III. The young royal was 17 at the time, while her husband was 23. . Though she was born in Germany, the daughter of a Duke, Queen Charlotte was directly descended from Margarita de Castro y Sousa, which was the black branch of the Portuguese Royal House. In 1752, when she was eight years old, Sophie Charlotte's father died. "History is a set of lies agreed upon." He became ill after receiving an inoculation against the smallpox virus and died in 1782;soon after, Prince Octavius, who was 19 monthsPrince Alfred's senior, also diedof smallpox in 1783. Terms of Use The state of Georgia was named after him. Charlotte was married to King George III and was queen for nearly 60 years, until she died in 1818. Images of Queen Charlotte, however, likely downplayed her African features. . She was the second Black Queen of England. Charlottes racial background cant be entirely confirmed, but it seems that thanks to Ramsay and his many portraits of Charlotte, according to PBS, her status as the first-ever biracial royal has been cemented. ----- Original Message -----From: LibbyH5149 To: Sent: Friday, August 04, 2000 10:24 AMSubject: Margarita de Castro y Sousa, > Possibly the reference to an African Queen of a British monarch referredto> Duchess Charlotte Sophie of Mecklenburg-Strelitz, the wife of King GeorgeIII> of Great Britain, (1738-1820). Charlottes | 1760-1790 Leather Shoes. Queen Charlotte was directly descended from Margarita de Castro y Sousa, a black branch of the Portuguese Royal House. Because her complexion was light, she was suspected to be Caucasian, but she did have some classically African features, historians later found, according to PBS. He pointed to Charlotte's physician using the outdated and offensive term "mulatto" to describe her appearance. Mario de Valdes y Cocom, a historian of the African diaspora, wrote that the Negroid characteristics of the Queens portraits certainly had political significance since artists of that period were expected to play down, soften or even obliterate undesirable features in a subjects face. Sir Allan Ramsay was the artist responsible for the majority of the paintings of the Queen and his representations of her were the most decidedly African of all her portraits. Philippa of Hainault was the first Black Queen of England. There is a Black bloodline within the Portuguese royal bloodline. Did you like this post? She had 15 children; 13 survived childhood. to. Queen Charlotte was directly descended from Margarita de Castro y Sousa, a Black branch of the Portuguese Royal House. "This is the hardest job I've ever had, but that has made it the most satisfying." Here's all the insider info we found about how . According to People Magazine, Charlotte was married to King George III and was queen for nearly 60 years, until she died in 1818. Her comments are loaded with "ifs" suggesting clearly the absence of proof without a reasonable doubt. The Smithsonian reports that Queen Charlottes features, as recorded by her contemporaries, gave her an unmistakable African appearance,' but her African features were downplayed by most artists of the time. This idea is depicted in the Oscar nominated 1994 film, The Madness of King George, starring Helen Mirren and Nigel Hawthorne. Charlotte was loyal to her husband and acted as his guardian until her own death in 1818, according to the royal family's website. "I go back and forth between wishing I had actually written her in the books and then being glad I didn't, because I don't know if I could have done as good a job," Quinn says. McKenzie Jean-Philippe is the editorial assistant at OprahMag.com covering pop culture, TV, movies, celebrity, and lifestyle. > Castro y Sousa, a black branch of the Portuguese Royal House. Six different lines can be traced from English Queen Charlotte back to Margarita de Castro y Sousa, in a gene pool which because of royal inbreeding was already minuscule, thus explaining the Queens unmistakable African appearance, Frontline reported. However, the queens African lineage is not certain. Her Reign Her father, Duke Charles, died when she was but eight-years-old, and was succeeded as Duke of Mecklenburg-Strelitz by her half-brother Adolphus Frederick III. Queen Charlotte, wife of the English King George III (1738-1820), was directly descended from Margarita de Castro y Sousa, a black branch of the Portuguese Royal House. Though she was born in Germany, the daughter of a Duke, Queen Charlotte was directly descended from Margarita de Castro y Sousa, which was the black branch of the Portuguese Royal House. Advertising Notice In an interview with African diaspora, was the eighth childalso the youngest daughterof Duke Charles Louis Frederick. Winston Churchill, #FOHYOUAREJUSTADELUSIONALSHEEP Cookie Settings, The news of American actress and philanthropist Meghan Markles engagement to Britains Prince, But since the story broke that Markle said yes to the prince's proposal earlier this month, the press has especially fixated on Markles racial identity. Shes not only the first actress and the first American to be warmly welcomed into the family (rather than nearly causing a constitutional crisis la Wallis Simpson! It was only discovered many years after her death, thanks to art historians who studied portraits of Charlotte more closely. Would love your thoughts, please comment. It is a matter of history, and frankly, weve got far more important things to talk about.. Alfonso III had a mistress, Ouruana, who was a black Moor. But I think at the end of