The House of Hanover

Book categories: House of Hanover, George I, George II, Cumberland, George III, Georgian Era, Regency, George IV, Caroline of Brunswick, William IV, Victoria, German Royalty, British Royalty

The House of Hanover

Georgian Monarchy: Politics and Culture, 1714-1760 by Hannah Smith. This detailed study of the monarchy during the reigns of George I and George II argues that the kings were not just tolerated but popular.

The Courtiers: Splendor and Intrigue in the Georgian Court at Kensington Palace by Lucy Worsley. The publisher sent me a copy of this book to review, and I enjoyed it very much. It provides an amusing look at the colorful characters at Kensington Palace from 1714 to 1760, including rival royal mistresses, "court pet" Peter the Wild Boy, and trusted servant Mohammed True-to-the-King. The lives of these courtiers centered around irascible kings George I and George II, who engaged in sad yet farcical family feuds at a time of waning royal influence. Highly recommended.

Blood Royal: The Illustrious House of Hanover by Christopher Sinclair-Stevenson. An intimate portrait of the kings of the House of Hanover. Out of print, but available at Alibris.

The Hanoverians: The History of a Dynasty by Jeremy Black. A detailed look at the long reign of this scandal-plagued family.

The Houses of Hanover and Saxe-Coburg-Gotha by John Clarke, Jasper Ridley, and Antonia Fraser.

The Georgian Princesses by John Van Der Kiste. About princesses from the time of George I through George IV.

Handel and the English Chapel Royal by Donald Burrows. Handel's Chapel Royal music was the result of a close but changing relationship with Britain's Hanoverian royal family.

King George I

George I by Ragnhild Hatton and Jeremy Black. Biography from the Yale English Monarchs series.

The King, the Crook, and the Gambler: The True Story of the South Sea Bubble and the Greatest Financial Scandal in History by Malcolm Balen. About a financial intrigue that threatened to overturn two monarchies in the 1720s. The king in the title is George I. Previously published as The Secret History of the South Sea Bubble.

Sophie Dorothea by Ruth Jordan. Biography of George I's wife, who was accused of infidelity and imprisoned for 32 years. Out of print, but available from Alibris.

The Captive Princess by Paul Morand. Another biography of Sophia Dorothea of Celle. From Alibris.

The Princess of Celle by Jean Plaidy. This novel about Sophia Dorothea is the first book in Plaidy's "Georgian Saga" series. From Alibris.

Princess of Hanover by Helene Lehr. A novel about Sophia Dorothea. From Alibris.

The Rebel Princess by Doris Leslie. Another novel about Sophia Dorothea, from Alibris.

The King's Mistress by Claudia Gold. Biography of Ehrengard Melusine von der Schulenburg, mistress -- and probable secret wife -- of King George I. Derided by the public as the scrawny "Maypole," she managed to wrest George from his beautiful wife, Sophia Dorothea of Celle, and bind him to her for almost 40 years.

King George II

George II: King and Elector by Andrew C. Thompson. Despite a long and eventful reign, Britain's George II is largely forgotten. This biography paints a detailed portrait of the monarch in his public and private lives.

Royal Discord: The Family of George II by Veronica Baker-Smith. King George II is almost forgotten, but his long reign firmly established the House of Hanover in Britain. His daughter Anne was the only English princess to rule a foreign country. This book seeks to restore George II and his family to a fitting place in the pageant of history.

King George II and Queen Caroline by John Van Der Kiste. This biography is out of print, but sometimes available from AbeBooks.

The King That Never Was by Michael De-La-Noy. A biography of Frederick, Prince of Wales in the 18th century, who according to the author was unfairly despised by his parents, George II and Caroline.

Henrietta Howard: King's Mistress, Queen's Servant by Tracy Borman. Mistress of King George II, Henrietta Howard was also a victim of violence and adultery, a dedicated patron of the arts, and a passionate advocate for the rights of women. Available from Alibris.

Memoirs of King George II by Horace Walpole. Despite the somewhat misleading title, these are the memoirs of English writer Horace Walpole, who lived during the reign of George II and wrote about political events of his time.

Queen in Waiting by Jean Plaidy. This novel about George II's wife, Caroline of Ansbach, is the second book in Plaidy's Georgian Saga. Out of print, but available from Alibris.

Caroline, the Queen by Jean Plaidy. The third book in Plaidy's Georgian saga, also about Caroline of Ansbach. From Alibris.

William Augustus, Duke of Cumberland

William Augustus, Duke of Cumberland: A Life by Rex Whitworth. A son of King George II, "Butcher Cumberland" was a general who defeated the Young Pretender, Bonnie Prince Charlie, at Culloden Moor. Out of print, but available from Alibris.

Butcher: The Duke of Cumberland and the Suppression of the '45 by William A. Speck. From Alibris.

Books About Bonnie Prince Charlie & Culloden

George III and George IV

Books About George III
Books About George IV
Books About Caroline of Brunswick
Books About the English Regency

The Georgian Era

Royal Romances: Sex, Scandal, and Monarchy in Print, 1780-1821 by Kristin Flieger Samuelian. How the British royal family was represented in fiction, poetry, and the popular press in the late 18th and early 19th centuries, during the reigns of George III and George IV.

The Gentleman's Daughter: Women's Lives in Georgian England by Amanda Vickery.

Sex in Georgian England by A.D. Harvey. Using medical texts, trial records, pamphlets, autobiographies, novels, dress fashions, and more, this book reveals the 18th-century stereotype of female purity and passivity which was to be inherited by the Victorians.

Britain in the Hanoverian Age, 1714-1837: An Encyclopedia edited by Gerald Neman and Leslie Ellen Brown. Generously illustrated.

King William IV

William IV, Mrs. Jordan and the Family They Made by Daniel A. Willis. King William IV reigned from 1830-1837 and came to the throne with a brood of illegitimate children from his 20-year affair with actress Dorothy Jordan. This book tells the story of their 900+ descendants, including politicians, actors, bankers, and maybe even a cad or two.

The Life and Times of William IV by Anne Somerset. Out of print, but available from Alibris.

King William IV by Philip Ziegler. From Alibris.

Sailor King: The Life of King William IV by Tom Pocock. From Alibris.

Goddess of the Green Room by Jean Plaidy. Novel about King William IV and his mistress, actress Dorothy Jordan, from Plaidy's Georgian Saga. Available at Alibris.

Books About Queen Victoria
Books About the Royal Family & Jack the Ripper
Books About German Royalty
Books About British Royal History

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Movies & Documentaries

DVDs About King George II
DVDs About Queen Caroline