Famous left-hander birthday, November 10

King George II of England

George II (1683 – 1760),  born and brought up in Northern Germany, was King of Great Britain and Ireland, Duke of Brunswick-Lüneburg (Hanover) and Archtreasurer and Prince-elector of the Holy Roman Empire  until his death.  He was the last British monarch born outside Great Britain.  In 1701, his grandmother, Sophia of Hanover, became second-in-line to the British throne after about fifty Catholics higher in line were excluded by the Act of Settlement, which restricted the succession to Protestants.

Influenced by Robert Walpole, he supported the Whigs. He brought Britain into the War of the Austrian Succession (1740-1749) to protect Hanover, personally commanding victorious forces at Dettingen in 1743.  His reign saw imperial acquisition of Canada and India.

In recent years, some scholars have re-assessed his legacy and have concluded that he held and exercised influence in foreign policy and military appointments. This is significant in a sense that for two centuries after his death, history tended to view George II with scorn, focusing more on his boorishness and mistresses.