George I

George I (born May 28, 1660, Osnabrück, Hanover [Germany]—died June 11, 1727, Osnabrück) was the elector of Hanover (1698–1727) and the first Hanoverian king of Great Britain (1714–27).

George Louis of Brunswick-Lüneburg was the son of Ernest Augustus, elector of Hanover, and Sophia of the Palatinate, a granddaughter of King James I of England. George married his cousin Sophia Dorothea of Celle in 1682, but in 1694, accusing her of infidelity, he divorced her and imprisoned her in the castle of Ahlden, where she died 32 years later. He succeeded his father as elector of Hanover in 1698. The English Parliament’s Act of Settlement (1701), seeking to ensure a Protestant succession to the throne in opposition to the exiled Roman Catholic claimant (James Edward, the Old Pretender), made George third in line for the throne after Princess Anne (queen from 1702–14) and his mother.

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During the War of the Spanish Succession (1701–14) George fought with distinction against the French. England’s Whig politicians began to court his favour, but many Tories remained loyal to the Old Pretender. When George’s mother died on June 8, 1714, he became heir to the throne, and on the death of Queen Anne (Aug. 1, 1714) the Whigs, who had just gained control of the government, ushered him into power.

Naturally, George formed a predominantly Whig ministry. Although the Jacobite rebellions of 1715 and 1719 were readily suppressed, he was far from popular in England. Ugly rumours concerning his treatment of his wife were widely disseminated, and the greed of his two German mistresses reflected badly on his court. He attempted diligently, however, to fulfill his obligations to his new kingdom. Since he could not speak English, he communicated with his ministers in French. Although he stopped attending Cabinet meetings, he met with key ministers in private—a step that led to the decline of the Cabinet, which had largely controlled the government during Queen Anne’s reign. His shrewd diplomatic judgment enabled him to help forge an alliance with France in 1717–18. Nevertheless, he often found it difficult to get his way in domestic politics, in which he had to deal with such strong-willed ministers as Robert Walpole (later earl of Orford), James Stanhope, and Viscount Charles Townshend. In 1716–17 Townshend and Walpole left his government in protest over Stanhope’s alleged efforts to mold English foreign policy to the needs of George’s Hanoverian possessions. By joining with George’s son, the prince of Wales (later King George II), whom the king detested, these dissidents formed an effective opposition movement within the Whig Party.

Shortly after this faction was reconciled to George in 1720, the South Sea Company suffered a financial collapse. In the ensuing scandal it became apparent that George and his mistresses had taken part in South Sea Company transactions of questionable legality, but Walpole’s skill in handling the House of Commons saved the king from disgrace. As a result, George was forced to give Walpole and Townshend a free hand in the ministry. They pushed several of the king’s friends out of office, and by 1724 George had come to rely completely on their judgment. George died of a stroke on a trip to Hanover. In addition to his son and successor, George II, he had a daughter, Sophia Dorothea (1687–1757), wife of King Frederick William I of Prussia and mother of Frederick the Great.