Sophia Charlotte of Mecklenburg-Strelitz (1744-1818)

British Monarch. She was Queen consort of King George III and daughter of Charles I, Duke of Mecklenburg-Strelitz and Elizabeth of Saxe-Hildburghausen. She married George on September 8, 1761, becoming Queen of Great Britain and Ireland on September 22nd. Despite not having been her husband's first choice of a wife and a general lack of feeling from her mother-in-law, their marriage blossomed. She did not learn English until after her marriage and spoke with a German accent. Her husband was not known to have ever been unfaithful to her. Together, they had 15 children, most of whom survived to adulthood, yet only three produced legitimate grandchildren. Four years into her marriage, her husband suffered from his first bout of mental illness, and she remained supportive during his illness even though, by her death, her husband was deaf, blind, and insane. She pre-deceased him by two years. She died at Kew Palace at the age of 74. There are numerous cities in the United States named in her honor. She was Britain's longest-serving queen consort, serving for 57 years and 70 days.

Bio by: Linda Davis