This post will be about kings Georges I and II. The blog is not about politics, however, I think that the basic pieces of information are necessary to be known. In books and paintins there often appear allusions to some political issues.
George I
 |
| Gottfried Kneller-King George I, 1714 |
George Louis I (28 May1660, Osnabrück, Hanover, Germany-11 June 1727, Osnabrück) was the first Hanoverian king of Great Britain (1714–27).
 |
| Electorate of Hanover in the 18th c. George Louis was an elector of Hanover in years 1698–1727 |
- Ernest Augustus (elector of Hanover)
- Sophia of the Palatinate (king James I of England was her grandfather).
 |
| Sophia Dorothea was accused of infidelity and imprisoned in the castle of Ahlden in 1694, where she died 32 years later. |
Thanks to English Parliament's Act of Settlement from 1701 George was made third in line for the throne. Before him were princess Anne and his mother.
 | ||
| Mikael Dahl - | Anne, Queen of Great Britain, 1705 (She was born in 1665, queen since 1702, died in 1714.) |
 |
| Alexis-Simon Belle- Portrait of James Francis Edward Stuart, 1712 (1688-1766) |
George was against France during the War of the Spanish Succession (1701-1714). Whigs started to solicit for his approval while Tories stayed faithful to James Edward.
After the deaths of his mother (June 8, 1714) and queen Anne (August 1, 1714) George became the king of the United Kingdom thanks to Whigs who gained power in the government.
 |
| Gottfried Kneller - Portrait of George I of Great Britain, 1714 |
Jacobite rebellions of 1715 and 1719 were overcome but George was not in favour in England. He was unpolular because of the rumours of the bad treatment of his wife and the avarice of his two German mistresses. However, he was trying to conscientiously fulfill his duties even though he was not able to speak English. Instead, he was speaking to his ministers in French. He contrinuted to the alliance with France in 1717-1718.
 |
| Georg Wilhelm Fontaine - George I of Great Britain, 1720 |
George was accused of adjusting the UK's foreign policy to the needs of Hanover. The opposition within the Whing party joined the prince of Wales (his son) who was disliked by George I. They made peace in 1720.
 |
| Gottfried Kneller - George II when Prince of Wales, 1716 |
After their agreement the South Sea Company had financial difficulties. It turned out that the king and his mistresses took part in some illegal transactions there. But his minister, Robert Walpole, rescued him from defame. The result of this was that ministers gained greater power.
 |
| Jean-Baptiste van Loo - Portrait of Robert Walpole, 1740 (1676-1745) |
George died in 1727 on a stroke during a trip to Hanover. He had two legitimate children:
- George II
- Sophia Dorothea (1687–1757), wife of Frederick William I of Prussia and mother of Frederick the Great
 |
| Antoine Pesne - Portrait of Sophie Dorothea von Braunschweig-Lüneburg, 1737 (1687-1757) |
George II
 |
| Thomas Hudson - King George II, 1744 |
George Augustus was born on November 10, 1683 in Herrenhausen Palace, Hanover and died on October 25, 1760 in London. He was king of United Kingdom and elector of Hanover during the years 1727-1760.
 |
| Gottfried Kneller - Portrait of Caroline of Ansbach, 1716 (1683-1737) |
George I and his son disliked each other. In 1717 they quarelled openly. Leicester House, prince's London residence started to be the residence of the oppositon within the Whigs, among them Walpole and Charles Townshend. They reconciled in 1720 and Walpole began supporting George I.
After becoming a king, George II promoted Walpole's politics. Thanks to Walpole George II was acknowledged as legitimate by many Tories (Jacobites, supporters of the Stuart Pretender). Any of the important politicians abandoned George II during the unsuccessful Jacobite Rebellion in 1745.
However, the opposition became stronger when George II chose the same path as his father - he quarelled with his son, Frederick Louis, prince of Wales. Prince of Wales was a leader of the oposition that forced Walpole to retreat.
Santiago Amiconi - Portrait of Frederick, Prince of Wales, 1735
New mentor of George II was John Carteret. At that time England was brought into the War of the Austrian Succession (1740-1748). Therefore, king's opponents accused him of subjecting the interests of England to the needs of his Hanoverian possesions.
In 1744 George II accepted the resignation of Carteret and later was forced to take William Pitt (Carteret's opponent) into office.
| After Richard Brompton - |
In the last decade of his reign George II ceased to be interested in politics. Pitt was responsible for the strategy during Seven Years' War (1756-1763) and led Britain to Victory.
After the death of George II in 1760, his grandson George, (Frederick Louis's son) came to the throne. Frederick Louis had died in 1751 at the age of 44 at Leicester House.
Jean-Etienne Liotard - Portrait of Frederick, Prince of Wales, 1754
(1707-1751)
During his life George II was passionate about everything military. He was the last British king who appeared on a batlefield - battle of Dettingen in 1743 (againt French). He also liked music and was a patron of George Frideric Handel, a composer from Gemany.
 | ||
| John Wootton - King George II at the Battle of Dettingen, with the Duke of Cumberland and Robert, 4th Earl of Holderness, 27 June 1743, 1743 |
References:
https://www.britannica.com/biography/George-I-king-of-Great-Britain
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/George_I_of_Great_Britain#Issue
https://www.britannica.com/biography/George-II-king-of-Great-Britain
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/George_II_of_Great_Britain
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Frederick,_Prince_of_Wales
