On This Day In History . 15 September 1785 . George, Prince of Wales (later King George IV) married Maria Fitzherbert . ◼ Soon after he reached the age of 21, the Prince became infatuated with Maria Fitzherbert. She was a commoner, six years his elder, twice widowed, & a Roman Catholic. Despite her complete unsuitability, the Prince was determined to marry her. This was in spite of the Act of Settlement 1701, which barred the spouse of a Catholic from succeeding to the throne, & the Royal Marriages Act 1772, which prohibited his marriage without the consent of the King, which would never have been granted. . ◼ Nevertheless, the couple went through a marriage ceremony on 15 December 1785 at her house in Park Street, Mayfair. Legally the union was void, as the King's consent was not granted (& never even requested). However, Fitzherbert believed that she was the Prince's canonical & true wife, holding the law of the Church to be superior to the law of the State. For political reasons, the union remained secret & Fitzherbert promised not to reveal it. . ◼ The Prince remained attached to Maria Fitzherbert for the rest of his life, despite several periods of estrangement. . ◼ The Prince of Wales had large debts & his father (George III) refused to aid him unless he married his cousin Princess Caroline of Brunswick. In 1795, the prince acquiesced; & they were married on 8 April 1795 at the Chapel Royal, St James's Palace. . . #OnThisDayInHistory #ThisDayInHistory #TheYear1785 #KingGeorgeIV #GeorgeIV #HouseofHanover #Wedding #Marriage #History #Royalty #MariaFitzherbert #Monarchy #BritishMonarchy #D15Sep #OnThisDay #otd #RoyalHistory #historyfact #historyfacts #Royals https://www.instagram.com/p/B2cn0DJgvcq/?igshid=197rdtjhqsjmw