[david hammond]

Who would have been succeeded to the throne after Willam IV if Victoria had not been born ?
Her parents the Duke and Duchess of Kent had no other children.

Were there any other British heirs or would someone from Hannover have been monarch ?

Thanks for answering one of those fascinating 'what if ....' questions.

David Hammond
Oslo Norway

[@HistoryGems]

I can't give you a straight answer but look at what happened with Elizabeth I, James II/VII and Queen Anne. With a constiutional monarchy it didn't really matter who was on the throne as long as they were acceptable. By that I mean at least vaguely related to the royal line and protestant.

Look at the Hanoverians, their claim to the throne was slim but that didn't really matter as the country got on being run by parliament and that's an interesting point to remember. Victoria may have had her name given to an age but she herself had little impact on policy or direction particularly when compared to monrachs pre-civil war. Unlike the Russian Czar or the Chinese Emperor she had very little hands-on day-to-day power unlike a PM such as Gladstone. She was a powerful symbol, a beloved rallying point but many people could have done that job.

Hope that at least gives you food for thought.

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