George I | History Today Read more George I (r. 1714-27) Elector of Hanover (r.1698-1727) and king of Great Britain, chosen to prevent a Catholic succession. He was an unpopular king who could not speak English and relied heavily on his ministers, leading to the emergence of the office of prime minister. British Monarchs: George II (House of Hanover) 1727-1760 British Monarchs: George II (House of Hanover) 1727-1760 George II House: House of Hanover Reign: 1727-1760 George II (George Augustus) (10 November 1683 ï¿½ 25 October 1760) was King of Great Britain and Ireland, Duke of Brunswick-Lï¿½neburg (Hanover) and Archtreasurer and Prince-Elector of the Holy Roman Empire from 11 June 1727 until his death.

He was the second British monarch of the House of Hanover, and the last British monarch to personally lead his troops into battle (at Dettingen in 1743). He was also the last British monarch to have been born outside of Great Britain. George II was famous for his numerous conflicts with his father and afterwards with his son (a seemingly common problem for members of the Hanoverian dynasty). His relationship with his wife was much better, despite his numerous mistresses. George II exercised little control over policy during his early reign, the government instead being controlled by Great Britain's first (unofficial) "Prime Minister", Sir Robert Walpole. The Royal House Of Hanover - British Monarchy Family History British Monarchy Family History The Royal House Of Hanover The Royal House of Hanover was the ruling royal house of Great Britain and Ireland for one hundred and eighty seven years from 1714 - 1901, by way of six monarchs.

King George I came to the throne upon the death of the Royal House of Stuart monarch Queen Anne in 1714 as he was the late queen's closest Protestant relative through his mother Queen Sophie, who was the grand daughter of King James I of England by way of her mother Elisabeth of Bohemia. GEORGE I George was born on the 28th of May 1660 in Hanover in Germany, which at that time was part of the Holy Roman Empire. He was the oldest child of Ernest Augustus, Elector of Hanover and his wife Countess Sophie of Rhineland - Palatine. He came to the British throne after the death of his cousin, the last Stuart monarch, Queen Anne. King George was crowned at Westminster Abbey on the 20th of October 1714 at the age of fifty and was not particularly liked or welcomed by the British people, probably for no other reason than he was a foreigner. It was believed that he did not speak very good English, although records show that he did have a good understanding of the language.

However, his lack of English did go on to see a diminishing of the monarchy and more power and control given to the government, which, by the time of his death in 1727, had left full power of the running of the country to Robert Walpole, Great Britain's very first Prime Minister. King George's reign also brought about the Jacobite Rebellions (1715 - 1746) - a series of uprisings and rebellions aimed at restoring the Royal House of Stuart to the throne of Britain - an act designed to replace him with the former Queen Anne's half brother James Francis Edward Stuart, an act that failed mainly due to the Stuart's Catholicism. On a personal level George is best remembered for his long running feud with his only son, the future King George II. King George died whilst on a visit to his native Germany on the 11th of June 1727 at Osnabruck. He is buried at the Herrenhausen in Hanover, Germany.

SOPHIA DOROTHEA OF CELLE In 1682, by way of an arranged marriage of state, George married Sophia Dorothea of Celle (1666 - 1726) on the 22nd of November 1682 in Celle, Germany. Sophia Dorothea was born on the 15th of September 1666 in Celle, Germany and was the daughter of George William, Duke of Brunswick - Luneburg and his long term mistress, Eleonore d'Esmier d'Olbreuse. Sophia Dorothea is best remembered for her affair with Philip Christoph von Konigsmarck, which when found out, resulted in her spending the last thirty years of her life incarcerated in the Castle of Ahlden in her native Celle, where she was denied any contact with her children ever again. She died from liver failure brought on by gall stones on the 13th of November 1726 and was later interred at the Stadtkirche in Celle, Germany. Her lover was apparently murdered by order of the King, but this has never been verified.

Before her affair and subsequent divorce and incarceration, their union had produced two heirs one of which would become the King of England and the other would become the Queen of Prussia. George II of Great Britain - (1683 - 1760) - Married Caroline of Brandenburg - Ansbach, a union which produced nine children, one of which would become the future Queen of Denmark and another would become the future Princess of Orange. Sophia - (1687 - 1757) - Sophia married Fredrick William I of Prussia, making her Queen of Prussia and Electress of Brandenburg. Their union produced ten children, including the future King Fredrick II of Prussia and the future Queen Louise Ulrika of Sweden. EHRENGARD MELUSINE VON DER SCHULENBURG After his divorce in 1694 George began the first of two long term affairs. His first mistress was Ehrengard Melusine von der Schulenburg, a former lady in waiting to his mother the Electress Sophia.

In 1716 Melusine moved to London to be with George and straight away he created a life peerage for her by way of the titles the Duchess of Munster, Marchioness of Dungannon, Countess of Dungannon and Baroness Dundalk. In 1719 he further created the titles of Duchess of Kendal, Countess of Faversham and Baroness Glastonbury for her. After George's divorce Melusine was considered to be queen in all but name, some even suspect that he had secretly married her sometime in 1716, hence the many titles he had bestowed upon her. During their thirty three year long affair Melusine bore George three Illegitimate daughters, they were - Anna Louise - (1692 - 1773). She married Ernst von Busscheippenberg in 1707. There were no children from this union and they divorced in 1714. Petronella Melusina - (1693 - 1778). She married Philip Stanhope, Earl of Chesterfirld (1694 - 1773) in 1733.

This union produced no heirs. Margarethe Gertrude - (1701 - 1726). She married Albrecht, Count of Schaumburg (1699 - 1748) in 1722 and produced two sons before her death in 1726.They were George (1722 - 1742) and Wilhelm (1724 - 1777). SOPHIA VON KIELMANSEGG George's second mistress was courtier Sophia von Kielmansegg, Countess of Darlington (1675 - 1725) with whom he had a very controversial thirty year long affair, as Sophia was actually George’s illegitimate half sister. They were both the children of Ernest Augustus, the Elector of Hanover, with Sophia's mother being the German noblewoman Clara Elisabeth von Meysenberg, the Baroness of Platen and Hellermund, with whom the Elector had conducted a five year affair with during the 1670s.

Although Sophia’s family have always denied that she was sleeping with George, it was in fact common knowledge at the British court that they were lovers. It is not believed that George and Sophia had any children together although Sophia did have five children with her husband Johan, Baron von Kielmansegg (1668 - 1717), whom she married in 1701, so it's hard to say who the fathers of her children actually were. GEORGE II King George II came to the throne upon the death of his father in 1727. He was the eldest and only son of King George I and his wife Sophia Dorothea and was born on the 30th of October 1683 at the Herrenhausen Palace in Hanover. His coronation at Westminster Abbey on the eleventh of October 1727 made him the last British king to be born on foreign soil and the last king to lead an army into Battle, at the Battle of Dettingen in 1743. It was during his reign that the national anthems of Great Britain, Australia, Canada and New Zealand were written and first performed.

