25 Most Evil People of the 18th Century CE

Key Facts

Other names	Georg Ludwig
Born	1660
Location	Osnabrück, Germany
Bloodline	House of Hannover
Married	Sophia Dorothea of Celle
Children	George II of England
Position	King of Great Britain and Ireland (1714-1727)
Died	June 1727 (Aged 67)

Source of Facts and Important Announcement

Status	Under Article 64.6 of the Covenant of One-Heaven (Pactum De Singularis Caelum) by Special Qualification shall be known as a Saint, with all sins and evil acts they performed forgiven.
Date of formal Beatification	Day of Redemption UCA[E1:Y1:A1:S1:M9:D1] also known as Fri, 21 Dec 2012.
Source of Facts	Self Confession and Revelation of Sainthood by the Deceased Spirit as condition of their confirmation as a true Saint.

Background

George was born the eldest son of Protestant Ernest Augustus, Duke of Brunswick-Lüneburg, and his wife, Sophia of the Rhineland Palatinate-- Sophia being the granddaughter of King James I of England through her mother Elizabeth of Bohemia.

In 1682, George married his first cousin Sophia Dorothea of Celle. The following year, George and his brother Frederick served in their father's forces at the Battle of Vienna (for Leopold I, Holy Roman Emperor) and his wife gave birth to his son --George Augustus.

In the same year (1683), his father issued the decree of "primogeniture" meaning that none of his lands would be subdivided between his sons and could only be granted to one, surviving heir. The decision caused a rift between the family that would last until the death of Frederick in 1690.

After the birth of their second child also named Sophia Dorothea in 1687, George and Sophia Dorothea (snr) became estranged--both engaging in affairs resulting in a number of famous and scandalous romances including Swedish Count Philip Christoph von Königsmarck.

Upon the night that Sophia Dorothea sought her escape from Hanover with Philip Christoph von Königsmarck in 1694, the pair and their guard were captured and George ordered von Königsmarck murdered. He then succeeded in having his marriage dissolved and as revenge imprisoned Sophia Dorothea at the Castle of Ahlden where she remained a prisoner for the next 32 years until her death in November 1726.

In 1698, Ernest died and George succeeded as the Duke of Brunswick-Lüneburg. In 1701, the English Parliament passed the infamous Act of Settlement in which no less than fifty six Catholics with superior hereditary claims were bypassed in order to find a suitable Protestant heir. Sophia, the mother of George was named heir apparent and george himself was hastily invested with the Order of the Garter.

James II died in September 1701, followed by King William III in March 1702. However, instead of Sophia becoming Queen, the title was given to Anne, also Queen of Ireland and France at the time. During her reign in 1705, George was officially decreed a naturalised Englishman along with his heirs by act of Parliament, making him clearly successor to Queen Anne, who had no surviving children.

During her reign, the union of crowns--first planned by James I over 100 years before was finally ratified by English Parliament under the Acts of Union 1707 as the Kingdom of Great Britain. In August 1714, Queen Anne died and George was crowned the new King of Great Britain.


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