From being the ruler of an obscure German electorate George I suddenly became king of on the most powerful nations in the world in his fifties. He was never popular in his new kingdom but established a constitutional monarchy which has survived to today. Explore his life and world on this interactive lecture course
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We will examine George’s German background and experiences as ruler in Hanover, how he succeeded to the throne in the most unlikely manner, his limited knowledge of his new kingdom, his policies, his stormy marriage, unusual mistresses and his love of music, especially that of Handel, the attempts by the Jacobites to oust him
What will I achieve? By the end of this course you should be able to...
Identify key stages in the history of early Hanoverian England
- Demonstrate understanding of the roles of the king and parliament in the C18th
- Contribute to discussions on how the insistence of a protestant monarch shaped modern Britain.
What level is the course and do I need any particular skills?
This is an `introductory` course and does not assume any previous study or reading although you will need a good grasp of English to keep up with the course. You will gain more from the course, in terms of enjoyment and learning, if you are able and willing to do some supplementary reading. An open mind and willingness to participate, respectfully, in class discussion and debate.
How will I be taught, and will there be any work outside the class?
The course will consist of illustrated lecture, discussions, and questions.
Are there any other costs? Is there anything I need to bring?
No other costs are involved. You might want to bring pen and paper for any voluntary note-taking.
After a BA in History & Geography at Keele with Music, Education and Greek Studies as subsidiaries, William Sterling taught History full-time before becoming a Civil Servant working for the Departments of Transport and Education. This allowed him to study part-time for his MA from Birkbeck and PhD from King’s College, London. From 1992, he lectured in Adult Education at a number of colleges before joining the City Lit in 2008. Since 1994 he has been an official Gallery Guide at the British Museum, covering the whole museum but specialising in the Ancient Greeks, Romans and Etruscans, the Medieval & Modern European and Enlightenment Galleries. As a lecturer, he specialises in those same areas as well as Royal History (especially British Monarchs from 1603 to 1910), Composers’ Lives and other Cultural, especially interdisciplinary, topics. He also lectures on Cruise Ships on subjects ranging from Vikings to Shakespeare. He runs a website offering free resources on the subjects he teaches.
Please note: We reserve the right to change our tutors from those advertised. This happens rarely, but if it does, we are unable to refund fees due to this. Our tutors may have different teaching styles; however we guarantee a consistent quality of teaching in all our courses.
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https://www.citylit.ac.uk/the-life-and-times-of-king-george-i3031039The life and times of King George Ihttps://www.citylit.ac.uk/media/catalog/category/advanced-history-1024_1.jpg8989GBPInStock/Courses/Courses/Culture, history & humanities/Courses/Culture, history & humanities/History/Courses/Culture, history & humanities/History/British & Irish history/Courses/Online courses228511771178163017311228511771178<p>From being the ruler of an obscure German electorate George I suddenly became king of on the most powerful nations in the world in his fifties. He was never popular in his new kingdom but established a constitutional monarchy which has survived to today. Explore his life and world on this interactive lecture course</p>003030943The life and times of King George I8989https://www.citylit.ac.uk/media/catalog/category/advanced-history-1024_1.jpgInStockDaytimeFriOnlineAvailable courses1 to 4 weeksWeekday2026-09-18T00:00:00+00:00Sep 2026Culture, history & humanitiesHBH938989The life and times of King George I715889William Sterlingthe-life-and-times-of-king-george-i/hbh93-2627<p>From being the ruler of an obscure German electorate George I suddenly became king of on the most powerful nations in the world in his fifties. He was never popular in his new kingdom but established a constitutional monarchy which has survived to today. Explore his life and world on this interactive lecture course</p>0000-Available|2026-09-18 00:00:00<p>The life and times of George 1.</p><p>From being the ruler of an obscure German electorate George I suddenly became king of on the most powerful nations in the world in his fifties. He was never popular in his new kingdom but established a constitutional monarchy which has survived to today. Explore his life and world on this interactive lecture course</p><p>We will examine George’s German background and experiences as ruler in Hanover, how he succeeded to the throne in the most unlikely manner, his limited knowledge of his new kingdom, his policies, his stormy marriage, unusual mistresses and his love of music, especially that of Handel, the attempts by the Jacobites to oust him</p><p>Identify key stages in the history of early Hanoverian England</p><p>- Demonstrate understanding of the roles of the king and parliament in the C18th</p><p>- Contribute to discussions on how the insistence of a protestant monarch shaped modern Britain.</p><p>This is an `introductory` course and does not assume any previous study or reading although you will need a good grasp of English to keep up with the course. You will gain more from the course, in terms of enjoyment and learning, if you are able and willing to do some supplementary reading. An open mind and willingness to participate, respectfully, in class discussion and debate.</p>The course will consist of illustrated lecture, discussions, and questions.No other costs are involved. You might want to bring pen and paper for any voluntary note-taking.<p>HBH95 Life and times of George 11.</p>HistoryBritish & Irish historyvirtual718958HBH93NONEFri18/09/26 - 02/10/2610:30 - 12:3010:3012:303 sessions (over 3 weeks)31 to 4 weeksDaytimeWeekdayOnlineOnlineWilliam SterlingAvailable courses2026-09-18T00:00:00+00:00Sep 2026Culture, history & humanities8989The life and times of King George Ithe-life-and-times-of-king-george-i/hbh93-2627<p>From being the ruler of an obscure German electorate George I suddenly became king of on the most powerful nations in the world in his fifties. He was never popular in his new kingdom but established a constitutional monarchy which has survived to today. Explore his life and world on this interactive lecture course</p>0000-Available|2026-09-18 00:00:00<p>The life and times of George 1.</p><p>From being the ruler of an obscure German electorate George I suddenly became king of on the most powerful nations in the world in his fifties. He was never popular in his new kingdom but established a constitutional monarchy which has survived to today. Explore his life and world on this interactive lecture course</p><p>We will examine George’s German background and experiences as ruler in Hanover, how he succeeded to the throne in the most unlikely manner, his limited knowledge of his new kingdom, his policies, his stormy marriage, unusual mistresses and his love of music, especially that of Handel, the attempts by the Jacobites to oust him</p><p>Identify key stages in the history of early Hanoverian England</p><p>- Demonstrate understanding of the roles of the king and parliament in the C18th</p><p>- Contribute to discussions on how the insistence of a protestant monarch shaped modern Britain.</p><p>This is an `introductory` course and does not assume any previous study or reading although you will need a good grasp of English to keep up with the course. You will gain more from the course, in terms of enjoyment and learning, if you are able and willing to do some supplementary reading. An open mind and willingness to participate, respectfully, in class discussion and debate.</p>The course will consist of illustrated lecture, discussions, and questions.No other costs are involved. You might want to bring pen and paper for any voluntary note-taking.<p>HBH95 Life and times of George 11.</p>HistoryBritish & Irish historyconfigurable
16301178British & Irish historyhttps://www.citylit.ac.uk/courses/humanities/history/british-and-irish-studies1/2/285/1177/1178/16301/Courses/Culture, history & humanities/History/British & Irish history
