An early 19th Century Staffordshire pearlware child's plate,...

Estimate

£80 - £120

An early 19th Century Staffordshire pearlware child's plate, circa 1821, commemorating the death of Queen Caroline, black transfer printed depicting Britannia in mourning, seated nest to a tomb with inscription 'Sacred to the Memory of Caroline the injured & Persecuted Queen of Great Britain. Born May 17 1768. Died August 7 1821', within moulded border with painted floral sprigs, diameter 17cm.

Queen Caroline of Brunswick, the estranged wife of King George IV, died on 7 August 1821 under dramatic and tragic circumstances. Her marriage to George was deeply unhappy, and by the time he became king, they were completely separated. When Caroline attempted to assert her rights as queen and attend George IV’s coronation in July 1821, she was famously barred from entering Westminster Abbey, causing a public scandal and widespread sympathy for her.

Shortly afterward, her health declined rapidly. She died just a few weeks later, and some suspected she had been poisoned. Her funeral procession through London turned chaotic when government forces tried to reroute it away from central areas to avoid unrest. Mourners clashed with troops in the streets, and several people were killed or injured. Caroline was ultimately buried in Brunswick, Germany, with the words “Here lies Caroline, the Injured Queen of England” reportedly engraved on her coffin—a final statement of her lifelong mistreatment and defiance.

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chip to footrim otherwise condition commensurate with age and wear.