Be ween London and Hano e :
Succession o he English h one
om he pe spec i e o he memoi s
and co espondence o Sophia o Hano e
Pa la Chmelíko á
ABSTRACT:
The p esen a icle p ima ily deals wi h he pe sonali y o Sophia o Hano e and he claims o he
succession o he English h one. Sophia and he descendan s (speci ically Geo ge I) we e appoin ed
by he Ac o Se lemen as hei s o he h one upon he dea h o Anne S ua . The li e o Sophia,
as well as he ela ions wi h he English mona chs and he S ua amily as such, will be ou lined
h ough he memoi s no only o Sophia he sel bu also o he amily membe s, as well as h ough
he co espondence o Sophie he sel , including he English mona chs o he pe iod unde e iew.
KEY WORDS:
England; Sophia o Hano e ; Geo ge I; Hano e ian succession; 17 h cen u y; 18 h cen u y
INTRODUCTION
The ques ion o succession was he ho es opic in English his o y in e ms o he
coun y’s in e nal and o eign policy a he end o he 17 h and beginning o he
18 hcen u ies. Nei he he eign o he es o ed King Cha les II S ua no his b o he
James II S ua was enough o hal he impending succession c isis. The ull weigh
o i , howe e , be ell he en h oned King William III and his wi e Ma y II, and he i-
nal S ua queen a he English cou , Queen Anne. The childlessness o he English
kings and queens ma ked ou aclea pa h o inding anew dynas ic line ha would
success ully ake o e he ule o England, and G ea B i ain. The House o Hano e
became he new line o succession, in pa icula Sophia o Hano e and he child en.
Al hough he jou ney o Sophia and he descendan s o he English h one migh
seem almos s aigh o wa d and uns oppable o many, i was, in ac , aleng hy and
o en complica ed p ocess, in ha Sophia he sel acknowledges in he memoi s ha
she had los hope o achie ing he d eam— he English c own.
The s o y o Sophia o Hano e , and in pa icula ha o he son, King Geo ge I,
would appea o be a e y popula opic in English mode n his o iog aphy. Howe e ,
he popula i y o he subjec in he pas i e yea s is in mos cases linked o he an-
ni e sa y o he accession o he House o Hano e , namely Geo ge I, o he h one.
We see many new a icles, monog aphs, edi ions, o con e ence p oceedings om
OPEN
ACCESS
8 PRAGUE PAPERS ON THE HISTORY OF INTERNATIONAL RELATIONS 2/2022
he yea s 2014–2020 ha deal wi h he Hano e ian mona chs. Geo ge Iis na u ally
apopula opic, bu many pape s also deal wi h he Hano e ian e a in England as
such, bo h om apoli ical and acul u al-social poin o iew, om he pa onage o
he a s o he cons uc ion o new ga dens and palaces. Se e al new pape s on he
pe son ha was Sophia o Hano e we e also published du ing his pe iod bu o a a
lesse ex en han on he child en and g andchild en.
Fo his a icle, Id ew on he es ablished con empo a y au ho s o he u n o he
19 h and 20 h cen u ies, on olde publica ions om he middle o he las cen u y,
and on en i ely new ones, hose men ioned abo e, published o ma k he occasion
o he anni e sa y o he accession o Geo ge I o he h one.1 The mos impo an
in o ma ion o ou line he whole si ua ion om he pe spec i e o he main p o ago-
nis s, howe e , mus be sough in sou ces— namely unpublished a chi al sou ces
and published edi ions o sou ces. Unpublished a chi al sou ces a ailable in The
Na ional A chi es in Kew, London, in The B i ish Lib a y, and in S aa s A chi e in
Hano e we e used o his pape . These a e mainly a chi al ma e ials in he o m
o pe sonal and s a e co espondence and memoi s. Among he published sou ces,
we a e p ima ily conce ned wi h he published memoi s o Ma y II, William III, and
Sophia o Hano e , o edi ions o he co espondence o Queen Anne, Geo ge I, and
many o he p o agonis s.2
SOPHIA’S STORY: FROM PRINCESS IN EXILE
TO PRETENDER TO THE ENGLISH THRONE
Sophia li ed an uneasy li e long be o e she could e en begin hinking o becoming
he queen o England, whe he alongside he mo he Elizabe h S ua o la e he
1 R.HATTON, Geo ge I, New Ha en— London 2001; C.CURZON, Sophia, mo he o kings:
The Fines Queen B i ain ne e had, Yo kshi e 2019; J.A.WINN, Queen Anne— Pa oness o
A s, Ox o d— New Yo k 2014; A.GESTRICH— M.SCHAICH (eds.), The Hano e ian Suc-
cession— Dynas ic Poli ics and Mona chical Cul u e, London 2015; B.S.SIROTA— A.I.MA-
CINNES (eds.), The Hano e ian Succession in G ea B i ain and i s Empi e, Su olk— New
Yo k 2019; R.STEELE, The P ess and he Hano e ian Succession (1713–1716), Lancas e 1982;
A.W.WARD, The Elec ess Sophia and he Hano e ian Succession, London— Pa is— New
Yo k 1903; R.S.RAIT (ed.), Fi e S ua P incesses, Ox o d 1902; F.E.BAILY, Sophia o Ha-
no e and he Times, London 1936.
