The Hanoverian Succession – legacy, endurance and lasting effect

Sophia of Hanover died on this day in 1714. Her death occured just a few short weeks before the passing of Queen Anne of Great Britain (1665-1714). Had Sophia lived, she would have ascended to the throne. Instead, her eldest son, Elector George Louis of Brunswick-Lüneburg (1660-1727), became heir presumptive to the throne vacated by Anne's passing, under the terms of the Act of Settlement of 1701, marking the beginning of the Hanoverian dynasty in British court politics.

In the following article from 2014, marking the occasion of the tercentenary of the Hanoverian Succession, author J.N. Duggan reflects upon the legacy of of that succession as well as its endurance.

On the Tercentenary of the Hanoverian Succession
by J.N. Duggan

Originally posted on 6 Mar 2014, 20:45 to Books by JN Duggan website

The 300th anniversary of the Accession of George I to the thrones of Great Britain and Ireland, which occurs on August 1st 2014, will probably be overlooked amidst the commemorations and remembrances of the First World War. This is understandable but, nevertheless, regrettable. Over the centuries, the Hanoverians have served their adopted realms well and Britain should be proud of them. The last eleven monarchs have borne different surnames: Welf, Wettin and Windsor but, they are all Hanoverians, since their succession to the throne of Great Britain was due, in each case, to their legitimate descent from the body of Sophia, Electress of Hanover, as had been laid down by the Act of Settlement of 1701.

Their success in holding onto the Crown, over three centuries, probably owes a great deal to the fact that they arrived with no illusions about their Divine Right or, entitlement to rule. They understood, from the start, that they were there only by the will of parliament which, over the 19th and 20th centuries, gradually became the will of the people – and that they could be dismissed, at any time, as easily as they had been summoned. Sophia did, in fact, have scruples about disinheriting her Stuart cousins but, she soon overcame them, believing that she and her descendants could succeed where James II and his Catholic progeny were doomed to failure.

In 1701, there were 54 people who had a greater right to the British throne, in strictly hereditary terms, than the House of Hanover but then, the English throne had never been bound by strict rules of inheritance. William the Conqueror had, after all, been a bastard, with a very dubious title to the crown and the Tudor claim was equally tenuous. Furthermore, it was on account of their Tudor blood that the Stuarts based their own claim to the English crown.

In spite of being thirty-five years older than Queen Anne, Sophia was optimistic about her chances of mounting the throne, although she wrote to her niece, Ameliese, in June 1703:

"There is little likelihood that I will ever go to England. The Queen doesn’t want me and she may well live longer than I. 'Krakende Wagens gaan lang' (creaking wagons travel far) says the Hollander, and the healthy, as God be praised and thanked I am, often die first. Everything is in God’s hands. I keep myself as calm as I can, which preserves my health."

However, she died (in her beloved garden at Herrenhausen, in her 84th year) on June 8th 1714, just 52 days before the Queen. Even the timing of her death facilitated her family in their aspirations. Had she died a few years earlier, the link between Hanover and Great Britain might have been seen as less compelling. If, on the other hand, she had survived long enough to actually be crowned Queen and set up her own court, that would have provided the Jacobites with innumerable opportunities to make mischief: especially as Sophia was accustomed to obey her eldest son, in his position as Elector of Hanover, which she could not have been seen to do as Queen of Great Britain. Furthermore, George was a consummate politician whereas, Sophia (for all her intelligence, intellect and wit) was a political innocent and the dynasty might well have begun and ended with Queen Sophia.

For the last 300 years, her descendants have provided their subjects with a regal figurehead and rallying point in times of both triumph and tragedy. Over the centuries, they have transformed themselves, from German autocrats into thoroughly British constitutional monarchs, (who have, incidentally, gained a hundredfold in influence what they have lost in actual power). They have given their names and put a face to different periods of our history. The epithets Georgian, Regency, Victorian, Edwardian conjure up a far more evocative picture than the mention of actual dates.