On a personal level he is best remembered for his long and bitter feuds both with his father and his son and heir, Fredrick, Prince of Wales. King George died of an aortic aneurysm on October 25th 1760 at the age of seventy five, and true to his word, he was interred in Westminster Abbey in the same casket as his Queen Consort. CAROLINE OF BRANDENBURG - ANSBACH On the 22nd of August 1705 George married Caroline of Brandenburg - Ansbach (1683 - 1737) at the Chapel at Herrenhausen in Hanover, Germany. Caroline was born at Ansbach in Germany on the 1st of March 1683 and was the daughter of John Fredrick Margrave and his wife Eleonore Erdmuthe of Saxe - Eisenbach, Like most things that George did in his life his father was angry with his choice of bride, not through any dislike for her, but because he did not want to see his son in a loveless, arranged marriage such as he had endured.

As it was, George and Caroline had a very successful marriage that would produce nine children. Caroline was an intellectual woman and lover and patron of the arts. She was well liked both by the parliament and the people of Britain, so much so, that Caroline County, Virginia, U.S.A was named in her honour. She died of a ruptured womb on the 20th of November 1737 aged 54. It is beleived that she pleaded with her husband to remarry, but he promised not to, preferring to take mistresses instead. When she was interred in Westminster Abbey, the king had her coffin fitted with a false side, so that he could be interred along side her when he too died. George and Caroline's union produced nine children, they were; Two children who died in infancy, Augustus George born in 1716 and George William born in 1717 who died within one year. Fredrick, Prince of Wales - (1707 - 1751). Married Augusta of Saxe - Gotha. This union produced nine children, including the future King George III of England and the future Queen Caroline Matilda of Denmark and Norway.

Anne, Princess Royal - (1709 - 1759). Anne married William IV Prince of Orange. They had no children. Amelia - (1711 - 1786). Died unmarried and without issue. Caroline - (1713 - 1757). Died unmarried and without issue. William - (1721 - 1765). Died unmarried and without issue. Mary - (1723 - 1772). Mary married Landgrave of Hesse Kassel and had three children, William - (1743 - 1827). Charles - (1744 - 1836) and Fredrick - (1747 - 1837). Louise - (1724 - 1751). Louise married King Fredrick V of Denmark and had four children; Sophia Magdalena - (1746 - 1813), the future Queen of Sweden. Caroline - 1747 - 1820, the future Electress of Hesse.

Christian - (1749 - 1808), the future King of Denmark and Louise - (1750 - 1831), Princess of Hesse Kassel. HENRIETTA HOWARD Despite George and Caroline's amiable marriage the king still took mistresses, the most famous of which was socialite, Henrietta Herbert, Countess of Suffolk (1689 - 1767). Henrietta was Queen Caroline's Mistress of the Robes and, by all accounts, a great friend of her's too. Henrietta was married to politician Charles Howard, Earl of Suffolk, who in 1723, was paid handsomely for his wife's services to the king, when she had to leave court life due to increasing deafness. AMALIE VON WALLMODEN George's longest running affair however was with German courtier, Amalie von Wallmoden (1704 - 1764), whose twenty year affair produced him with a recognised, illegitimate son, Johan Ludwig Graf von Wallmoden - Gimborne (1736 - 1811).

After the birth of their son George honoured Amalie with a life peerage, giving her the title of the Countess of Yarmouth. Amalie would be the last mistress of a British monarch to be awarded such an honour. GEORGE III George was born in London on the 4th of June 1738, the son of the former Prince of Wales, Prince Fredrick and his wife Princess Augusta of Saxe - Gotha. King George III came to the throne upon the death of his grandfather King George II, as his own father and heir to the throne, the former Prince of Wales, had died nine years previously. George was crowned king at Westminster Abbey on the 22nd of September 1761. George III's reign is renowned for two things, the loss of the American colonies that lead to the American War of Independence and subsequent union of the United States of America and the mental illness that dominated the latter years of his life. George died, blind, deaf and insane on the 29th of January 1820 at the age of 81. It is claimed that the king's mental illness was due to the hereditary condition porphyria.

He was later interred at St George's Chapel, Windsor Castle. CHARLOTTE OF MECKLENBURG - STRELITZ George married Charlotte of Mecklenburg - Strelitz (1744 - 1818) on the 6th of September 1761, in London. This was to become a successful marriage that bore fifteen children, one of which would become the future King of Britain and another would become the future King of Hanover. Charlotte was born on the 19th of May 1744 at Mirow in Germany and was the daughter of Duke Charles Louis Fredrick of Mecklenburg - Strelitz and his wife Princess Elizabeth Albertine of Saxe - Hildburghausen, Charlotte was a lover of music and it is said that she was friends with both the composers Bach and Mozart. Another of her friends was the French Princess Marie Antoinette, with whom she had a long and close relationship, until Marie Antoinette's execution in October 1793. Charlotte enjoyed her married life and caring for her children, but was not happy with court life due to the interference and controlling manner of her mother - in - law Princess Augusta.

This led to the King obtaining Buckingham House as their family home, which is better known today as Buckingham Palace, which still remains to this day the official home of the British monarch. During her latter years Charlotte became the legal guardian of the King during his long mental illness. Charlotte died on the 17th of November, 1818 at the age of 74, having been married to the king for fifty nine years, making her the longest serving Queen Consort in the British monarchy and the second longest serving consort after the Duke Of Edinburgh, consort of the present Queen Elisabeth II. She was later interred at St George's Chapel, Windsor Castle. During their long marriage the royal couple produced fifteen children, they were: George - Prince of Wales - (1762 - 1830) - Future Prince Regent and future King George IV of Britain. Married Caroline of Brunswick, they had one daughter, Charlotte, Princess of Wales, but she died in 1817 at the age of twenty one.

Fredrick, Duke of York - (1763 - 1827) - He married Princess Charlotte of Prussia, daughter of Fredrick Willem of Prussia and Elisabeth Christine of Brunswick - Luneburg. Their union was an unhappy one which produced no heirs. William, Duke of Clarence (1763 - 1827) - Future King William IV of England. Charlotte, Princess Royal - (1766 - 1828) - Charlotte married Fredrick of Wurtenberg. Their union produced one stillborn daughter in 1798. Edward, Duke of Kent - (1767 - 1820) - Edward married Princess Victoria of Saxe Coburg Saalfeld. They produced one child, Victoria – (1819 – 1901) who would go on to become the future Queen of England. Augusta Sophia - (1768 - 1820) - Died unmarried and without issue. Elizabeth - (1770 - 1840) - Elizabeth married Fredrick VI of Landgrave Hesse Hanover. They had no issue.

