Prince George of Denmark

Who was Prince George of Denmark?

Prince George of Denmark and Norway, Duke of Cumberland, was the husband of Queen Anne, who reigned over Great Britain from 1702.

His marriage to Anne was arranged in the early 1680s with a view to developing an Anglo-Danish alliance to contain Dutch maritime power. As a result, George was unpopular with his Dutch brother-in-law William of Orange, who was married to Anne's elder sister, Mary. William and Mary became joint monarchs of Britain, with Anne as their heiress presumptive, in 1689 after the "Glorious Revolution" deposed James II and VII, the father of both Anne and Mary.

William excluded George from active military service, and neither George nor Anne wielded any great influence until after the deaths of William and Mary, when Anne became queen. During his wife's reign, George occasionally used his influence in support of his wife, even when privately disagreeing with her views. He had an easy-going manner and little interest in politics; his appointment as Lord High Admiral in 1702 was largely honorary.

Anne's seventeen pregnancies by George resulted in twelve miscarriages or stillbirths, four infant deaths, and a chronically sick son, William, who died at the age of eleven. Despite the history of their children, George and Anne's marriage was a strong one. George died aged 55 from a recurring and chronic lung disease and was buried in Westminster Abbey.