Melancholy Account of the Last Moments and Death of Her Majesty

Broadside printed with an account of the last moments and death of Queen Caroline, wife of George IV together with a six verse ballad entitled 'Death of Queen Caroline'. The text is highly supportive of the Queen and reports that, her enemies (i.e. the King and court) had finally 'destroyed' her. The broadside notes that in her last moments the ' injured' and 'persecuted' Queen 'expressed her love for the English people' who had supported her in her divorce trial and requested she be buried in same grave as her daughter. Knowing this dying wish to be unlikely to be granted she requested, as an alternative to be buried in her family grave in Brunswick.

Queen Caroline died on August 7th 1821 aged 53 years. She had fallen ill soon after attempting to enter Westminster Abbey during the Coronation of George IV in July 1821 at which she had been banned. Over several weeks her condition deteriorated until she died possibly from an intestinal obstruction or cancer. Caroline was extremely popular with the masses who disapproved of her treatment by the King. Her apparently unexpected illness and death was, therefore, widely reported and caused extreme interest. Such broadsides would have been mass printed and cheaply sold by street hawkers and travelling pedlars.