What's in a name? Charlotte Street in Norfolk

Once upon a time, in a kingdom far, far away, there lived a princess named Sophie Charlotte.

Contrary to every Disney tale, Charlotte was no great beauty. She lived in a backwoods of northern Germany named Mecklenburg. In 1761, when arrangements were made to marry her off to King George III of England, Charlotte had never laid eyes on her future husband. When they met just before their wedding, the groom was far from enchanted.

But 17-year-old Charlotte was not without her charms. Her lively mind and sunny nature soon won the king's heart - so much so, history says, that unlike other monarchs, George III never indulged in mistresses. Fifteen offspring attested to the warmth of his and Charlotte's union. Thirteen of their children lived to adulthood, an amazing accomplishment given the times.

Even so, the king and his queen did not live happily ever after. Their story is fraught with warring empires, political intrigue, a power-hungry mother-in-law and rebellion in the American colonies.

Eventually, the king himself would descend into dementia, a plot twist portrayed a few centuries later in "The Madness of King George," starring Helen Mirren as Charlotte.

But wait. Turn back the pages to the middle of Charlotte's tale, to the days before the Revolutionary War, when the woman wearing the crown was much beloved by her subjects.

Charlotte Street in downtown Norfolk, Charlottesville, Charlotte county and Charlotte, N.C., are just a few of her namesakes. Both states also have Mecklenburg counties, named in honor of her hometown.

What made Charlotte so popular? She was enlightened, involved and lived modestly compared with other royals. Charlotte founded orphanages, hospitals and encouraged the education of women. She supported scientists, botanists, painters, writers and musicians, including an 8-year-old protégé named Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart.

Charlotte lived to age 74, loyal to the end to her increasingly ill husband. Deaf, blind and insane, he didn't even realize her passing.

This year, Charlotte is being celebrated. A jubilee is being held in Mecklenburg, Germany, to mark the 250th anniversary of her coronation - the day a teenage girl became a queen, launching a legacy that still echoes in a land far, far away.