2 A.KÖCHER (ed.)— H.FORESTER ( ansla ed by), Memoi s o Sophia, Elec ess o Ha-
no e (1630–1680), London 1888; R.DOEBNER (ed.), Memoi s o Ma y, Queen o England
(1689–1693), oge he wi h he le e s and hose o kings James II and William III o he Elec ess
Sophia o Hano e , Leipzig— London 1886; G.MacGOWAN (ed.), Elizabe h S ua s— Win-
e Queen and Queen o Hea s, Heidelbe g 1963; B.C, BROWN (ed.), The Le e s and Diploma -
ic Ins uc ions o Queen Anne, London 1968; H.W.CHAPMAN (ed.), Queen Anne’s son: AMem-
oi o William Hen y, Duke o Glouces e , London 1954; H.COLBURN (ed.), Memoi s o Sophia
Do o hea, conso o Geo ge I– includes adia y o he con e sa ion, le e s and o he documen s,
Vol I., London 1845; W.H.WILKINS (ed.), The Lo e o an Unc own Queen Sophia Do o hea,
conso o Geo ge I, and he co espondence wi h Philip Ch is ophe Coun Königsma ck, London
1903.
OPEN
ACCESS
PAVLA CHmELíKOVá 9
husband E nes Augus us, Elec o o Hano e . The expe ience ha Sophia ga he ed
a he cou o he mo he , b o he and Elec o Pala ina e, o a he own cou in Ha-
no e mean ha she was able o mo e in close diploma ic ci cles and ind he way
a ound high-le el Eu opean o eign policy. These abili ies in pa icula subsequen ly
helped he gain he English h one o he child en, especially he eldes son Geo ge
Louis, he u u e King Geo ge Io England.3
Sophia, like he siblings, spen he you h in exile. A e he ailu e o he a he , F ed-
e ick Pala ina e, in Bohemia and he con isca ion o he a he ’s he edi a y land, Uppe
and Lowe Pala ina e, he o me Bohemian king mo ed o The Hague wi h his wi e and
child en. I was he e, hanks o inancial assis ance om James Iand la e Cha les I,
ha hey main ained amodes cou and, in he case o he ambi ious Elizabe h S ua ,
planned o egain he edi a y lands and secu e a ou able ma iages o hei o sp ing.
Sophia, like he siblings, was o all ic im o he mo he ’s plans o ma y in o he mos
impo an amilies in Eu ope, and in doing so egain he amily’s good name and honou .
Elizabe h S ua did no show much in e es in he child en, and un il hey eached he
age o ma iage o aca ee in one o he leading Eu opean cou s hey we e sen om
he cou o Leiden, whe e hey emained in he ca e o go e nesses. Sophia, he young-
es child o he Win e King and Queen, was he las o lea e he ca e o he go e nesses.
He s ay a he mo he ’s cou , howe e , was sho -li ed. A e equen disag eemen s
wi h he mo he and an inabili y o adjus o he demands, she mo ed o Heidelbe g, he
sea o he Elec o Pala ina e4, o ollow he b o he Cha les Louis.
