Prince George of Denmark and Norway, Duke of Cumberland (1653–1708) was the husband of Queen Anne of Great Britain. His marriage to Anne was arranged in the early 1680s with a view to developing an Anglo-Danish alliance to contain Dutch maritime power. This made him unpopular with his Dutch brother-in-law William of Orange, who was married to Mary, Anne's sister. William and Mary became joint monarchs of Britain in 1689 after the "Glorious Revolution" deposed James II and VII, the father of Anne and Mary. William excluded George from active military service, and neither Anne (who was heiress presumptive) nor George wielded any great influence until after the deaths of William and Mary, when Anne became queen. He had an easy-going manner and little interest in politics; his appointment as Lord High Admiral in 1702 was largely honorary. Anne's seventeen pregnancies by George resulted in twelve miscarriages or stillbirths, four infant deaths, and a chronically sick son William, who died at the age of eleven. Despite the history of their children, George and Anne's marriage was a strong one. He died aged 55 from a recurring and chronic lung disease, and was buried in Westminster Abbey.
Read more: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Prince_George_of_Denmark
_______________________________ Today's selected anniversaries:
325:
The First Council of Nicaea, the first ecumenical council of the Christian Church, was formally opened in present-day Iznik, Turkey. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/First_Council_of_Nicaea
685:
The Picts defeated the Northumbrians near Dunnichen, severely weakening the latter's power in northern Great Britain. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Battle_of_Dun_Nechtain
1875:
Representatives from seventeen countries signed the Metre Convention which set up an institute for the purpose of coordinating international metrology and for coordinating the development of the metric system. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Metre_Convention
1927:
By the Treaty of Jeddah, the United Kingdom recognized the sovereignty of King Ibn Saud over Hejaz and Nejd, which later merged to become Saudi Arabia. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ibn_Saud
1983:
A team of researchers led by French virologist Luc Montagnier published their discovery of HIV, although they did not know yet if it caused AIDS. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Luc_Montagnier
_____________________________ Wiktionary's word of the day:
much of a muchness: (idiomatic) Of two or more things, having little difference of any significance between them. https://en.wiktionary.org/wiki/much_of_a_muchness
___________________________ Wikiquote quote of the day:
Love has its own instinct, finding the way to the heart, as the feeblest insect finds the way to its flower, with a will which nothing can dismay nor turn aside. --Honoré de Balzac https://en.wikiquote.org/wiki/Honor%C3%A9_de_Balzac
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