Did you know that Colchester's St Peter’s Church, on North Hill, was at the centre of a huge political controversy in 1821. Arts aficionado Dorian Kelly tells the story

THIS is St Peter’s Church, on North Hill.

If Colchester had a cathedral to go with its bishop, this would be it.

In 1821, a quite extraordinary event occurred here that involved one of the greatest political controversies of the age.

The body of Caroline of Brunswick, the estranged Queen of George IV, remained in the building overnight on the way to Harwich and eventual burial at Brunswick Cathedral.

The Prince of Wales was on his uppers, at the time. He had, in fact, spent everything.

So, despite the minor fact he was already secretly married to Maria Fitzherbert, he wed Caroline, his well-heeled first cousin, as part of a deal with Parliament to top up his income, provided he produced an heir.

It was a bit of a disaster.

Somehow, they did produce a child but he sent his wife a note saying she could do as she liked.

When she heard the old king was about to die, her ears pricked up and she remembered she was - theoretically at least - the next Queen.

However, she was a bit chagrined to find out that the prince had started divorce proceedings.

Gazette: Excited - Dorian Kelly, who is taking part

Columnist Dorian Kelly

The bill passed in the Lords but was dropped when it was considered she had sufficient supporters to prevent it passing the House of Commons.

She was, in fact, really popular with the people.

Caroline, upon arriving in England, asked the Prime Minister what dress to wear for the ceremony and was informed to her dismay that she would not be taking part in it.

However, she turned up at Westminster Abbey on the day demanding to be admitted.

She hammered on the door demanding admittance.

“I am the Queen of England,” she shouted.

The door opened but an official roared “shut the door” and it was slammed in her face.

She died two weeks later of diarrhoea.

She was bled, put in a warm bath, given arrowroot (which was temporarily effective) and finally opium but did not recover.

She seemed to have relinquished the will to live.

The king heaved a sigh of relief, had her boxed up in a coffin and despatched without ceremony to Harwich, where she was to be embarked for burial at Brunswick.

It was not without incident.

A route had been chosen where it would not attract much attention, but because of the major disturbances as it left London, resulting in the violent death of two members of the public, a large contingent of guards and a few supporters accompanied the cortege.

The procession arrived in Colchester, where it was expected that the coffin should rest overnight in the High Street.

However, word had got out and a fair-size crowd gathered.

The accompanying guards decided the coffin should be carried into St Peter’s for safety.

At that, the crowd swelled to hundreds and all the bells of Colchester started to peal.

More and more people arrived and many of them entered the church, where they seemed desperate to touch the coffin, despite the best efforts of the guards to stop them.

It seems there was quite a melee, something of a carnival atmosphere.

The church was forcibly cleared by the soldiers, but one man, outraged at the fact the coffin was not labelled, had procured an engraved brass plate which contained the words “ much injured Queen”.

While the guards were distracted by an altercation, he mounted the coffin and commenced to glue and screw on the plate.

The guards, who seemed uncertain as to the legality of such a thing, ejected him and sent for a workman to pry it up.

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That achieved, not without considerable difficulty, they locked up the church and left the corpse of the Queen of England neglected and alone, except for one sleeping undertaker’s assistant.

Early in the morning the cart was loaded up and the journey resumed.

However, this time the streets were lined with weeping, cheering and protesting public all the way to Harwich where it was loaded on board the Frigate “HMS Glasgow” bound for Cuxhaven.