Ellen Mary Clerke

“ She had long lived down her unpopularity, and won universal esteem by her blameless life and royal munificence in charity. She subscribed about 20,000l. yearly to public institutions, and her private donations were equally liberal. Her domestic life was overshadowed by the loss of her children, a blow no less to ambition than to affection.
[Doran's Memoir of Queen Adelaide, London, 1861; Maley's Historical Recollections of the Reign of William IV., London, 1860; Molesworth's History of England from 1830 to 1874, London, 1874; Greville Memoirs, ed. by H. Reeve, 4th ed., London, 1875.] ”

“ He was created Baron de Forrester for life by the crown of Portugal, made knight commander of the orders of Christ and Isabella la Catolica, and received the cross of chevalier of various orders of his adopted country. He was member of the Royal Academies of Lisbon and Oporto, of the Royal Academy of Sciences of Turin, of the English Society of Antiquaries, of the Royal Geographical Societies of London, Paris, and Berlin, and received the highest gold medals reserved for learned foreigners by the pope and by the emperors of Russia, Austria, and France. ”

“ Brought up by a widowed mother (her father died 1803) , her reputation for amiability determined Queen Charlotte to select her as a wife for William Henry, duke of Clarence, whose marriage, with that of his three brothers, took place when the death of the Princess Charlotte made it desirable to provide heirs for the crown. A temporary difficulty, caused by the refusal of parliament to raise the duke's allowance of 18,000l. a year by more than 6,000l. instead of the 10,000l. demanded, was got over, and the princess and her mother arrived in London for the marriage, 4 July 1818. ”