I we ocus in Sophia’s memoi s on he pe iod o he you h, which she he sel did
no expec o be made public, we ind ou how complica ed he ela ionship was wi h
he mo he , Elizabe h. Unlike he English p incess and o me Bohemian queen, So-
phia could be conside ed a ela i ely well-educa ed young lady who was in e es ed in
poli ics, philosophy, and music, hese in e es s la e connec ed he wi h he husband
E nes Augus us. Sophia he sel , howe e , epea s se e al imes in he memoi s ha
despi e hei many disag eemen s and con lic ing na u es, she unde s ood and sha ed
he mo he ’s opinion on one hing, namely he ques ion o he posi ion in socie y and
wi hin he high Eu opean nobili y. Elizabe h, despi e lacking inances and e i o y
o e which she could ule, ne e o go ha she was he daugh e o he King o Eng-
land and ha she had he igh o he English c own. The English p incess, pa icula ly
ollowing he dea h o he husband, made such e o s o e u n o England and es o e
he posi ion ha she e en used he younges daugh e , Sophia, o achie e his.5
The cou in The Hague, and la e in Heidelbe g, was equen ed by eminen pe -
sonali ies and membe s o oyal amilies, among hem William II o O ange, Queen
3 R.CAVENDISH, Bi h o Geo ge I, in: His o y Today, May 2010, Vol.60, No.5, p.10.
4 Lowe Pala ina e and he i le o P ince o Pala ina e we e e u ned o Cha les Louis wi h he
Peace o Wes phalia in 1648: HATTON, Geo ge I, pp.15–17; CURZON, Sophia, mo he o kings,
pp.12–18, 25–28; KÖCHER— FORESTER, Memoi s o Sophia, Elec ess o Hano e , pp.3–12.
5 The o iginals o he memoi s o Sophia Hano e , which she decided o w i e a he age o
i y, we e no p ese ed. They could, howe e , be published hanks o acopy owned by
aclose iend o he duchess, Go ied Wilhelm Leibniz (ascien is and heologian who
spen many yea s a he cou o he Duchess o Hano e ): KÖCHER— FORESTER, Mem-
oi s o Sophia, Elec ess o Hano e , pp.1–3.
OPEN
ACCESS
10 PRAGUE PAPERS ON THE HISTORY OF INTERNATIONAL RELATIONS 2/2022
Hen ie a Ma ia o England, and he u u e Cha les II, who spen ime he e du -
ing his exile and buil iendly ela ions wi h Sophia. Belie ing in he e u n o he
S ua s o he English h one, Elizabe h ied o nego ia e Sophia’s ma iage o he
hi he o unma ied u u e King Cha les, bu he plans ailed. Cha les was no in-
e es ed in ma iage and was b ough o The Hague mainly by his need o inancial
assis ance. Cha les knew ha Elizabe h he sel was no in he bes shape inancially,
bu she could secu e he cou hanks o he conside able inancial assis ance o Wil-
liam, Ea l o C a en, and i was in his man, along- ime iend o he S ua p incess,
ha he u u e King o England saw he hope o assis ance. The ue mo i es ha led
Cha les S ua o isi The Hague and e-es ablish con ac s wi h his S ua ela i es in
exile came o ligh some ime a ound 1650, when, as she w o e in he memoi s, Sophia
came o unde s and du ing a isi o B eda ha Cha les was me ely using he and he
mo he ’s con ac s and iendship wi h C a en o his own ends.6
I is ag ea su p ise ha in spi e o so many possible candida es o ma iage,
Sophia did no ma y un il she was wen y-eigh yea s old, he husband he younge
son o John F ede ick, Duke o B unswick-Lünebu g. Sophia was also in he sigh s o
Adol Johann on Zweib ücken, b o he o King Cha les X o Sweden, and hei ma -
iage seemed o be p ac ically adone deal. Howe e , Swedish King Cha les delayed
pe mi ing he ma iage o so long ha anew sui o , Geo ge William, Duke o Calen-
be g-Gö ingen ( he eldes son o Duke o B unswick-Lünebu g), was ound, and he
Swedish p ince was ejec ed. The posi ion o he Swedish king a ha ime was e y
complica ed when i came o o eign ela ions. Cha les X was ying o main ain good
ela ions wi h C omwell’s England, and his b o he ’s po en ial ma iage o he daugh-
