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| Prince George of Denmark, Duke of Comberland Coat of Arms - Wikipedia |
UPPER MARLBOROUGH, Md. - It is so sad that my county, Prince George's, no longer bothers to check in from time to time with history, let alone teach it. For some readers, history does not matter (you may stop reading any further now), which begs the question why, then, send a gift to the new born Prince George of Cambridge. For those who do think history matters, the dissonance that arises from thinking the future King of Great Britain' name reflects upon the Danish namesake of the county is unnerving.
Prince
George of Denmark and Norway, Duke of Cumberland (2 April 1653 – 28 October
1708), born in Copenhagen, the younger son of King Frederick III of Denmark and
Norway and Sophie Amalie of Brunswick-Lüneburg. His mother was the sister of Ernest Augustus,
Duke of Brunswick-Lüneburg, later Elector of Hanover. was the husband of Queen Anne and distant
relative of King George I, first of the German rulers of Great Britain from
whom the current House of Windsor descends. King George I was the eldest son of
Ernest Augustus, Duke of Brunswick-Lüneburg, and his wife, Sophia of the
Rhineland Palatinate. Sophia was the granddaughter of King James I of England
through her mother, Elizabeth of Bohemia.[1]
King
George V and King George the VI, grandfather and father of the present monarch,
Elizabeth II, are the immediate reasons for naming the child George. Prince
George the Consort of a Scottish Stuart who slop happened to also rule England,
and ultimately unified the dominions into the United Kingdom are not part of
the George's of the German House of Hanover which included King George III of
revolutionary fame.
One can
only hope that we would try not to twist history to suit our preconceived
present and ephemeral vision of glory and focus occasionally on the actual history
of this important county in US history. His
Royal Highness Prince George of Denmark and Norway, Duke of Cumberland, was
like the county named for him, an important figure in British history but he is
far from any reason the reason to name a future King after him. The county does of a strong connection to the United Kingdom and so some remembrance to any British monarch is perhaps in keeping, but the a linking to the coincidence of the same name is not a reason.
So all together now:
Prince George's County, Maryland,
was named in 1695
after a Danish prince
who was marry to a
Queen of the United Kingdom of Great Britain.
"Prince George's County,
Maryland is wasting no time paying homage to England's new favorite son, Prince
George Alexander Louis. Third in line to the British throne, Prince George will
always have a connection to Prince George's County -- so says County Executive
Rushern Baker. After all, the newborn prince is a namesake. Baker says the
county is sending the baby a gift package, which includes a commemorative plate
with the county seal on it, a county umbrella, because it is always raining in
England and some other keepsakes. The prince also has a standing invitation to
visit the county."[2]
"LONDON — In choosing to call their
first child George Alexander Louis, Prince William and his wife, Kate, selected
a first name steeped in British history.
While “George” means
“farmer” and “earth worker” — not trades typically associated with U.K. royals
— it has been borne by six British kings, four of whom served in a row.
Below, a look at the
British monarchs called George who preceded the nearly week-old prince now
third in line to the throne.
GEORGE I: The German-born, first king of
Britain from the House of Hanover — which provided six British monarchs —
acceded to the throne in 1714. The king — who spoke German, French and a little
English — ruled until his death in 1727.
GEORGE II: Initially unpopular, George II gained
greater respect as his reign lengthened. He was the last British king to fight
alongside his soldiers, at the age of 60. Because his oldest son had died,
George II’s grandson inherited the throne upon his death in 1760.
GEORGE III: Upon succeeding his grandfather,
George III became the third Hanoverian monarch, and the first to be born in
England and use English as a first language. He ruled for nearly 60 years,
during which time the American colonies declared independence. Once George III
became mentally unfit to rule, his eldest son acted as Prince Regent from 1811.
The monarch died in 1820.
GEORGE IV: Prior to assuming the throne, George
IV secretly and illegally married a Roman Catholic. He later married Princess
Caroline of Brunswick, who he tried unsuccessfully to divorce after assuming
the throne in 1820. He was known as much for his marriage difficulties as for
his interest in art. His only legitimate child died in childbirth, so the crown
went to his brother upon his death in 1830.
GEORGE V: He assumed the throne in 1910, and
made hundreds of visits to troops and wounded servicemen during World War I.
His legacy also includes starting the sovereign’s annual Christmas Broadcast —
a tradition that began in 1932. He died one year after celebrating his silver
jubilee, leaving his son Edward to take the throne.
GEORGE VI: The father of Queen Elizabeth II was
the most recent King George, memorably portrayed in the Oscar-winning film “The
King’s Speech.” His first name was actually Albert, but he selected George —
his fourth name — to use as sovereign in honor of his father, George V, and to
create stability and continuity in the monarchy following the abdication of his
brother, Edward VIII." [3]
[1]
Wikipedia
[2] Prince
George's County sending gift box to namesake British prince newborn. Posted:
Jul 25, 2013 6:41 PM EDT Updated: Jul 25, 2013 6:47 PM EDT By Karen Gray
Houston, @kghfox5dc - bio [accessed July 26, 2013] http://www.myfoxdc.com/story/22935574/prince-georges-county-sending-gift-box-to-namesake-british-prince-newborn#axzz2a9L4A3fC
[3] Some history behind Prince George's name. 2013. Associated Press. [accessed July 27, 2013] http://thetandd.com/some-history-behind-prince-george-s-name/article_6db74e4a-f662-11e2-a3a9-0019bb2963f4.html
[3] Some history behind Prince George's name. 2013. Associated Press. [accessed July 27, 2013] http://thetandd.com/some-history-behind-prince-george-s-name/article_6db74e4a-f662-11e2-a3a9-0019bb2963f4.html
