- 1692-1698: Electress Consort of Hanover
- 1679-1698: Duchess consort of Brunswick-Lüneburg
- Heiress Presumptive of Great Britain
- AKA: Sophie Dorothea Prinzessin von der Pfalz
Sophie von der Pfalz was born 13 October 1630 in Herrenhausen, Lower Saxony, Germany to Friedrich V. von der Pfalz (1596-1632) and Elizabeth Stuart (1596-1662) and died 8 June 1714 Leineschloss, Lower Saxony, Germany of unspecified causes. She married Ernst August von Braunschweig-Calenberg (1629-1698) 30 September 1658 in Heidelberg, Baden-Württemberg, Germany.
Biography
Sophia of Hanover (1630-1714) was a German princess who became the heiress presumptive to the British throne following the death of Queen Anne in 1714. She was a prominent figure in European politics and culture during her lifetime, and played a key role in shaping the future of the British monarchy. Sophia was born in Hanover, Germany, on October 14, 1630, to George, Duke of Brunswick-Lüneburg, and his wife Anne Eleonore of Hesse-Darmstadt. She was educated in Germany and France, and developed a love of the arts and sciences.
In 1658, Sophia married Ernest Augustus, Elector of Hanover (1629-1698), and they went on to have seven children. Ernest Augustus was a key ally of the British royal family, and Sophia became well-known in British court circles through her husband's connections. Sophia's claim to the British throne came about through her status as a granddaughter of James I of England. In 1701, the Act of Settlement was passed, which ensured that the British crown would pass to Sophia and her Protestant descendants in the event that Anne, who had no surviving children, died without a Catholic heir. This made Sophia the heir presumptive to the throne of England.
Sophia was deeply committed to the principles of constitutional monarchy, and she played an active role in politics throughout her life. She corresponded with leading political figures in England, including the Whig politician Charles Montagu, and she was known for her strong views on the importance of religious toleration.
Despite her status as heir presumptive to the British throne, Sophia never actually became queen. She died on June 8, 1714, just two months before Queen Anne. However, her son George Louis succeeded to the throne as George I, and her descendants continue to reign in Britain to this day for the House of Hanover.
Sophia of Hanover was a fascinating and influential figure in European history, who played a pivotal role in shaping the future of the British monarchy. Her legacy lives on through her descendants, and she is remembered as a champion of religious toleration and constitutional monarchy.
Marriage
Sophia, Princess Palatine, and Electress of Brunswick-Lüneburg
Before her marriage, Sophia, as the daughter of Frederick V, Elector Palatine of the Rhine, was referred to as Sophie, Princess Palatine of the Rhine, or as Sophia of the Palatinate. The Electors of the Palatinate were the Calvinist senior branch of House of Wittelsbach, whose Catholic branch ruled the Electorate of Bavaria.
On 30 September 1658, she married Ernest Augustus, Duke of Brunswick-Lüneburg, at Heidelberg, who in 1692 became the first Elector of Hanover.[1] Ernest Augustus was a second cousin of Sophia's mother Elizabeth Stuart, Queen of Bohemia, as they were both great-grandchildren of Christian III of Denmark.
Sophia became a friend and admirer of Gottfried Leibniz while he was librarian at the Court of Hanover.[1] Their friendship lasted from 1676 until her death in 1714. This friendship resulted in a substantial correspondence, first published in the 19th century (Klopp 1973), that reveals Sophia to have been a woman of exceptional intellectual ability and curiosity. She was well-read in the works of René Descartes and Baruch Spinoza. Together with Ernest Augustus she greatly improved the Herrenhausen Palace, and she was the guiding spirit in the creation of the Herrenhausen Gardens surrounding the palace, where she died.
