When Queen Anne of Britain died in 1714, the question of royal succession became a matter of political drama. Her successor was George of Hanover—a distant relative who was unknown to the British people. Historian Carol Ann Lloyd-Stanger follows the long and complicated reigns of the kings named George, who overcame an uprising when they took the throne, navigated a Parliament seeking more power, and provided family drama equal to that of the Tudors. Not to mention George III who lost the American colonies. Discover the decisions that brought this unlikely family to the British throne. Trace the politics of the Hanoverian dynasty, including a union between Britain and the northern German state, Hanoverian support of Britain’s role in Europe, and the diminishing power of the monarchy along with the recognition of Robert Walpole as Britain’s first “prime” minister. Learn how politics were sometimes overshadowed by personal drama, including an imprisoned queen, a royal birth on the run, and a queen consort locked out of the coronation ceremony. And explore the long-term impact of the Hanoverians as their final monarch, Victoria, ushers the nation into the modern era. Note: Lloyd-Stanger will be presenting via Zoom as part of the Smithsonian Associates program.

Carol Ann Lloyd-Stanger is the author of The Tudors by Numbers and Courting the Virgin Queen, published by Pen and Sword Books.