Frederick Louis, Prince of Wales & family

Frederick Louis (or Lewis), Prince of Wales, K.G., was born on 20th January 1707 at Hanover in Germany and died 31st March 1751 in London. He was the eldest son of King George II and father of George III and was a great patron of the arts, residing at Carlton House. His death was blamed on a burst abcess in the lung "under the sternum bone...having been occasioned by a fall playing Prisoners Base some years before" (according to a statement by the Earl of Macclesfield in a letter in the Abbey archives) - by legend it was caused by a cricket or tennis ball.

His wife was Princess Augusta of Saxe-Gotha, born 19th November 1719, a daughter of Friedrich II, duke of Saxe-Gotha and his wife Magdalena. They were married at St James's Palace in 1736. She lived to see her son on the throne and died on 8th February 1772. Both are buried in the Hanoverian vault, with George II and his queen, in Henry VII's chapel in Westminster Abbey. This runs underneath the central aisle of the chapel. The small stones over the vault read:

FREDERICK LEWIS P. OF WALES 1751

AUGUSTA PRINCESS DOWAGER OF WALES 1772

Buried with them are five of their children:

Elizabeth Caroline 1740-1759

Louisa Anne 1749-1768, who is said to have died "of a decline"

Edward Augustus, Duke of York and Albany born 14th March 1739. He died unmarried at Monaco on 17th September 1767 and was returned for burial in the Abbey. He was a Vice Admiral of the Blue and also Keeper of Windsor Forest among other posts.

Henry Frederick, Duke of Cumberland and Strathern 1745-1790.

Frederick William 1750-1765

Small stones on the floor of the chapel mark their burials although some of the wording is now very faint.

Frederick Louis' brother William, Duke of Cumberland "the butcher of Culloden", and unmarried sisters Caroline and Amelia are also buried in the vault.