The House of Hanover (german: Haus Hannover), whose members are known as Hanoverians, is a
European
European, or Europeans, or Europeneans, may refer to:
In general
* ''European'', an adjective referring to something of, from, or related to Europe
** Ethnic groups in Europe
** Demographics of Europe
** European cuisine, the cuisines of Europe ...
royal house
A dynasty is a sequence of rulers from the same family,''Oxford English Dictionary'', "dynasty, ''n''." Oxford University Press (Oxford), 1897. usually in the context of a monarchy, monarchical system, but sometimes also appearing in repu ...
of
German
German(s) may refer to:
* Germany (of or related to)
**Germania (historical use)
* Germans, citizens of Germany, people of German ancestry, or native speakers of the German language
** For citizens of Germany, see also German nationality law
**Ger ...
origin that ruled
Hanover,
Great Britain, and
Ireland at various times during the 17th to 20th centuries. The house originated in 1635 as a
cadet branch of the House of
Brunswick-Lüneburg, growing in prestige until Hanover
became an Electorate in 1692.
George I became the first Hanoverian monarch of
Great Britain and
Ireland in 1714. At
Queen Victoria's death in 1901, the throne of the
United Kingdom passed to her eldest son
Edward VII, a member of the
House of Saxe-Coburg and Gotha. The last reigning members of the House lost the
Duchy of Brunswick in 1918 when Germany became a republic.
The formal name of the house was the House of Brunswick-Lüneburg, Hanover line.
The senior line of Brunswick-Lüneburg, which ruled
Brunswick-Wolfenbüttel, became extinct in 1884. The House of Hanover is now the only surviving branch of the
House of Welf
The House of Welf (also Guelf or Guelph) is a European dynasty that has included many German and British monarchs from the 11th to 20th century and Emperor Ivan VI of Russia in the 18th century. The originally Franconia, Franconian family from ...
, which is the senior branch of the
House of Este. The current head of the House of Hanover is
Ernst August, Prince of Hanover.
History
Dukes and Electors of Brunswick-Lüneburg
George, Duke of Brunswick-Lüneburg
George, Duke of Brunswick-Lüneburg (17 February 1582, in Celle – 12 April 1641, in Hildesheim), ruled as Prince of Calenberg from 1635.
George was the sixth son of William, Duke of Brunswick-Lüneburg (1535–1592) and Dorothea of Denmark ( ...
was the first member of the House of Hanover. When the
Duchy of Brunswick-Lüneburg
The Duchy of Brunswick-Lüneburg (german: Herzogtum Braunschweig und Lüneburg), or more properly the Duchy of Brunswick and Lüneburg, was a historical duchy that existed from the late Middle Ages to the Late Modern era within the Holy Roman ...
was divided in 1635, George inherited the
Principality of Calenberg and moved his residence to Hanover. His son,
Christian Louis, inherited the
Principality of Lüneburg from George's brother. Calenberg and Lüneburg were then shared between George's sons until united in 1705 under his grandson, also called George, who subsequently became
George I of Great Britain. All held the title ''Duke of Brunswick-Lüneburg''. George died in 1641 and was succeeded by:
*
Christian Louis, 1st son of Duke George, Prince of Calenberg (1641–1648) and Prince of Lüneburg (1648–1665). He relinquished Calenburg when he became Prince of Lüneburg.
*
George William, 2nd son of Duke George, Prince of Calenberg (1648–1665) and Prince of Lüneburg (1665–1705). He relinquished Calenburg when he became Prince of Lüneburg on the death of his brother, Christian Louis.
*
John Frederick, 3rd son of Duke George, Prince of Calenberg (1665–1679).
*
Ernest Augustus, 4th son of Duke George, Prince of Calenberg (1679–1698). He became Prince of Calenberg on the death of his brother John Frederick. He was elevated to
prince-elector of the
Holy Roman Empire in 1692. Ernest Augustus's wife,
Sophia of the Palatinate, was declared heiress of the throne of England by the
Act of Settlement of 1701, which decreed
Roman Catholics
The Catholic Church, also known as the Roman Catholic Church, is the largest Christian church, with 1.3 billion baptized Catholics worldwide . It is among the world's oldest and largest international institutions, and has played a ...
could not accede to the throne. Sophia was at that time the senior eligible Protestant descendant of
James I of England.