Ernest Augustus, - (1771 - 1851) - Future King of Hanover - He married Fredricka of Mecklenberg Strelitz and produced one child, George – (1819 – 1878), the future King George V of Hanover. Augustua Fredrick, Duke of Sussex - (1773 - 1843) - He married Lady Augusta Murray and produced two children, Augustus – (1794 – 1848) and Augusta – (1801 – 1866). His second marriage was to Cecilia Underwood, the Duchess of Inverness. This union produced no issue. Adolphus, Duke of Cambridge - (1774 - 1850) - He married Augusta of Hesse Cassel. and produced three children, George – (1819 – 1904). Augusta – (1822 – 1916) and Mary Adelaide - (1833 – 1897).

Mary - (1776 - 1857) - Mary married William, Duke of Gloucester, but had no issue. Sophia - (1777 - 1848) - Died unmarried and without issue. Octavius - (1779 - 1783) - Died in infancy. Alfred - (1780 - 1782) - Died in infancy. Amelia - (1783 - 1810). Died unmarried and without issue. GEORGE IV George was born on the 12th of August 1762, at St Jame's Palace in London. He was the first born child of King George III and his wife Queen Charlotte. King George IV came to the throne upon the death of his mentally ill father after his coronation at Westminster Abbey on the 19th of July 1821, but had actually been the Prince Regent in the king's absence since 1810. On a personal level George is best remembered for being selfish, unreliable, irresponsible and frivolous and for the extravagant lifestyle which contributed to the British Regency period of fashion and architecture.

He was also remembered for his close friendship with architect John Nash, who between them produced the two things which the Prince Regent is most famous for, the Royal Pavillion in Brighton and Regents Park in London. George became King in 1821. By the time of his accession he was obese, addicted to laudanum and in the first stages of dementia, although this hardly made a difference to his ability to run the country as he would have been inept had he been of sound mind and body. King George IV died at Windsor Castle on the 26th of June 1830 from the affects of years of over indulgence at the age of sixty nine. He was interred at the castle's St George's Chapel on July the 15th. CAROLINE OF BRUNSWICK In 1785, at the age of 23 George had indulged in a sham marriage to one of his long time mistresses, Maria Fitzherbert (1756 - 1837). The marriage was declared null and void as it had not passed the Royal Marriage Act by way of approval by King George III.

Because of this sham marriage he was ordered to marry Caroline of Brunswick - (1768 - 1821) on the 7th of April 1795, a marriage that was ill matched and lasted just over a year. Caroline was born on the 17th of May 1768 at Braunschweig in Germany and was the daughter of Karl Wilhelm, Duke of Brunswick and his wife Princess Augusta of Britain, the sister of King George III. It has been said that the royal couple had sex just three times, so loathed was George towards his new wife, but three times was enough to produce a daughter,Charlotte (1796 - 1817) who became heir to the throne of Britain. After the birth of the princess, Caroline left the royal court, and the couple never lived together again. Princess Caroline also remained unmarried, as the royal couple had never divorced, but had indulged in many affairs, and eventually left Britain, only to return upon George's accession to the throne, but he refused to recognise Caroline as his Queen.

On the night of King George's coronation, the 21st of July 1821, Caroline was taken ill in her bedchamber. She was ill for three weeks before dying on the 7th of August from an unspecified illness of which Caroline had been sure was poisoning. After her death her body was taken back to her native Brunswick in Germany for burial. Princess Charlotte Augusta of Wales was born at Carlton House in London on the 7th of January 1796. She was the only legitimate child of George, the Prince Regent and his wife Caroline of Brunswick. On the second of May 1816 she married Prince Leopold of Saxe - Coburg - Saalfeld, the future king of Belgium, at a ceremony at Carlton House in London. Eighteen months after her marriage she delivered a stillborn son on the 5th of November 1817 and died the next day on the 6th of November at the age of 21. Charlotte was a well loved princess and her untimely death caused the whole country to go into mourning, especially as her and her son's death had meant the deaths of the next two heirs to the throne.

Charlotte was buried at St George's Chapel in Windsor Castle on the 19th of November as vast crowds of the public lined the streets. MARIA FITZHERBERT George is believed to have conducted at least seven affairs during his lifetime and fathered at least two, possibly four, illegitimate children. His mistresses were actress Mary Robinson, socialite Grace Dalrymple Elliot (1754 - 1823), with whom he had one daughter, Georgina Seymour (1782 -1813), political hostess Lady Elisabeth Lamb, Viscountess Melbourne (1750 - 1818), with whom he had one son, George (1784 - 1834), high flier Frances Villers, the Countess of Jersey (1753 - 1821), courtier Lady Isabella Ingram Seymour Conway, the Marchioness of Hertford (1759 - 1834) and courtier Lady Elizabeth Conyngham (1769 - 1861).

However his longest and most high profile affair was with the twice widowed, Maria Fitzherbert (1756 - 1837) with whom he possibly had two daughters. Maria Anne Smythe was born on the 26th of July 1756 at Tong in Shropshire and was the daughter of Walter Smythe and his wife Mary Anne Errington. At the age of 21, in July 1775, Maria married landowner Edward Weld but would be widowed just three months later when Edward was killed after a fall from his horse. Sometime in 1778 Maria married for a second time, to landowner Thomas Fitzherbert. This union produced one son who died in infancy. Again Maria was soon to be widowed when Thomas died just three years later in May 1781. Maria then moved to London as Thomas had left her a town house in Park Street. Maria met George the Prince of Wales in London in 1784 and was pursued relentlessly by him. She entered into a secret and illegal marriage with him at a ceremony performed at her home in Park Street on the 15th of December 1785.

When George had to formally marry Caroline of Brunswick in 1794 he informed Maria that their affair was over by letter.They were never reconciled as lovers again, despite the fact that George and Caroline's marriage was over within months and Pope Pius VII had declared their marriage valid in 1798. However it would seem that despite taking many lovers throughout his lifetime, George never forgot Maria, as just before his death he asked to be buried with a miniature of Maria around his neck, old love letters between the couple had also been found in his bedchamber. When the king's brother the Duke of Clarence found out about their obvious love for one another he offered Maria a ducal title, but she refused asking only that she may be allowed to wear widow's weeds. Maria died on the 27th of March 1837 at Stein House in Brighton. She was later buried at St John the Baptist Church in Kemp Town, Brighton. It has never been verified if Maria bore George any children during their nine year affair, although there have been rumours that she was seen to be pregnant at least once during that time frame.