Issue
Sophia had seven children who reached adulthood:
Electress Sophia and her daughter
- George I of Great Britain (1660–1727)
- Frederick Augustus (1661–1690), Imperial General
- Maximilian William of Brunswick-Lüneburg (1666–1726), field marshal in the Imperial Army
- Sophia Charlotte (1668–1705), Queen in Prussia
- Charles Philip of Brunswick-Lüneburg (1669–1690), colonel in the Imperial Army
- Christian Henry of Brunswick-Lüneburg (1671–1703)
- Ernest Augustus of Brunswick-Lüneburg, Duke of York and Albany (1674–1728), became prince-bishop of Osnabrück
Three of her sons were killed in battle.[2]
Sophia was absent for almost a year, 1664–65, during a long holiday with Ernest Augustus in Italy. She corresponded regularly with her sons' governess and took a great interest in her sons' upbringing, even more so on her return.[3] After Sophia's tour, she bore Ernest Augustus another four sons and a daughter. In her letters, Sophia describes her eldest son as a responsible, conscientious child who set an example to his younger brothers and sisters.[4]
Sophia was, at first, against the marriage of her son George and Sophia Dorothea of Celle, looking down on Sophia Dorothea's mother (who was not of royal birth and to whom Sophia referred as "mouse dirt mixed among the pepper") and concerned by Sophia Dorothea's legitimated status, but was eventually won over by the financial advantages inherent in the marriage.[5]
Children
| 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 | |
Siblings
| Name | Birth | Death | Joined with |
| Heinrich Friedrich von der Pfalz (1614-1629) | |||
| Karl I. Ludwig von der Pfalz (1617-1680) | 1 January 1617 Heidelberg, Baden-Württemberg, Germany | 28 August 1680 Edingen, Belgium | Charlotte von Hessen-Kassel (1627-1686) Maria Susanne Loysa von Degenfeld (1634-1677) Elisabeth Hollander von Bernau (1659-1702) |
| Elisabeth von der Pfalz (1619-1680) | |||
| Rupert von der Pfalz, Duke of Cumberland (1619-1682) | |||
| Moritz von der Pfalz (1621-1654) | |||
| Luise Hollandine von der Pfalz (1622-1709) | |||
| Ludwig von der Pfalz (1623-1625) | |||
| Eduard von der Pfalz (1625-1663) | 16 April 1625 The Hague, Netherlands | 23 March 1663 Paris, France | Anna Gonzaga (1616-1684) |
| Henriette Marie von der Pfalz (1626-1651) | |||
| Philipp von der Pfalz (1627-1650) | |||
| Charlotte von der Pfalz (1628-1631) | |||
| Sophie von der Pfalz (1630-1714) | 13 October 1630 Herrenhausen, Lower Saxony, Germany | 8 June 1714 Leineschloss, Lower Saxony, Germany | Ernst August von Braunschweig-Calenberg (1629-1698) |
| Gustav Adolf von der Pfalz (1632-1641) | |||
See Also
- Sophia von der Pfalz - disambiguation
- Von der Pfalz Family
- Von der Pfalz in England -
Bibliography
- Duggan, J. N., Sophia of Hanover, From Winter Princess to Heiress of Great Britain; London, Peter Owen, 2010
- Klopp, Onno (ed.), Correspondance de Leibniz avec l'électrice Sophie. Hanover, 1864–1875
- Van der Cruysse, Dirk; Sophie de Hanovre, memoires et lettres de voyage; Paris, Fayard, 1990
External Links
- wikipedia:en:Sophia of Hanover
- wikipedia:de:Sophie von der Pfalz
- 4.13. in The Gotha Pages
- Sophia of Hanover at thePeerage
- Sophia of Hanover, Geni.com, https://www.geni.com/people/Sophia-Electress-of-Hanover/6000000003879438150, retrieved 01 May 2023
- Sophia of Hanover at Find A Grave
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 Sophia of Hanover, include:
- Memoirs of Sophia, Electress of Hanover 1630-1680, translated by H. Forester (London, 1888)
- Sophia's correspondence: Sophia was a prolific letter writer, and many of her letters have survived to the present day. Her correspondence provides a valuable window into her thoughts, opinions, and personality, as well as her relationships with other prominent figures of the time. Many of Sophia's letters are available in published collections, such as "The Letters of Sophia, Electress of Hanover, to Elizabeth, Charlotte, and Sophia, Queens of England" (edited by Mary Anne Everett Green).
- Contemporary accounts of Sophia's visits to England: Sophia made several visits to England during her lifetime, and her visits were documented by contemporary observers. For example, the diarist John Evelyn wrote about Sophia's visit to London in 1698, noting her intelligence, charm, and interest in the arts and sciences. The writer and politician Jonathan Swift also wrote about Sophia's visits to England, providing a satirical perspective on the political and social climate of the time.
