A right royal scandal! Love triangle between King George II, his queen and his mistress will be staged INSIDE Kensington Palace – just a stone’s throw from William and Kate’s home
- King George II, monarch from 1727 to 1760, was married to Queen Caroline
- His mistress, Henrietta Howard, was an orphan who married a drunkard
- Love triangle is dramatised in United Queendom by Les Enfants Terribles
- Show will be staged at the King’s State Apartments at Kensington Palace
Royal history and fiction will collide when the scandalous real-life story of a British king, his queen and his mistress is dramatised in a show at Kensington Palace.
The love triangle of King George II, Queen Caroline and mistress Henrietta Howard gripped the 18th century royal court and is sure to spark similar intrigue when it is brought to life in the King’s State Apartments next year.
Audience members will walk through the apartments – just a stone’s throw from the home of the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge – as they watch the dynamics and fortunes of the trio unfold before their eyes.
The love triangle of King George II (right), Queen Caroline and mistress Henrietta Howard gripped the 18th century royal court and is sure to spark similar intrigue when it is brought to life in United Queendom next year. Left, actors as Caroline and Henrietta
German-born King George II, who ruled between 1727 and 1760, lived in the palace with his wife Caroline, also German, with whom he had eight children.
However also vying for his attentions – and influence in his court – was his mistress, Harriet, an orphan who married a drunkard before ascending the social ladder to the role of Lady of the Bedchamber.
Both were considered to be among the most accomplished and intellectual women in Europe.
United Queendom, from Olivier nominated theatre company, Les Enfants Terribles, explores their relationship against the backdrop of a fictional birthday party for George II in 1734.
The audience will help fill the space and give the illusion that a celebration is in full swing.
The audience will walk through the apartments at Kensington Palace (pictured) – a stone’s throw from the home of the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge – as they watch the story unfold
However underneath the joyful occasion is tension between Caroline, a woman of considerable intellectual might, and Henrietta, who is desperate to leave the court and start a new life.
Speaking about the production, creative director James Seager told the Evening Standard: ‘It’s incredibly exciting to be “let loose” in the palace after closing time to bring a modern twist to history and to re-introduce two women who have such modern influences and parallels to the world we live in today.
‘They changed the course of history re-defining the role of women at court, fundamentally changing palace life forever in the process.’
Who was King George II?
King George II ruled Britain from 1727 and 1760.
Born and raised in Germany, George II was the last British monarch to be born overseas.
George II was praised for his courage and vigour – he was the last British monarch to lead his troops into battle – but, away from the battlefield, was described as dull and self-important.
The king was also quick to anger, with reports suggesting he used to tear off his wig and kick it around the room.
By contrast, his wife Queen Caroline (and his longest serving mistress Henrietta Howard) were among the most accomplished and intellectual women in Europe.
In 1745 supporters of the Catholic claimant to the British throne, James Francis Edward Stuart, led by James’s son Charles Edward Stuart – or ‘Bonnie Prince Charlie’ – attempted and failed to depose George in the last of the Jacobite rebellions.
His son and heir Frederick died unexpectedly in 1751, nine years before his father, so George II was succeeded by his grandson, George III.
Source: Historic Royal Palaces: The Georgians
United Queendom opens February 28 for a five-week run. For more information visit: https://www.hrp.org.uk/kensington-palace/whats-on/united-queendom/#gs.g6ioj3
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