Union of Prussia and Hanover, what will happen to the second electoral title?

Valdemar II

Banned
In OTL Frederick the Great was only one accident away from the British and Hanovean thrones. If Frederick did end up on the thrones, what would happen to Hanovers Electoral, I imagine that Frederick will keep it from the death of his grandfather until his father's death, at which point he will lose it. Whom will get it instead? I would lean to the Landgraviate of Hesse-Kassel, the problem are that it is Calvinist (rather than Lutheran as Hanover) and its king rule as king as Sweden at this point. The next most powerful Protestant power would be Württemberg, but their Duke had converted to Catholism at that point. That more or less only leave Mecklenburg-Schwerin, Brandenburg-Ansbach, Brandenburg-Bayreuth or Nassau, which would be a pathetic choices
 
In OTL Frederick the Great was only one accident away from the British and Hanovean thrones. If Frederick did end up on the thrones, what would happen to Hanovers Electoral, I imagine that Frederick will keep it from the death of his grandfather until his father's death, at which point he will lose it. Whom will get it instead? I would lean to the Landgraviate of Hesse-Kassel, the problem are that it is Calvinist (rather than Lutheran as Hanover) and its king rule as king as Sweden at this point. The next most powerful Protestant power would be Württemberg, but their Duke had converted to Catholism at that point. That more or less only leave Mecklenburg-Schwerin, Brandenburg-Ansbach, Brandenburg-Bayreuth or Nassau, which would be a pathetic choices

Couldn't they simply merge? IIRC that was what happened when Bavaria and the Palatinate were under the same branch of the Wittelsbachs.
 
The ruler of the two Electorates will only get one vote, and the HRE will create a new Electorate (possibly temporary if it seems that the two states will break apart later) somewhere else in the Empire.
 

Vitruvius

Donor
Frederick the Great would not inherit Hanover. If the Brunswick-Lüneberg line were to die out their territories would pass to Brunswick-Wolfenbüttel per salic law. 'Only' the British crown would pass to Prussia through a female line. This almost happened in reverse OTL when Brunswick-Wolfenbüttel died out in 1884. It would have passed to Hanover except the King of Hanover was in exile and his lands had been annexed to Prussia. A rather novel solution was to have Hanover's heir marry the the Kaiser's daughter to make peace. The couple was then awarded Brunswick (but not Hanover).

As far as the electorates go, yes, you can only have one vote. So if somehow an elector inherited a second electorate he would only have one vote. As to who might be elevated to the position of elector in such a situation it depends on the circumstances but I agree with your analysis of candidates.
 
Frederick the Great would not inherit Hanover. If the Brunswick-Lüneberg line were to die out their territories would pass to Brunswick-Wolfenbüttel per salic law. 'Only' the British crown would pass to Prussia through a female line.
Unless the Prussians are willing to wage a war of Hanoverian succession.
Wars of succession were waged on far shakier ground than that, so it's possible.
 
Hannover had Salic law. Prussia would not inherit.


It didn't inherit Silesia either. Still got it though.

As to who acquires the new Electorate, quite possibly no one. Iirc Hanover only became an Electorate in 1692, and it took a while to secure recognition by the others. Quite possibly it is just allowed to lapse. Wasn't that what happened to the Palatine Electorate when the EP inherited Bavaria? Afaik no new ones were created until the Napoleonic Era, and the HRE passed out of existence before the new boys had a chance to elect anyone.
 
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