The Hanovers have also conserved, preserved and added to our national heritage – George III deserves to be remembered for his additions to the Royal Library and The Royal Art Collection, rather than as the mad old King. Above all, they have provided stability and continuity for the Nation, and a fascinating family saga that has kept us all spellbound.

If only for their many contributions to the entertainment of the Nation, in the shape of coronations, royal weddings, royal births, royal scandals, royal jubilees and even, royal funerals, the Hanoverian tercentenary should not be allowed to pass unremarked!

J.N. Duggan's historical biography, Sophia of Hanover: Winter Princess, published by Peter Owen Publishers, is available to buy online, in print and e-book editions

Sophia of Hanover (1630-1714): a woman for all times and all seasons

Sophia as dowager Electress of Hanover,
around the time she was proclaimed heir
presumptive of the British crown.
[Public domain], via Wikimedia Commons

On a day that electors across Great Britain and Northern Ireland go to the polls in what may well prove to be an historic plebiscite for the UK, another event is recalled, which marked a significant milestone in the history and evolution of that United Kingdom.

Sophia of the Palatinate (commonly referred to as Sophia of Hanover – she was Electress of Hanover from 1692 to 1698) died on this day (June 8) in 1714, less than two months before she would have ascended to the throne of the Kingdom of Great Britain, to which she became heir presumptive under the Act of Settlement 1701.

In her biography, Sophia of Hanover: Winter Princess (2010), author, J.N. Duggan suggests that Sophia deserves greater recognition than has hitherto been accorded to her: as a certain link in the lineage of the British Crown. She was, in fact, "an exceptional woman in her own right, remarkable both for her open-minded and down-to-earth character and for her writings, which have been sadly neglected."

"She occupied a ringside seat at the cockpit of continental politics." She was also a gifted chronicler, corresponding with many influential and/or well-placed people of her day. Gottfried Leibniz (1646-1716) and John Toland (1670-1722) were among the writers and philosophers whom she sponsored.

Fortunately, much of this correspondence has survived to provide "a wonderful glimpse of life as it was for the ruling classes of her time". In addition to her "insider's view of many of the main military and political events of her time", she also paints a picture that people today would find uncomfortable – freezing castles and smoking chimneys, rickety carriages and muddy roads and "harshest of all, the demands of etiquette, which kept her standing for over an hour, listening to her brother, the Elector, while she was in labour with her fourth son."

Upon Sophia's death, her eldest son, Elector George Louis of Brunswick-Lüneburg (1660-1727), became heir presumptive to the British throne and succeeded Queen Anne (1665-1714), who died within a few short weeks of Sophia's passing. His descendants have occupied the throne down to the present time.

Sophia of Hanover: Winter Princess by J.N. Duggan is published by Peter Owen Publishers and available to buy online in print and e-book editions. Further information available from the author's website.

The Act of Settlement, 1701 and the Hanoverian Succession

Michael Dahl [Public domain]
via Wikimedia Commons

On this day in 1714, Anne, Queen of Great Britain died, having suffered a stroke days previously that left her unable to speak. Her death paved the way for the Hanoverian succession to the throne of the Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland as, under the terms of the Act of Settlement of 1701, the lawful descendants of the Electress Sophia of Hanover and her non-Roman Catholic heirs would accede to the throne in the event that Queen Anne should die childless, which is what happened.

George I, the eldest son of Sophia, was crowned at Westminster Abbey on 20 October, under the terms of the Act of Settlement, 1701. Bad weather had prevented him from arriving in Britain until 18 September. It is said that his coronation was accompanied by rioting in over twenty English towns (source: Wikipedia). Nevertheless, the event ushered in a new era in British politics. "Within a year of George's accession the Whigs won an overwhelming victory in the general election of 1715. ... George's distrust of the Tories aided the passing of power to the Whigs. Whig dominance would grow to be so great under George that the Tories would not return to power for another half-century." (source: Wikipedia).

