Queen Victoria marries Prince George, Duke of Cambridge

Before she succeeded to the throne, her uncle King William IV had considered marrying Victoria off to her cousin and his nephew, Prince George of Cambridge, they were the same age and of the same house. However, for whatever reason the marriage did not go through.

What might change had the marriage gone through and they were wed in say 1836 when both were 17?

Would Hannover remain with Britain?

George was quite conservative in regards to the army, how might him being consort-Prince or King?- affect reforms there and elsewhere as well?
 
I think that the reason the marriage never got off the ground is because Victoria and George just didn't like one another. However, this would indeed keep Hanover within the British dominion, but it's beyond my powers to say what that would do.
 
I think that the reason the marriage never got off the ground is because Victoria and George just didn't like one another.
I'm not sure it was an instant dislike, though. George wrote of her on 29 May 1835 that she 'has a nice countenance and is greatly improved', and she commented that he was 'much grown' on 5 July 1837. Tracing the decline through her diaries, she spoke to Lord Melbourne about him 'being somewhat in the hands of the fashionable ladies,' (16 May 1838); and later about 'the young ladies liking him; his telling every one he disliked so much going to Gibraltar, &c.,&c' (18 July 1838). It wasn't until 23 October 1839 that she was writing 'he was such an odious boy... my Cousins disliked him very much, and... he was very much disliked abroad... Uncle Ernest [duke of Cumberland] had much wished Ernest [Prince Albert's brother] to marry Augusta Cambridge [George's sister], and that Ernest had been speaking about it to me; but I told him how I disliked the idea and couldn't bear the idea of having her as my sister-in-law'. So there may be some mileage in it, particularly if the early date keeps George out of 'the hands of the fashionable ladies'.

Would Hannover remain with Britain?
However, this would indeed keep Hanover within the British dominion
No, it wouldn't: Hanover would pass to the Duke of Cumberland, as it did historically.
 
I'm not sure it was an instant dislike, though. George wrote of her on 29 May 1835 that she 'has a nice countenance and is greatly improved', and she commented that he was 'much grown' on 5 July 1837. Tracing the decline through her diaries, she spoke to Lord Melbourne about him 'being somewhat in the hands of the fashionable ladies,' (16 May 1838); and later about 'the young ladies liking him; his telling every one he disliked so much going to Gibraltar, &c.,&c' (18 July 1838). It wasn't until 23 October 1839 that she was writing 'he was such an odious boy... my Cousins disliked him very much, and... he was very much disliked abroad... Uncle Ernest [duke of Cumberland] had much wished Ernest [Prince Albert's brother] to marry Augusta Cambridge [George's sister], and that Ernest had been speaking about it to me; but I told him how I disliked the idea and couldn't bear the idea of having her as my sister-in-law'. So there may be some mileage in it, particularly if the early date keeps George out of 'the hands of the fashionable ladies'.


No, it wouldn't: Hanover would pass to the Duke of Cumberland, as it did historically.

Ok. And, you're right; that's through the Hanoverian Salic law, right? Even if Vicky married this fellow George, Hanover would go to Ernest Augustus.
 
Interesting so what changes might come from those two being married? Could we see changes in war policy?
 
what changes might come from those two being married?
I have to confess, I don't know enough about Albert, Victoria, George or the early Victorian period to make any predictions. But I knew from other research I'd done that Queen Victoria's diaries were online, as was a two volume biography of George based on his private papers and a military biography which sees him as less of a conservative than tends to be the case. All of which will probably further the discussion more than my own speculation could.
 
Ok. And, you're right; that's through the Hanoverian Salic law, right? Even if Vicky married this fellow George, Hanover would go to Ernest Augustus.
Exterminate a sufficient number of Hanoverians and it's possible. Not likely though. More likely is to butterfly a few sons into daughters so that the two lines rejoin a generation or two later with George V of the United Kingdom also being George V of Hanover. Given the number of Georges descended from both Queen Victoria and the Duke of Cambridge, I think it's a safe bet that there's still going to be a George V.
 
Hanover doesn't change, but the role of Prince Consort surely would. And any marital change for Victoria means hemophilia "goes out" to European royalty in a different pattern.
 
