 George had been raised under strict conditions , which he had rebelled against . Despite this , he attempted to put his daughter , who had the appearance of a grown woman at age 15 , under even stricter conditions . He gave her a clothing allowance insufficient for an adult princess , and insisted that if she attended the opera , she was to sit in the rear of the box and leave before the end . With the Prince Regent busy with affairs of state , Charlotte was required to spend most of her time at Windsor with her maiden aunts . Bored , she soon became infatuated with her first cousin , George FitzClarence , illegitimate son of the Duke of Clarence . FitzClarence was , shortly thereafter , called to Brighton to join his regiment , and Charlotte 's gaze fell on Lieutenant Charles Hesse of the Light Dragoons , reputedly the illegitimate son of Charlotte 's uncle , Frederick , Duke of York . Hesse and Charlotte had a number of clandestine meetings . Lady de Clifford feared the Prince Regent 's rage should they be found out , but Princess Caroline was delighted by her daughter 's passion . She did everything that she could to encourage the relationship , even allowing them time alone in a room in her apartments . These meetings ended when Hesse left to join the British forces in Spain . Most of the Royal Family , except the Prince Regent , were aware of these meetings , but did nothing to interfere , disapproving of the way George was treating his daughter . 
