WI Anne Sophia survived childhood

What might have happened if Anne Sophia survived past her first year? What would she have been styled as after her brother's death? Marriage options? Would we have seen the coronation of Anne Sophia as Queen of Great Britain in her own right after her mother's death? Actually that's interesting here Britain's going to have had three Queens in rapid succession of one another. So really I just want to see what you all can come up with.

(I have a tendency of forgetting to check my threads so I'll probably follow it or something so I don't forget it exists. But my classes are over so that'll help me keep in touch.)
 
What might have happened if Anne Sophia survived past her first year? What would she have been styled as after her brother's death? Marriage options? Would we have seen the coronation of Anne Sophia as Queen of Great Britain in her own right after her mother's death? Actually that's interesting here Britain's going to have had three Queens in rapid succession of one another. So really I just want to see what you all can come up with.

(I have a tendency of forgetting to check my threads so I'll probably follow it or something so I don't forget it exists. But my classes are over so that'll help me keep in touch.)
Karl XII will be torn between attempting to restore Stuarts and aiming for Swedish-British personal union while he can.
 
Was she the daughter of Anne Stewart and George of Denmark?

Yes she was their second born daughter.

Karl XII will be torn between attempting to restore Stuarts and aiming for Swedish-British personal union while he can.

Huh, what was his relationship with the Stuarts? And oh, the discussions that either decision will prompt at court.

Actually what might Anne Sophia's relationship with the Stuarts over the water be like? I have a feeling that James will still claim himself King of Great Britain regardless of his niece's existence. But what about the others?
 
Last edited:
Anne Sophia

Didn't she have hydrocephalus? That would not have made her a very attractive marriage prospect, even if she had survived childhood.
 
Didn't she have hydrocephalus? That would not have made her a very attractive marriage prospect, even if she had survived childhood.
Her brother (Gloucester) had. She died of random pneumonia and autopsy showed she was completely healthy otherwise.
 
Anne Sophia

Her brother (Gloucester) had. She died of random pneumonia and autopsy showed she was completely healthy otherwise.

I remember reading somewhere that she died of smallpox, like her older sister Mary.
 
Her brother (Gloucester) had. She died of random pneumonia and autopsy showed she was completely healthy otherwise.

I remember reading somewhere that she died of smallpox, like her older sister Mary.

Yup, both she and sister Mary caught the pox when their father contracted the illness and subsequently the girls passed away. Otherwise she appeared to have been a completely healthy child. I'm not too sure but Mary may have been slightly frailer than Anne Sophia.
 
I've toyed with the idea of a TL called 'The British Oldenburg' in which Anne Sophia lives to adulthood and eventually has a couple daughters.

Considering how early she died you can pretty much depict her however you wish.
 
Anne Sophia

Yup, both she and sister Mary caught the pox when their father contracted the illness and subsequently the girls passed away. Otherwise she appeared to have been a completely healthy child. I'm not too sure but Mary may have been slightly frailer than Anne Sophia.

None of Anne's children were particularly healthy. She had a lot of miscarriages and stillbirths. I'm sure that's come up before. I don't know what was wrong. It seems unusual, even for that time period.
 

Vitruvius

Donor
From the point of view of ensuring a Protestant succession it seems like the obvious thing to do would be to marry her to George Augustus of Brunswick-Luneburg, OTL George II. It bypasses his father, OTL George I, and grandmother Sophia, who would probably still be alive at that point, so I don't know how they'd feel about it. I suppose Sophia would probably support it but I don't know about his father. And of course I don't know that Anne would go for it since she seemed to be a bit standoffish when it came to the Hanovers. But the marriage would probably be contracted during the height of the War of the Spanish Succession when the allies are still a united front against France, which is supporting the Jacobites. So politically and strategically there may be an imperative to strengthen the Protestant succession around the early 1700s.
 
From the point of view of ensuring a Protestant succession it seems like the obvious thing to do would be to marry her to George Augustus of Brunswick-Luneburg, OTL George II. It bypasses his father, OTL George I, and grandmother Sophia, who would probably still be alive at that point, so I don't know how they'd feel about it. I suppose Sophia would probably support it but I don't know about his father. And of course I don't know that Anne would go for it since she seemed to be a bit standoffish when it came to the Hanovers. But the marriage would probably be contracted during the height of the War of the Spanish Succession when the allies are still a united front against France, which is supporting the Jacobites. So politically and strategically there may be an imperative to strengthen the Protestant succession around the early 1700s.

Such a match could work well. As for standoffish, Anne needed the Hanovarian succession as it guaranteed her position. However, she had memories of her own fights with William and Mary when she was heir and had no desire to see an alternate court be set up in Britain. That's why she kept them out during her reign. Assuming that William, Duke of Gloucester dies in schedule, we could still see an act of Settlement, once everyone realizes that a teenage girl is the only thing standing between them and line extinction. In that case, the Electoral Prince could be the best choice. While Johan Willem Friso would be an equally interesting choice, I doubt it would happen. Well maybe if Anne Sophia is married before her uncle's death.
 

Vitruvius

Donor
I hadn't thought about a marriage during the reign of William III, so that's a good point. He'd likely push for John William Friso and preserve the link to the Netherlands. I wonder if that would ensure that Friso gains the stadholderate or if it would improve his position vis a vis Prussia towards the Orange-Nassau inheritance. If William forced the marriage against Anne's wishes it seems like it would really position relations between them.

