- 1714-1727: King of Great Britain and Ireland
- 1698-1727: Elector of Hanover
- George I Louis Hanover, King of Great Britain
George I Louis Hanover, King of Great Britain, King of Great Britain, was born 28 May 1660 in Osnabrück, Lower Saxony, Germany to Ernst August von Braunschweig-Calenberg (1629-1698) and Sophie von der Pfalz (1630-1714) and died 11 June 1727 Osnabrück, Lower Saxony, Germany of Stroke.
Biography
Sketch map of Hanover, c. 1720, showing the relative locations of Hanover, Brunswick-Wolfenbüttel, and the Prince-Bishopric of Osnabrück. During George's lifetime Hanover acquired Lauenburg and Bremen-Verden.
He was the son of Ernst August, Elector of Hanover, and Sophia of the Palatinate, a granddaughter of King James I of England. George's father was a leading German prince who later became the first Elector of Hanover.
George became Elector of Hanover in 1698 and was made a Knight of the Garter by King William III of England in 1699. He supported the War of the Spanish Succession and fought on the side of the Holy Roman Empire against France.
In 1714, Queen Anne of England died without an heir, and George was next in line to the throne. He became King George I of Great Britain, the first monarch of the House of Hanover, on August 1, 1714. He was already 54 years old at the time and spoke little English.
Map of British Empire circa 1720, includes British Isles, American Colonies, Bermuda, The Bahamas, and Jamaica.
George's reign was marked by a series of political struggles with the Whigs and Tories, the two major political parties in England at the time. He relied heavily on his chief minister, Robert Walpole, to manage the government and secure his power. George's relationship with his son and heir, Prince George Augustus (later King George II), was also fraught with tension and conflict.
During his reign, George I established the first modern Cabinet system of government in England, in which the monarch appointed a group of ministers to advise and assist him in governing the country. He also presided over the Act of Settlement, which secured the Protestant succession to the throne and excluded Roman Catholics from the line of succession.
George I died on June 11, 1727, while visiting Hanover. He was succeeded by his son, George Augustus, who became King George II of Great Britain.
Marriages and Family
1st Marriage: Sophie Dorothea
In 1682, George married his cousin Sophia Dorothea of Celle, but their marriage was unhappy, and they separated in 1694. Sophia Dorothea was imprisoned in the Castle of Ahlden for the rest of her life, and George never saw her again.
- George II of Great Britain (1683-1760) - successor to father as King of Great Britain
- Sophie Dorothea von Hannover (1687-1757) - Married 1706 Frederick William, Margrave of Brandenburg (later Frederick William I of Prussia); had issue
Mistress: Melusine von der Schulenburg
By his relationship with Ermengarde Melusina von der Schulenberg (1667-1743), George had 3 additional children:
- Anna Luise Sophie von der Schulenburg, Countess of Dölitz (1692-1773) - Married 1707 Ernst August Philipp von dem Bussche-Ippenburg (divorced before 1714); created Countess of Delitz by Charles VI, Holy Roman Emperor, in 1722
- Melusina von der Schulenburg, Countess of Walsingham (1693-1778) - Created Countess of Walsingham for life; married 1733 Philip Stanhope, 4th Earl of Chesterfield; no issue
- Margarete Gertrud von Oeynhausen (1701-1726) - Married 1722 Albrecht Wolfgang, Count of Schaumburg-Lippe
Other Mistresses
In addition to Melusine von der Schulenburg, three other women were said to be George's mistresses:[1][2]
