Your's ever
Augustus Frederick
Göttingen, Jan. 15 1787
The Princess Charlotte, for some years heiress to the British Crown, was apparently as diligent as her uncles and aunts of the previous generation. The following letter was sold at Sotheby's for a few shillings. It is difficult to imagine the Queen Caroline of the pro-Georgian caricaturist playing blindman's buff with her little daughter! Possibly it afforded her one of the few happy hours of her vie orageuse:—
The Princess Charlotte, aged 8 years and 6 months, to her Aunt the Electress Charlotte of Würtemberg.
My dear Aunt,—I am very happy to find by Lady Kingston that you are so good to love me so much and I assure you I love you very dearly for I know a great deal about you from Lady Elgin, who wishes me to resemble you in everything. I am very anxious to write better that I may let you know how I go on in my learning. I am very busy and I try to be very good. I hope to go to Windsor soon and see my Dear Grandpapa and Grandmama. I love very much to go there and play with my aunts. Mama comes very often to see me and then we play at merry games—Colin Maillard.
I am much obliged to you for sending me so many pretty things and wish you and the Elector[36] were here and would bring my cousin Princess Theresa with you.
Adieu my dear Aunt and Believe me
Your ever Affectionate and Dutiful Niece
Charlotte
PS.—My duty to the Elector
Shrewsbury Lodge August 17 1804
A.L.S. OF QUEEN CHARLOTTE TO MR. PENN, OF PORTLAND, NOVEMBER 19, 1813.