Princess Elizabeth of Clarence

Who was Princess Elizabeth of Clarence?

Princess Elizabeth of Clarence was an infant member of the British royal family as the second daughter and third child of Prince William, Duke of Clarence and St Andrews and his wife, Princess Adelaide of Saxe-Meiningen. She was a granddaughter of King George III of the United Kingdom and a first cousin of Queen Victoria.

After having had one child who died on the day of her birth, Princess Charlotte and suffering a stillbirth, the third pregnancy of the Duchess of Clarence also did not go as expected. The Duchess delivered a girl, almost six weeks premature, on 10 December 1820 at St James's Palace. She was christened on the day of her birth at the Palace by William Howley, then Bishop of London.

The Duke and Duchess of Clarence had wanted to name her Georgina, but King George IV requested her to be named Elizabeth instead. The couple agreed and christened her "Elizabeth Georgiana Adelaide".

She lived the remainder of her days at St James's Palace. After "being suddenly seized with the fatal disease, an intro-susception of the bowels" she died shortly thereafter, aged 12 weeks. After her death, her mother suffered three more stillbirths.