Some historians are of the belief that she bore him two daughters which were apparantly adopted by two Scottish families, a Mary Ann Stafford - Jerningham and a Mary Georgina Emma Dawson - Damer. This rumour has further been substantiated after papers were found after her death which read - This paper is addressed to my two dear children, whom I have loved with the affection any mother could do, and I have done the utmost in my power for their interests and comfort. WILLIAM IV William was the third born child of King George III and his wife Queen Charlotte. He was born at Buckingham House, now known as Buckingham Palace, on the 21st of August, 1765. With the death of King George IV and the tragic death of his daughter Charlotte in childbirth in 1817, there was no heir presumptive to follow him onto the throne. The accession was therefore handed over to his younger brother Prince William, Duke of Clarence, who came to the throne at the age of sixty four after a coronation at Westminster Abbey on the 8th of September 1831.

After a successful naval career his reign is best remembered by his political reforms of the day, of which he took an avid interest, by way of overseeing updates of the poor laws, restrictions on child labour, the abolition of slavery and a reformation of the electoral system. William was also the last British monarch to appoint a British prime minister. King William IV died at Windsor Castle on the twentieth of June 1837 from heart failure and was buried at the castle's St George's Chapel on the eighth of July 1837. DOROTHY JORDAN George's ' real ' family was with his long time mistress, the Irish actress Dorothea Jordan (1761 - 1816), with whom he had ten children, all of whom were recognised and all of whom were titled. His twenty year relationship with Dorothea lasted from 1791 until they separated in 1811.

The Duke took over the care of the boys and Dorothea was given a yearly stipend to look after the girls, provided she did not go back onto the stage, but due to family problems in 1814 Dorothea was forced back onto the stage to pay off a family debt. When the Duke heard of this he took away both her daughters and her stipend. To avoid the wrath of creditors Dorothea went to Paris, where she died in 1816, apparently living in abject poverty. Their ten children were all given the surname of FitzClarence. Fitz, which means son or daughter of a royal and Clarence which was the Duke's honorary title from birth. Their children were: George Fitzclarence - 1794 - 1842. Henry Fitzclarence - 1795 - 1817. Sophia Fitzclarence - 1796 - 1837. Mary Fitzclarence - 1798 - 1864.Fredrick Fitzclarence - 1799 - 1854.

Elisabeth Fitzclarence - 1801 - 1856. Adolphus Fitzclarence - 1802 - 1856. Augusta Fitzclarence - 1803 - 1865. Augustus Fitzclarence - 1805 - 1854 and Amelia Fitzclarence - 1807 - 1858. Several of these children went on to produce some very notable descendants, the most famous of which would be future British, Prime Minister David Cameron. ADELAIDE OF SAXE - MEINENGEN William did eventually marry on the eleventh of July 1818, in a double wedding ceremony with his brother Edward the Duke of Kent and his bride Princess Victoria of Leiningen, at a ceremony held at Kew Palace in Surrey. William married Adelaide of Saxe - Meiningen (1792 - 1849 ).

She was born on the 13th of August 1792 in Thuringia, Germany and was the daughter of George I, Duke of Saxe - Meiningen and his wife Luise Eleonore of Hohenlohe - Langenburg. Their marriage, although one of convenience due to the duke's mounting debts, did become a happy and devoted union on both sides. They produced five children during their marriage but non of them would live longer than four months, they were - Princess Charlotte of Clarence, who was born and died in March of 1819. A stillborn son delivered in September 1819. Princess Elisabeth of Clarence who lived between December 1820 and March 1821. And stillborn twin boys who were delivered in April 1822. Adelaide was loved by the British people and very well respected both at court and by the British parliament. She was religious, modest and charitable, and the whole nation mourned with her upon the tragic loss of all her babies. Adelaide was honoured by way of having the South Australian capital city of Adelaide named after her upon it's founding in 1836.

Adelaide died of natural causes on the second of December 1849 at the age of fifty seven and was later interred in St Georges Chapel at Windsor Castle, alongside her husband who had died eight years previously in 1837. VICTORIA With the death of King William in 1837 the British monarchy was left for a second generation without an heir presumptive. This time the royal accession was bestowed upon the eighteen year old daughter of the fourth son of King George III, the eighteen year old Princess Victoria. Victoria was born on the 24th of May 1819 at Kensington Palace in London, the only child of Augustus, Duke of Kent and his wife Princess Victoria of Saxe - Coburg - Saalfeld. Her father the Duke died just a few months after her birth from pneumonia. After a lonely and closeted childhood at the hands of her dominant, widowed mother Victoria was crowned queen at the age of nineteen at Westminster Abbey on the 28th of June 1838 and went on to reign for sixty three years, seven months and two days.

During her reign she oversaw four assassination attempts, the deaths of three of her children, the tenure of twenty prime ministers and witness to more historical, scientific, medical, industrial, political and social reforms than any other British monarch. Her love affair and subsequent marriage to her consort, Prince Albert would become legendary, as would her life's work and historical achievements. No other monarch has had more written about her, more statues dedicated to her, more places named after her or more research done into her life, than Victoria, and she is hailed as the world's most famous ever royal, instantly recognised by all throughout the world. Victoria was widowed in 1861, and went into mourning for the rest of her life, although it is recorded that she did have several male friendships during that time, but whether any of them were romantic relationships is unclear, all that is known is that she definitely had certain male favourites. Her death in 1901 saw the end of the Royal Dynasty of the Royal House of Hanover and the end of Britain's most prolific and historical royal era.

She died of a stroke at Osborne House on the Isle of Wight on the 22nd of January 1901 at the age of eighty one and was interred alongside her husband Prince Albert at the Frogmore Mausoleum in Home Park situated in Windsor Great Park, near Windsor Castle. She was succeeded by her son Prince Edward, who was the first and only monarch of the Royal House of Saxe - Coburg and Gotha. ALBERT OF SAXE - COBURG AND GOTHA Victoria married her cousin Prince Albert of Saxe - Coburg and Gotha - (1819 – 1861) on the 10th of February 1840 at the Chapel Royal in St James' Palace in London. Albert was born on the 26th of August 1819 at Rosenau Castle in Coburg, Germany and was the son of Ernst I, Duke of Saxe Coburg and Gotha and his wife Princess Louise of Saxe Gotha and Altenberg. During his marriage to Victoria Albert was renowned for his many public roles which included helping to make sweeping reforms in education, welfare, royal finances and slavery.

