George II
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Putting ‘spirit in the conduct of the war’: the November 1775 government reshuffle
In his last post for the Georgian Lords, From bills to bullets: Spring 1775 and the approach to war in America, on the advent of the American War of Independence, Dr Charles Littleton left things hanging with the prorogation on…
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From Jockeys to Ministers: How Horse Racing Shaped Rockingham’s First Ministry
In the latest post for the Georgian Lords, we welcome Ioannes Chountis de Fabbri from the University of Aberdeen, who considers the importance of horse racing in the formation of the Rockingham administration of 1765. The structure of mid-eighteenth-century politics…
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John Potter, an unusual Archbishop of Canterbury
In the latest blog for the Georgian Lords, Dr Robin Eagles examines the career of one of the lesser known Archbishops of Canterbury, who was able to make use of his August 1715 sermon celebrating the accession of George I…
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The Duke of Cambridge and the Hanoverian Succession, 1706-14
Early modern monarchs often were jealous of their heirs. In the early 18th century this was especially the case when the childless Queen Anne faced the prospect of seeing her crown pass to foreign cousins. In this article, marking the…
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Some thoughts on William Pulteney, earl of Bath
The 31 May 2025 marks Dr Stuart Handley’s last day at the History of Parliament. One of his last biographies for The House of Lords, 1715-90 has been William Pulteney, earl of Bath. It will be the third History of…
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‘The most solemn, magnificent, and sumptuous ceremony’: The coronation of George II and Queen Caroline, 11 October 1727
Contemporaries were agreed that the coronation of George II and Queen Caroline on 11 October 1727 was spectacular. In our second Coronation-themed blog, Dr Charles Littleton looks back on the event and considers the roles played by some of those…
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‘A very disagreeable situation’: the brief premiership of William Cavendish, 4th duke of Devonshire
Following Liz Truss’s record-breaking short tenure as Prime Minister, recently much attention has turned towards some of the historical figures who held the post of Premier for only a short period of time. William Cavendish, 4th duke of Devonshire, is…
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The Last Burial of a King in Westminster Abbey
The death of Queen Elizabeth II has meant the revival of a practice that had in effect been suspended for over two centuries: the funeral of a monarch in Westminster Abbey. The last king to have his funeral there was…
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‘A frenzy of quitting’: the art of resigning in the 18th century
In the latest blog for the Georgian Lords, Dr Charles Littleton considers two episodes in the mid-18th century when governments were subject to mass resignations… Between 5 and 7 July 2022, over 60 members of Boris Johnson’s government resigned, the…
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Death of a Queen: the tragic end of Caroline of Ansbach
In the latest post for the Georgian Lords, Dr Robin Eagles, considers the grisly end of Queen Caroline of Ansbach, the botched efforts of her physicians to assist her and her wider importance to the Hanoverian regime. On 20 November…
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William Augustus, duke of Cumberland, ‘the real Prime Minister’ and ‘the strangest cabinet in British history’
2021 is the 300th anniversary of the birth of one of British history’s most controversial characters: William Augustus, duke of Cumberland, younger son of George II and the brutal victor of the battle of Culloden. Dr Robin Eagles, editor of…
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‘His Presence contributed greatly to the success of the Day’: George II, king and soldier
Today marks the anniversary of the coronation of George II, the British monarch known for being the last to ride into battle with their troops. He did so at the Battle of Dettingen in 1743. Dr Robin Eagles, Editor of…