Sophia of Hanover

Sophia of Hanover (1628-1714) was born in Germany as the daughter of the Duke of Brunswick-Lüneburg. She married the Elector of Hanover in 1658 and had several children, including George I of Great Britain. Sophia was known for her intelligence and wit and had close relationships with important historical figures, such as Gottfried Wilhelm Leibniz and John Locke. She was a Protestant and supported religious tolerance. In 1701, the Act of Settlement named Sophia and her heirs as the successors to the throne of England in the event that the current line of succession failed. She died in 1714, just two months before Queen Anne, and her son George I became the first Hanoverian king of Great Britain.