Descendants of the Stuarts

112 THE DESCENDANTS
Sophia's marriage, however, turned out a more
prosperous one than could have been anticipated;
for her husband's three elder brothers all dying
without heirs male, he ultimately succeeded to the
Duchy of Hanover, and in 1692 even received a
further accession of dignity by the transfer of his
duchy into an electorate. For this last increase of
power he was indebted to the good will of the
reigning emperor, Leopold I., who was determined
on rewarding the services Ernest Augustus had ren-
dered him. Great opposition was raised at the
time by his brother electors to his advancement, but
they ultimately withdrew their opposition. In
1680 was established the right of primogeniture,
by which the crown was to descend only to males ;
and it was this law which enforced the separation of
Hanover from England, which occurred at the ac-
cession of Her Gracious Majesty, who, as daughter
of the fourth son of George III., ascended the throne
of Great Britain ; whilst Ernest Augustus, though
that monarch's fifth son, acceded to that of Hanover.
Sophia is said to have been one of the most fascina-
ting women of her age, and to have combined with
" the attraction of beauty and talent an elegant form,
an understanding richly cultivated, learning embel-
lished with elegance, and wit polished by the Graces;"
and so charmed was one of her admirers with her
various perfections, that he openly declared there
was not another woman to be found "point d^ esprit
plus charmant" than Sophia. She was in truth a