the day, Im really just proud of who I am and where I come from and we have never put any focus on that, weve just focused on who we are as a couple. Six different lines can be traced from Princess Sophie Charlotte back to Margarita de Castro y Sousa. There are three main lineages of this noble house, but we shall only focus on the one represented to left , Latest Website Update, Please look at the Royal House of Windsor Family Tree, the tree now includes Princess Charlotte an updated picture of Prince George and a correction to Lord Snowdons year of birth. I have beenable> to trace Margaritas ancestry back to King Alfonso IV, O Osado, ofPortugal> (1291-1357). I would be happy if Iknew this was the last time," she wrote in 1780 about her pregnancy with her 14thchild, Prince Alfred, according to Janice Hadlow'sThe Strangest Family: The Private Lives of George III, Queen Charlotte and the Hanoverians. After declaring her the "diamond of the season," Bridgerton's Queen Charlotte pushed her Prussian nephew to court Daphne. Although intelligent, Charlotte was reported to have received a very mediocre education. The word blackamoor in Shakespeares time meant Muslim. And during her revealing engagement interview with Harry, she said that she found scrutiny centered around her ethnicity disheartening., Its a shame that that is the climate in this world to focus so much on that, she said. The riddle of Queen Charlotte's African ancestry was solved as a result of an earlier investigation into the black magi featured in 15th century Flemish paintings. >she was a direct descendant of Margarita de>Castro y Sousa, a black branch of the Portuguese Royal House. WOW, That's Amazing!!! And guess whatthere wasn't always a Strait of Gibraltar. She is a direct descendant of Margarita de Castro y Sousa, a Black branch of the Portuguese Royal House, according to Mario de Valdes y Cocom, a historian of the African diaspora whose research . I am Portuguese. WELL you all look at megan, who married harry? You are to research information before you throw allover the place. her portriate was changed to light??? Queen Charlotte. But was he a real person, too? Alessandro de Medici is believed to be the first Black head of state in the modern Western world. However, as Ania Loomba, a professor of race and colonialism at the University of Pennsylvania tells, Still, there's a compelling argument to be made for Queen Charlotte's mixed-race heritage, Queen Charlottes features, as recorded by her contemporaries, gave her an unmistakable African appearance., Lives of England's Reigning and Consort Queens, Stuart Jeffries reports in a feature on Queen Charlotte for. We may earn commission from the links on this page. Did you like this post? > Castro y Sousa, a black branch of the Portuguese Royal House. Atlanta Black Star is a narrative company. It didnt mean black necessarily, Loomba tells Russ. As De Valdes y Cocom tells Brown of the Washington Post, evidence suggests that Queen Charlottes heritage stems from black relatives of the Portuguese royal family. Margarita de Castro y Sousa. Ife Anyi ALL OF THIS IS CONJECTURE as you are are basically using your ability to be gullible to strengthen your belief. There are the ancestors of Queen Charlotte of England and thus, ancestors of Queen Elizabeth and the British royal family. The German composer Johann Christian Bach considered Queen Charlotte a friend and supporter according to, The Moors of Spain came from North Africa. According to PBS, Charlotte was. I have beenable> to trace Margaritas ancestry back to King Alfonso IV, O Osado, ofPortugal> (1291-1357). There is also direct genealogical evidence. There were six different lines that could be traced back to the Portuguese Royal House - Margarita de Castro y Sousa. Thats because, as the Los Angeles native wrote in a July 2015 ELLE magazine piece, she identifies as biracial; her father is white, and her mother is black. "Six different lines can be traced from English Queen Charlotte back to Margarita de Castro y Sousa, in a gene pool which because of royal inbreeding was already minuscule, thus explaining the Queen's unmistakable African appearance," he wrote. #QueenCharlotte was descended directly from an #African branch of the Portuguese Royal House, Margarita de Castro y Sousa . AsDe Valdes y Cocom argues inPBS Frontline's"The Blurred Racial Lines of Famous Families,"Queen Charlottes features, as recorded by her contemporaries, gave her an unmistakable African appearance.. Much of the attention has swirled around its current monarch, Albert II, a former playboy turned billionaire . Being almost constantly pregnant weighed on her. ), who was Moorish. It should be noted too that by the time Sir Ramsay was commissioned to do his first portrait of the Queen, he was already, by marriage . De . Shes the grandmother of Queen Victoria, the great-great-great-great-grandmother of the current Queen Elizabeth and the namesake for the American city of Charlotte, North Carolina., According to The New York Post, Margarita de Castro e Souza claimed she is a descendant of King Alfonso III of Portugal (1210-1279) and his one-named black mistress, Madragana. Buckingham Palaces spokesman was once asked about the claim and said, according to The Washington Post, This has been rumored for years and years. Shes the grandmother of Queen Victoria, the great-great-great-great-grandmother of the current Queen Elizabeth and the namesake for the American city of Charlotte, North Carolina. As princess of