Ok so, I doubt George and Victoria would have the same, active sex life she and Albert had. He just doesn't fit into her ideal, romantic partner like the way Albert did. However, with a partner less concerned with "taming" her, Victoria would probably fall more into Georgian ways, even if it's just being slightly more active and sociable. Albert kinda turned her into the closest thing he could to a German housewife, George would most likely just have left well enough alone.

In regards to their children, I would say that they'd have maybe 6/7, not the 9 she had OTL, which only stopped because Albert didn't want to have sex anymore. That would probably mean 2 things:

  1. Victoria is overall a much happier woman, because she isn't constantly pregnant.
  2. Her weight issues are slightly less pronounced and thus her health might actually fail slightly later than OTL.
So, here's my idea:

Victoria, Queen of the United Kingdom (b.1819: d.1903) m. George, Duke of Cambridge (b.1819: d.1904) (a)

1a) George V of the United Kingdom (b.1837: d.1907) m. Alexandra of Oldenburg (b.1838: d.1900) (a)

1a) Princess Mary of Wales (b.1857)

2a) George VI of the United Kingdom (b.1860)

3a) Princess Theresa of Wales (b.1864)

4a) Princess Beatrice of Wales (b.1870)​

2a) William Adolphus, Duke of York and Albany (b.1840: d.1844) - haemophiliac

3a) Princess Charlotte of the United Kingdom (b.1842: d.1919) m. Frederick III, German Emperor (b.1831: d.1888) (a)

1a) Frederick IV, German Emperor (b.1862)

2a) Leopold of Prussia (b.1864: d.1867) - haemophiliac

3a) Princess Augusta of Prussia (b.1866)​

4a) Princess Helena of the United Kingdom (b.1845: d.1899) m. Louis IV, Grand Duke of Hesse (b.1837: d.1892) (a)

1a) Alice of Hesse (b.1863)

2a) Margaret of Hesse (b.1866)

3a) Louise of Hesse (b.1867)

4a) Victoria of Hesse (b.1869)

5a) Louis V, Grand Duke of Hesse (b.1873)​

5a) Edward, Duke of York and Albany (b.1847: d.1917) m. Princess Pauline of Waldeck and Pyrmont (b.1855: d.1925) (a)

1a) Princess Jane of York (b.1878)

2a) Princess Victoria of York (b.1883)​

6a) Princess Louise of the United Kingdom (b.1850: d.1938) m. George I of Greece (b.1845: d.1913) (a)

1a) Constantine of Greece (b.1865: d.1867) - haemophiliac

2a) Alexandra of Greece (b.1867)

3a) George II of Greece (b.1870)

4a) Maria of Greece (b.1872)

5a) Victoria of Greece (b.1875)

6a) Nicholas of Greece (b.1877)​

7a) Arthur Augustus, Duke of Cambridge (b.1855: d.1879) - haemophiliac​
 
Okay some very interesting things mentioned here and in the tree.

Do people think that Victoria wouldn't want her husband titled as King Consort then? Even if he was her cousin and in some aspects an equal as a Prince of the Blood?

How do people think the UK would react to this royal couple? And might this royal couple be more active politically?
 
Also interesting to note that Frederick IV replaces Willhelm II, could this possibly mean a less active naval race between the UK and Germany?
 
Albert was the first Prince Consort, and I think it took some doing to get him that title. As her cousin, it's possible that George of Cambridge could have been made King, as William of Orange was with Mary. But Victoria was pretty clear about not wishing to share power or be eclipsed. As for more active, without the mourning of Albert, Victoria would have had to reach for excuses not to open Parliament, unless mourning for her sons (1844 and 1879).
As for Germany, assuming Frederick IV doesn't have a withered arm I'd go along with less of a naval race against Britain. And while we're on the subject: no blank check for Austria-Hungary.
 
Hmm okay interesting, might she be more willing to share with a cousin?

And okay interesting, would she and her husband play a more direct role in shaping policy?
 
A more direct role in policy? I suspect they would (since George doesn't die of typhoid or have to overcome being foreign) but I can't think of a specific example. I'd love to say they might have done more about the famine in Ireland, yet so little was actually done, I wouldn't expect much change there.
 
Hmm very true. Could they have tried quarantines and such for the famine?

Also I can see George doing more in regards to the army and reform of it. Perhaps the general staff never come about ?
 
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