Still working on my occasional series on English/British kings! Kings George I and George II are just not shiny enough to be on screen very often, so let’s lump the two together.
George I
King George I of Great Britain and Ireland (1660-1727) was the German Elector of Hanover who was recruited to take over the British throne when Queen Anne died childless. He was the senior Protestant descendent of James VI, and ascended the British throne in 1714. While still in Hanover, he married Sophia Dorothea of Celle (another Germanic territory) and the two had children, including the future George II, but they became estranged and divorced in 1694, so she was never queen of Britain. He was king during the 1715 and 1719 Jacobite risings, greatly supported the Whig party, and was generally disliked for being not-English (he was alleged to not speak the language, although there’s proof he did, and he regularly visited Germany throughout his reign).
He doesn’t turn up much on screen, and there are two productions for which I can’t find images:
- Otto Waldis in The Iron Glove (1954)
- Steve Plytas in Rogues’ Gallery: “A Bed-Full of Miracles”
Here’s where he does show up!
Peter Bull in Saraband for Dead Lovers (1948)
A rare exception to the “not much on screen”! “The tragic romance of Sophia Dorothea of Celle and Philip Christoph von Königsmarck, and unfortunately Sophia was married to Prince George, the Elector-Designate of Hanover (later King George I of Great Britain),” per Trystan’s review.
Eric Pohlmann in Rob Roy, the Highland Rogue (1953)
A Disney film about the famous Scottish outlaw. Roy was fighting against George I’s rule/army, and at one point he shows up at court and is so great, George pardons him.
Harold Kasket in Where’s Jack? (1969)
An adventure film about a real-life 18th-century criminal and the “thief taker”/criminal who chased him.
George II
Son of George I, George II (1683-1760) was born and raised in Germany but relocated to Britain when his father ascended the throne. He married Caroline of Ansbach and the two had a passel of children, including the future George III. He had a terrible relationship with his father, in part because he was more popular (and then went on to have a terrible relationship with his own first son, Frederick). When his father died, he ascended the throne (1727). He led Britain to war against Spain in the War of the Austrian Succession, was king for the 1745 Jacobite Rebellion, and led Britain into war against the French in the Seven Years’ War/French & Indian War.
George II is on screen slightly more than his father, including picture-less productions:
- Alexander Ekert in Exzellenz Unterrock (1921)
- Ivan Triesault in Dick Turpin’s Ride (1951)
- Arthur Young in John Wesley (1954)
Plus:
Olaf Hytten in The Last of the Mohicans (1936)
An adaptation of the James Fenimore Cooper novel set during the Seven Years’/French & Indian War. I guess there must be a scene set at the British court where they’re discussing the war?
Martin Miller in Bonnie Prince Charlie (1948)
A biopic about the Jacobite leader who fought against George II’s rule/army.
Mathias Wieman in The Girl and the Legend (1957)
A fictionalized story about the author Daniel Defoe (who wrote Robinson Crusoe), set in 1730 London. Romy Schneider plays a factory worker who reconciles Defoe with his son, at one point by getting an audience with the king.
Richard Harris in King of the Wind (1989)
An adaptation of a novel about a real-life horse (c. 1724-53) who was one of three that founded the modern Thoroughbred line.
Clive Swift in Aristocrats (1999)
A bio-series about four English aristocratic sisters whose lives intersected with the king at various points.
Richard Griffiths in Pirates of the Caribbean: On Stranger Tides (2011)
This sequel to the original has Jack Sparrow hunting for the fountain of youth around 1750. To kick things off, Jack implausibly meets George II who is the one who sets Jack off on this mission.
Have George I or II ever been memorably on screen for you?
Normaly George II is a complete idiot on screen. I wondered why he is so childish in “Aristocrats”. He is a minor character in “The Lady and the Bandit” (1951) – where is a plot to overthrough Walpole…
“The Iron Glove” (1954) is even worse with George II mostly speaking a fake accent and walking around like a puppet.
With these companions his portrayal in “Aristocrats” is the best.
Small historical note: George II was grandfather to George III, not father. George III’s father was the hated Fredrick!
Those “tartan yoga pants” on Rob Roy are actually trews, and I’m really very impressed than in 1953 anybody at Disney knew, let alone cared, that those are far more authentic for a late 17th-early 18thc Highlander than a kilt! And not badly done, either; they got the garters right.
Horrible Histories! George II is the one favoured with the Mathew Baynton eyebrow. Ben Willbond’s German accent is…OK.
Oh, yes, all four Georges as a boy band :)
Richard Griffiths – the master. He was wonderful 😊
I’m surprised I’ve never seen “King of the Wind,” I read my copy of the book until the cover fell off. “Aristocrats” is on my to-watch list, but I’m still working my way through Tudor biographies at the moment, so I’ll wait until it all lines up.
PS: The movie with Romy Schneider is complete nonsense and even not funny. I saw it once or twice. The filmmakers invented a story with kids which loved “Robinson Crusoe”. Dafoe’s other works are ignored there and it’s a really stupid shoutout: “Robinson should not die!”. Dafoe is in some trouble, but the kids want to save him. It just makes no sense from any perspective and Romy Schneider is just looking strange in kid’s clothes…
I haven’t seen any of the adaptations except On Stranger Tides (which I barely remember, to be honest). But I did read all about their court in the wonderful book by Lucy Worsley “The Courtiers: The Secret History of Kensington Palace”. I highly recommend it!
I would like to formally request that His Late Majesty King George the First be formally-barred from ‘Man Crush Monday’ status by dint of his extremely cruel treatment of his divorced wife (Including and even after the murder of her lover).
—-
On a less serious note, George the Second may be summed up in a single anecdote: with his rather lovely Queen Caroline dying, the King swore he would never marry again.
The Court being somewhat concerned about this, they told the Queen and Queen Caroline called King George to her deathbed to convey her blessing on him, should he chose to marry again.
“I could never marry, I could never replace you – I’ll take mistresses!” pledged the gallant king.
That may actually be the most sweet-hearted and dunderheaded anecdote in the history of the British Royal family.