Figure 1.--This is a portrait of the children of Frederick, Prince of Wales, painted in 1746 by Barthélemy Du Pan. Frederick was he eldest son of King George II. We see his wife Augusta of Saxe-Gotha withhe children. They are are engaged in a game of popinjay (archery) in a landscape setting, possibly Park Place. Federick died bfore his father. As a result, his son George wold be the future king -- George III. George is depicted on the right, dressed in a tartan archery uniform, having just shot the arrow.

George August was born at Herrenhausen in Hanover (1683). His father was not yet King of England. THis made him the ast British monarch to be born outside Britain. George had sisters, but he was He was the eldest child of George I and Sophia Dorothea of Celle (1666-1726). His parents' marriage was not a happy one affecting his childhood and relationship wih his father. The marrige had been one of political convenience and they never developed an affective reltionshp. Sophia in fact was discovered to have gad an affair with a Swedish count (1694), George insisdted on a divorce. Sophia was permanently banished to Ahlden House in Celle which became a prison. She was not permitted to see George and a daughter, Sophia Dorothea. Her daughter went on to beome queen of Prussia. Prince George at 11 years of age saw his mother again. This ruined his rltionhip wih his father. Prince George grew up in Germany. He married Caroline of Ansbach (1683-1737), the daughter of Johann Friedrich, Margrave of Brandenburg-Ansbach while still in Hannover. Caroline wold be praised in England for having refused a prestigious marriage to a future Holy Roman Emperor because it would have been necessary for her to convert to Catholicism. George and Caroline had seven surviving children. It was during the reign of George II that the Scots led by Bonnie Prince Charlie (Charles Edward Stewart) were crushed at Culloden Moor (1745). The English forces, with many Scottish auxilleries, were led by the Duke of Cumberland, determined to break the Jacobite clans for ever. Villages were burned, cattle stolen, and the bagpipes and kilt banned--an effort to destoy Scottish nationalism. The English were effective, but Jacobitism was to be remembered in the literature of Robert Burns. Even more importantly, Scottish clansman and their pipes wer recruited by the British Army to be the shock troops of Empire. Thus the Scottis who fought the English for so many years, helped the English establish their imperial dominion over other peoples located far from the British iles.

Created: 6:54 AM 3/28/2026
Last updated: 6:54 AM 3/28/2026