Albert was also passionate about the arts and sciences, leading to his presidency of the Royal Commission for the Great Exhibition of 1851 at Crystal Palace (1850 - 1936) pictured below. He died on the 14th of December 1861 in the Blue Room at Windsor Castle after a recent trip to Cambridge to visit his son Prince Edward the Prince of Wales who had recently been involved in a love scandal with a woman of low repute, which the Queen and Prince Albert feared could have led to financial recriminations. Prince Albert died from what was thought to be typhoid fever at the time of his death, but further research by modern historians are of the impression, due to his last two years of waning health, that he probably died from a chronic illness or even a type of cancer. Due to this Queen Victoria for ever blamed her son for the death of her husband, completely banishing him from her life until her final days when she finally spoke to him and hugged him on her death bed at Osbourne House.

Prince Albert was originally interred at St Georges Chapel, Windsor Castle, then removed to the mausoleum at Frogmore a year later, after Victoria had had the mausoleum commissioned and built in his honour. Victoria and Albert's union produced nine children, one of whom would become the King Of Great Britain and another would become the Empress of Germany. Their children were: Victoria, The Princess Royal - (1840 - 1901) - Who married Fredrick III, Emperor of Germany. They had eight children; Wilhelm – (1859 – 1941). Charlotte – (1860 – 1919). Henry – (1862 – 1929). Sigismund – (1864 – 1866). Viktoria – (1866 – 1929). Waldemar – (1868 – 1879). Sophie – (1870 – 1932) and Margaret – (1872 – 1954).

Albert Edward, The Prince of Wales - (1841 - 1910) - Future King Edward VII of England.Married Alexander, Princess of Denmark and produced nine children. Alice - (1843 - 1878) - She married Louis IV, Grand Duke of Hesse and had seven children; Victoria – (1863 – 1950). Elizaveta – (1864 – 1918). Irene – (1866 – 1953). Ernest – (1868 – 1937). Friedrick – (1870 – 1873). Alexander – (1872 – 1918) and Marie – (1874 – 1878). Alfred, Duke of Saxe Coburg and Gotha - 1844 -1900 - Who married Maria Alexandrovna, Grand Duchess of Russia. They had five children; Alfred – (1874 – 1899). Marie – (1875 – 1938).

Victoria Melita – (1876 –1936). Alexandra – (1878 – 1942) and Beatrice (1884 -1966). Helena - (1846 - 1923) - She married Prince Christian of Schleswig Holstein. and produced four children; Christian – (1867 – 1900). Albert – (1869 – 1931). Helena – (1870 – 1948) and Marie – (1872 – 1956). Louise - (1848 - 1939) - She married John Campbell, the Duke of Argyll. They had no issue. Arthur, Duke of Connaught - (1850 - 1942) - He married Princess Loiuse Margaret of Prussia and had three children; Margaret – (1882 – 1920). Arthur – (1883 – 1938) and Patricia – (1886 – 1974).

Leopold, Duke of Albany - (1853 - 1884) - He married Princess Helena of Waldeck & Pyrmont. They had two children; Alice – (1883 – 1981), who when she died at the age of 97 in 1981 became the oldest ever member of the British Royal Family, a record which still stands to this day. Charles Edward – (1884 – 1954). Beatrice - (1857 - 1944) - She married Prince Henry of Battenberg and had four children; Alexander – (1886 – 1960). Victoria – (1887 – 1969). Leopold – (1889 – 1922) and Maurice – (1891 – 1914).

British Monarchs: George I (House of Hanover) 1714-1727 British Monarchs: George I (House of Hanover) 1714-1727 George I House: House of Hanover Reign: 1714-1727 George I (Georg Ludwig) (28 May 1660 ï¿½ 11 June 1727) was Elector of Hanover from 23 January 1698, and King of Great Britain and King of Ireland from 1 August 1714, until his death. He was also the Archbannerbearer (afterwards Archtreasurer) and a Prince Elector of the Holy Roman Empire. George I, the first Hanoverian monarch of Great Britain and Ireland, was not a native speaker of the English language; instead, he spoke his native German, or French. Since many believed that he was not fluent in English, George I was ridiculed by his British subjects. During his reign, the powers of the monarchy found themselves diminished; the modern system of government by a Cabinet underwent development.

During the later years of his reign, actual power was held by a de facto Prime Minister, Sir Robert Walpole. George I, (1660-1727), elector of Hanover (1698-1727), king of Great Britain and Ireland (1714-1727) George I, (1660-1727), elector of Hanover (1698-1727), king of Great Britain and Ireland (1714-1727) Tweet Second elector of Hanover, inherited the British throne as a great-grandson of James I. His reign saw a marked increase in the power of the king, as George sent much of his time in Hanover, even after gaining the throne of Britain, and never learned English. During his reign Robert Walpole emerged as his chief minister, now considered to be the first Prime Minister. His military career started as early as 1675, serving the empire. He was present in the army that defeated the Turks at the battle of Vienna (12 September 1683), which allowed the Hapsburgs to conquer Hungary.

Within three years of his becoming Elector, the War of the Spanish Succession (1701-1714) broke out. As a member of the Grand Alliance, George raised 10,000 men and five cavalry regiments as his contribution. During the duke of Marlborough's campaign of 1704-5, George and Marlborough became close, reflected in his appointment as captain-general in 1714. George played an active part in the war, commanding the Imperial Army on the Upper Rhine from 1707-1709. On the death of Queen Anne, he became king of Great Britain, but still spent most of his time in Germany, and never became popular in England, although the first Jacobite Revolt (1715) was easily defeated. As king of England, he soon found himself allied with France under Louis XV in the War of the Quadruple Alliance (1718-20), aimed at stopping the union of France and Spain under Philip of Spain, Louis' uncle. From 1721 until his death, George was served by Robert Walpole. Succeeded by George II.

How to cite this article: Rickard, J.

(18 November 2000), George I, (1660-1727), elector of Hanover (1698-1727), king of Great Britain and Ireland (1714-1727), Sir Godfrey Kneller (1646-1723) - George I, King of Great Britain and Ireland, Elector of Hanover (1660–1727) Studio of Sir Godfrey Kneller (1646-1723) George I, King of Great Britain and Ireland, Elector of Hanover (1660–1727) Oil on canvas | RCIN 403401 Studio of Sir Godfrey Kneller (1646-1723) Frame for RCIN 403401, Kneller, George I, King of Great Britain and Ireland, Elector of Hanover Studio of Sir Godfrey Kneller (1646-1723) George I, King of Great Britain and Ireland, Elector of Hanover (1660?1727) References Description Kneller was born in

 Lubeck, studied with Rembrandt in Amsterdam and by 1676 was working in England as a fashionable portrait painter.