- Leonora von Meyseburg-Züschen, widow of a Chamberlain at the court of Hanover, and secondly married to Lieutenant-General de Weyhe. Leonore was the sister of Clara Elisabeth von Meyseburg-Züschen, Countess von Platen, who had been the mistress of George I's father, Ernest Augustus, Elector of Hanover.[2]
- Sophia Charlotte von Platen, later Countess of Darlington (1673 – 20 April 1725), shown by Ragnhild Hatton in 1978 to have been George's half-sister and not his mistress.[3]
- Baroness Sophie Caroline Eva Antoinette von Offeln (2 November 1669 – 23 January 1726),[1] known as the "Young Countess von Platen", she married Count Ernst August von Platen, the brother of Sophia Charlotte, in 1697.[2]
Children
| Name | Birth | Death | Joined with |
| George II of Great Britain (1683-1760) | 30 October 1683 Herrenhausen Gardens, Hanover, Lower Saxony, Germany | 25 October 1760 Kensington Palace, London, England, United Kingdom | Wilhelmine Karoline of Brandenburg-Ansbach (1683-1737) Amalie Sophie Marianne von Wendt (1704-1765) |
| Sophie Dorothea von Hannover (1687-1757) | 1687 | 1757 Monbijou, Germany | Friedrich Wilhelm I. in Preußen (1688-1740) |
| Name | Birth | Death | Joined with |
| Anna Luise Sophie von der Schulenburg, Countess of Dölitz (1692-1773) | |||
| Melusina von der Schulenburg, Countess of Walsingham (1693-1778) | |||
| Margarete Gertrud von Oeynhausen (1701-1726) | 1701 | 1726 | Albrecht Wolfgang von Schaumburg-Lippe (1699-1748) |
Siblings
| Name | Birth | Death | Joined with |
| George I of Great Britain (1660-1727) | 28 May 1660 Osnabrück, Lower Saxony, Germany | 11 June 1727 Osnabrück, Lower Saxony, Germany | Sophie Dorothea von Braunschweig-Lüneburg (1666-1726) Ermengarde Melusina von der Schulenberg (1667-1743) |
| Friedrich August von Hannover (1661-1690) | |||
| Maximilian Wilhelm von Hannover (1666-1726) | |||
| Sophie Charlotte von Hannover (1668-1705) | 12 October 1668 Bad Iburg, Osnabrück District, Lower Saxony, Germany | 1 February 1705 Hanover, Lower Saxony, Germany | Friedrich I. in Preußen (1657-1713) |
| Karl Philipp von Hannover (1669-1690) | |||
| Christian von Hannover (1671-1703) | |||
| Ernest Augustus, Duke of York and Albany (1674-1728) | 7 September 1674 Osnabrück, Lower Saxony, Germany | 14 August 1728 Osnabrück, Lower Saxony, Germany | |
| Name | Birth | Death | Joined with |
| Ernst August von Platen-Hallermund (1674-1726) | |||
| Sophia Charlotte von Platen-Hallermund (1675-1725) | 1675 | 20 April 1725 | Johan Adolph IV. von Kielmansegg (1668-1717) |
- George Welf - disambiguation
- Welf Family
- Welf in Hanover -
Bibliography
- Black, Jeremy (2001). Walpole in Power. Stroud, UK: Sutton Publishing. ISBN 978-0-7509-2523-5.
- Carswell, John (1960). The South Sea Bubble. London: Cresset Press.
- Dickinson, H. T. (1973). Walpole and the Whig Supremacy. Introduced by A. L. Rowse. London: The English Universities Press. ISBN 978-0-340-11515-2.
- Erleigh, Viscount (1933). The South Sea Bubble. Manchester: Peter Davies Ltd.
- Gibbs (September 2004). "George I (1660–1727)". Oxford Dictionary of National Biography (online ed.). Oxford University Press. doi:10.1093/ref:odnb/10538. (subscription or UK public library membership required)
- Hatton, Ragnhild (1978). George I: Elector and King. London: Thames and Hudson. ISBN 978-0-500-25060-0.
- Plumb, John H. (1956). The First Four Georges. Batsford.
- Smith, Hannah (2006). Georgian Monarchy: Politics and Culture, 1714–1760. Cambridge University Press. ISBN 978-0-521-82876-5.
- Williams, Basil (1962). The Whig Supremacy 1714–1760. Revised by C.H. Stuart (2nd ed.). Oxford: Oxford University Press.
