The Queen of Liberty

So far this is an outline timeline, but I have plans...

THE QUEEN OF LIBERTY


Queen Anne II
born 12 May 1686
OTL died 2 Feb 1687
had she lived would have been eclipsed for a while by her younger brother
William, Duke of Gloucester (1689 - 1700)
After his death she would revert to being heir, aged 14

Assume she is married as soon as is decent, aged 16
1702, to whom could she be wed?
Has to be a Protestant

Christian August of Holstein-Gottorp aged 29
looking for a wife
otl married a princess of Baden in 1704

Christian of Hannover
b 1671
OTL killed in battle 1703
younger brother of George, OTL George I of Britain
so a good part-British bloodline

Charles of Denmark
second son of Christian V
born 1680
otl died 1705
her first cousin

Charles Leopold of Mecklenburg
born 1678 died 1747
OTL married 1716 to Catherine of Russia
dtr of Ivan V

These seem the most likely candidates

We could be ironic and fix it
Have her marry Charles of Denmark
despite him being 1st cousin
but he goes and dies in 1705
she's had a miscarriage
(runs in the family, and very close relations)

She is then married off to Charles Leopold of Mecklenburg
the other possibles from 1702 either being dead or married by 1705

Anne II is plagued by the same problems as her mother
but has a healthy dtr as first child from Charles Leopold
after that weak infants or miscarriages
until she succumbs in 1714 aged only 28
but had 10 babies
of whom only 1 survives

Queen Sophia
born 1706
aged 8

Charles Leopold is denied the Regency by parliament
tho he is allowed to be his daughter's keeper
but the Regency of the country goes to the Duke of Southampton
b 1662
eldest illegitimate heir of Charles II
no children
on his 2nd marriage
aged 52
d 1730

Sophia comes to her majority in 1724
Southampton has been reasonably successful
both abroad in wars
and at home in keeping things calm

Sophia is bright but wayward
has been chaffing at the bit
esp since her 16th birthday seeing other European custom
not about to meekly marry who parliament might want
and thanks her Regent and father but sends them into retirement
tho she visits both every now and then in friendship

She is a guiding force in getting rid of Walpole, PM since 1721
Replaces him with Viscount Bolingbroke (b 1678)
who is created Earl 1726, Duke 1730

She refuses to marry during the rest of the 1720s
tho she takes lovers
sometimes discretely
at other times not so

These include Vere Beauclerk
grandson of Charles I
younger son of 1st Duke of St Albans (d 1726)
brother of the 2nd
a naval officer
by whom she has an illegitimate dtr
named Diana after Vere's mother
born 1726

Bolingbroke's services in shielding Queen Sophia earn him his earldom

She avoids further such complications
and dallies with the great and the lesser
destroying the marriage of 3rd Duke of Rutland (b 1696)
and driving another lover to suicide

This event in 1730 almost destroys her
The (1st) Duke of Dorset is utterly besotted by her
He is 42 and she is 24
His wife has died and he has high hopes which she encourages

1830 she throws him over for a younger model
shockingly young
Thomas Thynne, 2nd Viscount Weymouth is 20
pushy and ambitious

Dorset shoots himself in public
and has mailed a suicide note to a gazette
Bolingbroke is able to seize this
in so doing burning down the gazette's offices/shop
and covers things up
though rumours abound
and most London scandal-mongers know the truth

Sophia tires of Weymouth within a few months
angry that his naked ambition outweighs his love for her
and in January 1731 he is executed for treason
lese majestie being entered but not diseminated
the newly raised Duke of Bolingbroke sorting it out for her

Sophia at last decides to marry
now aged 25
with 1 illegitimate dtr
and over a dozen lovers behind her

She determines to hook her 35 year old Catholic cousin
recently bereaved from a childless marriage
the heir to the Duke of Berwick
James Francis Fitz-James Stuart
born 1696
and grandson (by illegitimate descent) of James II

With his father's backing he accepts her invitation to London in July 1731
where he is feted as visiting royalty
with Bolingbroke managing the celebrations
and largesse dispensed to the poor who are thus inclined to turn out
and cheer their unknown visitor

