Lot 88: John Simpson (British, 1782-1847) Princess Augusta of Cambridge (1822–1916), wearing white wedding gown, lace veil and floral wedding wreath in her upswept and parted hair

Princess Augusta of Cambridge (1822–1916), wearing white wedding gown, lace veil and floral wedding wreath in her upswept and parted hair.
Enamel, signed and inscribed on the counter-enamel Princess Augusta of Cambridge./ Hereditary Grand Duchess of/ Mecklenburg Strelitz./ Simpson after Thorburn/ 1849., gilt-metal mount.
Oval, 47mm (1 7/8in) high

Princess Augusta of Cambridge was the daughter of Prince Adolphus, Duke of Cambridge (1774–1850), the seventh son of George III and Princess Augusta of Hesse-Cassel (1797–1889). She was born on the 19th July 1822 at the Palace of Montbrillant, Hanover.

On the 28th June 1843, Princess Augusta married her first cousin, Frederick William of Mecklenburg-Strelitz (1819–1904), at Buckingham Palace. The couple had two sons. Their first born, Prince Frederick William, died the day he was born on the 13th January 1845. Their second son, Duke Adolphus Frederick (1848–1914) succeeded his father as Grand Duke Adolphus Frederick V in May 1904.

In making preparations for the coronation of King Edward VII and Queen Alexandra in 1901, the Duke of Norfolk consulted Augusta on matters of etiquette and attire. This was due to her presence at the Coronation of King William IV and Queen Adelaide seventy-one years earlier. She was nine years old at the time and kissed the Queen's hand. She was also able to provide details of the Coronation of her cousin, Queen Victoria, for which no written records existed (she was then sixteen). Old age prevented her from attending the Coronation of King George V (her first cousin twice removed) and Queen Mary (her niece, who she was particularly fond of) at Westminster Abbey on the 22nd June 1911.

Following the outbreak of World War I the British Government suspended the pension she had been receiving as a member of the British Royal Family. During the war, the Swedish Embassy passed letters from the Queen to her aunt, who still lived in Germany. As an elderly lady, she was known for being cantankerous. When Princess Maud of Wales became Queen of Norway, Augusta said she had "become the Queen of a revolutionary throne". During Queen Victoria's Diamond Jubilee Celebrations, Augusta said in a loud voice, "Why is she thanking God in the street?" as Queen Victoria sat in her carriage for a blessing.

The Dowager Grand Duchess died in Neustrelitz and is buried in Mirow. As the longest-lived grandchild of George III, she was the last link to the British branch of the House of Hanover. At the time of her death, she was ninety-four years of age, making her the longest-lived British Princess until Princess Alice, a grand-daughter of Queen Victoria, broke the record in 1981, aged ninety-seven.