Home > Sophia of Hanover

She married Ernst August, Duke of Brunswick-Lüneburg at Heidelberg September 30, 1658. He became the Elector of Hanover in 1692. (Electors were princes who had the right to vote to elect the emperor of the Holy Roman EmpireThe Holy Roman Empire ( German: Heiliges Romisches Reich was a political conglomeration of lands in western and central Europe in the Middle Ages. Emerging from the eastern part of the Frankish realm after its division in the Treaty of Verdun ( 843), it l.)

As the daughter of Elizabeth Stuart, in turn the daughter of James I & VIJames VI of Scotland and I of England (Charles James) ( 19 June 1566 27 March 1625) was a King who ruled over England, Scotland and Ireland, and was the first Sovereign to reign in the three realms simultaneously. He ruled in Scotland as James VI from 24 of England and Scotland, she was inserted into the line of succession to the British throne behind Queen Anne, as her closest Protestant heir, by the Act of Settlement of 1701Events January 18 Frederick I becomes King of Prussia. May 23 After being convicted of murdering William Moore and for piracy, Captain William Kidd is hanged in London. July 24 Detroit, Michigan founded. September 16 Prince James Francis Edward Stuart bec, for the purpose of cutting off any claim by the Catholic James Francis Edward StuartPrince James Francis Edward Stuart or Stewart ( June 10, 1688 January 1, 1766) was a claimant of the thrones of Scotland and England ( September 16, 1701 January 1, 1766) who is more commonly referred to as The Old Pretender . His Jacobite supporters refe, who would otherwise have become King James III, as well as denying the throne to many other Catholics who held a claim.

Sophia would have inherited the throne if she had not died before Anne. Upon her death, Sophia's son Elector Georg Ludwig of HanoverGeorge I (George Ludwig von Guelph-d'Este) ( 28 May 1660 11 June 1727) was Duke of Brunswick-Luneburg (Hanover) from 23 January 1698, and King of Great Britain and King of Ireland from 1 August 1714, until his death. He was also the Archbannerbearer (afte became heir-presumptive, and weeks later succeeded Queen Anne as King George I of Great Britain.

The Act of Settlement restricts the throne to the "Protestant heirs" of Sophia of Hanover who have never been Catholic and who have never married a Catholic. Presently there are almost 5,000 descendants of Sophia although not all are in the line of succession. The Sophia Naturalization Act of 1705 granted the right of British citizenship to Sophia's non-Catholic descendants (though this has been modified by subsequent laws).

Before her marriage, Sophia, as the daughter of Frederick V, Elector Palatine of the Rhine, was referred to as Sophie, Princess Palatine of the Rhine, or as Sophia of the Palatinate.

See also: British monarchy, UK topics