*
George Louis, son of Duke Ernest Augustus and Sophia, became Elector and Prince of Calenberg in 1698 and Prince of Lüneburg when his uncle George William died in 1705. He inherited his mother's claim to the throne of Great Britain when she died in 1714.
Monarchs of Great Britain, Ireland, and Hanover
George Louis became the first British monarch of the House of Hanover as George I in 1714.
[.] The dynasty provided six British monarchs:
''Of the Kingdoms of
Great Britain and
Ireland'' (changed in 1801 to ''the
United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland''):
#
George I ( 1714–1727) (Georg Ludwig = George Louis)
#
George II ( 1727–1760) (Georg August = George Augustus)
#
George III ( 1760–1820)
#
George IV ( 1820–1830)
#
William IV ( 1830–1837)
#
Victoria ( 1837–1901).
George I, George II, and George III also served as electors and dukes of
Brunswick-Lüneburg, informally, Electors of
Hanover (cf. ''
personal union'').
From 1814, when Hanover became a kingdom, the British monarch was also
King of Hanover.
Upon the death of William IV in 1837, the personal union of the thrones of the
United Kingdom and Hanover ended. Succession to the Hanoverian throne was regulated by semi-
Salic law
The Salic law ( or ; la, Lex salica), also called the was the ancient Frankish civil law code compiled around AD 500 by the first Frankish King, Clovis. The written text is in Latin and contains some of the earliest known instances of Old Du ...
(agnatic-cognatic), which gave priority to all male lines before female lines, so that it passed not to Queen Victoria but to her uncle, the
Duke of Cumberland.
In 1901, when Queen Victoria, the last British monarch provided by the House of Hanover, died, her son and heir
Edward VII became the first British Monarch of the
House of Saxe-Coburg and Gotha, Edward taking his family name from that of his father,
Prince Albert of Saxe-Coburg-Gotha.
Kings of Hanover after the breakup of the personal union
After the death of William IV in 1837, the following kings of Hanover continued the dynasty:
*
Ernest Augustus, King of Hanover
Ernest Augustus (german: Ernst August; 5 June 177118 November 1851) was King of Hanover from 20 June 1837 until his death in 1851. As the fifth son of King George III of the United Kingdom and Hanover, he initially seemed unlikely to become a m ...
(r. 1837–1851)
*
George V (r. 1851–1866, deposed)
The
Kingdom of Hanover ended in 1866 when it was annexed by
Kingdom of Prussia and the king of Hanover (and duke of Cumberland) was forced to go into exile in Austria. The 1866 rift between the houses of Hanover and Hohenzollern was settled by the 1913 marriage of
Princess Viktoria Luise of Prussia
german: Viktoria Luise Adelheid Mathilde Charlotte
, house = Hohenzollern
, father = Wilhelm II, German Emperor
, mother = Augusta Victoria of Schleswig-Holstein
, birth_name = Princess Victoria Louise of Prussia
, ...
to
Ernest Augustus, Duke of Brunswick, the last king's grandson.
Prince-bishops of Osnabrück
At the end of the
Thirty Years' War, the
Peace of Westphalia
The Peace of Westphalia (german: Westfälischer Friede, ) is the collective name for two peace treaties signed in October 1648 in the Westphalian cities of Osnabrück and Münster. They ended the Thirty Years' War (1618–1648) and brought pea ...
(1648) awarded the
Prince-Bishopric of Osnabrück alternately to a Catholic bishop and to a cadet branch of Brunswick-Lüneburg.
Since the treaty gave cadets priority over heirs and reigning princes, Osnabrück became a form of
appanage (in alternation) of the House of Hanover.
*
Ernest Augustus, Elector of Brunswick-Lüneburg (r. 1662–1698), fourth son of
George, Duke of Brunswick-Lüneburg
George, Duke of Brunswick-Lüneburg (17 February 1582, in Celle – 12 April 1641, in Hildesheim), ruled as Prince of Calenberg from 1635.
George was the sixth son of William, Duke of Brunswick-Lüneburg (1535–1592) and Dorothea of Denmark ( ...
