Frederick, Prince of Wales

His Royal Highness The Prince Frederick, Prince of Wales (Frederick Louis) (February 1, 1707 - March 31, 1751) was the only man of that name ever to hold the title Prince of Wales, and is best remembered as the father of King George III of the United Kingdom and as the subject of the epigram which begins:

Death

His political ambitions remained unfulfilled, because he died prematurely at the age of forty-four. Although the cause of death has been commonly attributed to an abscess created by a blow on the head by a cricket ball or a tennis ball, this story is apocryphal - in fact, a burst abscess in the lung was given as the cause of death. Frederick died at Leicester House in London and he was buried at Westminster Abbey.

Related Topics:
Cricket ball - Tennis ball - Abscess - Lung - London - Westminster Abbey

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The full epigram:

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"Here lies poor Fred who was alive and is dead,

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Had it been his father I had much rather,

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Had it been his sister nobody would have missed her,

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Had it been his brother, still better than another,

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Had it been the whole generation, so much better for the nation,

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But since it is Fred who was alive and is dead,

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There is no more to be said!"

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