Chapter I: Front Matter

Transcriber’s Note: Italics are enclosed in _underscores_. Additional notes will be found near the end of this ebook.

THE
QUEENS OF ENGLAND
OF THE
HOUSE OF HANOVER

_VOL. I._

LONDON: PRINTED BY
SPOTTISWOODE AND CO., NEW-STREET SQUARE
AND PARLIAMENT STREET

LIVES
OF THE
QUEENS OF ENGLAND
OF THE
HOUSE OF HANOVER

BY
DR. DORAN, F.S.A.

AUTHOR OF ‘TABLE TRAITS’ ‘HABITS AND MEN’ ETC.

FOURTH EDITION

_CAREFULLY REVISED AND MUCH ENLARGED_

IN TWO VOLUMES

VOL. I.

LONDON
RICHARD BENTLEY & SON, NEW BURLINGTON STREET
Publishers in Ordinary to Her Majesty
1875

TO
HENRY HILL, ESQ., F.S.A.

ONE OF THE MOST ZEALOUS OF ANTIQUARIES
AND
MOST HOSPITABLE OF FRIENDS

This New and Revised Edition is Inscribed
BY
THE AUTHOR

CONTENTS OF THE FIRST VOLUME.

_SOPHIA DOROTHEA, OF ZELL_,

WIFE OF GEORGE I.

CHAPTER I.

GEORGE OF BRUNSWICK-ZELL AND ELÉANORA D’OLBREUSE.
PAGE
Woden, the father of the line of Brunswick--The seven
brothers at dice, for a wife--D’Esmiers d’Olbreuse and
his daughter Eleanora--Love-passages, and a marriage--A
Bishop of Osnabrück--Birth of Sophia Dorothea 1

CHAPTER II.

WIVES AND FAVOURITES.

A ducal household--Elevation in rank of the mother of Sophia
Dorothea--Births and deaths--A lover for Sophia--The
Bishop of Osnaburgh an imitator of the _Grand Monarque_--Two
successful female adventurers at Osnaburgh 11

CHAPTER III.

THE BRUNSWICKER IN ENGLAND.

Prince Augustus of Wolfenbüttel, the accepted lover of Sophia
--Superstition of the Duke of Zell--Intrigues of Madame
von Platen--A rival lover--Prince George Louis: makes an
offer of marriage to Princess Anne--Policy of the Prince of
Orange--Prince George in England: festivities on account of
his visit--Execution of Lord Stafford--Illness of Prince
Rupert--The Bill of Exclusion, and the Duke of York at
Holyrood--Probable succession of the House of Brunswick--
Prince George recalled--Successful intrigues of Sophia,
wife of Ernest--A group for an artist--Ill-fated
marriage of Sophia--Elizabeth, Queen of Bohemia--‘Goody
Palsgrave’--The Electress Sophia, and her intellectual
skirmishes 18

CHAPTER IV.

THE HOUSEHOLD OF GEORGE AND SOPHIA.

Reception of Sophia at the Court of Ernest Augustus--Similar
position of Marie Antoinette and Sophia--Misfortune of
the abigail Use--Compassionated by the Duchess of Zell
--Intrigues and revenge of Madame von Platen--A new
favourite, Mademoiselle Ermengarda von der Schulenburg--A
marriage _fête_, and intended insult to the Princess Sophia
--Gross vice of George Louis 33

CHAPTER V.

THE ELECTORATE OF HANOVER.

The House of Hanover ranges itself against France--Ernest
Augustus created Elector--Domestic rebellion of his son
Maximilian--His accomplice, Count von Moltke, beheaded--
The Electors of Germany 43

CHAPTER VI.

THE KÖNIGSMARKS.

Count Charles John Königsmark’s roving and adventurous life
--The great heiress--An intriguing countess--‘Tom of Ten
Thousand’--The murder of Lord John Thynne--The fate of the
count’s accomplices--Court influence shelters the guilty
count 49

CHAPTER VII.

KÖNIGSMARK AT COURT.

Various accomplishments of Count Philip Christopher Königsmark
--The early companion of Sophia Dorothea--Her friendship
for him--An interesting interview--Intrigues of Madame
von Platen--Foiled in her machinations--A dramatic
incident--The unlucky glove--Scandal against the honour
of the Princess--A mistress enraged on discovery of her
using rouge--Indiscretion of the Princess--Her visit to
Zell--The Elector’s criminal intimacy with Madame von der
Schulenburg--William the Norman’s brutality to his wife
--The elder Aymon--Brutality of the Austrian Empress to
‘Madame Royale’--Return of Sophia, and reception by her
husband 58

CHAPTER VIII.

THE CATASTROPHE.

The scheming mother foiled--Count Königsmark too garrulous
in his cups--An eaves-dropper--A forged note--A
mistress’s revenge--Murder of the count--The Countess
Aurora Königsmark’s account of her brother’s intimacy with
the Princess--Horror of the Princess on hearing of the
count’s death--Seizure and escape of Mademoiselle von
Knesebeck--A divorce mooted--The Princess’s declaration
of her innocence--Decision of the consistorial court--
The sages of the law foiled by the Princess--Condemned
to captivity in the castle of Ahlden--Decision procured
by bribery--Bribery universal in England--The Countess
Aurora Königsmark becomes the mistress of Augustus, King of
Poland--Her unsuccessful mission to Charles XII.--Exemplary
conduct in her latter years--Becomes prioress of the
nunnery of Quedlinburg 72

CHAPTER IX.

PRISON AND PALACE.

The prison of the captive Sophia Dorothea--Employment of
her time--The church of Ahlden repaired by her--Cut
off from her children--Sympathy of Ernest Augustus for
his daughter-in-law--Her father’s returning affection
for her--Opening prospects of the House of Hanover--
Lord Macclesfield’s embassy to Hanover, and his right-royal
reception--Description of the Electress--Toland’s
description of Prince George Louis--Magnificent present
to Lord Macclesfield--The Princess Sophia and the English
liturgy--Death of the Duke of Zell--Visit of Prince
George to his captive mother prevented 95

CHAPTER X.

THE SUCCESSION--DEATH OF THE ELECTRESS.

Marriage of Prince George to Princess Caroline of Anspach,
and of his sister to the Crown Prince of Prussia--Honours
conferred by Queen Anne on Prince George--Intention to
bring over to England the Princess Sophia--Opposed by
Queen Anne--Foundation of the kingdom of Prussia--The
establishment of this Protestant kingdom promoted by the
Jesuits--The Electress Sophia’s visit to Loo--The law
granting taxes on births, deaths, and marriages--Complaint
of Queen Anne against the Electress--Tom D’Urfey’s doggrel
verses on her--Death of the Electress--Character of her 112

CHAPTER XI.

AHLDEN AND ENGLAND.

The neglected captive of Ahlden--Unnoticed by her son-in-law,
except to secure her property--Madame von der Schulenburg
--The Queen of Prussia prohibited from corresponding with
her imprisoned mother--The captive betrayed by Count de
Bar--Death of Queen Anne--Anxiety felt for the arrival
of King George--The Duke of Marlborough’s entry--Funeral
of the Queen--Public entry of the King--Adulation of Dr.
Young--Madame Kielmansegge, the new royal favourite--
Horace Walpole’s account of her--‘A Hanover garland’--Ned
Ward, the Tory poet--Expression of the public opinion--
The Duchess of Kendal bribed by Lord Bolingbroke--Bribery
and corruption general--Abhorrence of parade by the King 119