Jenny Forshaw

Project Description

My project explores the role of Caroline of Brandenburg-Ansbach, the wife and queen of King George II, in early eighteenth-century Britain. It investigates Caroline’s tenure as both Princess of Wales (1714-1727) during the reign of King George I and queen consort (1727-1737) during the reign of King George II.

The thesis integrates approaches from history, for example court studies, queenship, and politics, with literature, such as the reading of representations. It draws on a variety of printed, visual and archival sources, including newspapers, sermons, poems, portraits, prints, and correspondence.

The project situates Caroline within existing scholarship concerning early modern queenship, debates surrounding the popularity of the early Georgian monarchy, and the growth of popular loyalism and royalism. It explores aspects such as Caroline's public representation, how her representation by others interacted with her self-representation, and the interaction between her public image and the reality of her private experience.

Conferences and Publications

• 'Caroline of Brandenburg-Ansbach, Family and Dynasty, and the Early Hanoverian Monarchy, 1714-c.1730' - North East Forum in Eighteenth-Century and Romantic Studies (Feb 2026).
• 'Caroline of Brandenburg-Ansbach and the Idea of a Royal Family in Britain, 1714-1737' - Kings & Queens 15 (forthcoming, Sept 2026).

Teaching

Qualifications

• BA History, Newcastle University (First Class Honours)
• MA Early Modern History, University of York (Distinction)