Sarah Fairbrother - Marriage

Marriage

On 8 January 1847, she married at St John Clerkenwell, London, Prince George of Cambridge, describing himself as 'George Frederick Cambridge, gentleman' and signing 'George Cambridge', the son of Prince Adolphus, Duke of Cambridge and Princess Augusta of Hesse-Cassel. Under the Royal Marriages Act 1772, Prince George was required to seek the permission of the British monarch (at that time his cousin, Queen Victoria) to marry, but failed to do so as permission to marry an actress with four illegitimate children by three fathers would never have been given.

Legend created for the couple an idyllic relationship that seems far from the reality, she having many moments of suspicion and jealousy and he frequently lying about his affairs. She was an invalid from 1867. The Prince's comment in 1884 that 'when a man, through some unfortunate accident, makes a great mistake, he must abide by it' was taken to refer to their illegal marriage.

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Famous quotes containing the word marriage:

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