e o aS ua p incess could ha e dis up ed hose agile ies. The e o e, ins ead o
immedia ely ejec ing he ma iage, he decided o hesi a e o so long ha hey in
Heidelbe g would unde s and ha he ma iage would ne e ake place.7
Howe e , he ma iage ag eemen signed by Cha les Louis Pala ina e wi h Geo ge
William in 1656 did no ac ually lead o his own ma iage. Geo ge William changed
his mind du ing his egula ip o Venice wi h his younge b o he E nes . Geo ge
did no wan o ma y, bu because he could no b eak he ag eemen al eady signed
wi hou a nishing he good name o his amily, he ag eed wi h his younge b o he
E nes Augus us ha he ins ead would p opose o he . As ayounge b o he , he was
no exac ly he bes ca ch a he ime o hei ma iage, gi en ha his a he ’s inhe i-
ance was sha ed be ween him and his h ee o he b o he s.8
Cha les Louis, Elec o Pala ina e, whom E nes Augus us add essed as pa o
nego ia ing his ma iage o Sophia, is said o ha e ema ked on he si ua ion in he
6 In 1650, Cha les me Sco ish ambassado s in B eda, whe e hey o e ed him he oyal
c own o Sco land. He was accompanied o B eda by Elizabe h S ua and he daugh e So-
phia. : KÖCHER— FORESTER, Memoi s o Sophia, Elec ess o Hano e , s.23–24; CURZON,
Sophia, mo he o kings, pp.18–22.
7 CURZON, Sophia, mo he o kings, pp.36–42.
8 Acco ding o he las will and es amen o John F ede ick, Duke o B unswick-Lünebu g,
he Duchy o Calenbe g-Gö ingen was o all o he eldes Geo ge Willam; he Duchy o
Lünebu g-G ubenhagen o Ch is ian Ludwig; and E nes Augus us was o inhe i he
Bishop ic o Osnab ück.: HATTON, Geo ge I, pp.20–22.
OPEN
ACCESS
PAVLA CHmELíKOVá 11
Duchy o B unswick-Lünebu g: “How…could ou dukes si on one s eed?”. P imogeni-
u e was no in place in he duchy, and e e y hing depended on he will o he p e i-
ous ule . I was he e o e no ce ain whe he E nes Augus us would e e ecei e
he i le o duke. He had only abishop ic in Osnab ück, whe e he was appoin ed
successo o he cu en bishop. This was a e y in e es ing si ua ion when asecula
ule was also abishop, whe eby in he case o E nes Augus us, who was aP o es-
an , i was an e en mo e ema kable e en . E nes became Elec o only as a esul o
helping he Empe o in ba les agains F ance du ing he Nine Yea s’ Wa .9
Howe e , based on he memoi s o he u u e duchess, i is clea ha he ma iage
was alibe a ion o he om he cou o he b o he , he Elec o Pala ina e, in Hei-
delbe g, whe e she was o ced o su e he in ole an beha iou o he sis e -in-law.
E nes Augus us’ posi ion was he e o e no o such impo ance o he a he ime.
I should also be men ioned ha he u u e spouses had known each o he o many
yea s, and had e en exchanged co espondence o some ime on accoun o hei
common in e es s in music and a . Be o e a anging his sis e ’s ma iage, howe e ,
Cha les Louis demanded Sophia’s consen o he possible ma iage. Sophie is said o
ha e eplied, “…good es ablishmen was all Ica ed o , and ha , i his secu ed o me by he
younge b o he … Iwould gladly do wha e e he (Cha les Louis) hough bes , o looking
on him as my a he , I us ed mysel en i ely o his ca e”. In e ospec , howe e , Sophia’s
ma iage was e y success ul, and e iden ly he mos ad an ageous in compa ison
o hose o he siblings.10
F om ayoung age, and pa icula ly a e he ma iage o E nes Augus us, So-
phia had been e y ac i e in moni o ing he si ua ion in he B i ish Isles, p ac ically
wai ing o he oppo uni y o see he amily eins a ed o he posi ion o which she
was en i led. She used co espondence and pe sonal mee ings wi h membe s o he
S ua amily in a emp s o main ain he bes possible ela ions wi h he ela i es,
ega dless o hei ai h, and a he same ime o emain well-in o med abou e en s
in England and a o he Eu opean oyal cou s.