The other question surrounding George Augustus is what role he would play. Would he be a prince consort in the mold of Prince George or co-monarch a la William and Mary? Unlike Cumberland but like William he has his own claim to the English/British throne. I'm sure that Queen Anne would rather he be merely consort but the Hanoverian side, especially his grandmother would probably push for co-monarch. I don't know where George Louis of Hanover would come down on the matter. If George Augustus becomes King he outranks his father. Plus his claim suo jure is subordinate to his father's and jure uxoris he's not entitled to more than Cumberland got. Seems like they'd almost have to hammer that out at the time the marriage is negotiated.

Either way it would prevent the personal union of Hanover and Britain until at least 1727, not that changes much I suppose. But if he's just consort would he spend more time in Hanover where he's Elector in his own right? And if Anne Sophia dies before him does their son become King while he stays in/goes back to Hanover? I suppose it depends on how well they get along together, or don't. Given how long George Augustus lived OTL its unlikely that Anne Sophia would outlive him by much if at all so the succession for both realms probably falls to their child around 1760 and we're back to a personal union like OTL.
 
I hadn't thought about a marriage during the reign of William III, so that's a good point. He'd likely push for John William Friso and preserve the link to the Netherlands. I wonder if that would ensure that Friso gains the stadholderate or if it would improve his position vis a vis Prussia towards the Orange-Nassau inheritance. If William forced the marriage against Anne's wishes it seems like it would really position relations between them.

The other question surrounding George Augustus is what role he would play. Would he be a prince consort in the mold of Prince George or co-monarch a la William and Mary? Unlike Cumberland but like William he has his own claim to the English/British throne. I'm sure that Queen Anne would rather he be merely consort but the Hanoverian side, especially his grandmother would probably push for co-monarch. I don't know where George Louis of Hanover would come down on the matter. If George Augustus becomes King he outranks his father. Plus his claim suo jure is subordinate to his father's and jure uxoris he's not entitled to more than Cumberland got. Seems like they'd almost have to hammer that out at the time the marriage is negotiated.

Either way it would prevent the personal union of Hanover and Britain until at least 1727, not that changes much I suppose. But if he's just consort would he spend more time in Hanover where he's Elector in his own right? And if Anne Sophia dies before him does their son become King while he stays in/goes back to Hanover? I suppose it depends on how well they get along together, or don't. Given how long George Augustus lived OTL its unlikely that Anne Sophia would outlive him by much if at all so the succession for both realms probably falls to their child around 1760 and we're back to a personal union like OTL.

Anne Sophia would have been about 15/16 when her uncle died, a little young but considering her aunt Mary married at 15 its possible. Secondly, William would be in no position to force a marriage on his niece. With Mary dead he lost much of his position domestically. If Anne agreed its possible but if she said go to hell William's in a shit position. I doubt the marriage would help Friso much. He'd still be very young and without much support in the Netherlands itself. William III was the nephew of Charles II and that didn't help him become Stadtholder.

As for the Hannovarian, he'd be consort. Maybe a titled King consort, like Philip II was to Queen Mary or Prince Consort, like Albert. However, he definitely would NOT be co Monarch. William became co-ruler because he had invaded Britain and basically held Parliament hostage. Not repeatable.
As for Hanover itself, I suppose George might spend more time in Hanover after his accession.
 
Anne Sophia would have been about 15/16 when her uncle died, a little young but considering her aunt Mary married at 15 its possible. Secondly, William would be in no position to force a marriage on his niece. With Mary dead he lost much of his position domestically. If Anne agreed its possible but if she said go to hell William's in a shit position. I doubt the marriage would help Friso much. He'd still be very young and without much support in the Netherlands itself. William III was the nephew of Charles II and that didn't help him become Stadtholder.

As for the Hannovarian, he'd be consort. Maybe a titled King consort, like Philip II was to Queen Mary or Prince Consort, like Albert. However, he definitely would NOT be co Monarch. William became co-ruler because he had invaded Britain and basically held Parliament hostage. Not repeatable.
As for Hanover itself, I suppose George might spend more time in Hanover after his accession.

I lean towards the idea that Parliament and Britain in general would want to AVOID a personal union, in the case of Anne Sophia the prevailing idea would be an internal marriage between her and one of the English/Scottish noblemen.
 
I lean towards the idea that Parliament and Britain in general would want to AVOID a personal union, in the case of Anne Sophia the prevailing idea would be an internal marriage between her and one of the English/Scottish noblemen.

Not gonna happen. Parliament is basically the landed aristocracy and gentry. None of the Peers are going to want to elevate a rival to the position of Royal in-laws. Remember how bad it was when Queen Anne's parents married.
 
Didn't Anne dislike the Hannoverians? Maybe she could marry her daughter to other Protestant house just to avoid them on the throne.
 
Didn't Anne dislike the Hannoverians? Maybe she could marry her daughter to other Protestant house just to avoid them on the throne.

Whether or not Anne disliked the Hannoverians is up for debate. Anne never let any of the House of Hanover move to England during her reign because she had no desire to see a rival court develop. However, she might want an alternate marriage for her daughter. Prince Charles of Denmark, Prince George's nephew would be a good choice age-wise and temperament wise. Apparently he was very withdrawn form politics, so no chance of Anne II (I assume) having to defend her prerogatives from her husband.
 
Effect Anne Sophia's survival

Isn't it possible that with a relatively healthy heir, Anne might have been less pressured to engage in unrelenting pregnancy? She might have had better health longer and lived a few more years. Not that this would have changed much in the long run.
 
Top