Today we start a new chapter in the Monarchs of Great Britain story....
House Stuart died with the childless Queen Anne. Bitter, fat, and depressed, she was nonetheless celebrated in England. However, Parliament had ruled that only a full blooded Protestant with a non-Catholic spouse could rule England... so... the search was on.
A middle aged princeling from Hanover was the closest Protestant relative to Anne... and so Georg Ludwig of Hanover was asked to become King George Louis I of Great Britain.
The House of Hanover had begun its turbulent, awkward, bodacious... even, dare I say... SILLY reign.
I give you George I of House Hanover!
- Was born in 1660 in Hanover. Hanover was a medium sized German State in the (now mostly defunct) Holy Roman Empire. His mother was Sophia, daughter of Elizabeth, the daughter of King James I of England and Scotland. This made him Anne's somewhat distant cousin, though at least they were not removed by generation, both being great-grandchildren of James I.
- Georg was the oldest of his many siblings. He and his brother, Frederick Augustus, were known as "Gorgen and Gustchen" in the family, and were very close. George was a studious lad, and had a reputation for seriousness.
- His father raised him to love hunting, war, and sport. His uncles all died without male heirs, so Georg was groomed for the throne of Elector of Hanover.
- At 22 years old, he married Sophia Dorothea. It was a political marriage, for land more than for love. It seems that both Georg and his wife saw their marriage as a duty, first and foremost. Truthfully, they hated each other. Sophia fainted when first meeting Georg, and called him the "Pig Snout." Georg had a thing for chubby girls, and the rather slim and sexy Sophia didn't interest him. However, her money did interest him and his mother quite a lot. Georg ridiculed her in public, shunned her from his personal life, and she returned the favor by speaking badly about her husband to any who would hear.
- In Hanover, the Salic Laws changed, meaning that the heir to the throne received all of the inheritance, rather than having to share with his brothers. This was great for Georg, but Frederick was furious. Both brothers entered the war against Turkey, but luckily for Georg, Frederick was killed in battle. Georg returned home a war hero, now secure in his inheritance.
- Georg and Sophia's marriage became turbulent. She bore him children, but he began to have a string of mistresses. Georg was a very libidinous man in his youth, and in his own words, could "Not be expected to love only one woman." Meanwhile, his wife had her own lover, the Baron von Konigsmarck. While Georg running around was slightly scandalous, his wife cuckolding him was FAR worse by German standards. Something had to be done... and Georg did it.
- The Baron von Konigsmarck was found in the Leine river, his body weighted down with stones. No one was ever caught, because everyone and their dog knew that Georg had arranged it.
- The crime was eventually blamed on 4 courtiers, but nothing could be proven... what COULD be proven was that at least one of them received an ENORMOUS payment from prince Georg.
- Sophia was then run across the coals. She was accused of "Abandoning her husband" and their marriage was dissolved, freeing Georg and condemning Sophia. She would live out the rest of her days under house arrest, forbidden to see her family or children ever again.
- Georg soon fell in love again, this time with a girl outside his normal tastes. Melusine von der Schulenberg was a willowy girl, but canny and witty. She did not seem to mind Georg's occasional dalliances with other women, and so they became very close, very quickly. He would stay with her off and on until he was 65.
- in 1701, the 41 year old Elector Georg of Hanover found out that his mother was next in line for the British throne. Sophia may have been 35 years older than Queen Anne, but she was as tough as an old boot, and had every intention of securing the throne for herself... or her son.
- At this point, Georg was embroiled in the War of Spanish Succession. His allies, Joseph I of Austria and John Churchill, the Duke of Marlborough, (Yes, HIM AGAIN!) deceived Georg into providing a costly diversion. Georg survived the incident, even being hailed as a war hero. Georg forgave Churchill, knowing that in war, sacrifices had to be made... but he never fully trusted the man again.
- In 1709, Georg retired from military service. He was 49 years old, and wanted to focus on learning more about England. See, the problem was, in Hanover, he was an absolute ruler... he had heard that the kings of Britain were expected to stand aside while Parliament ruled. Georg didn't have much desire to be sidelined in what he now considered to be HIS kingdom!