External Links
- wikipedia:en:George I of Great Britain
- George I of Great Britain at thePeerage
- George I of Great Britain, Geni.com, https://www.geni.com/people/George-I-King-of-Great-Britain-and-Ireland/6000000017824487111, retrieved 01 May 2023
- George I of Great Britain at Find A Grave
- George I at the official website of the British monarchy
- George I at the official website of the Royal Collection Trust
- George I at BBC History
- Portraits of King George I at the National Portrait Gallery, London
Ancestry Trees
- Charlemagne Family Ancestry
- Rurik Family Ancestry
- Rollo Family Ancestry
- Alfred the Great Family Ancestry
- House of Hanover
- Plantagenet Family Line
- Capetian dynasty
Contemporary References
Some of the best contemporary references for George Louis I of Hanover, include:
- Memoirs of the Reign of King George the First by John, Lord Hervey - Lord Hervey was a courtier and politician who served as a close advisor to George I. His memoirs provide a detailed and often critical account of the king's personal life and political reign.
- The Correspondence of George, Prince of Wales, 1703-1727 edited by A. Aspinall - This collection of letters between George I and his son, Prince George Augustus, provides insight into their often strained relationship and the political and personal conflicts between them.
- A Journal of the Reign of King George the First, 1714-1727 by Peter Wentworth - Wentworth was an MP and courtier who kept a detailed journal during the reign of George I. His journal provides a unique perspective on the political and social events of the time.
- The Letters of Philip Dormer Stanhope, Earl of Chesterfield, 1714-1773 edited by Bonamy Dobree - Chesterfield was a politician and writer who corresponded with many prominent figures of the time, including George I. His letters provide insight into the political and cultural climate of the early 18th century.
- The Memoirs of the Duke of Berwick, 1714-1734 by James FitzJames - FitzJames was a prominent military commander and illegitimate son of King James II. His memoirs cover the reigns of both George I and George II and provide a firsthand account of military and political events during the period.
Original Citations
Letter of Lady Cowper
The following excerpt is from a letter written by Lady Cowper to her husband, dated October 20, 1714, describing the coronation ceremony:
"Yesterday was the coronation, which was the most magnificent and august sight that I ever saw, or can ever hope to see again. The procession was very long and stately, and the king's robes were of the richest purple velvet, embroidered with gold, and a long train borne by several lords. The crown was of gold, set with precious stones, and the sceptre and orb were of great value. The king looked very majestic and serene, and there was a great shout of acclamation from the people as he passed by. After the ceremony, there was a banquet at Westminster Hall, where the king and his nobles dined on the finest delicacies and drank the finest wines. It was a day of great rejoicing and splendor, and I feel honored to have been a witness to it."
Lady Cowper was a member of the nobility and attended the coronation as a guest. Her letter provides a vivid description of the ceremony and the atmosphere of celebration and awe that surrounded it. Her account is an excellent example of a contemporary eyewitness report of an important historical event.
Royal Succession Chart
George I of Great Britain (1660-1727) Cadet branch of the House of Welf Born: 28 May 1660 Died: 11 June 1727
| ||
| Regnal titles | ||
|---|---|---|
| Preceded by Ernest Augustus |
Duke of Brunswick-Lüneburg (Calenberg) Elector-designate of Hanover 23 January 1698 – 28 August 1705 |
Inherited Brunswick-Lüneburg-Celle |
| Preceded by Himself as Duke of Brunswick-Lüneburg (Calenberg) George William as Duke of Brunswick-Lüneburg-Celle |
Duke of Brunswick-Lüneburg Elector-designate of Hanover 28 August 1705 – 7 September 1708 |
Title of elector recognised |
| New title | Elector of Hanover 7 September 1708 – 11 June 1727 |
Succeeded by George II |
| Preceded by Anne |
King of Great Britain and Ireland 1 August 1714 – 11 June 1727 | |
Footnotes
- ^ a b Beaucaire, Charles-Prosper-Maurice Horric de (1884) (in fr). Une mésalliance dans la maison de Brunswick (1665–1725): Eléonore Desmier d'Oldbreuze, duchesse de Zell. H. Oudin. p. 128. https://books.google.com/books?id=hGwIAAAAQAAJ.
- ^ a b c Cokayne, George E. (1910). The complete peerage of England, Scotland, Ireland, Great Britain and the United Kingdom, extant, extinct, or dormant. 7. London: St Catherine Press. pp. 111–112. https://archive.org/details/in.ernet.dli.2015.210885/page/n121/mode/2up.
- ^ Cite error: Invalid
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Footnotes (including sources)
Thurstan, Phlox, Rtol, MainTour, Bergsmit, Robin Patterson
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