Vol 14; No 9 Princess Frederica of Hanover

[Les1949]

HAMPTON, AROUND AND ABOUT

Things you may not know, or didn’t know you knew!

No 9 PRINCESS FREDERICA of HANOVER
Known locally for her good works (and the rabbits!)

Princess Frederica of Hanover (1848-1926) or to give her full name, Frederica Sophia Maria Henrietta Amelia Theresa of Hanover. She was the daughter of King George V of Hanover, 2nd Duke of Cumberland (he was the last King of Hanover, which was annexed by Prussia in 1866). Frederica was a descendant of George III, so had strong connections to the British Royal family.

In 1880 Frederica married, unusually in royal circles, for love. Her husband was Baron Alfons von Pawel Rammingen (1843-1932) and was a naturalised British subject. They were married in St Georges Chapel, Windsor Castle – it helps to have the right connections! After the marriage they were granted an apartment in Hampton Court Palace. A daughter, Victoria, was born on March 1881, but sadly died after just a few weeks. The couple caused a few problems being a royal presence within the palace. Constantly battling for ever larger quarters eventually Queen Victoria approved a plan to convert some stables into private lodgings and built another storey on top to accommodate them. People who lived in Hampton became used to seeing the Princess and the Baron walk to St Mary’s Church on a Sunday to sit in a pew in the gallery.


After the death of her daughter, Frederica threw herself into charitable works. Her first project was to open a Convalescent Home locally for poor women recovering from childbirth. A fund-raising event was held in the Great Hall and a home for six married women and their babies – basically a Maternity Hospital – was the result.

Frederica moved onto to other projects, forming connections with the Royal Normal College and Academy Music for the Blind; patron of the Training College for Training Teachers of the Deaf and the Strolling Players’ Amateur Orchestral Society (!). She also supported the Hampton Court and Dittons Regatta which dates back to 1887, with Frederica to the forefront in its organisation. A school in North West London still bears her name.

The Baron was not quite so comfortable with his social ‘inferiors’ enjoying such pursuits as shooting parties in Bushy Park. One such event was the butt of a comic verse in the Kingston Express in October 1890.

I am der Baron Pawel (von Rammingen in all)
Who vendt to hundt in Pushey Bark der rabbits nice and schmall.
I took my little schot-gun to pop avay so fine.
Undt some frendts dey come along mit me for to cut a schine.

The paper later published the number of rabbits that the Baron handed over to the poor of Hampton after each of his shooting parties.

In 1898 they left Hampton Court, apportioning their time between England and Biarritz, where Frederica died. She was buried in St George’s Chapel.


The Old Historian