- When Anne died in 1714, the UK was in turmoil. The Whigs had authored the Act of Union with Scotland, and felt right in saying that Georg was the heir. However, the Tories leaned towards direct succession, meaning that James Frances Edward Stuart, (the Old Pretender) should take the throne, Catholic or not. Georg upheld his part of the bargain, however, and slipped into England. (A bit late, because of stubborn winds.) The Whigs crowned him in a rather subdued coronation ceremony.
- When the people of England found out about what had transpired, Catholic communities broke out in riot. There was rioting all over England, not just of Catholics, but of Tory supporters, Scottish nationalists, and Stuart sympathizers. Parliament and "King George I" as he was now known quickly put together an act that said that if a crowd refused to disperse when ordered, they could legally be shot. This act was to be read WORD FOR WORD, TWICE, to each crowd. If they did not hear and refused to leave, they were to be shot. This actually happened in a few instances. We still refer to "Reading the Riot Act" when our parents threaten us with punishment if we don't listen.
- After reading them the riot act, George settled down in his new country. He had a few problems:
1. He spoke almost no English.
2. He expected to be listened to.
3. He was used to the people respecting the monarch.
4. The English people were having NONE of that.
5. He was German.
- George I was a miserable king. The English people immediately began OPENLY mocking him and his court. They called his mistress "The Maypole," they called his fat half sister "The Elephant," they called him the "German Pig." They said that George slept not only with his mistress, but his half sister, too. They said that the three of them ran naked and had orgies on the palace floors. They said so many disgusting things that contests were held in pubs across England to see who could come up with the most disgusting "King George" songs. Poor George couldn't even understand the lyrics, so English people merely assumed that he was stupid. Thruth was, he was fiercely intelligent. He spoke German, French, Latin, Dutch, and a few others... just not English.
- In order to communicate with his cabinet, he used French or schoolboy Latin. He was immediately frustrated with the fact that he had to ask permission for nearly ANYthing he did. Parliament had a long tradition of only agreeing to the King's demands if the King offered something in exchange. This was NOT how things ran in Hanover!!!
- The Whigs latched onto George as a political tool to dash the hopes of their hated enemies, the Tories. They convinced George that the Tories supported James the Pretender. (This was not wholly untrue.) Between the Whigs and George, the Tories were drummed out of Parliament, and wouldn't return for over 50 years. England was effectively a one party state.
- Spain supported the Pretender, and soon, George was locked in a war with Spain. This suited the Whigs just fine, and England did quite well in the war. The Jacobites (Those who supported James) would not stop, but they never gained enough momentum to take control in the UK. The Irish and Scottish rebels were crushed, and Spain was forced to retreat.
- George agreed to Parliament's structure of "Ministries" to control different parts of British Government. Robert Walpole, the Whig leader, was dominant over government. For over 20 years, he would serve as the lord of the government, second only to the king himself.
- Walpole was a big, fat, powerful man, and under his thumb, the Tories remained on the fringes, and George remained blissfully unaware of how unimportant he was. Walpole was an adept politician, and much of how British government works today was built on his efforts and reforms.
- George and Parliament faced a huge crisis when speculation over government bonds led to a huge inflation of South Sea Company stocks. Many powerful people, including Melusine "The Maypole," members of Parliament, and elite rich Londoners were taken in on what turned out to be a huge swindle. South Sea Company would take on government debt in return for buying of their stock. The government bought so much stock that the stock rose from 125 pounds to 1050 pounds nearly overnight. Other companies, many of a disreputable nature, cashed in on the wave of speculation, and soon, it was apparent that the "bubble" might burst. George and Parliament passed the "Bubble Act" which outlawed and banned all non authorized companies from cashing in on government backed stock trades and speculation. This caused the stock to plummet back down suddenly, and fortunes were lost overnight.
- Though they were blameless, George, his mistress, and many other people were blamed for the crisis. George, who was on holiday in Hanover, was ordered to return by Parliament. He did so... slowly and begrudgingly... which didn't endear him to the people any more.