- Biographies of Sophia: Several biographies of Sophia have been written over the years, including "Sophia of Hanover: From Winter Princess to Heiress of Great Britain" by John Van der Kiste and "Sophia, Electress of Hanover: The Unfortunate Mother of George I" by Gerhard Rempel. These biographies draw on contemporary sources to provide a detailed portrait of Sophia's life and times.
- Official documents and court records: Official documents and court records from Sophia's lifetime provide important information about her political activities and relationships with other prominent figures of the time. For example, the minutes of the Privy Council meetings during the reign of Queen Anne include references to Sophia's views on religious toleration and her efforts to promote her own succession to the throne.
Original Citations
1701 Act of Settlement
In September 1700, Sophia met her cousin King William III of England at Het Loo Palace in Apeldoorn, the Netherlands. This happened two months after the death of his nephew Prince William, Duke of Gloucester, son of the future Queen Anne. By this time, given the ailing William III's reluctance to remarry, the inclusion of Sophia in the line of succession was becoming more likely[6] because she was a Protestant, as was her son. Her candidature was aided by the fact that she had grown up in the Netherlands close to William III and was able to converse fluently with him in Dutch, his native tongue.
Sophia as dowager Electress of Hanover, around the time she was proclaimed heir presumptive of the British crown.
A year after their meeting, the Parliament of England passed the Act of Settlement 1701, which declared that in the event of no legitimate issue from Anne or William III, the crowns of England and Ireland were to settle upon "the most excellent princess Sophia, electress and duchess-dowager of Hanover" and "the heirs of her body, being Protestant". Scotland being a separate state in international law at the time, this did not mean she would also succeed Anne as Queen of Scotland, which led to a succession crisis and eventually to the Treaty of Union between Scotland and England in 1706/07. The key excerpt from the Act, naming Sophia as heir presumptive, reads:
Therefore for a further Provision of the Succession of the Crown in the Protestant Line We Your Majesties most dutifull and Loyall Subjects the Lords Spirituall and Lords Temporall and Commons in this present Parliament assembled do beseech Your Majesty that it may be enacted and declared and be it enacted and declared by the Kings most Excellent Majesty by and with the Advice and Consent of the Lords Spirituall and Temporall and Commons in this present Parliament assembled and by the Authority of the same That the most Excellent Princess Sophia Electress and Dutchess Dowager of Hannover Daughter of the most Excellent Princess Elizabeth late Queen of Bohemia Daughter of our late Sovereign Lord King James the First of happy Memory be and is hereby declared to be the next in Succession in the Protestant Line to the Imperiall Crown and Dignity of the forsaid Realms of England France and Ireland with the Dominions and Territories thereunto belonging after His Majesty and the Princess Anne of Denmark and in Default of Issue of the said Princess Anne and of His Majesty respectively.
Royal Succession Chart
| German nobility | ||
|---|---|---|
| Preceded by Benedicta Henrietta of the Palatinate |
Duchess consort of Brunswick-Lüneburg 1679–1698 Served alongside: Éléonore Desmier d'Olbreuse |
Vacant Title next held by Caroline of Ansbach
|
| New title | Electress consort of Hanover 1692–1698 | |
Footnotes
- ^ a b "Cavendish, Richard. "Sophia of Hanover Dies", History Today, Vol. 64 Issue 6, June 2014". https://www.historytoday.com/richard-cavendish/sophia-hanover-dies.
- ^ Encyclopædia Britannica 11th ed. (1911), vol. 25
- ^ van der Cruysse, Dirk. Sophie de Hanovre: mémoires et lettres de voyage.; Hatton, Ragnhild (1978). George I: Elector and King. London: Thames and Hudson. pp. 26–28. ISBN 0-500-25060-X.
- ^ Hatton, p. 29
- ^ Hatton, pp. 36, 42
- ^ Horwitz, Henry (1977). Parliament, policy, and politics in the reign of William III. Manchester University Press ND. pp. 276. ISBN 0-7190-0661-9. https://archive.org/details/parliamentpolicy0000horw_o2j8/page/276.
Footnotes (including sources)
Thurstan, Phlox, Rtol, MainTour, Bergsmit
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