Queen Adelaide

Adelaide was born at Meiningen, Germany, on the 13th August 1792, the eldest child of Duke George I of Saxony-Meiningen and his wife Princess Louisa Eleonore Of Hohelohe-Langenburg.  On the 11th July 1818 she married William, Duke of Clarence, the third son of George III of England, who was later to become William IV of England, The wedding took place at Kew Palace, she was 25 years old but he was 52 years old.

William and Adelaide were resident in Hanover when their first child Charlotte Augusta Louisa, was born prematurely on 27th March 1819, but the baby died a few hours later. The couple moved to England and on the 19th December 1820, Adelaide gave birth to another girl, Elizabeth Georgiana Adelaide, at St James's Palace, but the child only lived until 4th March 1821. Her last pregnancy produced twin boys, which were stillborn, on 23rd April 1822.

When his brother George IV died on 26th June 1830, William became King William IV, and reigned for seven years until he died from pneumonia on 20th June 1837. Adelaide became Queen Dowager and resumed a quiet life. She suffered from ill health, in particular chest infections and it was for this reason that she decided to spend the winter of 1838 in Malta.

Queen Adelaide's Church

Queen Adelaide arrived at Malta on board H M S Hastings on the 30th November 1838, and her feelings regarding the lack of a Protestant church on the island were immediately apparent. Within two weeks she wrote to her niece Queen Victoria on the subject. 

View of the High Alter 1999

Knowing that funds for such an undertaking were unlikely to be forthcoming from the British Government and without waiting for a reply from Queen Victoria, Adelaide made her own decision, as shown by a letter written by the Governor, Sir Henry Bouverie to the Secretary of State on the 6th January 1839, to supply the funds required for the undertaking herself. 

Chapel of the Ascension

Royal Marine Memorial Gates

The foundation stone of the Church of St Paul was laid by Her Majesty Adelaide, the Queen Dowager on the 20th March 1839.

View of the Baptistry 1999 

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