Accession and Coronation of George II
- When
- 1727
- Where
- Hanover; Westminster Abbey, London
- Episodes
- 2
George II succeeded his father as King of Great Britain and Ireland on 11 June 1727 following George I's death in Hanover. He was subsequently crowned at Westminster Abbey on 11 October 1727, an event marked by Handel's composition of coronation anthems.
Episodes
- Death of George I
George I died of a stroke in Hanover on 11 June 1727, triggering the succession of his son.
- Coronation of George II
George II and Caroline were crowned at Westminster Abbey on 11 October 1727 following a procession.
Background and detail
Accession to the Throne. George II, then Prince of Wales, ascended to the British throne on 11 June 1727 upon the death of his father, George I. George I died of a stroke while visiting Hanover, leaving his son to succeed him as King of Great Britain and Ireland at the age of 43.
Coronation Ceremony. The coronation of George II and his wife Caroline took place at Westminster Abbey in London on 11 October 1727. The ceremony followed a procession to the abbey and included the performance of four new coronation anthems composed by George Frideric Handel.
Musical Legacy. Handel was commissioned to write four new anthems for the coronation. One of these, Zadok the Priest, established a tradition by being sung at every subsequent British coronation, linking the 1727 ceremony to future royal rituals.
People involved
- George II · King of Great Britain and Ireland
- Caroline · Queen Consort
- George I · Predecessor King
- George Frideric Handel · Composer
Sources
- George II of Great Britain Wikipedia, revision of 2026-09-12
- Coronation of George II and Caroline Wikipedia
Machine-drafted from the cited Wikipedia passages and checked by a reviewing model, not by a human editor. Every passage cites the revision it was written from; dates and places follow those passages.