He painted seven British monarchs from Charles II to George II (though his portraits of Charles II are not longer in the collection) and in 1715 was the first artist to be made a Baronet (the next was John Everett Millais in 1885). George Louis of Brunswick-Lüneburg succeeded to the British throne on 1 August 1714, at the age of 54. Born in Hanover, the son of a minor German prince, his rise to the throne was the result of the ambitions of his father, Ernest-Augustus, Duke of Brunswick-Lüneburg (1629–98) and the ancestry of his mother, Sophia of the Palatine (1630–1714), granddaughter of James I. He succeeded to the British throne after his mother’s death in June 1714 was closely followed by that of Queen Anne in August of the same year. His arrival in England in September marked only the new King's second visit to his kingdom. Although he had a basic knowledge of English, he preferred conversing in French and regularly returned to his native Hanover, something much criticised by his British subjects.

This portrait is one of several versions of Kneller’s official profile for the coinage marking the beginning of the new reign, painted shortly after the king’s arrival. Like a Roman emperor, the king wears a cape decoratively draped around his armour and is reperesented as ‘Defender of the Faith’, ready to champion, as he had in the past, the Protestant cause. Kneller received payment of £20 for a portrait 'for the coin' in May 1715, though this may have been for the original of this design, this being in all probability a studio replica. Text adapted from The First Georgians: Art and Monarchy 1714-1760, London, 2014 Provenance Presumably painted for George I, though first recorded at Buckingham Palace in 1866 People involved George II Augustus of Hanover (Guelph), King of Great Britain and Ireland, Elector of Hanover (1683 - 1760) - Genealogy About George II, King of Great Britain and Ireland George Augustus Hanover, Naturalized as a British subject in 1705.

Knight, Order of the Garter (K.G.) on 4 April 1706. 1st Viscount Northallerton, co. York [Great Britain] on 9 November 1706. 1st Baron of Tewkesbury, co. Gloucester [Great Britain] on 9 November 1706. 1st Duke of Cambridge [Great Britain] on 9 November 1706. 1st Marquess of Cambridge [Great Britain] on 9 November 1706. 1st Earl of Milford Haven [Great Britain] on 9 November 1706. 1st Duke of Rothesay [Great Britain] on 1 August 1714. 1st Duke of Cornwall [Great Britain] on 1 August 1714. 1st Earl of Chester [Great Britain] on 27 September 171. HRH Prince of Wales [England] on 27 September 1714. King of Great Britain on 28 May 1727.

Crowned King of Great Britain on 11 October 1727 at Westminster Abbey, Westminster, London, England, and styled 'King of Great Britain, France and Ireland, Duke of Brunswick-Luneburg, Elector of Hanover, Defender of the Faith. Links: George II of Great Britain - Wikidata George II of Great Britain British monarch re di Gran Bretagna George II roi de Grande-Bretagne Georges II Elector of Hannover George II Prince of Wales George Augustus König Georg II. Großbritannien King of Great Britain George II Georg II August George II of Great Britain 1 reference Georg II. (Kurfürst von Hannover) 1 reference George II of Great Britain 0 references Cite this page This page was last modified on 10 January 2017, at 16:13. All structured data from the main and property namespace is available under the Creative Commons CC0 License ; text in the other namespaces is available under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike License ; additional terms may apply. By using this site, you agree to the Terms of Use and Privacy Policy.

George I facts, information, pictures | Encyclopedia.com articles about George I COPYRIGHT 2004 The Gale Group Inc. George I George I (1660-1727) was king of Great Britain and Ireland from 1714 to 1727. Founder of the Hanoverian dynasty, he was the first English monarch whose claim to reign depended upon an act of Parliament. Born at Hanover on March 28, 1660, George Lewis, of the house of Brunswick-Lüneburg, was the son of Ernest Augustus and Sophia, granddaughter of James I of England. George's marriage to his cousin Sophia Dorothea in 1682 united the Hanoverian possessions of the house of Brunswick. He answered his wife's suspected infidelity by divorcing her in 1694 and confining her to her castle for life. He succeeded his father as elector of Hanover in 1698. George's role in British history stemmed from two circumstances: he was the great-grandson of James I, and he was a Protestant.

In 1701 the English Parliament, recognizing that neither William III nor his successor, Anne, would leave an heir and fearing reversion of the crown to a Roman Catholic, passed the Act of Settlement; it conferred the inheritance on Sophia of Hanover and "the heirs of her body being Protestants." By this statute George became king in 1714—to the exclusion of some 57 persons with superior hereditary claims. Understandably, George proved unpopular in Britain. A shy, rather sour man, he preferred to avoid crowds and royal pageantry. Ignorant of the language, bereft of intellectual gifts, and unmoved by the arts, save music, he showed no appreciation of English culture. Hanover remained undisguisedly his first love. He showered his German mistresses with estates and pensions and showed favoritism to his German courtiers. In foreign affairs he was rightly suspected of giving priority to the interests of Hanover, but fortunately those interests were usually congruent with Britain's. Yet, fundamentally, George I was the right man at the right time for Britain. He possessed a quality the Stuart kings had lacked—steadiness.

He knew his friends from his enemies and rewarded them accordingly; nothing was more essential in defending the new dynasty against treason. He quickly learned to find his ministers among the Whigs, who had supported his succession to the throne. Though ignorant of English politics, George I did have experience in European foreign affairs. For 6 years he relied chiefly on his Hanoverian ministers, Bernstorff and Bothmer; the English ministers, led by Lords Townshend and Stanhope, usually had to work through the German advisers on matters requiring royal assent. The main weakness of this arrangement lay in its tendency to isolate the King's government from its parliamentary support. When the King visited Hanover in 1716, his most influential men in Parliament, Townshend and Sir Robert Walpole, were left behind and fell victim to intrigue. Blamed for opposing the King's foreign policy and, quite unfairly, for conniving with George's son, the Prince of Wales, Townshend lost royal favor and resigned in April 1717. Walpole followed him. Finding allies among the Tories, they led a vigorous parliamentary opposition. The lively court of the Prince of Wales became a gathering place of dissident politicians.