- The minister in charge of this, though he did not benefit from it at all, was Lord Stanhope... he suddenly collapsed in died due to the stress of it all. Lord Sunderland, another powerful minister, was also ruined. This allowed Walpole to sweep in and "save the day." He managed to level out the crisis and return SOME money back to the people. Now Walpole had no other rivals to his power. He was, in effect, the "Prime Minister." Though he was never called this, the office exists to this day.
-George was quite tired of all this politicking, and unlike Anne, he refused to go to meetings. He was content with Walpole running the country. Soon, Walpole had all but sidelined the royal family, rarely even seeking the King's advice for matters at hand.
-George famously hated his son, George Augustus. Prince George hated his father right back. They fought so much that they each had a rival court. While King George entertained Hendel and other more "Acceptable" guests, Prince George Augustus had more raucous parties and balls. The two barely spoke. Prince George had a son, and King George refused to allow the prince's choice for a baptist. When the Duke of Lancaster was sent instead, Prince George publicly insulted him in front of everyone. The Duke was so angry he believed he was being challenged to a duel. This caused a public scandal and outcry at the way the "Dirty Germans" were treating "Good British men."
- King and Prince only hated each other more as time wore on. The nobles of Britain were caught in their "Cold War" more and more each day. Soon, where you saw a play or where you heard a symphony was as important as who you talked to... were you on the father's side, or the son's?
- King George, in true German style, THRIVED on hatred. He seemed to enjoy the ridicule and spite of his son, his subjects, and his enemies. He was proud of his accomplishments, and generally disdainful of those who seemed to think he should take issue with it.
- King George I went for another holiday in Hanover in 1727. While there, he suffered a major stroke and soon died. He was widely detested by his people. They hated him because he was German, because he liked fat women, because he treated his wife badly, because he fought with his son, because he refused to act 'as he should.' But this is generally unfair. George was a busy, attentive king. He struggled with the language, but he worked hard to try to protect both Hanoverian and British interests. However, this wave of hatred spurred the people to side with Parliament as they stripped the royal family of power, one act at a time.
- George Augustus, his hated son, quietly stepped up to power in 1727. He became George II. George I was buried in Hanover... he probably would have wanted it that way.
House Stuart died with the childless Queen Anne. Bitter, fat, and depressed, she was nonetheless celebrated in England. However, Parliament had ruled that only a full blooded Protestant with a non-Catholic spouse could rule England... so... the search was on.
A middle aged princeling from Hanover was the closest Protestant relative to Anne... and so Georg Ludwig of Hanover was asked to become King George Louis I of Great Britain.
The House of Hanover had begun its turbulent, awkward, bodacious... even, dare I say... SILLY reign.
I give you George I of House Hanover!
- Was born in 1660 in Hanover. Hanover was a medium sized German State in the (now mostly defunct) Holy Roman Empire. His mother was Sophia, daughter of Elizabeth, the daughter of King James I of England and Scotland. This made him Anne's somewhat distant cousin, though at least they were not removed by generation, both being great-grandchildren of James I.
- Georg was the oldest of his many siblings. He and his brother, Frederick Augustus, were known as "Gorgen and Gustchen" in the family, and were very close. George was a studious lad, and had a reputation for seriousness.
- His father raised him to love hunting, war, and sport. His uncles all died without male heirs, so Georg was groomed for the throne of Elector of Hanover.
- At 22 years old, he married Sophia Dorothea. It was a political marriage, for land more than for love. It seems that both Georg and his wife saw their marriage as a duty, first and foremost. Truthfully, they hated each other. Sophia fainted when first meeting Georg, and called him the "Pig Snout." Georg had a thing for chubby girls, and the rather slim and sexy Sophia didn't interest him. However, her money did interest him and his mother quite a lot. Georg ridiculed her in public, shunned her from his personal life, and she returned the favor by speaking badly about her husband to any who would hear.
- In Hanover, the Salic Laws changed, meaning that the heir to the throne received all of the inheritance, rather than having to share with his brothers. This was great for Georg, but Frederick was furious. Both brothers entered the war against Turkey, but luckily for Georg, Frederick was killed in battle. Georg returned home a war hero, now secure in his inheritance.