Ac isis in such good ela ions be ween he S ua s came a e he Glo ious Re o-
lu ion when James II had o lea e England wi h his amily and ake e uge in F ench
exile in S .Ge main wi h he suppo o Louis XIV. Sophia was e y close o bo h
James II and William III, whom she had known as ayoung child, and his a he , Wil-
9 Achange o he ma imonial con ac in a ou o E nes Augus us was ca e ully dis-
cussed. Geo ge William p omised, in aw i en ag eemen signed by his own hand, ha
he would ne e ma y, and he e o e his younge b o he and Sophia, and hei chil-
d en, would become he sole hei s o his duchy. ”Inei he will no shall…any ma -
iage con ac wi h any pe son, and wish no hing else han o spend wha emains o
me o li e en i ely “in coeliba y ” o he in en ha he hei s male o …P incess and od
my b o he …may a ain and succeed o he so e eign y o e one o bo h o hese ou
p incipali ies.“ This ag eemen was designed o inc ease E nes Augus us’ chances o
becoming Sophia’s husband, which succeeded and anew ma imonial con ac was
signed: KÖCHER— FORESTER, Memoi s o Sophia, Elec ess o Hano e , pp.61–67, 74–75;
A.GESTRICH— M.SCHAICH, The Hano e ian Succession: Dynas ic Poli ics and Mona chi-
al Cul u e, London 2015, pp.49–52.
10 HATTON, Geo ge I, p.16; KÖCHER— FORESTER, Memoi s o Sophia, Elec ess o Hano e ,
pp.46–47, 52–62.
OPEN
ACCESS

12 PRAGUE PAPERS ON THE HISTORY OF INTERNATIONAL RELATIONS 2/2022
liam II, was a equen gues o his mo he ’s cou in The Hague. As Sophie la e w o e
in he memoi s, she ound he sel in a e y icky si ua ion. She sympa hised wi h
James II, wi h whom she exchanged se e al le e s, and, as awell-b ed S ua p in-
cess, disag eed wi h he emo al o he igh ul king om he h one, bu a he same
ime unde s ood he ci cums ances ha had led o i . Sophia had always ac ed e y
p agma ically, wi h he main goal o main aining good ela ions wi h he English
mona chs, and so i is no su p ise ha despi e he doub s abou he cou se and con-
sequences o he Glo ious Re olu ion, she w o e ale e o William III cong a ula ing
him on he English c own and assu ing him o he suppo and loyal y: “…King James,
who honou ed me wi h his iendship. Ishould be a aid ha You Majes y would ha e abad
opinion o my since i y i Iconcealed om his sen imen …Imake you o my p aye s o you
p ospe i y, and o he opinion Iha e, ha you dese e he c own which you wea …Howe e
as i has pleased God o make You Majes y he p o ec o o ou eligion…“11
Main aining good ela ions wi h William migh also ha e been akey ac o in he
u u e succession o he line o he English h one. Ma y and William we e childless,
and in he e en o hei dea h wi hou alegi ima e hei , only P incess Anne would
s and be ween Sophia and he English C own. Sophia had a a close ela ionship
wi h William han wi h Anne, who had been es anged om he duchess and he son
o a e y long ime. E en he olde sis e Ma y did no ge on well wi h Anne, as hei
co espondence shows. Once Ma y and William had acceded o he h one, Anne was
asked by Ma y o mo e away om he English cou . Anne did so, no e u ning o
cou un il Queen Ma y had died. Anne’s an ipa hy o he Hano e ian amily was so
g ea ha e en a e he accession o he h one, she e used o in i e Sophia and
Geo ge o London, wi h nei he o hem s aying a he English cou while she was
ali e. William, on he o he hand, showed conside able sympa hy o he duchess’
amily, and abo e all o Sophia he sel . These sympa hies we e pa ly he esul o
he ime he spen in he company.12
The duchess’ memoi s and co espondence make his iendship clea , and we
could a gue ha William had a a close ela ionship wi h Sophia han wi h his
sis e -in-law, he u u e Queen Anne. Assu ances o iendship and espec a e e-
pea ed in he le e s ha he and his wi e Ma y exchanged wi h Sophia h oughou he
1680s. Compa ed o la e co espondence wi h Queen Anne, hese le e s we e o en
o amo e pe sonal na u e, wi h in o ma ion abou he heal h o amily membe s, and
he desi e o amee ing in pe son in he nea u u e.13
On he ques ion o succession, howe e , William and his sis e -in-law Anne
ag eed on se e al poin s. The i s o hese was an a emp o es ablish con ac wi h
he exiled James II, hoping o nego ia e acomp omise ha would make i possible o
his son James o accede o he h one. Howe e , any accession o he exiled p e ende
11 CURZON, Sophia, mo he o kings, pp.120–123; GESTRICH— SCHAICH, The Hano e ian
Succession: Dynas ic Poli ics and Mona chial Cul u e, pp.37–38; A.BAILEY, The Succession o
he English C own, London 1879, pp.223–224.