*
Ernest Augustus, Duke of York and Albany
Ernest Augustus, Duke of York and Albany (17 September 1674 – 14 August 1728), was the younger brother of George I of Great Britain. Ernest Augustus was a soldier and served with some distinction under Emperor Leopold I during the Nine Years' Wa ...
(r. 1715–1728), sixth son of
Ernest Augustus, Elector of Brunswick-Lüneburg
*
Prince Frederick, Duke of York and Albany (r. 1764–1802), second son of
George III
Osnabrück was
mediatized Mediatization or mediatisation may refer to:
* German mediatisation, German historical territorial restructuring
* Mediatization (media) Mediatization (or medialization) is a process whereby the mass media influence other sectors of society, includ ...
to Hanover in 1803.
Dukes of Brunswick
In 1884, the senior branch of the
House of Welf
The House of Welf (also Guelf or Guelph) is a European dynasty that has included many German and British monarchs from the 11th to 20th century and Emperor Ivan VI of Russia in the 18th century. The originally Franconia, Franconian family from ...
became extinct. By semi-
Salic law
The Salic law ( or ; la, Lex salica), also called the was the ancient Frankish civil law code compiled around AD 500 by the first Frankish King, Clovis. The written text is in Latin and contains some of the earliest known instances of Old Du ...
, the House of Hanover would have acceded to the
Duchy of Brunswick, but there had been strong Prussian pressure against having George V of Hanover or his son, the
Duke of Cumberland, succeed to a member state of the German Empire, at least without strong conditions, including swearing to the German constitution. By a law of 1879, the Duchy of Brunswick established a temporary council of regency to take over at the Duke's death, and if necessary appoint a regent.
The Duke of Cumberland proclaimed himself Duke of Brunswick at the Duke's death, and lengthy negotiations ensued, but were never resolved.
Prince Albert of Prussia was appointed regent; after his death in 1906,
Duke John Albert of Mecklenburg
Duke John Albert of Mecklenburg (german: Herzog Johann Albrecht zu Mecklenburg; given names ''John Albert Ernest Constantine Frederick Henry''; 8 December 1857 – 16 February 1920) was a member of the House of Mecklenburg-Schwerin who served as t ...
succeeded him. The Duke of Cumberland's eldest son died in a car accident in 1912; the father renounced Brunswick in favor of his younger son
Ernest Augustus, who married the Kaiser's daughter
Victoria Louise the same year, swore allegiance to the German Empire, and was allowed to ascend the throne of the Duchy in November 1913. He was a major-general during the
First World War; but he was overthrown as Duke of Brunswick in 1918. His father was also deprived of his British titles in 1919, for "bearing arms against Great Britain".
After having left
Brunswick Palace, the duke and his family moved back to their exile seat Cumberland Castle at
Gmunden
Gmunden () is a town in Upper Austria, Austria in the district of Gmunden (district), Gmunden. It has 13,204 inhabitants (estimates 2016 ). It is much frequented as a health and summer resort, and has a variety of lake, brine, vegetable and pine-c ...
, Austria, but in 1924 he received
Blankenburg Castle and some other estates in a settlement with the
Free State of Brunswick, and moved there in 1930. A few days before Blankenburg was handed over to the
Red Army by British and US forces in late 1945, to become part of
East Germany, the family was able to quickly move to
Marienburg Castle (Hanover) with all their furniture, transported by British army trucks, on the order of King
George VI. Duke Ernest Augustus died at Marienburg Castle in 1953. His
Herrenhausen Palace in Hanover had been completely destroyed during World War II. His eldest son,
Prince Ernest Augustus, sold his remaining property at
Herrenhausen Gardens in 1961, but kept the nearby Princely House, a small palace built in 1720 by George I for his daughter Anna Louise. It is now his grandson
Ernest Augustus's private home, along with Marienburg Castle.
