Divorced, Beheaded, Died: The History of Britain's Kings and Queens in Bite-Sized Chunks by Kevin Flude Page B
Authors: Kevin Flude
Tags: Historical, History, Biography & Autobiography, Reference, Europe, Great Britain, Royalty, Queens
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of James I in 1603, but now the two countries were united as the Kingdom of Great Britain.
Anne’s reign was also dominated by the War of Spanish Succession, with England supporting Archduke Charles in his efforts to claim the Spanish throne. She placed the brilliant Duke of Marlborough in charge of English forces, and he had success after success. The Battle of Blenheim in 1704 is considered to be one of the turning points in European history, one that prevented France from dominating Europe. As the war became more unpopular at home, Anne fell out with her Whig supporters and turned to the Tories instead, forcing Marlborough out of power. However, the war ended in 1713, with the Treaty of Utrecht, with Britain gaining some considerable territory in North America and the right to ship slaves to the Spanish colonies. Anne died a year later in 1714 due to complications from gout.
The House of Hanover
George the First was always reckon’d
Vile – but viler George the Second;
And what mortal ever heard
Any good of George the Third?
When from earth the Fourth descended,
God be praised, the Georges ended.
W. S. Landor
This poem may be a little cruel but the Georges were not popular. Germans from Hanover, they only got the job because they were Protestant. William IV was perhaps the most pleasant of them, but it was Queen Victoria who undoubtedly saved the dynasty’s reputation and restored respect for the royals. However, as a woman she could not rule Hanover itself, which became once more independent of England. Victoria married Albert of Saxe-Coburg-Gotha, another small independent state in Germany, thus renaming the dynasty. This name stayed in use until the First World War, through the reign of Edward VII and part of the reign of George V.
G EORGE I
Reigned 1714–1727
George was born in Hanover in 1660 to the Duke of Brunswick and Sophia Stuart. He was fifty-eighth in line to the throne when Queen Anne died, but the first fifty-seven were Catholic, so the throne was passed to him as the senior member of the Protestant branch of the family, which was descended from James I’s daughter, Elizabeth.
George would rather have stayed in Hanover, and the British were less than delighted with a fifty-four-year-old king who could speak virtually no English. He had proved his leadership qualities in battle and government back in Hanover, but he was perceived as dull, lacking in appropriate manners and used to unlimited power. He kept his beautiful but unfaithful wife, Sophia Dorothea, with whom he had two children, incarcerated until her death, and he was accused of murdering her lover. He brought his German mistress, Melusine von der Schulenburg (nicknamed ‘Maypole’ because she was very tall and thin), to England and fathered three royal bastards by her. His half-sister, Baroness Sophia von Kielmansegg, was also alleged to be his lover. She was nicknamed ‘the Elephant’ as she was short and fat.
Despite the criticisms against him, however, George evidently had a cool head, because he steered the country through a series of difficult crises. He stood firm during the Jacobite uprising of 1715, when the Scots rose in support of the Catholic James Stuart, the Old Pretender, son of James II. Riots broke out in major cities and an invasion force marched as far south as Preston in Lancashire, failed to raise sufficient recruits and was easily defeated in the last battle ever to take place on English soil.
The rebellion had been supported by many Tories, leaving the King dependent upon the Whigs. His lack of familiarity with the British system, poor grasp of English and frequent trips to Hanover increased the independence of his ministers, although George still insisted on controlling foreign affairs and exercised his powers of patronage to influence Parliament. He was further weakened by the creation of an opposition of dissident Whigs that formed around the King’s son, Prince George, who hated his father
Anne’s reign was also dominated by the War of Spanish Succession, with England supporting Archduke Charles in his efforts to claim the Spanish throne. She placed the brilliant Duke of Marlborough in charge of English forces, and he had success after success. The Battle of Blenheim in 1704 is considered to be one of the turning points in European history, one that prevented France from dominating Europe. As the war became more unpopular at home, Anne fell out with her Whig supporters and turned to the Tories instead, forcing Marlborough out of power. However, the war ended in 1713, with the Treaty of Utrecht, with Britain gaining some considerable territory in North America and the right to ship slaves to the Spanish colonies. Anne died a year later in 1714 due to complications from gout.
The House of Hanover
George the First was always reckon’d
Vile – but viler George the Second;
And what mortal ever heard
Any good of George the Third?
When from earth the Fourth descended,
God be praised, the Georges ended.
W. S. Landor
This poem may be a little cruel but the Georges were not popular. Germans from Hanover, they only got the job because they were Protestant. William IV was perhaps the most pleasant of them, but it was Queen Victoria who undoubtedly saved the dynasty’s reputation and restored respect for the royals. However, as a woman she could not rule Hanover itself, which became once more independent of England. Victoria married Albert of Saxe-Coburg-Gotha, another small independent state in Germany, thus renaming the dynasty. This name stayed in use until the First World War, through the reign of Edward VII and part of the reign of George V.
G EORGE I
Reigned 1714–1727
George was born in Hanover in 1660 to the Duke of Brunswick and Sophia Stuart. He was fifty-eighth in line to the throne when Queen Anne died, but the first fifty-seven were Catholic, so the throne was passed to him as the senior member of the Protestant branch of the family, which was descended from James I’s daughter, Elizabeth.
George would rather have stayed in Hanover, and the British were less than delighted with a fifty-four-year-old king who could speak virtually no English. He had proved his leadership qualities in battle and government back in Hanover, but he was perceived as dull, lacking in appropriate manners and used to unlimited power. He kept his beautiful but unfaithful wife, Sophia Dorothea, with whom he had two children, incarcerated until her death, and he was accused of murdering her lover. He brought his German mistress, Melusine von der Schulenburg (nicknamed ‘Maypole’ because she was very tall and thin), to England and fathered three royal bastards by her. His half-sister, Baroness Sophia von Kielmansegg, was also alleged to be his lover. She was nicknamed ‘the Elephant’ as she was short and fat.
Despite the criticisms against him, however, George evidently had a cool head, because he steered the country through a series of difficult crises. He stood firm during the Jacobite uprising of 1715, when the Scots rose in support of the Catholic James Stuart, the Old Pretender, son of James II. Riots broke out in major cities and an invasion force marched as far south as Preston in Lancashire, failed to raise sufficient recruits and was easily defeated in the last battle ever to take place on English soil.
The rebellion had been supported by many Tories, leaving the King dependent upon the Whigs. His lack of familiarity with the British system, poor grasp of English and frequent trips to Hanover increased the independence of his ministers, although George still insisted on controlling foreign affairs and exercised his powers of patronage to influence Parliament. He was further weakened by the creation of an opposition of dissident Whigs that formed around the King’s son, Prince George, who hated his father
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