Personal union of Great Britain and Hanover

Great Britain-Hanover
1714–1837
Coat of arms of the United Kingdom (1816-1837)
Map of Great Britain (dark green), Ireland and Hanover (light green) in 1789
Status	Personal union
Capital	London and Hanover
King
• 1714–1727	George I
• 1727–1760	George II
• 1760–1820	George III
• 1820–1830	George IV
• 1830–1837	William IV
Historical era	Modern period
• Established	1714
• Disestablished	1837
Preceded by Succeeded by Kingdom of Great Britain Electorate of Hanover United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland Kingdom of Hanover

The personal union between Great Britain and Hanover existed from 1714 to 1837. During this time, the Elector of Braunschweig-Lüneburg or King of Hanover was also King of Great Britain. With the Act of Settlement in 1701, the English Parliament created the basis for the Protestant succession of the House of Hanover to the throne in the Kingdom of England, later the Kingdom of Great Britain. Different succession rules led to the dissolution of the personal union.

After the death of Queen Anne Stuart of Great Britain, who had no descendants, the Elector of Braunschweig-Lüneburg, Georg Ludwig, inherited the British royal crown in 1714 as the closest Protestant relative in accordance with the Act of Settlement of 1701. Through this personal union, Georg Ludwig connected Great Britain with the German Electorate, which thus became one of the most powerful in the Holy Roman Empire. However, Hanover was to retain its independence, which is why the state treasury and government affairs remained separate. Electoral Hanover was administered and governed by the German Chancery in London and the Hanover minister there as well as the Privy Council in Hanover, who consulted with the ruler and carried out his instructions. Only Georg Ludwig and his son Georg August still traveled to the Electorate. The personal union only ended in 1837 with the accession of Queen Victoria to the throne, since in the Kingdom of Hanover, the successor state to the Electorate of Braunschweig-Lüneburg, only male descendants could inherit the throne according to the Salian law of succession. Therefore, control in Hanover passed to Victoria's uncle, Ernst August, Duke of Cumberland.^[1]