12 B.C.BROWN (ed.), The Le e s and Diploma ic Ins uc ions o Queen Anne, London 1934,
pp.53–54.
13 R.DOEBNER, Memoi s o Ma y, Queen o England (1689–1693) oge he wi h he Le e s and hose
o kings James II and William III o he Elec ess, Sophia o Hano e , Leipzig 1886, pp.65–66.
OPEN
ACCESS
PAVLA CHmELíKOVá 13
o he h one was condi ional on he p ince con e ing o he Anglican ai h, which
James II and his wi e Ma y o Modena e used. Only a e his unsuccess ul a emp
by William o econcile wi h he exiled mona ch did William and Anne ag ee ha
he only possible solu ion o he si ua ion, one ha would ensu e he p o ec ion o
he ai h and people in England, was o se in law he impossibili y o aCa holic p e-
ende aking he English h one.14
William was no he only one o co espond wi h James. His daugh e Anne kep
up ac i e co espondence wi h he exiled mona ch, as did duchess Sophia. James
mainly con ac ed he duchess ollowing his accession o he h one in 1685, when he
a gued ha his b o he , he la e King Cha les II, had agood ela ionship wi h Sophia
and ha he would like o s ay in ouch wi h he and main ain he iendship. His
le e s o Sophia con inued e en du ing he Glo ious Re olu ion, and which ime he
in o med he duchess o e e y hing ha was happening in England and sough he
suppo . In Sep embe 1688, Sophia ecei ed le e s om bo h William o O ange
and King James II. While William did no go in o de ail in e ms o his p epa a ions
o land in England, James old Sophie wha he was ying o do in-dep h and how
disappoin ed he was wi h his beha iou : “…i was long be o e Icould be capable bele e
ha my nephew and sonne in law could be capable o so e y ill an en e p ise and so s a ed
o p o ide again s i …”. Co espondence be ween he duchess and James con inued in
he 1690s when he was in exile in S .Ge main.15
Any Hano e ian succession o he English h one seemed so emo e in 1688/89
ha e en Sophia he sel did no see i as a ealis ic possibili y in he nea u u e. I
we we e o belie e ha E nes Augus us no only suppo ed his wi e bu also helped
he achie e he goals du ing he whole o his diploma ic game, designed o lead o
he u u e possibili y o ob aining he English c own, we would be a om he u h.
Sophia and E nes Augus us’ ma iage was apu ely a anged one, wi hou much a -
ec ion, as was cus oma y a he ime. Al hough he couple had awa m ela ionship
and, a leas a he beginning o he ma iage, sha ed common in e es s, E nes Au-
gus us was pu suing his own policy, which included he uni ica ion o his a he ’s
inhe i ance lands unde asingle Duke o Hano e , helped in his as he was by he Em-
pe o , whom E nes Augus us ac i ely helped in he igh agains F ance. The Duke
o Hano e , howe e , did so o he sole pu pose o ha ing p imogeni u e app o ed
14 I is clea om he co espondence ha James II and William III exchanged du ing he li e
o Cha les II ha ela ions be ween hem we e e y iendly, on accoun o which Wil-
liam appa en ly ied o econcile wi h his a he -in-law e en a e he Glo ious Re olu-
ion. James was e y ac i e in w i ing o his son-in-law, pa icula ly a he ime o app o -
al o he Tes Ac and wha is known as he Exclusion C isis in England, when he desc ibed
he si ua ion in he coun y in de ail, including he Popish Plo and accusa ions o he
Queen conspi ing agains King Cha les II. In his le e s, he also assu ed him o his undy-
ing iendship. The iendship ha James II el o his son-in-law can also be p o en by
he ac ha he hen Duke o Yo k li e ally add essed he le e s “Fo my Sonne he P ince
o O ange”: James II: i y- ou le e s as Duke o Yo k o his nephew and son-in-law, Wil-
liam o O ange, 29 Oc (1678)— 27 No (1679), Add MS 86848, B i ish Lib a y.
