The House of Hanover (1714) to the Present Time
George I, 1714-1727 William IV, 1830-1837
George II, 1727-1760 Victoria, 1837-1901
George III, 1760-1820 Edward VII, 1901-1910
George IV, 1820-1830 George V, 1910-
532. Accession of George I.
As Queen Anne died without leaving an heir to the throne (S515),
George, Elector of Hanover, in accordance with the Act of Settlement
(S497), now came into possession of the English crown. (See
Genealogical Table opposite.) The new King had no desire whatever to
go to England.
As he owed his new position to Whig legislation (S479), he naturally favored that party and turned his back on the Tories (S479), who, deprived of the sunshine of royal favor, were as unhappy as their rivals were jubilant. The triumphant Whigs denounced "the shameful Peace of Utrecht" (S512). Next, they impeached the three fallen Tory leaders,[2] of whom Harley was the chief (S510), on a charge of treason. The indictment accused them of having given back to Louis XIV, in the late war, more captured territory than was necessary. Furthermore, they were said to be guilty of having intrigued to restore the House of Stuart with the design of making the "Pretender" King (SS490, 491). Harley was sent to the Tower of London for a time; he was then acquitted and released. Meanwhile his two indicted associates had fled to France.
[2] The three Tory leaders were Harley, now Earl of Oxford (S510), St. John (Viscount Bolingbroke), and Butler (Duke of Ormonde). Bolingbroke and Ormonde fled to Frnce, where the first entered the service of the "Pretender," but he was ultimately permitted to return to England. Ormonde never came back. Harley, as stated above, was sent to the Tower; while there he secretly wrote to the "Pretender" (S490), and offered him his services.
Later, the Whigs repealed two harsh religious statutes (S511) directed against Dissenters (S472), which the Tories and the High Churchmen had enacted in the previous reign for the purpose of keeping themselves in power.
The House of Hanover, also called Brunswick and Guelf
James (Stuart) I of England
I
+—————————======================
| I
Charles I Elizabeth, m. Frederick,
| Elector-Palatine,* and
———————————————- later King of Bohemia
| | | I
Charles II James II Mary, m. Sophia, m. the Elector
| William II of of Hanover+
———————————- Orange I
| | | | George, Elector of
Mary, m. Anne James William III of Hanover, became
William III Edward Orange, became George I of England,
of Orange, Stuart, William III of 1714
afterward (the so- England, I
William III called "Old 1689 George II
of England Pretender, I
b. 1688, Frederick, Prince of
d. 1765 Wales (died before
| coming to the throne)
Charles Edward I
Stuart (the so-called ============================
"Young Pretender"), I I I
b. 1720, d. 1788 George IV William IV Edward,
Duke of Kent,
d. 1820
*Elector-Palatine: a prince ruling over the I
territory called the Palatinate in Victoria
western Germany, on the Rhine. I
+Elector of Hanover: a prince ruling over the Edward VII
province of Hanover, a part of the German I
Empire, lying on the North Sea. The elector George V
received his title from the fact that he was
one of a certain number of princes who had
the right of electing the German Emperor.
533. Character of the New King.