AHC/WI: Frederick Louis of Hanover succeeds Queen Anne?

[30PrincesAndAKing]

Since the Act of Settlement was signed in 1701, the descendants of Sophia of Hanover enjoyed the right of succession to the English (and later British) crown following the death of Queen Anne. From 1707 to 1714, a whole four generations of Hanoverians were alive at the same time (starting with Sophia herself, then her son George Louis, followed by her grandson George Augustus, and after him her great-grandson Frederick Louis).

OTL the succession played out largely as the act designed it to: Sophia never became queen because Anne was able to inch her out by a matter of months, but her son George did and her grandson after him.

But what if, by some fluke, the three eldest generations of Hanoverians were wiped out after 1707, leaving only the youngest, Frederick Louis, as heir for Anne? How would all these sudden deaths realistically play out, and how would they be perceived by Whigs and Jacobites at the time? How would the Hanoverian succession be impacted if its first monarch were a young child?

 

[ordinarylittleme]

Well, unless there was a plague or something, the deaths will (rightly?) be seen as murders targeting Anne's successors

 

[Captain Seafort]

Well, unless there was a plague or something, the deaths will (rightly?) be seen as murders targeting Anne's successors

Illness could easily wipe out a few generations of the succession, as it did in France.

 

[30PrincesAndAKing]

Well, unless there was a plague or something, the deaths will (rightly?) be seen as murders targeting Anne's successors

Illness could easily wipe out a few generations of the succession, as it did in France.

Yeah, a well-timed smallpox epidemic would do the trick. Don't know how widespread smallpox (or really any suitable disease) was in 18th century Northern Germany, but if it can happen in France, then, as you said, it shouldn't be impossible, at least in my mind.

The deaths wouldn't have to happen all at once, either, just in a span of a few months or years near the end of Queen Anne's reign.

 

[Kellan Sullivan]

Well, unless there was a plague or something, the deaths will (rightly?) be seen as murders targeting Anne's successors

Not actually. George II was nearly killed at one of the battles in the war of the Spanish Succession, Sophia died of pneumonia running from a rain shower and George I died of a burst appendix. Probably not that difficult. Mean Sophia was in her 80s when she died. Old people get sick and die, it's a fact of life. George II as a casualty of war also not that weird. Since, IIRC, James III was nearly killed in the same battle.

 

[Comte de Geneve]

How much difference is there between a young child who will be raised British and a German speaking adult who, IIRC, spoke little or no English. The act of succession stands and the Jacobites will still fail. I think the more interesting butterfly is down the road, since in all probability King Frederick will not make the same marriage as Prince Frederick and it's bye-bye to America's Last King.

 

[30PrincesAndAKing]

How much difference is there between a young child who will be raised British and a German speaking adult who, IIRC, spoke little or no English.

I think the big difference is that you can shape the child; the adult German is pretty much already set in his ways.

King Frederick will not make the same marriage as Prince Frederick

This is probably true too. Another big change would be how Frederick is raised. OTL he was basically the black sheep of the family, but ATL he effectively is the family. Would Caroline of Ansbach still find the same reason to dislike Frederick as she and her husband did OTL? Because I think that's going to do a lot to form Frederick's character.

 

[ordinarylittleme]

Would Caroline of Ansbach still find the same reason to dislike Frederick as she and her husband did OTL?

I doubt. The circumstances are so different

 

[wwbgdiaslt]

If Frecerick succeeds to the Crown as a child, then it's under a Regency that's probably not controlled by his mother or any of his uncles. Parliament probably retains much more power than they did IOTL with the posts of Prime Minister and Monarch joined by some sort of Lord Governor - so effectively a Presidential Monarchy.

 

[ordinarylittleme]

If Frecerick succeeds to the Crown as a child, then it's under a Regency that's probably not controlled by his mother or any of his uncles. Parliament probably retains much more power than they did IOTL with the posts of Prime Minister and Monarch joined by some sort of Lord Governor - so effectively a Presidential Monarchy.

That'd be cool. All we need now is a very ambitious monarch struggling for power...

 

[Kellan Sullivan]

That'd be cool. All we need now is a very ambitious monarch struggling for power...

Cool? It would be a disaster. In fact, if they mismanaged things badly enough, it could wind up setting the clock back to 1660.

@VVD0D95

 

[ordinarylittleme]

Cool? It would be a disaster.

That was meant to be sardonic. I now realize that online comments do not transmit tone of voice well

 

[Comte de Dordogne]

Cool? It would be a disaster. In fact, if they mismanaged things badly enough, it could wind up setting the clock back to 1660.

@VVD0D95

That's what he says.
Cool. 😎

 

[desmirelle]

That was meant to be sardonic. I now realize that online comments do not transmit tone of voice well

Other forums use /s after the period to denote sarcasm.

 

[ordinarylittleme]

Other forums use /s after the period to denote sarcasm.

Noted. /gen

 

[30PrincesAndAKing]

If Frecerick succeeds to the Crown as a child, then it's under a Regency that's probably not controlled by his mother or any of his uncles. Parliament probably retains much more power than they did IOTL with the posts of Prime Minister and Monarch joined by some sort of Lord Governor - so effectively a Presidential Monarchy.

I do wonder what Caroline of Ansbach would be doing all this time. Perhaps she would be the face of the dynasty in Hanover? Yet there's still Ernest Augustus to fulfill that role, so I don't really know.

I have no doubt that Frederick's role would be greatly diminished compared to prior monarchs, but I wonder if he would try to assert himself once he came of age? I suppose it depends on how well he can navigate British politics. At least since he's growing up in Britain, he'd likely have more firsthand experience than his father and grandfather did OTL. But it's hard to see how he could break out of the role of puppet ruler if that's all he knows.

 

[Archduke]

In my opinion, the easiest way for this to happen is for a storm to take out the ship carrying the royal family to Britain. That will leave just Augustus and Frederick as the only Hanoverians remaining as they were both left in Brunswick. Storms in the North Sea weren’t uncommon and George II did get caught up in a bad storm during one of his journeys back from Britain.

I think the big difference is that you can shape the child; the adult German is pretty much already set in his ways.

This is probably true too. Another big change would be how Frederick is raised. OTL he was basically the black sheep of the family, but ATL he effectively is the family. Would Caroline of Ansbach still find the same reason to dislike Frederick as she and her husband did OTL? Because I think that's going to do a lot to form Frederick's character.

Without them spending 14 years apart, maybe Frederick and Caroline don’t become so estranged and Caroline doesn’t treat him as if he isn’t her son and doesn’t try to disinherit him. Yeah, if Caroline never has the chance to disinherit Frederick that’s probably for the best. That put a permanent stain on their relationship and it’s not one that I think Frederick ever truly forgave her for.

 

[ordinarylittleme]

Without them spending 14 years apart, maybe Frederick and Caroline don’t become so estranged and Caroline doesn’t treat him as if he isn’t her son and doesn’t try to disinherit him. Yeah, if Caroline never has the chance to disinherit Frederick that’s probably for the best. That put a permanent stain on their relationship and it’s not one that I think Frederick ever truly forgave her for.

Frederick not being nearly disinherited probably helps with regards to inheriting...