Autographs of Royals...

Part 3: 1714-1760 (Kings George I and George II)

It seems that Royals were somehow more accessible (regarding autographs), when the Hanoverians (George I.+II.+III.+IV., William IV.) reigned (1714-1837) as some "less expensive" signatures (mostly cut from documents as well, a shame!) are offered every once in a while.

The Hanoverians became interesting for the British parliament when they had to find a successor for Queen Anne. Even before she was crowned in 1702, the "Act of Settlement" (1701) decided that, as Anne didn´t have any (surviving) children, the Hanoverians were to follow her. They were connected to the crown via King James I. (VI. of Scotland), whose great-grandson became King George I. (1660-1727) in 1714. The British weren´t so fond of the thought that their monarch was a German, and the fact that he couldn´t speak English didn´t help much to come close to his people; the language which was spoken on most courts in Europe was French, and he spoke it as fluent as German. Former King James II.´s son, "James Stuart, the Old Pretender", tried in 1715 to claim his rights on the British throne (like his son, "Charles Stuart, the Young Pretender" again in 1745), but he didn´t get much attention, as the Catholic was even less popular than the German. (George´s signature clipped from a document, the painting shows him in 1716).

George II. (1683-1760) was the last British King who was not born there (but near Hanover, Germany). He was crowned after his father died in 1727 and was also the last British King who headed his British troops in a battle (1743, successful "Battle of Dettenheim"). During his reign, the British Empire was as large as never before (and only became smaller afterwards), with colonies, a.o.,  in Northern America, Australia, India, and Africa. The signature is from a document (1731), and the part of a painting shows him a year after the successful battle.

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