Salic law

Then for the first time Hanover, properly only the name of the city, though often popularly used for the electorate of Brunswick-Lüneburg, became the name of the state.

On the accession of Queen Victoria in 1837, the long-desired separation took place because the Salic Law prevented the Kingdom of Hanover passing into female hands.

The wisdom of Walpole's suggestion in the previous century has been shown by the avoidance of the very serious complications that would have arisen in 1866 if Hanover and England had possessed the same ruler.

In that year, Hanover took the side of Austria against Prussia, and the latter, victorious in the Seven Weeks' War, absorbed all the powers of North Germany that were opposed to her.

Charles Albert was the son of the Elector who was defeated at Blenheim and of Cunegunda, daughter of the famous John Sobieski, King of Poland.

He himself had married the younger daughter of the previous Emperor Joseph.

It is true that if there was any Salic law forbidding a female to succeed, it would operate not only against Maria Theresa, but against all the claimants, for it would seem just that if a female cannot inherit, she should not be able to transmit a claim.

For three hundred years of the House of Austria there had been no claim through a female.