Not many people know it but a man with strong links to Somerset may have been the secret son of King George III.
A new book by author Rosalind Freeborn reveals the story of Frederick Blomberg, the orphan child who was adopted by King George III and Queen Charlotte in 1765 and brought up as a prince.
Having grown up within the royal household, Frederick remained a close friend of Prince George, future regent and King George IV and, the author believes, was the King’s secret son and a significant figure in Georgian royal history.
Frederick Blomberg had a strong connection with Somerset. After spending his childhood within the royal family, King George III sent him to Cambridge to study divinity and he was ordained, a familiar career for a boy who would not inherit a title but needed a good income and somewhere to live.
The King granted him accommodation at Shepton Mallet, Bradford on Avon and Banwell and also a role at Bristol Cathedral. But he is best remembered as an eccentric parish priest who used to play his violin in the church of St Peter & St Paul in Shepton Mallet instead of giving sermons.
He was frequently seen trotting around the countryside in his carriage which he turned into a mobile music room, playing his beloved violin and delighting everyone who saw him.
Frederick Blomberg married a Bath girl in 1787, she was Maria Floyer, one of four daughters, and they remained together until his death in London in 1847.
A new book by author Rosalind Freeborn reveals the story of Frederick Blomberg,
He maintained a close friendship with his half-brother Prince George, and was frequently summoned to Windsor or Buckingham House (before it became a palace) to help deal with royal family crises – not least the madness of King George III.
Rosalind’s debut book Prince George & Master Frederick is a work of historical fiction based on the true story of Frederick Blomberg.
She wrote the book after hearing stories from her grandmother suggesting she may be related in some way to King George III. Her research took her to Shepton Mallet where she discovered the story of Frederick.
She said: “I love staying in Shepton Mallet. And I love to think about Frederick Blomberg in his carriage he’d made into a travelling music room to trot around the roads and lanes of the neighbourhood.”
Prince George & Master Frederick is published by Alliance Publishing this month and is available on Amazon, as print copy, Kindle and Audible. ISBN: 978-1-83825-985-3
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