House of Hanover

The House of Hanover (the Hanoverians) were a German royal dynasty which succeeded the House of Stuart as kings of Great Britain in 1714. They also ruled Hanover in Germany, their original possession. They are sometimes referred to as the House of Brunswick, Hanover line. The House of Hanover is a younger branch of the House of Welf, which in turn is a branch of the House of Este.

History

George, Duke of Brunswick-Lüneburg, is considered the first member of the House of Hanover. When the Duchy of Brunswick-Lüneburg was divided in 1635, George inherited the principalities of Calenberg and Göttingen, and in 1636 he moved his residence to Hanover. His son, Duke Ernest Augustus, was elevated to prince-elector of the Holy Roman Empire in 1692. Ernest Augustus' wife, Sophia, was declared heiress of the throne of Great Britain by the Act of Settlement of 1701; their son, George I, became the first British monarch of the House of Hanover.

Related Topics:
George, Duke of Brunswick-Lüneburg - Brunswick-Lüneburg - 1635 - Calenberg - Göttingen - 1636 - Hanover - Duke Ernest Augustus - Prince-elector - Holy Roman Empire - 1692 - Sophia - Act of Settlement of 1701 - George I

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The dynasty provided six British monarchs:

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Of the Kingdom of Great Britain:

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• George I (r. 1714-1727)
• George II (r. 1727-1760)
• George III (r. 1760-1820)¹

Of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland:

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• George III (r. 1760-1820)
• George IV (r. 1820-1830)
• William IV (r. 1830-1837)
• Victoria (r. 1837-1901).

George I, George II, and George III also served as electors and dukes of Brunswick-Lüneburg, informally called electors of Hanover (see Personal union). Beginning in 1814, when Hanover was made into a kingdom, the British monarch served jointly as king of Hanover. The thrones of the United Kingdom and Hanover diverged in 1837 as the throne of Hanover, unlike that of the U.K., was under the Salic law, and so did not pass to Queen Victoria and instead passed to her uncle, the Duke of Cumberland. The Kingdom of Hanover came to an end in 1866 when it was annexed by Prussia. (See: Rulers of Hanover)

Related Topics:
Personal union - 1814 - United Kingdom - 1837 - Salic law - Duke of Cumberland - 1866 - Prussia - Rulers of Hanover

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When Victoria died, the name of the Royal House changed to the House of Saxe-Coburg-Gotha, after her husband, Prince Albert of Saxe-Coburg-Gotha. However, the current British monarch is a direct descendant of George I, and the Act of Settlement requires the monarch to be a Protestant descendant of Sophia, Electress of Hanover.

Related Topics:
House of Saxe-Coburg-Gotha - Prince Albert of Saxe-Coburg-Gotha

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In 1884, the senior branch of the House of Welf became extinct. The House of Hanover, as the only surviving branch, inherited the Duchy of Brunswick, but was kept from taking rule until 1913, when Ernest Augustus, Duke of Brunswick-Lüneburg ascended and ruled until monarchy was abolished in 1918. Under Salic law, the current head of the House is Ernst August Prinz von Hannover.

Related Topics:
1884 - Duchy of Brunswick - 1913 - Ernest Augustus, Duke of Brunswick-Lüneburg - 1918 - Ernst August Prinz von Hannover

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