Dear Sir,
Very little has been said or written so far about the tercentenary of “the arrival of the German Georges on the British throne”, to which John Jungclaussen referred ( “ Germany has moved on. Why haven’t you?”, Sept.27). The centenary of World War One has inspired many books; not one has appeared to mark the Hanoverian succession 300 years on. It was not even mentioned in the brief history of Anglo-German relations which you published on September 23. This neglect is extremely regrettable.
The arrival of George I, a soldier- statesman respected throughout continental Europe, put an end to the longest and most destructive period of party political strife in British history. The Whigs triumphed in the general election of 1715, creating an era of political stability marked by a surge of wealth and prosperity. The defeat of the Tories also paved the way for a reduction in the power and pretensions of its close ally, the Church of England, which had been responsible for years of religious intolerance.
It is not too late to make amends. Having arrived at Greenwich on September 18,1714 , the new monarch was crowned on October 20 in a frugal ceremony at Westminster Abbey which cost £5000.
Yours faithfully
Lord Lexden
House of Lords
Published in The Times, 30th September 2014.