George I Louis Hanover 1 2
- Born: 28 May 1660, Leineschloss, Osnabruck, Hanover, Germany
- Marriage (1): Sophia Dorothea of Brunswick-Lüneburg on 21 Nov 1682 in Celle Castle Chapel, Germany
- association (2): Ehrengard Melusine von der Schulenburg
- Died: 11 Jun 1727, Osnabrück, Hanover. aged 67
Cause of his death was stroke.
General Notes:
GEORGE I was the first of the Hannoverian line of British rulers.
George was born in Osnabrück, Hannover (now in Lower Saxony state, Germany), on May 28, 1660, the son of Ernest Augustus, elector of Hannover (1629-98), and Sophia (1630-1714), granddaughter of King James I of England. George succeeded Queen Anne by the terms of the Act of Settlement. Thoroughly German in tastes and habits, he never learned the English language, and he made periodic lengthy visits to Hannover, which always remained his primary concern, despite his dutiful efforts to attend to his new kingdom's needs. He remained, however, unpopular in Britain, a fact that contributed to Jacobite plots to replace him with James II's son, James Edward Stuart, known as the Old Pretender. George appointed only Whigs as his ministers and advisers, reasoning that the Tories were favorable to the Stuart cause. He took a keen interest in foreign affairs, and it was his judgment that made possible the formation in 1717 of the third Triple Alliance with the Netherlands and France. For domestic policies he relied on his ministers, James Stanhope, 1st earl Stanhope (1673-1721), Charles Townshend, 2d viscount Townshend of Raynham, and Robert Walpole. Their sound administrative skills strengthened the position of the house of Hannover in Great Britain. He was succeeded by his son, George II. George died in Osnabrück on June 11, 1727.
Noted events in his life were:
• Acceded: Elector of Hanover, 1698.
• Acceded: King of Britain, 1714.
George married Sophia Dorothea of Brunswick-Lüneburg, daughter of George William of Brunswick-Celle and Eleanor d' Olbreuse, on 21 Nov 1682 in Celle Castle Chapel, Germany. The marriage ended in divorce in 1694. (Sophia Dorothea of Brunswick-Lüneburg was born on 5 Sep 1666 and died on 13 Nov 1726 in Castle of Ahlden, Hanover, Germany.)
Marriage Notes:
George's marriage to Sophia was dissolved, not on the grounds that either of them committed adultery, but on the grounds that Sophia had "abandoned" her husband. With the agreement of his wife's father, George had Sophia imprisoned in the Castle of Ahlden in her native Celle. She was denied access to her children and her father, and forbidden to remarry. She was, however, endowed with an income for her servants and was allowed to ride in a carriage outside her castle (albeit under supervision).
3
George had children with Ehrengard Melusine von der Schulenburg. (Ehrengard Melusine von der Schulenburg was born on 25 Dec 1667 in Emden, East Frisia and died on 10 May 1743.)
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