Rising from Elector of Hanover to the King of England at the age of 54, George I's ascension marked the beginning of the rule of the House of Hanover.
The reign of George I marked a turning point in the British Monarchy. Although not the first foreign monarch, he was the first of the House of Hanover to rule, a line that would sit on the English throne until 1901. He inadvertently began the reliance on a strong cabinet, which would later evolve into the modern constitutional monarchy that rules England today. And lastly, his hostile relationship with his son would become a family trait that would plague the House of Hanover for generations to come.
Elector of Hanover
Born George Lewis in 1660 in Hanover, Germany, he was originally the elector of Hanover and not the heir to the British throne. However, in 1701, England passed the Act of Succession, declaring that if Queen Anne died without an heir, the crown would pass to George’s mother, the Electress Sophia. Apparently, the British preferred a foreign, protestant king over the most direct heir, the Catholic James Francis Edward Stuart.
It has been said that George was brave but not very bright and that he preferred his mistresses to the company of his wife. Just two years after his marriage in 1692, his wife was caught in an affair and imprisoned in the Castle of Ahlden for the rest of her life, but not before bearing him two children - George Augustus (the future George II) and Sophia Dorothea. George forbade Sophia from ever seeing her children again, causing a rift between father and son that would never be breached. Showing a remarkable double standard, George reported already had two children by his mistress and kept two mistresses publicly during his reign.
Rise to the British Throne
George’s mother, Sophia, died just two months before Queen Anne, never realizing her dream of being Queen of Britain. However, George, at the age of 54, ascended to the throne in 1714. He arrived in England with his entourage, two mistresses and with without the ability to speak the English language, a disadvantage he failed to rectify. George was not a patron of the arts (with the exception of music and was a strong supporter of the composer Handel), disdained most things British, and spent as much time as possible in Hanover.
In 1715, the Jacobite faction in England attempted to overthrow George’s government and return James Stuart to the throne. However, the rebellion was unsuccessful and James did not even arrive in Scotland until the revolt was over. He returned to France in 1716.
Political Polarization
In an attempt to keep the Tory party (who were Jacobite supporters) out of power, George I backed the Whig party and chose the leader of the government from among them. Despite a distrust of the man, Robert Walpole had been established as Prime Minister and rose to political fame with his handling of the burst of the South Sea Bubble. The company had been set up in 1711 and was based primarily on speculation. When the company went bust in 1720, most of the investors went bankrupt and Walpole struggled to restore faith in the government. His success put him at the pinnacle of power for the next 20 years.
This political polarization did nothing to thaw the icy relations between father and son and indirectly led to the power of the Cabinet, as George I preferred to leave the running of the county to his ministers rather than his son during his frequent trips abroad. George II was banished from St. James Palace in 1717, forbidden to see his children and it was said that any friendship with his son was a direct insult to the king. In retaliation, George II courted the Tory party and established his own court at Leicester House.
Hanover is Where the Heart Is
Just as George I preferred to stay out of England, he also preferred to stay out of entanglements in the rest of Europe, bringing a period of peace to the continent that would last until the reign of his son. The main focus of his rule, at least early on, was to strengthen the position of Hanover against the Swedish. The first Hanovarian ruler died in 1727 of a stroke on the way to visit his German home. He was buried in Leinescsholl church in Hanover, the first British ruler since Robert I not buried in Great Britain.
For Further Reading
- Ashley, Mike The Mammoth Book of British Kings & Queens Carroll & Graf, New York, NY 1998. Pgs. 668-674
- Cannon, John & Hargreaves, Anne The Kings and Queens of Britain Oxford University Press, New York, NY 2001. Pgs. 315-316
- Farquhar, Michael A Treasury of Royal Scandals Penguin Books, New York, NY 2001. Pgs. 21-22 & 151-152
- English History: George I
- The House of Hanover
- George I (1714-1727 AD)
- Historic Figures: George I