- Georg and Sophia's marriage became turbulent. She bore him children, but he began to have a string of mistresses. Georg was a very libidinous man in his youth, and in his own words, could "Not be expected to love only one woman." Meanwhile, his wife had her own lover, the Baron von Konigsmarck. While Georg running around was slightly scandalous, his wife cuckolding him was FAR worse by German standards. Something had to be done... and Georg did it.
- The Baron von Konigsmarck was found in the Leine river, his body weighted down with stones. No one was ever caught, because everyone and their dog knew that Georg had arranged it.
- The crime was eventually blamed on 4 courtiers, but nothing could be proven... what COULD be proven was that at least one of them received an ENORMOUS payment from prince Georg.
- Sophia was then run across the coals. She was accused of "Abandoning her husband" and their marriage was dissolved, freeing Georg and condemning Sophia. She would live out the rest of her days under house arrest, forbidden to see her family or children ever again.
- Georg soon fell in love again, this time with a girl outside his normal tastes. Melusine von der Schulenberg was a willowy girl, but canny and witty. She did not seem to mind Georg's occasional dalliances with other women, and so they became very close, very quickly. He would stay with her off and on until he was 65.
- in 1701, the 41 year old Elector Georg of Hanover found out that his mother was next in line for the British throne. Sophia may have been 35 years older than Queen Anne, but she was as tough as an old boot, and had every intention of securing the throne for herself... or her son.
- At this point, Georg was embroiled in the War of Spanish Succession. His allies, Joseph I of Austria and John Churchill, the Duke of Marlborough, (Yes, HIM AGAIN!) deceived Georg into providing a costly diversion. Georg survived the incident, even being hailed as a war hero. Georg forgave Churchill, knowing that in war, sacrifices had to be made... but he never fully trusted the man again.
- In 1709, Georg retired from military service. He was 49 years old, and wanted to focus on learning more about England. See, the problem was, in Hanover, he was an absolute ruler... he had heard that the kings of Britain were expected to stand aside while Parliament ruled. Georg didn't have much desire to be sidelined in what he now considered to be HIS kingdom!
- When Anne died in 1714, the UK was in turmoil. The Whigs had authored the Act of Union with Scotland, and felt right in saying that Georg was the heir. However, the Tories leaned towards direct succession, meaning that James Frances Edward Stuart, (the Old Pretender) should take the throne, Catholic or not. Georg upheld his part of the bargain, however, and slipped into England. (A bit late, because of stubborn winds.) The Whigs crowned him in a rather subdued coronation ceremony.
- When the people of England found out about what had transpired, Catholic communities broke out in riot. There was rioting all over England, not just of Catholics, but of Tory supporters, Scottish nationalists, and Stuart sympathizers. Parliament and "King George I" as he was now known quickly put together an act that said that if a crowd refused to disperse when ordered, they could legally be shot. This act was to be read WORD FOR WORD, TWICE, to each crowd. If they did not hear and refused to leave, they were to be shot. This actually happened in a few instances. We still refer to "Reading the Riot Act" when our parents threaten us with punishment if we don't listen.
- After reading them the riot act, George settled down in his new country. He had a few problems:
1. He spoke almost no English.
2. He expected to be listened to.
3. He was used to the people respecting the monarch.
4. The English people were having NONE of that.
5. He was German.
- George I was a miserable king. The English people immediately began OPENLY mocking him and his court. They called his mistress "The Maypole," they called his fat half sister "The Elephant," they called him the "German Pig." They said that George slept not only with his mistress, but his half sister, too. They said that the three of them ran naked and had orgies on the palace floors. They said so many disgusting things that contests were held in pubs across England to see who could come up with the most disgusting "King George" songs. Poor George couldn't even understand the lyrics, so English people merely assumed that he was stupid. Thruth was, he was fiercely intelligent. He spoke German, French, Latin, Dutch, and a few others... just not English.
- In order to communicate with his cabinet, he used French or schoolboy Latin. He was immediately frustrated with the fact that he had to ask permission for nearly ANYthing he did. Parliament had a long tradition of only agreeing to the King's demands if the King offered something in exchange. This was NOT how things ran in Hanover!!!