Claimants

The later heads of the House of Hanover have been:
*
George V (1866–1878)
*
Ernest Augustus, Crown Prince of Hanover, 3rd Duke of Cumberland and Teviotdale (1878–1923)
*
Ernest Augustus, Duke of Brunswick (1923–1953), son of the previous
*
Ernest Augustus, Prince of Hanover (1953–1987)
*
Ernest Augustus, Prince of Hanover (1987–present)
**
Ernest Augustus, Hereditary Prince of Hanover (
heir apparent)
The family has been resident in Austria since 1866 and thus took on Austrian nationality besides their German and British. Since the later king
Ernest Augustus had been created
Duke of Cumberland and Teviotdale and
Earl of Armagh by his father
George III in 1799, these British peerages were inherited by his descendants. In 1914 the title of a
Prince of Great Britain and Ireland was additionally granted to the members of the house by King
George V. These peerages and titles however were suspended under the
Titles Deprivation Act 1917
The Titles Deprivation Act 1917 is an Act of Parliament of the United Kingdom which authorised enemies of the United Kingdom during the First World War to be deprived of their British peerages and royal titles.
Background
The British royal famil ...
. However, the title ''Royal Prince of Great Britain and Ireland'' had been entered into the family's German passports, together with the German titles, in 1914. After the
German Revolution of 1918–19
German(s) may refer to:
* Germany (of or related to)
** Germania (historical use)
* Germans, citizens of Germany, people of German ancestry, or native speakers of the German language
** For citizens of Germany, see also German nationality law
**Ge ...
, with the abolishment of nobility's privileges, titles officially became parts of the last name. So, curiously, the British prince's title is still part of the family's last name in their German passports, while it is no longer mentioned in their British documents.
On 29 August 1931,
Ernest Augustus, Duke of Brunswick, as head of the House of Hanover, declared the formal resumption, for himself and his dynastic descendants, of use of his former British princely title as a secondary
title of pretense
A pretender is someone who claims to be the rightful ruler of a country although not recognized as such by the current government. The term is often used to suggest that a claim is not legitimate.Curley Jr., Walter J. P. ''Monarchs-in-Waiting'' ...
, which style, "Royal Prince of Great Britain and Ireland", his grandson, the current head of the house, also called
Ernest Augustus, continues to claim. He has the right to petition under the
Titles Deprivation Act 1917
The Titles Deprivation Act 1917 is an Act of Parliament of the United Kingdom which authorised enemies of the United Kingdom during the First World War to be deprived of their British peerages and royal titles.
Background
The British royal famil ...
for the restoration of his ancestors' suspended British peerages ''Duke of Cumberland and Teviotdale'' and ''Earl of Armagh'', but he has not done so. His father, another
Ernest Augustus, did, however, successfully claim British nationality after World War II by virtue of a hitherto overlooked (and since repealed) provision of the
Sophia Naturalization Act 1705
The Act for the Naturalization of the Most Excellent Princess Sophia, Electress and Duchess Dowager of Hanover, and the Issue of her Body was an Act of the Parliament of England (4 & 5 Ann. c. 16.) in 1705. It followed the Act of Settlement 170 ...
.
[''Attorney-General v HRH Prince Ernest Augustus of Hanover'' ]957
Year 957 ( CMLVII) was a common year starting on Thursday (link will display the full calendar) of the Julian calendar.
Events
By place
Europe
* September 6 – Liudolf, the eldest son of King Otto I, dies of a violent fever nea ...
1 All ER 49 According to the decision taken by a court of the
House of Lords, all family members bear the last name ''
Guelph'' in the UK and are styled
Royal Highnesses in their documents.
List of members
Patrilineal descent
#
Oberto I, 912–975
#
Oberto Obizzo, 940–1017
#
Albert Azzo I, Margrave of Milan
Albert Azzo I ( it, Alberto Azzo or ''Adalberto Azzo'') (c. 970 – 1029) was an Italian nobleman. He was a member of the Obertenghi (or Adalbertini) family. From 1014 onward, he was margrave of Milan and count of Luni, Genoa and Tortona.
Life
...
, 970–1029
#
Albert Azzo II, Margrave of Milan, died 997 or 1009
#
Welf I, Duke of Bavaria, 1037–1101
#
Henry IX, Duke of Bavaria
Henry IX (107513 December 1126), called the Black, a member of the House of Welf, was Duke of Bavaria from 1120 to 1126.
Life and reign
Henry was the second son of Duke Welf I of Bavaria (died 1101) from his marriage with Judith, daughter of Co ...
, 1074–1126
#
Henry X, Duke of Bavaria
Henry the Proud (german: Heinrich der Stolze) (20 October 1139), a member of the House of Welf, was List of rulers of Bavaria, Duke of Bavaria (as Henry X) from 1126 to 1138 and List of rulers of Saxony, Duke of Saxony (as Henry II) as ...
