Today in royal history: 28th July 1683 – Prince George of Denmark and Norway, the future Duke of Cumberland, married Anne, the second daughter of Prince James, Duke of York (King James II)., brother of King Charles II. George was the youngest son of King Frederick III of Denmark and Norway and Sophie Amalie of Brunswick-Lüneburg. His marriage to the future Queen Anne was arranged with a view to developing an Anglo-Danish alliance to contain Dutch maritime power. As a result, George later became unpopular with his Dutch brother-in-law King William III, who was married to Annes elder sister, Queen Mary II. William excluded George from active military service, and neither George nor Anne wielded any great influence until after the deaths of both William and Mary. During his wifes reign, George occasionally used his influence in support of his wife, even though he privately disagreed with her views. He had an easy-going manner and had little interest in politics; his appointment as Lord High Admiral in 1702 was largely honorary. Annes seventeen pregnancies by George resulted in twelve miscarriages or stillbirths, four infant deaths, and a chronically sick son William, Duke of Gloucester who died at the age of eleven. Despite the tragic history of their children, George and Annes marriage was a strong one. He died in 1708, Queen Anne died in 1714.
Posted on: Mon, 28 Jul 2014 18:01:41 +0000
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