Lady Charlotte Finch (1725 - June 1813) was governess of the children of George III

George III of the United Kingdom

George III was King of Great Britain and King of Ireland from 25 October 1760 until the union of these two countries on 1 January 1801, after which he was King of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland until his death...

 and Charlotte of Mecklenburg-Strelitz

Charlotte of Mecklenburg-Strelitz

Charlotte of Mecklenburg-Strelitz was the Queen consort of the United Kingdom as the wife of King George III...

, King and Queen of Great Britain and Ireland. She was the daughter of Thomas Fermor, 1st Earl of Pomfret, and Henrietta Louisa Jeffreys. Charlotte, on 9 August 1746, married the Hon. William Finch (1731-1766), to whom she bore four children. She was sworn in as royal governess the day succeeding the birth of her first charge, George, Prince of Wales

George IV of the United Kingdom

George IV was the King of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland and also of Hanover from the death of his father, George III, on 29 January 1820 until his own death ten years later...

 (future King George IV).Fraser, p 3 Shortly after her selection, William began to lose his mind. Fearing for her safety, she abandoned her husband, bringing with her their children, for an apartment in St. James's Palace

St. James's Palace

St. James's Palace is one of London's oldest palaces. It is situated in Pall Mall, just north of St. James's Park. Although no sovereign has resided there for almost two centuries, it has remained the official residence of the Sovereign and the most senior royal palace in the UK...

 and a small house in Kew

Kew

Kew is a place in the London Borough of Richmond upon Thames in South West London. Kew is best known for being the location of the Royal Botanic Gardens, now a World Heritage Site, which includes Kew Palace...

.

An enthusiastic botanist, Lady Charlotte's tenure as governess to the royal children spanned over 30 years. Princess Amelia

Princess Amelia of the United Kingdom

Princess Amelia of the United Kingdom was a member of the British Royal Family as the youngest daughter of King George III of the United Kingdom and his queen consort Charlotte of Mecklenburg-Strelitz.-Early life:...

 - whom Charlotte left without a governess by her November 1792 resignation - was thereafter raised by one her mother's attendants.

She died in June 1813. Her memorial, by Chantrey is in Holy Cross Church, Burley

Holy Cross Church, Burley

Holy Cross Church, Burley, is a redundant Anglican church in the village of Burley, Rutland, England. It has been designated by English Heritage as a Grade II* listed building, and is under the care of the Churches Conservation Trust. It stands adjacent to Burley-on-the-Hill...

. Her most notable child was George Finch

George Finch, 9th Earl of Winchilsea

George Finch, 9th Earl of Winchilsea KG PC FRS was an important figure in the history of cricket. His main contributions to the game were patronage and organisation but Winchilsea, an amateur, was also a very keen player....

, who succeeded his uncle as Earl of Winchilsea and Nottingham in 1769.

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