, 1108–1139
#
Henry the Lion, 1129–1195
#
William of Winchester, Lord of Lunenburg, 1184–1213
#
Otto I, Duke of Brunswick-Lüneburg, 1204–1252
#
Albert I, Duke of Brunswick-Lüneburg
Albert the Tall ( lat, Albertus Longus, german: Albrecht der Große; 1236 – 15 August 1279), a member of the House of Welf, was Duke of Brunswick-Lüneburg from 1252 and the first ruler of the newly created Principality of Brunswick-Wolfenbü ...
, 1236–1279
#
Albert II, Duke of Brunswick-Lüneburg
Albert (Latin ''Albertus''; – 22 September 1318), called the Fat (''pinguis''), was duke of Brunswick-Lüneburg.
The second son of Albert the Tall, Duke of Brunswick-Lüneburg, Albert was a boy when his father died in 1279. He was first un ...
, 1268–1318
#
Magnus the Pious, Duke of Brunswick-Lüneburg, 1304–1369
#
Magnus II, Duke of Brunswick-Lüneburg, 1328–1373
#
Bernard I, Duke of Brunswick-Lüneburg
Bernard (between 1358 and 1364 – 11 June 1434, in Celle), Duke of Brunswick-Lüneburg, ruled over several principalities of Brunswick-Lüneburg. In the genealogy of the House of Welf, he is considered the first member of the Second House of Lü ...
, 1362–1434
#
Frederick II, Duke of Brunswick-Lüneburg
Frederick II (german: Friedrich II.), also known as Frederick the Pious (german: der Fromme) (1418–1478) was the Duke of Brunswick-Lüneburg and Prince of Lüneburg from 1434 to 1457 and from 1471 to 1478.
Life
After the death of his father Be ...
, 1408–1478
#
Otto V, Duke of Brunswick-Lüneburg, 1439–1471
#
Heinrich, Duke of Brunswick-Lüneburg, 1468–1532
#
Ernest I, Duke of Brunswick-Lüneburg
Ernest of Brunswick-Lüneburg (german: Ernst der Bekenner; 27 June 1497 – 11 January 1546), also frequently called Ernest the Confessor, was duke of Brunswick-Lüneburg and a champion of the Protestant cause during the early years of the Prote ...
, 1497–1546
#
William, Duke of Brunswick-Lüneburg, 1535–1592
#
George, Duke of Brunswick-Lüneburg
George, Duke of Brunswick-Lüneburg (17 February 1582, in Celle – 12 April 1641, in Hildesheim), ruled as Prince of Calenberg from 1635.
George was the sixth son of William, Duke of Brunswick-Lüneburg (1535–1592) and Dorothea of Denmark ( ...
, 1582–1641
#
Ernest Augustus, Elector of Hanover, 1629–1698
#
George I of Great Britain, 1660–1727
#
George II of Great Britain, 1683–1760
#
Frederick, Prince of Wales, 1707–1751
#
George III of the United Kingdom
George III (George William Frederick; 4 June 173829 January 1820) was King of Great Britain and of Monarchy of Ireland, Ireland from 25 October 1760 until Acts of Union 1800, the union of the two kingdoms on 1 January 1801, after which he was ...
, 1738–1820
#
Ernest Augustus, King of Hanover
Ernest Augustus (german: Ernst August; 5 June 177118 November 1851) was King of Hanover from 20 June 1837 until his death in 1851. As the fifth son of King George III of the United Kingdom and Hanover, he initially seemed unlikely to become a m ...
, 1771–1851
#
George V of Hanover
en, George Frederick Alexander Charles Ernest Augustus
, house = Hanover
, religion = Protestant
, father = Ernest Augustus, King of Hanover
, mother = Frederica of Mecklenburg-Strelitz
, birth_date = 27 May 1819
, ...