15 R.DOEBNER, Memoi s o Ma y, Queen o England (1689–1693) oge he wi h he Le e s and hose
o kings James II and William III o he Elec ess, Sophia o Hano e , Leipzig 1886, pp.68–72.
OPEN
ACCESS
14 PRAGUE PAPERS ON THE HISTORY OF INTERNATIONAL RELATIONS 2/2022
in his duchy, which would ensu e ha his i s bo n son, Geo ge Louis, would be he
sole duke, and o ha e he duchy ele a ed o an elec o a e.16
The uni ica ion o he duchy unde asingle ule was indeed achie ed a leas in
pa du ing E nes Augus us’ li e. The younges duke su i ed his o he wo b o h-
e s and as a esul , ook hei land unde his con ol. The duchy ha came unde he
ule o i s eldes b o he , Geo ge William, was also o ha e passed o Geo ge Louis
a e his dea h based on an ag eemen ha he had signed be o e E nes ’s ma iage o
Sophia. Ensu ing he uni ica ion o he Duchy o B unswick-Lünebu g was also de-
signed o help a ange he ma iage o Geo ge William’s daugh e , Sophia Do o hea,
and Geo ge Louis. Al hough Sophia had ini ially planned awi e o he son om he
wide S ua amily o b ing him close o he h one, E nes Augus us was hinking
mo e abou he s abili y o he duchy, which could in he u u e ac as auni ed so e -
eign whole hanks o his ma iage.17
In oducing p imogeni u e o he Duchy o Hano e was no simple ma e . Sophia
and E nes Augus us had o he sons alongside hei i s -bo n, Geo ge Louis, and in
pa icula , hei second-bo n son, F ede ick Augus us, did no wan o accep he ac
ha he would no ge wha he was en i led o a e his a he ’s dea h. E nes Augus us
no only wan ed o uni y he duchy wi h p imogeni u e bu also o a oid possible
dispu es be ween siblings, which could culmina e in ci il wa . E nes Augus us had
expe ience o his om dispu es wi h his b o he s, as did Sophia, who was a cou in
The Hague du ing he English Ci il Wa , Cha les II and his mo he aking e uge he e
o some ime. The execu ion o Cha les Iin 1649 was adisas e o he king’s o sp ing
and wi e, and o Elizabe h S ua , whom pa liamen con inued in i s e usal o pay
an annual allowance o he humble cou .18
THE YEARS 1689–1714
The passing o he Bill o Righ s in England in 1689 was deeply disappoin ing o So-
phia. While he law p ima ily deal wi h he cu ailmen , by pa liamen , o he mon-
a ch’s powe , he pa ha in e es ed Sophia he mos deal wi h possible succes-
sion o he h one in he case ha Ma y and William emained childless. The law
s ic ly de e mined who in he u u e could e en conside aking he English c own,
and emo ed all pe sons o he Ca holic ai h om his no ional lis o candida es.
16 E nes Augus us and Sophia also ea ed ha , unde he in luence o his wi e, Geo ge Wil-
liam would decide o b eak he p omise he had con i med wi h asigna u e ha his de-
scendan s would no be en i led o he legacy o E nes Augus us and ha none o his de-
scendan s would bea he i le o Duke o Duchess. The ma iage o Geo ge and Sophia
Do o hea was o ha e b ough he amily close oge he and secu ed he Duchy o Celle
o hei o sp ing: CURZON, Sophia, mo he o kings, pp.110–112; KÖCHER— FORESTER,
Memoi s o Sophia, Elec ess o Hano e , pp.170–174.
