Knowra Act of Settlement 1701 Act of Settlement 1701 An English statute that settled the Crown on Sophia of Hanover and her Protestant heirs after Anne, excluding Catholics from the succession and limiting royal power.
Sophia of Hanover : A granddaughter of James VI and I whose Protestant descent made her the designated successor under the Act of Settlement. The statute named Sophia and her Protestant heirs as successors after Anne.
Glorious Revolution : The 1688–1689 overthrow of James II and accession of William III and Mary II in England. It established the Protestant succession problem that the 1701 statute sought to secure.
George I of Great Britain : The first Hanoverian king of Great Britain, who succeeded Anne in 1714. He inherited the Crown through Sophia’s line under the settlement’s rules.
Act of Settlement 1700 : An English statute of 1700 that transferred the Crown to Sophia of Hanover and her Protestant heirs. It is the same legislation under its contemporary legal-year title, not a separate measure.
Jacobite succession : The claim to the British throne maintained by James II and his Stuart descendants after the Glorious Revolution. The Act excluded the Catholic Stuart line that Jacobites continued to support.
William III of England : The Dutch prince who became king of England, Scotland, and Ireland with Mary II in 1689. During his reign, Parliament enacted the settlement to determine succession beyond Anne.
Hanoverian dynasty : The British royal house descended from the rulers of Hanover, beginning with George I in 1714. The Act cleared the way for this dynasty to succeed the last Stuart monarch.
Stuart dynasty : A royal house that ruled Scotland and later England, ending with Queen Anne’s death in 1714. The Act redirected succession away from the Catholic branches of this dynasty.
Royal Assent : The formal approval by a monarch that completes the enactment of a bill as law. William III gave assent to the statute in 1701, making its succession settlement law.
Anne, Queen of Great Britain : The last Stuart monarch, who reigned from 1702 to 1714 and had no surviving children. Her lack of surviving heirs made the statutory succession settlement decisive.
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