, 1819–1878
#
Ernest Augustus, Crown Prince of Hanover, 1845–1923
#
Ernest Augustus, Duke of Brunswick, 1887–1953
#
Ernest Augustus, Prince of Hanover, 1914–1987
#
Ernst August, Prince of Hanover, b. 1954
#
Prince Ernest Augustus of Hanover, b. 1983
Legacy
Many towns and provinces across the
British Empire were named after the ruling House of Hanover and its members. They include the U.S. state of
Georgia, U.S. towns
Hanover, Massachusetts;
Hanover, New Hampshire;
Hanover, Pennsylvania
Hanover is a borough in York County, Pennsylvania, southwest of York and north-northwest of Baltimore, Maryland and is north of the Mason-Dixon line. The town is situated in a productive agricultural region. The population was 16,429 at the ...
;
Hanover Township, Jo Daviess County, Illinois
Hanover Township is one of twenty-three townships in Jo Daviess County, Illinois, USA. As of the 2010 census, its population was 1,201 and it contained 689 housing units.
Geography
According to the 2010 census, the township has a total area of , ...
, counties
Hanover County, Virginia;
Caroline County, Virginia;
Brunswick County, Virginia
Brunswick County is a United States county located on the southern border of the Commonwealth of Virginia. This rural county is known as one of the claimants to be the namesake of Brunswick stew. Brunswick County was created in 1720 from parts ...
;
New Hanover County, North Carolina;
Brunswick County, North Carolina;
King George County, Virginia
King George County is a county located in the Commonwealth of Virginia. As of the 2020 census, the population sits at 26,723. Its county seat is the town of King George.
The county's largest employer is the U.S. Naval Surface Warfare Center ...
, places named
Georgia in New Jersey (e.g.
New Brunswick, NJ), Vermont, Arkansas and South Dakota, seven towns in the U.S. and Canada named after Queen
Charlotte. Furthermore the Canadian province of
New Brunswick and towns
Hanover, Ontario
Hanover is a town in the Canadian province of Ontario with a population of about 7,650 residents. It is located in southwestern Grey County, bordering on Bruce County, west of Durham and east of Walkerton on Grey/Bruce Road 4. Hanover has a ci ...
,
Guelph; Ontario, and
Victoria, British Columbia; in South Africa the town
Hanover, Northern Cape, in Australia the state
Victoria (Australia) and the city
Adelaide, in the UK six and in the US thirteen towns named Brunswick. Furthermore one each in Australia and New Zealand, and worldwide more than fifty towns named Victoria. There are also numerous streets and squares, such as
Hanover Square, Westminster,
Hanover Square (Manhattan),
Hanover Square, Syracuse
Hanover Square in downtown Syracuse is actually a triangle at the intersection of Warren, Water, and East Genesee Streets. The name may also refer to the larger Hanover Square Historic District which includes seventeen historic buildings in the are ...
or
Queen Street, Brisbane with its intersections named after members of the House.
Georgian architecture
Georgian architecture is the name given in most English-speaking countries to the set of architectural styles current between 1714 and 1830. It is named after the first four British monarchs of the House of Hanover—George I, George II, Georg ...
gives distinction to the architectural styles current between 1714 and 1830 in most
English-speaking countries.
See also
*
Family tree of the Hanoverian British monarchs
*
Georgian era
The Georgian era was a period in British history from 1714 to , named after the Hanoverian Kings George I, George II, George III and George IV. The definition of the Georgian era is often extended to include the relatively short reign of Willi ...
for kings George I, II, III, IV
*
History of Hanover
Hanover (german: link=no, Hannover) is a territory that was at various times a principality within the Holy Roman Empire, an Electorate within the same, an independent Kingdom, and a subordinate Province within the Kingdom of Prussia. The territor ...
Explanatory notes
References
Further reading
*
*
*
*
*
*
*
*
*
Historiography
* Bultmann, William A. "Early Hanoverian England (1714–1760): Some Recent Writings," in Elizabeth Chapin Furber, ed. ''Changing views on British history: essays on historical writing since 1939'' (Harvard University Press, 1966), pp 181–205
*
* Snyder, Henry L. "Early Georgian England," in Richard Schlatter, ed., ''Recent Views on British History: Essays on Historical Writing since 1966'' (Rutgers UP, 1984), pp. 167–196, historiography
External links
*
Official website of the House of WelfHouse of Hanover Archive.org
British Hanoverian Family tree
{{DEFAULTSORT:Hanover House of
Germany–United Kingdom relations
European royal families
History of Hanover (region)
New Hanover County, North Carolina
Royal houses of Britain