Although the government, increasingly dominated by Bernstorff until 1719, survived these onslaughts, the political turmoil provoked by the outcast Whigs goaded the King into action. It has been said that George I reigned but did not rule. However, he could be energetic and ruthless when his power seemed threatened. To overshadow the prince's court, he suppressed his aversion to courtly entertainments and conversed with ambitious men. The King's inability to speak English was not a serious hindrance; nearly everyone at court was fluent in French. In 1720 the bursting of the "South Sea Bubble" raised stormy protests in Parliament. The goverment badly needed men who could tame the House of Commons, and chief among these was Walpole. Gaining access to George I through his aging but most trusted mistress, Madame Schulenberg, now Duchess of Kendal, Walpole and Townshend successfully negotiated a reentry to office. By 1722 Walpole was the King's leading minister and retained royal confidence to the end. George I died suddenly of a stroke on June 11, 1727, while journeying to Hanover.

Unmourned by his family and his English subjects, he had nevertheless done his duty. His instincts were authoritarian, yet he had managed to stifle rebellion without imposing tyranny. Above all, he learned to accommodate himself to a system of constitutional rule that the more energetic William III had found frustrating and distasteful. Further Reading The most penetrating account of George I's relationship with his ministers can be found in J. H. Plumb, Sir Robert Walpole (2 vols., 1956-1961). A detailed history of the reign by Wolfgang Michael is partially translated from the German under the title England under George I (2 vols., 1936-1939). John M. Beattie, The English Court in the Reign of George I (1967), contains a valuable chapter on the court in politics. Additional Sources Hatton, Ragnhild Marie, George I, elector and king, Cambridge, Mass.: Harvard University Press, 1978. Mangan, J. J., The king's favour: three eighteenth century monarchs and the favourites who ruled them, New York: St. Martin's Press, 1991.

□ Cite this article Pick a style below, and copy the text for your bibliography. MLA George I (Great Britain) (1660–1727; Ruled 1714–1727) Europe, 1450 to 1789: Encyclopedia of the Early Modern World COPYRIGHT 2004 The Gale Group Inc. GEORGE I ( GREAT BRITAIN ) (1660–1727; ruled 1714–1727) GEORGE I (GREAT BRITAIN) (1660–1727; ruled 1714–1727), king of Great Britain and Ireland . George I, who was also elector of Hanover (1698–1727), was the first of the Hanoverian dynasty to rule in Britain .

Unlike William III (ruled 1689–1702), who seized power in 1688–1689 and who was familiar with English politics and politicians from earlier visits, marriage into the English royal family, and extensive intervention in English domestic politics, George knew relatively little of England . His failure to learn English and his obvious preference for Hanover further contributed to this sense of alien rule. It was exacerbated by a sense that the preference for Hanover entailed an abandonment of British national interests, as resources were expended for the aggrandizement of Hanover and as the entire direction of British foreign policy was set accordingly. Within five years of his accession, George was at war with Spain , was close to war with Russia , and, having divided the Whigs and proscribed the Tories, was seeking to implement a controversial legislative program. Allied with France from 1716, George pursued a foreign policy that struck little resonance with the political experiences and xenophobic traditions of his British subjects. On the other hand, George's reign was not so much the wholesale Hanoverian takeover that some feared. Despite periodic rows about Hanoverian interests, George did not swamp Britain with German ministers or systems.

Instead, he adapted to British institutions, conforming to the Church of England despite his strong Lutheranism. Even his dispute with his son, later George II (ruled 1727–1760), in 1717–1720 fitted into a parliamentary framework with court and Leicester house parties at Westminster. And the failure of the Jacobite rising of the Old Pretender, James Edward Stuart (1688–1766), in 1715 indicated early in his reign that the establishment on which George depended was determined in turn to maintain his rule. George's place in politics was not of his choosing but was instead a consequence of the limitations in royal authority and power that stemmed from the Glorious Revolution of 1688–1689 and subsequent changes. George was sensible enough to adapt and survive. Unlike James II (ruled 1685–1688), he was a pragmatist who did not have an agenda for Britain other than helping Hanover. In part this was a sensible response to circumstances and in part a complacency that arose from diffidence, honesty, and dullness.

George lacked the decisiveness, charisma, and wiliness of Louis XIV (ruled 1643–1715) of France and Peter the Great (ruled 1682–1725) of Russia. As an individual George was a figure of suspicion because of the incarceration of his adulterous wife, Sophia Dorothea, and the disappearance in 1694 of her lover, Philipp Christoph von Königsmarch, and because of rumors about his own personal life. His choleric quarrel with the future George II also attracted attention. George I enjoyed drilling his troops and hunting. When he could, he had fought, including in 1675–1678 in the Dutch war against Louis XIV and in 1683–1685 against the Turks in Hungary . He had led forces into Holstein in 1700, led an invasion of Wolfenbüttel in 1702, and commanded on the Rhine against Louis XIV's forces in the War of the Spanish Succession (1701–1714).

George's reliance on the Whigs and antipathy toward the Tories was more important, as it limited his room for political maneuver. In 1720 George had to accommodate himself to Robert Walpole (1676–1745), the leading opposition Whig, but it is also clear that Walpole had to adapt to George. In 1720 George was also reconciled with his son, but only to the extent of a mutual coldness. George refused to have his son as regent in England during his trips to Hanover in 1723, 1725, and 1727, on the last of which he died en route. He also turned down his son's request for a military post in any European conflict that might involve Britain. George showed both political skills and a sense of responsibility during his reign. An incompetent and unyielding monarch might well have led to the end of Hanoverian rule in Britain, but at George's death in 1727 there was no question that the succession would pass anywhere other than to his son. See also George II (Great Britain) ; Hanoverian Dynasty(Great Britain) ; Jacobitism .

BIBLIOGRAPHY The Oxford Companion to British History © The Oxford Companion to British History 2002, originally published by Oxford University Press 2002. George I (1660–1727), king of Great Britain and Ireland (1714–27) and elector of Hanover. George was the eldest son of Ernest Augustus, elector of Hanover (1692–8), and of Sophia , granddaughter of James I of England , who herself became heir to the British throne by the 1701 Act of Settlement . She died on 8 June 1714, and George succeeded peacefully on 1 August upon the death of Queen Anne. Having established links with the Whig Party before his succession, largely because of their mutual opposition to the Tory peace with France at Utrecht in 1713, George favoured a Whig administration, though he did employ a handful of senior Tories until the Jacobite Rebellion in 1715 led to the proscription of that party. The Whigs won the general election of 1715, and established their supremacy for the next four and a half decades.

