George I. of Great Britain and Ireland

Born Georg Ludwig Duke of Brunswick-Lüneburg, he became Elector of Hanover  in 1698. Ascended to the British throne in 1714 as George I., King of Great Britain and Ireland since he was the closest living Protestant relative of the deceased Queen Anne.

Son of Ernst August, Elector of Hanover (1629-1698) and Sophia Countess Palatine of Simmern (1630-1714), who was a granddaughter of James I. of Great Britain through her mother, Elizabeth of Bohemia (the “Winter Queen”).

Born: Osnabrück, Hanover 28. May 1660

Married: Celle Castle 21. Nov 1682 (sep.1694) Sophia Dorothea Duchess of Brunswick-Lüneburg (1666-1726), his first cousin, daughter of Georg Wilhelm, Duke of Brunswick-Lüneburg (1624-1705) and his mistress Eleonore d’Esmier d’Olbreuse (1639-1722)

Issue of marriage:

• George II. King of Great Britain and Ireland (1683-1760) m.1705 Caroline Margravine of Brandenburg-Ansbach (1683-1737)

• Sophia Dorothea Princess of Brunswick-Lüneburg (1687-1757) m.1706 Friedrich Wilhelm I. King of Prussia (1688-1740)

Illegitimate issue by Melusine von der Schulenburg (1667-1743):

• Luise von der Schulenburg, cr. Gräfin von Delitz (1692-1773) m. 1705 (div.1722) Ernst August von dem Bussche-Ippenburg (1681-1761)

• Melusine von der Schulenburg, cr. Countess of Walsingham (1693-1778) m. 1733 Philip Stanhope, 4. Earl of Chesterfield (1694-1773)

• Gertrud von Oeynhausen, cr. Gräfin von Oeynhausen (1701-1728) m. Albrecht Wolfgang Graf zu Schaumburg-Lippe (1699-1748)

Died: prince-bishop’s palace, Osnabrück 4. Aug 1727 from a stroke

Buried: Leine Castle, Hanover; the remains were transferred to the chapel at Herrenhausen, Hannover after World War II.

   

   

Source: Detlev Schwennicke "Europäische Stammtafeln. Neue Folgen", Vol. I/1, 1998, Vittorio Klostermann (section on Brunswick-Lüneburg, also for illegitimate issue); Thea Leitner: „Skandal bei Hof“, Piper Verlag, Munich 1999; Anthony Camp ”Royal Mistresses and Bastards. Fact and Fiction 1714-1936”, London 2007;