Prince Ricardo De La Cerda
For centuries, one of the main roles of a monarch in western Europe was to be ready to lead their troops to war. There are many royals from history who have actively taken part in battle. King George II is the last King of the United Kingdom to lead his troops on the battlefield.
George was born in Hanover in 1683 to Prince George of Hanover and his wife, Sophia Dorothea of Celle. Their marriage was intensely unhappy and Sophia Dorothea was imprisoned for three decades after she had an affair even though her husband was just as unfaithful to her.
In 1714, the younger George’s life changed forever. His father became King George I, inheriting the British throne in 1714 upon Queen Anne’s death. Prince George and his wife, Caroline of Ansbach, moved to England where they became the Prince and Princess of Wales.
George would quarrel with his father, as would become a Hanoverian trait. He inherited the throne after his death in 1727, as King George II.
The War of the Austrian Succession took place between 1740 and 1748 in continental Europe. On 17 June 1743, the Battle of Dettingen happened in what is now Bavaria.
King George II rode with British troops at the battle, having nominal control. However, the experienced Earl of Stair had actual operational control of the troops. The allied British, Hanoverian, and Austrian troops were victorious though the battle had little effect on the war.