kingdom · Germany and Central Europe

Kingdom of Hanover

1814 CE – 1866 CE · capital Hanover

North German kingdom tied to the British crown until 1837, then ruled by its own kings until Prussia annexed it in 1866.

Origins

The Congress of Vienna raised the Electorate of Hanover to a kingdom in 1814, with George III as king, and enlarged it with East Frisia, Hildesheim and Lingen. It continued in personal union with Great Britain under George III, George IV and William IV, governed by a viceroy.

Rule and society

When Victoria became British queen in 1837, Salic law excluded her and her uncle Ernest Augustus became King of Hanover. He revoked the liberal constitution of 1833, and seven Göttingen professors who protested, including the Grimm brothers, were dismissed. The kingdom was largely agrarian, though railways and the port of Harburg developed. George V, blind from youth, became king in 1851.

Decline and legacy

George V sided with Austria in 1866. His army won at Langensalza but surrendered two days later. Prussia annexed Hanover as a province, and the Guelph party long campaigned for restoration.

Lineage

Duchies of Bremen and Verden 1648 CE – 1823 CEElectorate of Hanover 1692 CE – 1814 CEKingdom of Hanover

Connections (4)

More states of Germany and Central Europe →

Cite this page
APA
The Epoch Institute. (2026). Kingdom of Hanover. In The Epoch Institute States Register. https://the-epoch-institute.org/state/kingdom-of-hanover
MLA
“Kingdom of Hanover.” The Epoch Institute States Register, The Epoch Institute, 2026, https://the-epoch-institute.org/state/kingdom-of-hanover. Accessed .
Chicago
The Epoch Institute. “Kingdom of Hanover.” The Epoch Institute States Register. 2026. https://the-epoch-institute.org/state/kingdom-of-hanover.
Harvard
The Epoch Institute (2026) ‘Kingdom of Hanover’, The Epoch Institute States Register. Available at: https://the-epoch-institute.org/state/kingdom-of-hanover (Accessed: ).

Last reviewed October 2026Random state ↻