The Royal Marriage Act of 1772
Abstract
The Royal Marriage Act, which became part of English law in 1772, is significant not only for its effect on posterity but as a reflection of the new spirit of kingship which George III, the law's mentor, brought to the throne in 1760. Since the accession of the Hanoverians in 1714 up to the time George III ascended the throne, England had been ruled by two sovereigns, both of whom were foreigners who were somewhat strange to the procedures and spirit of the government over which they reigned as king and whose thoughts frequently strayed longingly to interests in their own homeland on the continent of Europe. This attitude, combined with a natural frigidity and reserve, had quickly lost for them any possibility of popularity. The ultimate political authority over the country was held firmly in the hands of the classes represented in Parliament since the uninterested Grown had permitted the ministers to determine governmental policy on nearly all domestic matters. During the greater part of these reigns the government was under the control of the Whig party.
Subject Area
European history|Public policy|Individual & family studies
Recommended Citation
Witterholt, Albert C, "The Royal Marriage Act of 1772" (1952). ETD Collection for Fordham University. AAI28509453.
https://research.library.fordham.edu/dissertations/AAI28509453