In observance of this important anniversary, we are reproducing here an article by historian and biographer, J.N. Duggan, which appeared in 2014 to mark the tercentenary of the Hanoverian Succession.

On the Tercentenary of the Hanoverian Succession

by J.N. Duggan

The 300th anniversary of the Accession of George I to the thrones of Great Britain and Ireland, which occurs on August 1st 2014, will probably be overlooked amidst the commemorations and remembrances of the First World War. This is understandable but, nevertheless, regrettable. Over the centuries, the Hanoverians have served their adopted realms well and Britain should be proud of them. The last eleven monarchs have borne different surnames: Welf, Wettin and Windsor, but they are all Hanoverians, since their succession to the throne of Great Britain was due, in each case, to their legitimate descent from the body of Sophia, Electress of Hanover, as had been laid down by the Act of Settlement of 1701.

Their success in holding onto the Crown over three centuries, probably owes a great deal to the fact that they arrived with no illusions about their Divine Right, or entitlement to rule. They understood from the start that they were there only by the Will of Parliament - which, over the 19th and 20th centuries, gradually became the will of the people - and that they could be dismissed at any time, as easily as they had been summoned. Sophia did, in fact, have scruples about disinheriting her Stuart cousins, but she soon overcame them, believing that she and her descendants could succeed where James II and his Catholic progeny were doomed to failure.

In 1701, there were 54 people who had a greater right to the British throne, in strictly hereditary terms, than the House of Hanover, but then, the English throne had never been bound by strict rules of inheritance. William the Conqueror had, after all, been a bastard, with a very dubious title to the crown and the Tudor claim was equally tenuous. Furthermore, it was on account of their Tudor blood that the Stuarts based their own claim to the English crown.

In spite of being thirty-five years older than Queen Anne, Sophia was optimistic about her chances of mounting the throne, although she wrote to her niece, Ameliese, in June 1703:

"There is little likelihood that I will ever go to England. The Queen doesn’t want me and she may well live longer than I. ‘Krakende Wagens gaan lang’ (creaking wagons travel far) says the Hollander, and the healthy, as God be praised and thanked I am, often die first. Everything is in God’s hands. I keep myself as calm as I can, which preserves my health."

However, she died (in her beloved garden at Herrenhausen, in her 84th year) on June 8th 1714, just 52 days before the Queen. Even the timing of her death facilitated her family in their aspirations. Had she died a few years earlier, the link between Hanover and Great Britain might have been seen as less compelling. If, on the other hand, she had survived long enough to actually be crowned Queen and set up her own court, that would have provided the Jacobites with innumerable opportunities to make mischief: especially as Sophia was accustomed to obey her eldest son in his position as Elector of Hanover, which she could not have been seen to do as Queen of Great Britain. Furthermore, George was a consummate politician, whereas Sophia, for all her intelligence, intellect and wit, was a political innocent and the dynasty might well have begun and ended with Queen Sophia.

For the last 300 years, her descendants have provided their subjects with a regal figurehead and rallying point in times of both triumph and tragedy. Over the centuries, they have transformed themselves, from German autocrats into thoroughly British constitutional monarchs, (who have, incidentally, gained a hundredfold in influence what they have lost in actual power). They have given their names and put a face to different periods of our history. The epithets Georgian, Regency, Victorian, Edwardian conjure up a far more evocative picture than the mention of actual dates.

The Hanovers have also conserved, preserved and added to our national heritage - George III deserves to be remembered for his additions to the Royal Library and The Royal Art Collection, rather than as the mad old King. Above all, they have provided stability and continuity for the Nation, and a fascinating family saga that has kept us all spellbound.

If only for their many contributions to the entertainment of the Nation, in the shape of Coronations, Royal Weddings, Royal Births, Royal Scandals, Royal Jubilees and even Royal Funerals, the Hanoverian tercentenary should not be allowed to pass unremarked!

J.N. Duggan's historical biography, Sophia of Hanover: Winter Princess published by Peter Owen Publishers, is available to buy online, in print and e-book editions.