Since 2013, British succession laws to the Throne have been changed to every first born being the automatic heir no matter what gender the child is. But what if instead of Queen Elizabeth II bringing that law into place, Queen Victoria did? That would mean her daughter would become Queen Victoria II and then her to her son, Wilhelm, which would mean the House of Hohenzollern would replace House of Hanover as the royal family of Britain. This clearly means that Wilhelm would become Kaiser Wilhelm II of Germany and King Wilhelm I of the United Kingdom.

How does this change WWI and the colonial German Empire? Would this unite the two countries in the early 1900's even though British dominion and the English language has already become very prominent all across the globe? Would WWI see an anti-German "Civil-War" break out in British territories or even an anti-British one in German territories if Wilhelm decided the British Empire was better than the German one, especially if his mother was Queen before him?

This is my first thread so I hope I'm doing alright!
 
A German Emperor who abhorred everything British, become King of British Empire ?!

Why was Wilhelm II loathed ?
First his birth, the British doctor his mother insist on, butcher new born and crippled Wilhelm left arm (15 cm shorter as normal)
in 1863, Wilhelm was taken to England to be present at the wedding of his Uncle Bertie (later King Edward VII), here the boy attack prince Alfred with dagger and bit him in the leg.
finally the death of his father Wilhelm I. his wive insist on British doctors who were quite helpless, while group of German specialist were ready to help, but Victoria refused them access.
As Wilhelm I. died, Wilhelm II. blamed his mother and British doctors for this. so far the story goes Wilhelm II. refuse to see or to speak with his mother ever again until her dead.

in 1908 Wilhelm II. made a interview to British journalist that damage Anglo-German friendship beyond diplomatic repair
in own words
"You English are mad, mad, mad as March hares."
 
The problem with this is that. If Queen Victoria changed the law of succession, to exclude her sons, than Victoria Princess Royal would have married someone different.

A female heir wouldn’t be married off to another heir or even a second son due to fear of two countries being united.
 
In first place he would be Wilhelm II of German Empire and William V of United Kingdom (and India, Canada, Australia, New Zealand,...).
In second one the British-German Union probably will cause a mobilization against it.
France and Russia will try to find new allies but Austria and Japan are out of discussion. Maybe only Italy could agree but Rome could decide that the London-Berlin-Wien alliance is simply too powerful to fight.
The main problem will be that Wilhelm was an authoritarian and an autocrat and United Kingdom a parliamentary democracy, so I can see many clashes between them. King William will side with Lords during the Budget Crisis, trying to limit Parliament power. He will refuse any suggestion to press Lords to pass Liberal legislations, so Asquith will resign an other time in 1911, prompting a third general election in two years. Meanwhile, without Asquith's talks, Irishmen starts to revolt. Thanks to this "Unionism Crisis", Conservatives could get a slim majority. In other case Wilhelm will declare a national emergency to get authoritarian powers.
Then franly I don't know. Bloody clashes probably will follow but Germany is good posed to win WWI, so no liberation. Maybe the General Strike of 1926 will cause a national revolution (?).
 

Ramontxo

Donor
I think only the Kaiser, as King Emperor would be able to get the old Dream come true. A successful Jacobine insurrection and an Stuart again King of Scotland (and of the lands down there at the south too of course)...
 

Deleted member 94680

A German Emperor who abhorred everything British, become King of British Empire ?!

Why was Wilhelm II loathed ?
First his birth, the British doctor his mother insist on, butcher new born and crippled Wilhelm left arm (15 cm shorter as normal)
in 1863, Wilhelm was taken to England to be present at the wedding of his Uncle Bertie (later King Edward VII), here the boy attack prince Alfred with dagger and bit him in the leg.
finally the death of his father Wilhelm I. his wive insist on British doctors who were quite helpless, while group of German specialist were ready to help, but Victoria refused them access.
As Wilhelm I. died, Wilhelm II. blamed his mother and British doctors for this. so far the story goes Wilhelm II. refuse to see or to speak with his mother ever again until her dead.

in 1908 Wilhelm II. made a interview to British journalist that damage Anglo-German friendship beyond diplomatic repair
in own words

Wilhelm admired the British. He envied the Royal Navy and the British Empire.

Also, Wilhelm II’s father was Friedrich III.
 
I'm afraid that every time this question is asked it runs aground on a very simple answer: the rightful heir is whoever parliament chooses. If the existing law of succession called for the Kaiser to become King of England, then Parliament would amend that law. The 1900s are not the early modern age- the days of personal unions are over, and even if parliament for some reason was prepared to share its monarch with Germany (which it never, ever would) Wilhelm was very obviously unsuited to act as a constitutional monarch in the Westminster tradition.

They'd have found someone else. Preferably someone a couple of branches of the family tree away to avoid even the appearance of a personal union or alliance with Germany- so that means no King Henry either.
 
The last time a British King tried to rule over Parliament it did not go well and he rather lost his head. By 1900 the less dramatic solution would be a Republic (not that this solution went well the last time either).

Or.

Bill'Aha! Granny is dead. I am the King of Britain, Emperor of India usw'. Parliament 'Actually no. Edward is the new King'. Bill 'But I am King etc. by right!' Parliament 'Well what are you going to do about it eh?' Cue Edwardian Sea Lion.
 
I assume that Friedrich would abandon his claims to the Prussian Throne and move to England with his wife, if she was the heir.
Like prince Phillip gave up claims to the Greek Throne. And this includes the descendents.
 
The last time a British King tried to rule over Parliament it did not go well and he rather lost his head. By 1900 the less dramatic solution would be a Republic (not that this solution went well the last time either).

Or.

Bill'Aha! Granny is dead. I am the King of Britain, Emperor of India usw'. Parliament 'Actually no. Edward is the new King'. Bill 'But I am King etc. by right!' Parliament 'Well what are you going to do about it eh?' Cue Edwardian Sea Lion.


Or "No you ain't. By hereditary right the sovereign of this country is Maria of Bavaria, the legitimate heir of the Stuarts. So lay off the Divine Right nonsense"
 
Wild thought. Could it conceivably have happened the other way?

Princess Charlotte of Wales was reportedly smitten with Prince Friedrich of Prussia, a nephew of King Frederick William III. However, her father blocked it. WI Prinny fell downstairs in 1814 and Charlotte (now 18), became the new Regent? She could then consent to her own marriage and it would probably have gone ahead, as FW3 had four healthy sons, so that her intended was seemingly a safe distance from the Prussian throne. If her OTL death in childbed is butterflied away, mid-century sees Britain with a Hohenzollern king.

But - - the eldest of those sons, FW4, was to die childless, and the other three produced just one son each. So it only needs another childless marriage, and a couple more producing only daughters, to bring a British Hohenzollern to the Prussian throne. Probably suitable renunciations will be arranged to avoid a union of crowns, but could be ticklish all the same.

I know some accounts have Prince Augustus, nephew of FW2, as Charlotte's intended, but this makes less difference than you might think. Of Frederick's remaining uncles, one was childless and the youngest, William, had two sons but by 1896 both were also dead w/o heirs. As Frederick's OTL marriage again produced only one son, and Augustus' elder brothers never married at all, it takes only one more death or change of sex to bring a descendant of Charlotte and Augustus to the Prussian throne.
 
Top