Parliament is furious
but are well aware that Sophia is the ONLY royalty of Great Britain
the nearest others being Charles II's bastards' and their dukedoms
or the rulers of Hannover, who had once seemed near
but now seem a lot more distant

The spectre of a Catholic succession complicates things
the putative James III and VIII born 1688
living in exile and condemning his nephew's visit
as well as his half-brother's backing for the visit

Many assume (or understand) that James Francis Edward is not so much dishgusted, as he is worried
If Berwick's son were to marry the Queen, then most of his own support would wither
He only gains from constant antagonism between Jacobites and British


Best Regards
Grey Wolf
 
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Part 2
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The visit goes well and encourages Sophia in her determination
Bolingbroke has managed the visit very well
and is able to add new titles and lands as a reward
but now tries to force the marriage through parliament

But parliament is adamant that they will not sanction a Catholic marriage
and Sophia through Bolingbroke raises the question of whether she needs their permission
A growing faction proclaim that if she weds FitzJames it is tantamount to her abdication
and an extremist wing now talk about restoring the Commonwealth
as there is no heir, other than in Hannover
which excites no favour in parliament, or people

Such talk alarms Sophia and she decides to sacrifice Bolingbroke, pensioning him off
Edward Harley, 2nd Earl of Oxford, is chosen as her new (political) favourite
and raised to the rank of Duke of Oxford
Now Prime Minister he attempts to find a middle position
suggesting that FitzJames undertake to have any children raised as Anglicans

Some moderates would be willing to meet halfway if FitzJames himself converted to Anglicanism
but FitzJames, now back in France, has made it v clear privately to Sophia that he would not
Still, Oxford decides to use it as a bargaining chip to see if it can help forward negotiations

January 1732, the Duke of Grafton (b 1683) leader of the anti-FitzJames party in parliament is assassinated
struck down in a London street by an unknown knifeman
Rumour soon rushes into a crescendo of a Catholic plot
Sophia and/or Oxford are blamed, or FitzJames masterminding things from France
and a mob goes on an anti-Catholic rampage

Oxford calls in the army and after several days of bloody fighting order is restored
but hundreds are dead, and many buildings destroyed
The commander of the army, the 2nd Duke of Marlborough (b 1686)
informs the queen in person that sustaining the loyalty of his troops had been difficult
as many had sympathy with the rioters
and that he is unsure that the army can be used in such fashion again

But Sophia's nature is already solving the problem for her
Mariage would have assuaged her passions, at least for a time
but FitzJames is in France, and the mood is now too angry for him to come to visit
and she has needs, as do we all
She takes up with Laurence Hyde, heir to the (2nd) Earl of Rochester
and is soon deep in her passions with him

As the queen seems to be losing interest in the FitzJames marriage
Oxford attempts to extricate himself from the mess of parliamentary negotiations
but is subject to ridicule
and in March 1732 is struck down by a mob upon leaving the palace of Westminster
lingering a few days before dying of his injuries

Sophia is furious, not so much because she will miss him, loyal tho he was
but because she sees the attack as being directed equally against her
She has those few members of the mob who were arrested tried for treason
and loads the court, to find in her favour
In the meantime elevating the father of her lover to the Prime Ministership
and creating him Duke of Rochester (b 1672)

The guilty verdict and the vicious punishment of the accused incite the mob
and it descends upon the palace where Sophia is in residence
growing as it gathers and getting more violent and angry
Sophia's Life Guards stand firm but skirmishes break out
and they are forced to call in the army
Marlborough being billeted not far on the outskirts
after the recent uncertainties

As Marlborough had warned the queen, problems erupt in the army itself
some he can solve by ordering units back to camp
but others escalate as a fair portion of his troops mutiny upon sighting the vast crowds
now laying siege to the queen's residence
With some of his men joining the demonstration, and others refusing to fire, he has 3 options
-1- do nothing and hope the army's presence will eventually quiet the mob
-2- attack and try to drive the mob away, even if he has to do this with only half his strength
-3- try to force a way through as peacably as possible, to position his army with the queen

He chooses option 3 and for about a dozen deaths, the half of the army that remains loyal reaches the palace
where they are now effectively besieged
but it was one thing for the mob to threaten to overcome the Life Guards
it is now another for them to think about overcoming the army

With pampleteers, hawkers and criers all beginning to reflect the anti-monarchial sentiments of a large part of the mob, the more sober leaders in parliament begin to try to find a way out of the crisis
One thing is clear, Sophia can not simply be made to abdicate as it is obvious that the people will not accept an unknown German hoisted upon them
The best has to be made of the mess of her reign, or the alternative seems increasingly likely to be a return to some version of the Commonwealth

The Duke of Rochester meets with the (2nd) Duke of Richmond, who had taken over Grafton's mantle, and with Viscount Liverpool, a rising star, and agree a common plan to get the country out of the mess it is descending into.

