Illustrations

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1. George I in his coronation robes, by Kneller
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2. The electorate of Hanover
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3. Herrenhausen
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4. George’s father: Elector Ernst August
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5. George’s mother: Electress Sophia
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6. George in 1680, aged twenty
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7. George’s wife Sophia Dorothea with their children, Georg August, the future George II, and Sophia Dorothea, the future Queen of Prussia
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8. Hunting at Göhrde
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9. George with his son Georg August, the future George II, and daughter-in-law Caroline
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10. George and the line of succession
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11. Kensington Palace
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12. Britain as a great power: the Spanish fleet is destroyed at the Battle of Cape Passaro, Sicily, 11 August 1718
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13. Greenwich, the Upper Hall: the glorification of George I and the house of Hanover by James Thornhill

Penguin Monarchs

THE HOUSES OF WESSEX AND DENMARK
AthelstanTom Holland
Aethelred the UnreadyRichard Abels
CnutRyan Lavelle
Edward the ConfessorJames Campbell
THE HOUSES OF NORMANDY, BLOIS AND ANJOU
William IMarc Morris
William IIJohn Gillingham
Henry IEdmund King
StephenCarl Watkins
Henry IIRichard Barber
Richard IThomas Asbridge
JohnNicholas Vincent
THE HOUSE OF PLANTAGENET
Henry IIIStephen Church
Edward IAndy King
Edward IIChristopher Given-Wilson
Edward IIIJonathan Sumption
Richard IILaura Ashe
THE HOUSES OF LANCASTER AND YORK
Henry IVCatherine Nall
Henry VAnne Curry
Henry VIJames Ross
Edward IVA. J. Pollard
Edward VThomas Penn
Richard IIIRosemary Horrox
THE HOUSE OF TUDOR
Henry VIISean Cunningham
Henry VIIIJohn Guy
Edward VIStephen Alford
Mary IJohn Edwards
Elizabeth IHelen Castor
THE HOUSE OF STUART
James IThomas Cogswell
Charles IMark Kishlansky
[CromwellDavid Horspool]
Charles IIClare Jackson
James IIDavid Womersley
William III& Mary IIJonathan Keates
AnneRichard Hewlings
THE HOUSE OF HANOVER
George ITim Blanning
George IINorman Davies
George IIIAmanda Foreman
George IVStella Tillyard
William IVRoger Knight
VictoriaJane Ridley
THE HOUSES OF SAXE-COBURG & GOTHA AND WINDSOR
Edward VIIRichard Davenport-Hines
George VDavid Cannadine
Edward VIIIPiers Brendon
George VIPhilip Ziegler
Elizabeth IIDouglas Hurd

Tim Blanning

GEORGE I

The Lucky King

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ALLEN LANE

UK | USA | Canada | Ireland | Australia

India | New Zealand | South Africa

Penguin Books is part of the Penguin Random House group of companies whose addresses can be found at global.penguinrandomhouse.com

First published 2017

Copyright © Tim Blanning, 2017

The moral right of the author has been asserted

Cover design by Pentagram

Jacket art by Rachel Ann Lindsey

ISBN: 978-0-141-97684-6

Contents

Genealogical Table

GEORGE I

1. Hanover

2. The Hanoverian Succession in England

3. Court, Country and Family Matters

4. Whigs and Tories

5. The Sinews of Power and Foreign Policy

6. Conclusion

Illustrations

Notes

Further Reading

Picture Credits

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