Though unpopular, George's position was never seriously threatened either by the rebellion of 1715 or by the Jacobite plots of 1719 and 1722. In fact these episodes served only to strengthen the Hanoverian succession. George appears to have been diligent in politics, especially in his chosen fields of foreign affairs, diplomacy (he helped to negotiate the Quadruple Alliance of 1718), and the army, over which he insisted on keeping control. His court was private and he much preferred the company of his German ministers to his British advisers, as well as that of the duchess of Kendal and the countess of Darlington. These two were long thought to have been his mistresses, and indeed Kendal was from 1691, but she may also have later been his morganatic wife (he had divorced his wife Sophia Dorothea in 1694 for adultery and imprisoned her for life). Darlington, however, was his half-sister. Contrary to long-established views, George did attend cabinet meetings throughout his reign.

The language he commonly used with his ministers was French but he arrived with a smattering of English and knew sufficient to write and converse in it by the end of his reign. However, he rarely attended Parliament and never debates in the House of Lords ‘incognito’ as had some of his predecessors, such as Charles II and Anne. Relations between George and his son, the prince of Wales (later George II), were often strained, and in 1717 a violent quarrel erupted. The prince and his wife were expelled from the court (their children were kept by the king) and set up a rival one in Leicester House . This quarrel coincided with the Whig schism in which Walpole and Townshend left the ministry of Sunderland and Stanhope . In April 1720 the royal quarrel was patched up as a cover for the reconciliation of the ministry with the schismatic Whigs. George frequently returned to Hanover in the summer months. The king's attachment to his electorate and its presumed prominent influence on English foreign policy (as well as the interference of the German ministers at the English court) created a good deal of friction.

George, however, was close to some of his English ministers, particularly Stanhope, who looked after foreign policy, and Sunderland. It was the king's attachment to the latter which kept him in power after the bursting of the South Sea bubble in 1720 (the most serious crisis of the reign) and Stanhope's untimely death in 1721. Sunderland had arranged for fraudulent South Sea shares to be given to the king, and had overseen the distribution of douceurs in Parliament to help things along. George and his chief minister had to stick together in the ensuing crisis, and managed to weather the storm. Sunderland's unexpected death in April 1722 forced George to accept Walpole (whose acumen in salvaging the financial disaster had saved the dynasty) and Townshend as his chief ministers, though Carteret (a protégé of Sunderland) was to remain a serious contender for power for a further two years. George's reign ended with domestic affairs entering a period of quiet, while abroad Britain was recognized as the major arbiter of the balance of power. He died of a stroke on 20 June 1727 at Osnabrück.

Clyve Jones George I (king of Great Britain and Ireland) The Columbia Encyclopedia, 6th ed. Copyright The Columbia University Press George I (George Louis), 1660–1727, king of Great Britain and Ireland (1714–27); son of Sophia , electress of Hanover, and great-grandson of James I. He became (1698) elector of Hanover, fought in the War of the Spanish Succession, and in 1714 succeeded Queen Anne under the provisions of the Act of Settlement , becoming the first British sovereign of the house of Hanover . He was personally unpopular in England because of his German manners, his German mistresses (see Schulenburg, Ehrengard Melusina von der, duchess of Kendal ), his treatment of his divorced wife, Sophia Dorothea , and his inability to speak English. George's dual role as elector of Hanover and king of England also raised problems; he spent much of his time in Hanover and was widely (although unjustly) believed to be indifferent to English affairs.

Yet, despite the uprising of the Jacobites in 1715, his crown was never in danger, for he stood to Englishmen as the guarantee of the "revolution settlement" against a return of the Roman Catholic Stuarts. George's succession brought the Whigs to power, and the early years of his reign saw constant maneuvering for power among his ministers—the 1st Earl Stanhope , the 3d earl of Sunderland , Viscount Townshend , and Robert Walpole . The principal achievement of these years was the Quadruple Alliance of 1718, which provided an international guarantee of the Hanoverian succession and the status quo of the Peace of Utrecht (1713). Rising to power in the South Sea Bubble crisis, Walpole dominated the end of the reign, beginning his long tenure as virtual prime minister. George was succeeded by his son, George II. See biography by J. H. Plumb, The First Four Georges (1956); A. Redman, The House of Hanover (1960, repr. 1968); B. Williams, The Whig Supremacy, 1714–60 (2d ed.

1962); R. Hatton, George the First: Elector and King (1978). Cite this article George I (king of Greece) The Columbia Encyclopedia, 6th ed. Copyright The Columbia University Press George I, 1845–1913, king of the Hellenes (1863–1913), second son of Christian IX of Denmark. After the deposition (1862) of Otto I , he was elected to succeed on the throne of Greece. Much more effective than his predecessor, George introduced (1864) a democratic constitution, acquired (1881) Thessaly and part of Epirus from Turkey, and in 1897 declared war on Turkey in order to aid the insurrection in Crete . Although badly defeated, George's close contacts with most of the ruling houses of Europe helped prevent Turkey from imposing a harsh peace settlement. George saw Greece through the first of the Balkan Wars , during which Macedonia was gained, but was assassinated before the outbreak of the second. Harilaos Trikoupis and Eleutherios Venizelos were the outstanding political figure in George's reign.

George married Grand Duchess Olga, a niece of Alexander II of Russia. He was succeeded by his son Constantine I . Cite this article House of Hanover | British royal house | Britannica.com British royal house Germany House of Hanover, British royal house of German origin, descended from George Louis, elector of Hanover , who succeeded to the British crown, as George I , in 1714. The dynasty provided six monarchs: George I (reigned 1714–27), George II (reigned 1727–60), George III (reigned 1760–1820), George IV (reigned 1820–30), William IV (reigned 1830–37), and Victoria (reigned 1837–1901). It was succeeded by the house of Saxe-Coburg-Gotha, which was renamed in 1917 the house of Windsor . After the English Revolution of 1688–89, the Act of Settlement of 1701 secured the English crown to Protestants.

It made Anne (of the house of Stuart) the heir presumptive; and, if she lacked issue, the crown was to go to Sophia , electress of Hanover (granddaughter of James I), and her descendants, passing over many Roman Catholics in the normal line of succession. The electress predeceased Anne by two months, and the crown went to Sophia’s son, George I. The first two Georges were considered foreigners, especially by many Scots, and in 1715 and 1745 the Stuart claimants—James Edward, the Old Pretender, and Charles Edward, the Young Pretender—vainly attempted to regain the throne. George III, born in England, achieved wider British recognition. Hanover (an electorate, which became a kingdom in 1814) was joined to the British crown until 1837. In that year Victoria inherited the British crown but, by continental Salic Law , was barred as a woman from succession to Hanover, which went to William IV’s brother, Ernest Augustus , duke of Cumberland. Overview of Queen Victoria’s reign. Contunico © ZDF Enterprises GmbH, Mainz Learn More in these related articles: in United Kingdom

Question: Which British monarch was 'Elector of Hanover' from 1698-1727?
Answer: GEORGE I