Liverpool agrees to address the crowds, to counter the low-bown radicals now whipping them up into a frenzy
With an escort of Royal Marines, provided by men of war that have come up the Thames, he does this
and with a speech impassioned with old-fashioned virtues of love of country, God and order, he begins to have an effect

But though the violence and rhetoric of the crowds diminish, they are still there 2 nights later
tho by now, Marlborough is able to get supplies into the palace unmolested
and more Royal Marines have come ashore to restore order to other parts of the capital

Eventually, April showers dissipate the mob, and the remaining die-hards are driven away by a charge from Marlborough's elite cavalry
As the area is cleared, and secured, Sophia is forced to endure an audience with Marlborough, Rochester (snr), Richmond and Liverpool, as well as her old lover Vere Beauclerk, commander of one of the men of war on the Thames

They impress upon her that the monarchy itself is now in jeopardy
and that with it, so would her own life be
as well as theirs
She must marry, and marry in accordance with the limitations parliament is willing to accept
and she must do it soon!

Rochester no doubt had hopes for his son in joining the others in pushing this agenda
but Sophia has been disgusted with her lover during the siege
finding him cowardly and devoid of passions, unable to do his duty as she sees it, with the crowds outside
Instead she has already begun a covert liaison (in cupboards) with a noble-born but lowly official
whom the chaos of the last few days gave free reign to roam

A woman of passion, she announces to their shock and horror, that she will acquiesce
if she can be wed at once to the 16 year old Robert Darcy, heir to the earldom of Holderness
adding that she believes it is possible she is already carrying his child

Rochester is angry, uncommunicative and faint
but Marlborough and Liverpool persuade Richmond that the queen being who and what she is, there is no choice
besides the people are hardly likely to be shocked
considering the last couple of years
and the lad can probably be moulded as best as possible due to his youth
whilst the occasion of their marriage can be turned to advantage
and regain support for the monarchy

Sophia's anger at her now-ex lover turns upon his father and Rochester, who finds himself alone in opposing this idea, is sacked
At the suggestion of both Marlborough and, albeit reluctantly, Richmond, Viscount Liverpool is made Prime Minister, and created an Earl, with the promise of a Dukedom to come if successful
The date of the wedding is set with indecent haste, lest (the 3 politicians, plus Vere Beauclerk agree) the queen loses interest in Darcy and sets her sights on someone new

May 31st 1732, in Westminster Abbey, Queen Sophia of Great Britain is wed to Robert Darcy, heir to what is now the dukedom of Holderness, created Duke of Clarence for his wedding, and 16 years of age
Observers note that the queen is already beginning to show signs of her pregnancy

A child is born, the first legitimate royal birth in almost 20 years, on December 25th 1732
a boy he is named Charles after her father
with her father (b 1678, aged 54) standing as Godfather in the christening some months later

April 1733 the Duke of Holderness, who had been ill for some years, dies
and the Prince Consort is now Duke of Clarence and Holderness in personal union
July 1733 and baby Charles is created Prince of Wales (the first since 1688, the title disputed by the Jacobites, where James II's son James Francis Edward (b 1688) claims the crown as James III and VIII and his son Charles Edward claims the title of Prince of Wales)

August 1733 and Liverpool is created Duke of Liverpool for his success so far

October 1733 sees Britain embroil itself in the War of Polish Succession
as an ally of the Austrians, with Marlborough taking the army abroad
to work one last time with that old ally of his father, Prince Eugene of Savoy, now in his 70s
War against France unites the people and the press
and soon many of the recent upheavals are forgotten
though certain events to come will bring uncomfortable echoes