- The Whigs latched onto George as a political tool to dash the hopes of their hated enemies, the Tories. They convinced George that the Tories supported James the Pretender. (This was not wholly untrue.) Between the Whigs and George, the Tories were drummed out of Parliament, and wouldn't return for over 50 years. England was effectively a one party state.
- Spain supported the Pretender, and soon, George was locked in a war with Spain. This suited the Whigs just fine, and England did quite well in the war. The Jacobites (Those who supported James) would not stop, but they never gained enough momentum to take control in the UK. The Irish and Scottish rebels were crushed, and Spain was forced to retreat.
- George agreed to Parliament's structure of "Ministries" to control different parts of British Government. Robert Walpole, the Whig leader, was dominant over government. For over 20 years, he would serve as the lord of the government, second only to the king himself.
- Walpole was a big, fat, powerful man, and under his thumb, the Tories remained on the fringes, and George remained blissfully unaware of how unimportant he was. Walpole was an adept politician, and much of how British government works today was built on his efforts and reforms.
- George and Parliament faced a huge crisis when speculation over government bonds led to a huge inflation of South Sea Company stocks. Many powerful people, including Melusine "The Maypole," members of Parliament, and elite rich Londoners were taken in on what turned out to be a huge swindle. South Sea Company would take on government debt in return for buying of their stock. The government bought so much stock that the stock rose from 125 pounds to 1050 pounds nearly overnight. Other companies, many of a disreputable nature, cashed in on the wave of speculation, and soon, it was apparent that the "bubble" might burst. George and Parliament passed the "Bubble Act" which outlawed and banned all non authorized companies from cashing in on government backed stock trades and speculation. This caused the stock to plummet back down suddenly, and fortunes were lost overnight.
- Though they were blameless, George, his mistress, and many other people were blamed for the crisis. George, who was on holiday in Hanover, was ordered to return by Parliament. He did so... slowly and begrudgingly... which didn't endear him to the people any more.
- The minister in charge of this, though he did not benefit from it at all, was Lord Stanhope... he suddenly collapsed in died due to the stress of it all. Lord Sunderland, another powerful minister, was also ruined. This allowed Walpole to sweep in and "save the day." He managed to level out the crisis and return SOME money back to the people. Now Walpole had no other rivals to his power. He was, in effect, the "Prime Minister." Though he was never called this, the office exists to this day.
-George was quite tired of all this politicking, and unlike Anne, he refused to go to meetings. He was content with Walpole running the country. Soon, Walpole had all but sidelined the royal family, rarely even seeking the King's advice for matters at hand.
-George famously hated his son, George Augustus. Prince George hated his father right back. They fought so much that they each had a rival court. While King George entertained Hendel and other more "Acceptable" guests, Prince George Augustus had more raucous parties and balls. The two barely spoke. Prince George had a son, and King George refused to allow the prince's choice for a baptist. When the Duke of Lancaster was sent instead, Prince George publicly insulted him in front of everyone. The Duke was so angry he believed he was being challenged to a duel. This caused a public scandal and outcry at the way the "Dirty Germans" were treating "Good British men."
- King and Prince only hated each other more as time wore on. The nobles of Britain were caught in their "Cold War" more and more each day. Soon, where you saw a play or where you heard a symphony was as important as who you talked to... were you on the father's side, or the son's?
- King George, in true German style, THRIVED on hatred. He seemed to enjoy the ridicule and spite of his son, his subjects, and his enemies. He was proud of his accomplishments, and generally disdainful of those who seemed to think he should take issue with it.
- King George I went for another holiday in Hanover in 1727. While there, he suffered a major stroke and soon died. He was widely detested by his people. They hated him because he was German, because he liked fat women, because he treated his wife badly, because he fought with his son, because he refused to act 'as he should.' But this is generally unfair. George was a busy, attentive king. He struggled with the language, but he worked hard to try to protect both Hanoverian and British interests. However, this wave of hatred spurred the people to side with Parliament as they stripped the royal family of power, one act at a time.
- George Augustus, his hated son, quietly stepped up to power in 1727. He became George II. George I was buried in Hanover... he probably would have wanted it that way.