17 The Duchy was ele a ed o he Elec o a e by E nes Augus us in Decembe 1692, when Em-
pe o Leopold Iga e his consen o he ac . KÖCHER— FORESTER, Memoi s o Sophia, Elec-
ess o Hano e , pp.170–174.
18 HATTON, Geo ge I, pp.42–47.
OPEN
ACCESS
PAVLA CHmELíKOVá 15
The g ea es conce n among he English people and membe s o pa liamen alike—
aCa holic mona ch on he English h one who would h ea en he libe ies and igh s
o he people, as well as he posi ion o he Chu ch o England in he coun y— was
o ha e been elimina ed by law. As he di ec hei o he English h one, he law hen
designa ed P incess Anne and he o sp ing, en i ely dis ega ding he possibili y ha
P incess Anne would emain childless and he issue o e en ual succession a e he
dea h. Sophia saw many u u e ad an ages in he new law in e ms o he possibili-
ies o succeeding o he English h one. The law g ea ly na owed he numbe o
candida es o he pos o p e ende and excluded ce ain ela i es who we e close
o he h one han Sophia and he descendan s. Howe e , he duchess was also un-
pleasan ly su p ised o lea n ha he possible line o succession was no e en men-
ioned in he law.19
Sophia ealised ha , unlike he , P incess Anne was o p oduc i e age and could
s ill ha e many child en, e en hough none o he child en had li ed o adul hood
un il hen. He assump ions p o ed ue when i was announced in July 1689 ha
Anne S ua had gi en bi h o aheal hy son, William, Duke o Glouces e . Li le Wil-
liam became he C own P ince o England and he las hope o he con inua ion
o he oyal S ua line in he coun y. P incess Anne e used o accep ha anyone
o he han he child would become he u u e king o queen o England. E en hough
William showed heal h p oblems almos since childhood, he symp oms dange ously
consis en wi h hose seen in his deceased siblings, he p incess belie ed ha he son
would be he new king.20
The 1690s we e ag ea es o Sophia’s diploma ic and nego ia ing skills, as she
no only had o esol e dispu es wi hin he own amily bu also main ained ac-
i e con ac s wi h William III and P incess Anne, designed o ensu e he u u e
p io i y o he Hano e ian line in succession. App o al o he Bill o Righ s mean
ha po en ial Ca holic p e ende s we e excluded, including hose among Sophia’s
siblings. In he ma iage policy, Elizabe h S ua had appa en ly ailed o ake
ai h in o accoun o any g ea ex en , bu ins ead, he in luence o he noble, and
so many o Sophia’s sis e s had con e ed o he Ca holic ai h in o de o ma y
well, pa icula ly in o in luen ial F ench a is oc a ic amilies. Mos o he duch-
ess’ b o he s we e al eady dead, and she, al hough no o iginally he mos sui able
candida e o English succession o he closes ela i e o he mona chs cu en ly
uling, became ap e ende o he h one igh a e P incess Anne. The succession
19 In Decembe 1689, William III w o e o Sophia abou he Bill o Righ s, speci ically asking
i Sophia was sa is ied wi h he wo ding o he law, which also egula ed succession. Ac-
co ding o he le e , William ied o pe suade membe s o pa liamen o di ec ly men-
ion Sophia and he amily as he al e na i e line o succession o P incess Anne, which he
said himsel had ailed: R.DOEBNER, Memoi s o Ma y, Queen o England (1689–1693) oge h-
e wi h he Le e s and hose o kings James II and William III o he Elec ess, Sophia o Hano e ,
Leipzig 1886, p.76; ‘William and Ma y: Feb ua y 1689’, in Calenda o S a e Pape s Domes-
ic: William and Ma y, 1689–90, ed. William John Ha dy (London, 1895), s.1–11. B i ish His o-
y Online h p://www.b i ish-his o y.ac.uk/cal-s a e-pape s/domes ic/will-ma y/1689-90/
pp1-11 [accessed 29Ma ch 2023]; BAILEY, The Succession o he English C own, pp.227–228.
20 CHAPMAN, Queen Anne’s son, pp.25–30; B.HOFFMAN, They Ne e Reigned: Hei s o he B i -
ish Th one Who Ne e Became he Mona ch, London 2023, pp.153–155.
OPEN
ACCESS