Best Regards
Grey Wolf
 
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PART 3
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February 1734 and Vere Beauclerk plays an important part at the Battle of Ushant
whereby a British fleet destroys its French counterpart
Sophia personally awards him his medals and honours and confers the title of Vicount on him

But by this time, Sophia is once again pregnant
her ardour for her young husband undimmed

The 2nd Duke of Marlborough, under Prince Eugene's theatre command, and with a young Frederick (The Great) of Prussia in attendance, wins victories in Lorraine and on the Rhine

Another naval victory off Texel, during which Vere Beauclerk loses an eye, secures Britain's advantage, and as Marlborough takes over increasing duties from the ailing Eugene the French are forced onto the defensive

A daughter is born to Sophia in late 1734, and named Sophia

1735 sees more victories and Marlborough take over theatre command
Vere Beauclerk is put in command of a fleet that enters the Baltic

Leopold, heir to the Emperor, observes aged 20, the climactic Battle of Milan
where Imperial troops defeat the French
and force Louis XVI to order Fleury to seek a peace

Treaty of Vienna, 1736
the signing ceremony coincides with the birth of a second dtr to Sophia and Robert
named Frederica after Robert's mother

The Treaty affirms both Augustus of Saxony's succession to the Polish throne
and Imperial control of the Kingdom of Naples

The victory parade in London is an occasion for the Queen to shine
Sophia is now 30
her son and heir Charles is almost 4
with 2 younger dtrs
and the future of the dynasty finally looks bright


Best Regards
Grey Wolf
 
Looking good so far.
Just one minor point - You called her Queen of Great britain. Did the Act of Union go ahead, and if so why?

If not what are the Scot's doing? I would imagine that the more presberterian Scots would be horrified by her actions. Do we have roits / insurrection in Edinburgh as well as London?
 
Looking good so far.
Just one minor point - You called her Queen of Great britain. Did the Act of Union go ahead, and if so why?

If not what are the Scot's doing? I would imagine that the more presberterian Scots would be horrified by her actions. Do we have roits / insurrection in Edinburgh as well as London?

Er, will have to think about that! On the other hand the idea is as old as James I and VI. You could probably create a united kingdom without creating a united legislature, but I've been assuming a full union. After all, the change is not until after Anne's death.

Best Regards
Grey Wolf
 
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Part 4
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Peace does not last long and in 1737 war breaks out between Spain and Britain
over tensions in the Americas, principly seeing action over British claims to theoretically Spanish "Georgia" which in this TL would be named Nova Sophia

Although Vere Beauclerk engages and defeats a Spanish squadron off La Coruna, fighting is principally confined to the Caribbean and Americas

Queen Sophia and the Prince Consort, Duke of Clarence and Holderness do not repeat their child-producing feats
of the first few years of their marriage, and in 1737 and 1738 seem to be growing apart

Scandal-mongers especially note Sophia's intense reception of the victor on the American front
Francis Scott, Earl of Dalkieth and Buccleuch (b 1695, aged 43)
a grandson of the ill-fated Duke of Monmouth, thus great-grandson of James II
He is granted a reception that is near enough a Roman triumph
and is created Duke of Buccleuch by Sophia

Buccleuch's victories on land have driven the Spanish not only from Nova Sophia
but from Florida as well, apart from a couple of forts now besieged from land and sea

In addition, with Spain very much on the defensive, Liverpool's government contemplates Havana next
and an invasion of Cuba

Events in Europe take a turn for the complicated in 1737 when Austria engages in another Turkish War
alongside Russia, though fighting separate unco-ordinated campaigns

With Austria now completely focused on the East
France declares war on Britain in support of Spain in Autumn 1738
and a French fleet, suddenly finding itself superior in the theatre
due to the focus of much of the British shipping on readying to attack Cuba
destroys the British squadron in the Eastern Caribbean

Liverpool's government responds by sending a major fleet out West
along with army reinforcements
as the question of a continental front is complicated by a lack of allies on Britain's part
with Austria steadfastly refusing to commit in the West

1739 starts with a falling out between Sophia and her Prime Minister
with Sophia demanding that the 2nd Duke of Marlborough be sent to Europe
to repeat his recent successes
and Liverpool unable to comply

