in 1771 and in 1783 the Prince of Wales visited his uncle there The Duke of Cumberland died in London on 18 September 1790 His widow died in 1808 Titles styles honours and armsTitles 27 October 1745 22 October 1766 His Royal Highness Prince Henry 22 October 1766 18 September 1790 His Royal Highness The Duke of Cumberland and Strathearn The prince s full style as recited by Garter King of Arms at his funeral was the Most High Most Mighty and Illustrious Prince Henry Frederick Duke of Cumberland and Strathearn Earl of Dublin Knight of the Most Noble Order of the Garter Arms Henry was granted use of the arms of the kingdom differenced by a label argent of five points the centre bearing a cross gules the other points each bearing a fleur de lys azure AncestorsAncestors of Prince Henry Duke of Cumberland and Strathearn8 George I of Great Britain4 George II of Great Britain9 Duchess Sophia Dorothea of Brunswick Celle2 Frederick Prince of Wales10 John Frederick Margrave of Brandenburg Ansbach5 Princess Caroline of Brandenburg Ansbach11 Princess Eleonore Erdmuthe of Saxe Eisenach1 Prince Henry Duke of Cumberland and Strathearn12 Frederick I Duke of Saxe Gotha Altenburg6 Frederick II Duke of Saxe Gotha Altenburg13 Princess Magdalena Sibylle of Saxe Weissenfels3 Princess Augusta of Saxe Gotha14 Charles Prince of Anhalt Zerbst7 Princess Magdalena Augusta of Anhalt Zerbst15 Princess Sophia of Saxe WeissenfelsReferencesHenry Churchyard Royal Genealogies Part 10 Sam Sloan Big Combined Family Trees pafg733 CitationsHe is called simply His Royal Highness Prince Henry in the London Gazette 8 September 1761 25 May 28 December 1765 14 December 1771 Alison Weir Britain s Royal Family A Complete Genealogy London U K The Bodley Head 1999 page 280 No 10668 The London Gazette 14 October 1766 pp 2 3 The Oxford Dictionary of National Biography Oxford Dictionary of National Biography online ed Oxford University Press 2004 doi 10 1093 ref odnb 64332 ISBN 9780198614111 Subscription or UK public library membership required Stella Tillyard 2010 A Royal Affair George III and His Troublesome Siblings Random House pp 169 175 ISBN 978 1 4090 1769 1 UK Retail Price Index inflation figures are based on data from Clark Gregory 2017 The Annual RPI and Average Earnings for Britain 1209 to Present New Series MeasuringWorth Retrieved 7 May 2024 The Oxford Dictionary of National Biography Walpole Horace Memoirs and Portraits 244 No 11637 The London Gazette 3 6 February 1776 p 1 No 11844 The London Gazette 27 31 January 1778 p 2 No 12286 The London Gazette 9 13 April 1782 p 2 No 13241 The London Gazette 2 October 1790 p 598 Marks of Cadency in the British Royal Family Genealogie ascendante jusqu au quatrieme degre inclusivement de tous les Rois et Princes de maisons souveraines de l Europe actuellement vivans Genealogy up to the fourth degree inclusive of all the Kings and Princes of sovereign houses of Europe currently living in French Bourdeaux Frederic Guillaume Birnstiel 1768 p 4 External linksPortraits of Prince Henry Duke of Cumberland and Strathearn at the National Portrait Gallery London Prince Henry Duke of Cumberland and StrathearnHouse of HanoverCadet branch of the House of WelfBorn 7 November 1745 Died 18 September 1790 Masonic offices Preceded byThe Duke of Manchester Grand Master of the Premier Grand Lodge of England 1782 1790 Succeeded byThe Earl of Moira as Acting Grand Master