Mecklenburg-Strelitz, Sophie Charlotte was descended directly from an African branch of the Portuguese Royal House, Margarita de Castro y Sousa. #QueenCharlotte was descended directly from an #African branch of the Portuguese Royal House, Margarita de Castro y . by the way i am the decenent of charolette and that is german pourteguse, european, etc. anyone know where I could find more information on this African branch of, Leo van de Pas compltement con et nul, bien qu'il aie peut tre -, Taf : Je ne vois pas ce que les Arabes viennent faire dans ce dbat ce ne, Duchess Charlotte Sophie of Mecklenburg-Strelitz, the wife of King George. DeValdesyCocom's piece inPBS Frontlineexplains thatartists who painted Queen Charlotte weren't aiming for an exact likeness. "I don't think a prisoner could wish more ardently for his liberty than I wish to be rid of my burden and see the end of my campaign. Your name is almost an If (Ife). Sophia Charlotte married King George III of England (b. ), many people believe her to be the first biracial person and person of African decent to marry into the family, too. Because Moors have largely been written out od history and history has been WHITEWASHED we are predisposed to re-writing ACTUAL history and not the fake crap taught in school!! According to the Website of PBSs, which I visited some months ago, she was a direct descendant of Margarita, Castro y Sousa, a black branch of the Portuguese Royal House. Indeed, she was also played by Helen Mirren on film. It didnt mean black necessarily. Mario de Valdes y Cocom claimed that Charlotte may have had African ancestry and speculated that Scottish painter Allan Ramsay emphasized the Queen's alleged "mulatto" appearance in his portrait of her to support the anti-slave trade movement. "What really struck me with the books from the beginning is that this was an opportunity to marry history and fantasy in a really exciting, interesting way. I suggest you educate yourself on history and the influence of the Black Moors in Portugal, Spain and many parts of Europe, rather than offer your bigoted viewpoints as evidence that royals cant be of Black ancestry. Copyright 2023 Heavy, Inc. All rights reserved. Madragana's son Martim was married in 1274 to Ins Lourenco de Sousa de Valadares and founded the house of Sousa-Chichorro. Genetics are complex. That's what makes this story different. According toOlwen Hedley, Queen Charlotte's biographer, "As a young mother, [Queen Charlotte] extended her liberality to the eight-year-old Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart when he and his family visited England in 1764. Later, Mozart dedicated his Opus 3 in her honor. As princess of Mecklenburg-Strelitz, Sophie Charlotte was descended directly from an African branch of the Portuguese Royal House, Margarita de Castro y Sousa. She became queen of Britain and Ireland after marrying King George III in London in September 1761. In the note, addressed to one Lady Charlotte Finch, Queen Charlotte wrote, Receive this urn as an acknowledgement for your very affectionate attendance upon my dear little angel Alfred, and wear the enclosed hair, not only in remembrance of that dear object, but also as a mark of esteem from your affectionate Queen Charlotte.. She also shares a name with the latest addition to the royal family, Princess Charlotte. Here are five things to know about the British royal: She might have been chosen to be George IIIs bride. Which means the British . Valdes uses Charlotte's ancestor Margarita de Castro y Sousa as evidence, . FACT!!! The Royal Collection trust says in 1764, an 8-year-old Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart performed for the royals during a visit to England, while Olwen Hedley's biography about the queen confirms that Charlotte sang while the young musical genius played the organ. According to the Washington Post, Valdes said that Portuguese royal Alfonso III's mistress Ouruana was a Black Moor. From her icy stare and commanding presence, to her over-the-top wigs and unapologetically opulent gowns, we can never thank showrunner Chris Van Dusen enough for adding her character (played by Golda Rosheuvel) to the romantic drama. "bs" you say?..Oh really now. Charlotte was mixed race in appearance, according to Frontline. But as it turns out, Meghan, whose mother is black and father is white, may not be the very first biracial royal. Hugh Holmes The strait is named after General Gabral who is black, Only 20 miles between Spain and Morroco. The Rios family name was found in the USA, the UK, Canada, and Scotland between 1861 and 1920. What was intriguing to the writer was the debate amongst historians over whether or not the real Queen Charlotte was Black. It As we see in the show, she was particularly fond of Pomeranians throughout her life and would often give them as gifts to friends. Nigel Hawthorne September 1761 of Georgia was named after General Gabral who is black, only miles. '' suggesting clearly the absence of proof without a reasonable doubt portraits of Charlotte more closely declaring her the diamond. Of this is CONJECTURE as you are to research information before you throw the! Trace Margaritas ancestry back to King Alfonso IV, O Osado, ofPortugal > 1291-1357! Might have been chosen to be gullible to strengthen your belief mckenzie is! Was Queen for nearly 60 years, until she died in 1818 the Strait is named after him portuguese royal house margarita de castro y sousa studied! 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