Sophia and Buccleuch are spending many hours together now
scandal-mongers making big things of it, but nobody really sure
and when she calls Liverpool to a peremptory meeting it becomes obvious
that it was political and military matters, rather than those of the bed, which concerned them
Liverpool is sacked, and Sophia foists Buccleuch upon parliament as her new Prime Minister

This creates a political storm as the new duke is not known as a politician
and his victories in America were never secured by a treaty
and are now in danger of being undone by French involvement in the war

News reaches London of French victories in the North
taking Annapolis Royal, the capital of Nova Scotia
and driving deep into Massachussetts in alliance with their Indian neighbours

Buccleuch abandons Liverpool's plans for a descent upon Cuba
and withdraws many of the forces in Florida to focus on holding the French
whilst also ordering naval reinforcements to sail from England
This latter action causin Vere Beauclerk to write to Sophia
warning that the concentration of naval power across the Atlantic threatens to seriously weaken defences at home
but Sophia ignores his letter, and Vere finds himself senior commander remaining in home waters

Many politicians in parliament are sceptical as well
and Rochester, in his lonely isolation, condemns Buccleuch as a phantom
pointing out that he owed his title and position to victories which he has now undone

1739 ends with French and Indian armies holding British territory
and the Spanish garrisons in Florida reinforced and out of danger

The Prince Consort, Robert Darcy, Duke of Clarence and Holderness, is now 23 going on 24
and has begun to gather a party around himself
mainly younger nobles, either of his generation
or slightly older, who are waiting to take their place in affairs, their parents still commanding things

These include 25 year old James Waldegrave
son and heir of 1st Earl Waldegrave, British ambassador to Vienna
chaffing at the bit
and open to suggestion

March 1740 sees disaster in the Caribbean with a hurricain destroying the British fleet off Santo Domingo
as it moved on enemy positions
and prepared to attack French forces out of Guadeloupe

April 1740 and a renewed French and Indian assault sees Boston come under siege
When news of this reaches London, not long after news of the Santo Domingo disaster
there are riots in the street, and calls for Buccleuch to suffer the same fate as his grandfather

In the midst of all this excessive emotion, Waldegrave acts
and cuts down Buccleuch as he makes to enter the palace for an audience with the Queen
attempting to flee in a carriage owned by the Prince Consort
but is shot down by the Queen's Life Guards rushing to the scene
The murder is witnessed by a dozen by-standers and is soon news flashing across London
and before long the rest of the country

Emotions in parliament run high
with many blaming the Prince Consort personally
others blaming the queen for backing Buccleuch in the first place
and the extreme radicals calling for the removal of royal interference in politics
and even a few lone voices demanding Sophia abdicate in her little son's favour

Sophia is furious, in part with herself as Buccleuch's government brought little success
She agrees to the request of a deputation of leading figures that the Duke of Richmond be made Prime Minister
and with Richmond and Marlborough in attendance the next day summons her husband to account

Surrounded by the Queen's Life Guards, the Prince Consort does not have the option of declining
so makes the best of it, refusing to admit culpability and denying that Waldegrave was really one of his set
Nevertheless, the trio of Richmond, Marlborough and the Queen enforce their demands
that he abandon his games of politics, gives up his permanent residence in London
and makes a public condemnation not only of Waldegrave's actions
but of the motives and feelings which would appear to underlie it

On his way out he casts the queen a look of pure hate
and the next day departs for his ancestral estates (as Duke of Holderness)
leaving a written statement as demanded, that is published to the press

Richmond, with nothing personally at stake
aims to extricate Britain from a war it does not need
having as his red line the retention of Nova Sophia
but the France of Louis XVI (OTL Louis XV) is in no mood to compromise
and demands concessions in N America

Summer of 1740, and Austria makes peace with the Ottoman Empire
ceding N Serbia but retaining Oltenia
whilst Russia, also forced to peace by their unwanted ally's desertion, gains Azov

But Austria's swing away from an Eastern focus alarms France
and by November 1740 Fleury has negotiated a general peace with Britain
The Treaty of Cologne
in which Britain gains Nova Sophia in full
some rights for France's Indian allies are restored
and a few British forts in the North dismantled
but otherwise everything is restored to pre-war conditions


