George II o Great Breetain

George II (George Augustus; German: Georg II. August; 30 October / 9 November 1683O.S./N.S. – 25 October 1760) wis King o Great Breetain an Ireland, Duke o Brunswick-Lüneburg (Hanover) an Prince-elector o the Holy Roman Empire frae 11 Juin 1727 (O.S.) till his daith.

George II
Portrait bi Thomas Hudson, 1744
Keeng o Great Breetain an Ireland
Elector o Hanover (mair...)
Ring11/22O.S./N.S. Juin 1727 –
25 October 1760
Coronation11/22O.S./N.S. October 1727
PredecessorGeorge I
SuccessorGeorge III
Prime Meenisters
Born30 October / 9 November 1683O.S./N.S.
Herrenhausen Palace,[1] or Leine Palace,[2] Hanover, Electorate o Brunswick-Luneburg, Holy Roman Empire
Dee'd25 October 1760(1760-10-25) (aged 76)
Kensington Palace, Lunnon, Ingland, Kinrick o Great Breetain
Buirial11 November 1760
Westminster Abbey, Lunnon
SpouseCaroline o Ansbach
Issue
Detail
Full name
George Augustus
German: Georg August
HooseHoose o Hanover
FaitherGeorge I
MitherSophia Dorothea o Celle
ReleegionLutheran
SeegnaturGeorge II's signature

George wis the last Breetish monarch born ootside Great Breetain: he wis born an brocht up in northren Germany. His grandmither, Sophia o Hanover, becam seicont in line tae the Breetish throne efter aboot fifty Catholics heicher in line war excludit bi the Act o Settlement 1701 an the Acts o Union 1707, thst restrictit the succession tae Protestants. Efter the daiths o Sophia an Anne, Queen o Great Breetain, in 1714, his faither George I, Elector o Hanover, inheritit the Breetish throne. In the first years o his faither's ring as king, George wis associatit wi opposeetion politeecians, till thay rejyned the govrenin pairty in 1720.

As king frae 1727, George exercised little control ower Breetish domestic policy, that wis lairgely controlled bi the Pairlament o Great Breetain. As elector, he spent twal simmers in Hanover, whaur he haed mair direct control ower govrenment policy. He haed a difficult relationship wi his eldest son, Frederick, that supportit the pairlamentar opposeetion. In the War o the Austrick Succession, George pairteecipatit at the Battle o Dettingen in 1743, an sicweys becam the last Breetish monarch tae lead an airmy in battle. In 1745, supporters o the Catholic claimant tae the Breetish throne, James Francis Edward Stuart ("The Auld Pretender"), led bi James's son Charles Edward Stuart ("The Young Pretender" or "Bonnie Prince Charlie"), attemptit an failed tae depose George in the last o the Jacobite rebellions. Frederick dee'd unexpectitly in 1751, nine year afore his faither, an sae George II wis ultimately succeedit bi his grandson, George III.

For twa centuries efter George II's daith, history tendit tae view him wi disdain, concentratin on his mistresses, short temper an boorishness. Syne then, maist scholars hae reassessed his legacy an conclude that he held an exercised influence in furrin policy an militar appyntments.

References eedit

  1. Cannon.
  2. Thompson, p. 10.

Soorces eedit

  • Cannon, John (2004) "George II (1683–1760)", Oxford Dictionary of National Biography, Oxford University Press, retrieved 16 August 2011 doi:10.1093/ref:odnb/10539 (subscription or UK public library membership required)
  • Thompson, Andrew C. (2011) George II: King and Elector. New Haven and London: Yale University Press. ISBN 978-0-300-11892-6