Best Regards
Grey Wolf
 
- - - - -
PART 5
- - - - -

The Long Sleep

The years 1740-1747 became known in Britain as "The Long Sleep"
being the period of the Duke of Richmond's premiership
and general peace within Europe

Queen Sophia and the Prince Consort remained in icy estrangement
but Sophia seemed tired of beaus
and no new relationships or entanglements broke the surface of her domesticity
with her 3 children at the palace in London

The eldest, aged 15 at his birthday on Christmas Day 1732
is Prince Charles, Prince of Wales, a slight lad, lithe and intelligent
and much painted and copied across the land

The younger, Princesses Sophia (b 1734) and Frederica (b 1736)
are by the end of 1747 fine young ladies of 13 and 11
both healthy and rosy-cheeked
and as their brother much admired by portraitures

Sophia herself has aged badly
the excesses of her younger age now acted upon her
Aged only 41 she looks 20 years older
and is lethargic and lidden-eyed

Yet, everything seems to be going well for her
and she dispenses honours and titles with regularity
but also with sobriety
not rushing into anything rash
and generally letting Richmond's government get on with increasing prosperity
and bringing Britain back to a level of peace and tranquility


1748 - The Year of Hell

Richmond's death in January 1748 did not seem to prelude disaster
After a state funeral and an impressive internment
he was succeeded as Prime Minister by the (2nd) Duke of St Albans
Vere Beauclerk's older brother
who makes no attempt to change his predecessor's policies

But war clouds are gathering in Europe
with the new Austrian emperor, Leopold II ailing
and without male heir
and Prussian ambitions rising in alliance with Russia

In March 1748 Augustus, King of Poland and Elector of Saxony, is assassinated
and a Polish succession crisis is added to tensions
exacerbated when it is found that the assassin is a Polish patriot
who was alarmed at Augustus' moves towards Russia in recent times
and wished to return Poland to a Poish dynasty and independence of action

By May, Europe is at war
and with France weighing in on Prussia's side
voices are raised in parliament demanding British involvement
St Albans not commanding the sort of respect of the late Richmond
and facing revolt from his own men on this issue

A meeting between himself and Queen Sophia achieves nothing
as Sophia is dull and uninterested
and St Albans finds himself left without guidance

July 1748 and alarmed by Austrian defeats at the hands of Prussia
St Albans declares war on France
his brother Vere Beauclerk immediately winning a victory
when a French squadron attempts to pass to the Baltic
but runs into his mustering fleet

Marlborough lands in the Austrian Netherlands with an army
whilst Anson's fleet enters the Mediterranean and defeats a French force off Marseilles

Spain remains carefully neutral
obtaining from St Albans a secret treaty guaranteeing Florida and Cuba for her neutrality

Russian intervention in Poland soon leads to fully-fledged civil war
and a defeat of an Austrian army sent in support of the Polish faction of Poniatowski
Prussia invades Saxony
and Marlborough in Flanders is heavily defeated by the Duke of Penthievre
a grandson of Louis XIV by one of his mistresses
only 23 and commanding the army in an honorary capacity
but taking effective command after the death of its official commander

Penthievre's victory stuns Europe
and he receives plaudits from Frederick II of Prussia
winning his own victories against Austria in his invasion of Silesia

Sophia is immobile and uncaring about anything but her domestic arrangements
and court etiquette
rumours now abounding that her mind is going
perhaps by venereal disease caught from one of her many lovers of years agone

St Albans is left holding all the reins of government
a steersman without a captain on the ship of state
and lacking the confidence that Richmond had

Malrborough's remaining army is heavily defeated
Louis XVI's brother, Louis, Duke of Anjou
coming up in support of Penthievre, and squeezing Marlborough between them

*
NOTE - Butterflies are beginning to abound. OTL Louis XIV was succeeded by his great-grandson, third son (all called Louis) of his grandson. Here one of the intervening generations briefly rules as Louis XV, whilst Louis XVI is not OTL's Louis XV but his elder (the middle) brother, with the younger Louis now brother to the king, as Duke of Anjou
*

August 1748 and Vere Beauclerk is defeated attempting to cover an evacuation of Marlborough's army
a French fleet falling upon him in the Schelde roads
and suffering severe losses in ships, men and the loss of his own left arm

Marlborough is forced to surrender
and St Albans' government collapses in chaos in the aftermath of both immediate disasters

With the queen apparently uninterested in selecting a successor
fresh elections are held
bringing Lawrence Hyde, 2nd Duke of Rochester, one-time beau of the queen
and now embittered anti-monarchist
to power

Sophia refuses to see him
and Rochester is received instead by the 15 1/2 year old Prince of Wales
and the head of his household, Viscount Chessington
Charles, Prince of Wales, quizes Rochester on his views
and on his belief in the war
and Rochester leaves both impressed with and wary of the heir

Anson wins a reprieve for the government with his victory at the Battle of Quiberon
where he intercepts and destroys a French transport fleet and its escorting squadron
by so doing preventing the skirmishes across N America
from escalating into serious war

Austrian forces under Charles of Lorraine contest the Austrian Netherlands
driving back Penthievre, as Anjou had headed deeper into Germany
fighting against Austria's allies in Bavaria and Hannover

Charles of Lorraine is able to push to the coast
but Penthievre is reinforced by the Prince of Conde
and holds Southern Flanders for France

This resurgance proves illusory
and in September 1748 Anson's fleet is largely destroyed in the Battle of Falmouth
allowing a second French force to land a Jacobite army in W Scotland
under Prince Charles Edward Stuart

French and Prussian forces unite with Russians in Silesia and Poland
and Austria suffers a series of severe setbacks
the news of which pushes Emperor Leopold II into a coma
and derails the imperial government

Russian forces annihilate Poniatowski's army
capturing and then executing its leader
before installing Augustus' son Frederick as King of Poland
in a heavily-guarded ceremony in Warsaw

Rochester is terrified of the Jacobite landing
and dithers incessantly over how to respond
bemoaning Marlborough's captivity
and afraid to choose another army command
for fear that things might go wrong in his first few weeks of office

He is summoned to the palace
and whilst amazed at the assumed order from Sophia
is even more shocked to find he has been summoned by Prince Charles
and Viscount Chessington
who demand that he stop his faltering
and appoint one of several excellent candidates to army command
and march North at once against Charles Edward who is reported closing on Edinburgh

General Henry Beauclerk
brother to both the deposed St Albans
and the now recovered Admiral Vere Beauclerk
is eventually chosen by Rochester
and placed in command of all home forces

Vere Beauclerk, weak but strong of spirit
visits the royal palace and meets both his own daughter, 22 year old Diana
as well as her half-siblings, Prince Charles and the Princesses Sophia and Frederica

Diana is a meek and polite spirit, happy with her lot, but hopeful of making a good match
She introduces Vere to Viscount Chessington, who as head of the Prince of Wales's household has power in the court
and Vere senses a comrade spirit in the court politico, soon fastening on to a firm friendship

Henry Beauclerk is now given absolute authority
Prince Charles passing on his demand to Rochester who can only act on it
such is the panicked spirit of parliament
Beauclerk calls up all reserves and militia and passes North at speed
mustering at Hertford, Derby and Carlisle
even whilst news of the fall of Edinburgh is making its way down the Eastern coast

News of Edinburgh's fall stuns London
and even the radical anti-monarchist press is silent
contemplating the worst, where a Catholic Stuart king enters the city and exacts revenge

October 1748, the Jacobite army takes Berwick
and Beauclerk heads East first to Durham, then North to Newcastle
to head off the advance

In London, Prince Charles is getting demanding
insisting that as heir and primary representative of the dynasty he should be present at any great victory
Eventually, Rochester tires of his constant badgering
and gives permission for Charles, and Chessington and his inner household, to travel via York to Newcastle
They set out immediately

Vere Beauclerk stands as sponsor as his and Sophia's dtr Diana weds William Byron
created 1st Earl Byron for his marriage
but a marriage that Sophia is not interested in attending
tho formalities are exchanged
and letters given

November 1748 and the bad weather sees Henry Beauclerk's army bogged down North of Newcastle
now joined by Prince Charles and his household
in the damp and wet and cold

Nobody initially thinks much when the prince, nearly 16 now, goes down with a cold
but 5 days later it is clear that he is suffering from pneumonia
and a desperate appeal leaves Newcastle for London

By the time it arrives, it is too late
Prince Charles, Prince of Wales, has died 2 months short of his 16th birthday
a fact received in London on November 1st
to great outpourings of public mourning
and much shock

Henry Beauclerk is no less shocked
but well aware that unless he strike at once the shock at the news could destroy his army
and open the way Southwards for the Jacobites
With desertions and despair thinning his ranks he advances on Berwick
a flying squadron under Admiral Wriothesley Russell, brother of the 3rd Duke of Bedford, providing naval support

Sophia receives the news of her son's death with no emotion
and asks for tea afterwards, preferably with her favourite cake
Vere Beauclerk, observing her, comes to the conclusion that she is mad
and informs Rochester of his analysis the same night

Rochester is supremely weak
with no great party to his name
He became Prime Minister because he was next in seniority
and people did not expect a train of disasters
now he is seriously uncertain what to do

Late November 1748 sees two contrary events
occurring at the same time as dramatic events in Europe
-1- Henry Beauclerk defeats the Jacobites at Berwick and drives them back into Scotland in disarray
-2- Parliament votes to declare Queen Sophia II insane and to forcibly abdicate her in favour of her eldest daughter, to be crowned Queen Sophia II

Prague has fallen to a Russo-Prussian alliance
and Vienna is threatened by a French army pushing through Lombardy
Leopold II has regained consciousness from his coma and retaken the shaky reins of governance
but with Bavaria, Hannover and Saxony now out of the war
and Britain so focused on internal matters as to be as good as out
the Austrians soon request a ceasefire
and December 1748 make a unilateral peace
ceding Silesia to Prussia, Lorraine to France, and abandoning their position in Poland to Russia's advantage

Beauclerk drives the Jacobites West into the islands in December 1748
whilst parliament reaffirms the vote declaring Sophia deposed
and a parliamentary delegation meets with Princess Sophia
Vere Beauclerk acting as ice-breaker and diplomat with the Life Guards

Princess Sophia is an intelligent and careful 14 year old
She knows that only if she personally signs and agrees can her mother's deposition become legal
otherwise it lacks the power of royal assent
At the same time she is sympathetic to her mother, but also shares the view of Vere and Rochester that she is no longer fit to rule

Careful and clever, she extracts a hard bargain in the dog days of 1748
- her mother will be allowed to retreat to a rural palace to live out her days in happy ignorance
- her sister, Frederica, will fall into her own orbit to advance and marry as they both desire
- Earl Byron will be appointed head of her sister's household
- Vere Beauclerk will be created Earl Beauclerk and appointed Head of Her (new) Majesty's Household
- Henry Beauclerk will be created Duke of Newcastle
- She will attain her majority at age 16, the European custom, not 18
- that until then her grandfather, Charles, will be legal Regent, but power will be vested in parliament, and through the Prime Minister's office in her herself


- - - - - -
1749-1750
- - - - - -

May 1749 and Rochester's ministry agrees the Treaty of Naples with France
by this time, Beauclerk/Newcastle has routed the remaining Jacobites
but Charles Edward Stuart has made it back to France
France's navy having theatre supremacy

Rochester does not long survive the peace
too many voices being raised against him for his handling of the war
reinforced when Marlborough returns from captitivity
and Sophia II makes no comment from the palace
nor does the offcial Regent, her grandfather, Charles

Parliamentary manoevrings see Rochester replaced
36 year old Thomas Osborne, (4th) Duke of Leeds
being chosen as a compromise candidate
to upset nobody
albeit with not many people's direct support

Leeds meets with Vere/Earl Beauclerk
and in secret with the Duke of Clarence and Holderness, father to the new queen
and cements his position by listening
and implementing small changes that they request

By the end of 1749, the 15 year old queen has her own circle of royal friends and hangers on
composed of noble-born girls
but also including their brothers, uncles, and cousins
and with sufficient clout to force the abandonment of a Jacobite persecution bill in February 1750
whereby the effect of her support and supporters
mean that vindicitive clauses for Scottish shopkeepers and merchants
who had no choice but to work with the Jacobites
are scrapped, and the amendment to lessen but not destroy the bill is also thrown out
by wish and command of Sophia II
acting through her contacts and their influence


Best Regards
Grey Wolf
 
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