The first Prime Minister: Life in the UK test revision

The Bill of Rights said the monarch must be Protestant, and Parliament now decided who wore the crown. So when Anne died in 1714, Parliament looked past the rival Stuart claim and chose her nearest Protestant relative, a German prince who became George I. Religion, not simply blood, decided the succession.

Why it matters: 'Nearest Protestant relative' is the handbook's exact reason, and 1714 is a commonly tested date.

Memory hook: 1714: the year the crown went by faith, not by family tree, to Protestant George.

Official handbook: Chapter 3, section 3.3, page 16

It surprises many people that Britain imported a king. George I was a German prince, chosen because he was Anne's closest Protestant relative. He did not speak very good English, which had an unexpected side effect: he had to lean heavily on his ministers, and that helped create the job we now call Prime Minister.

Why it matters: The test often asks which country George I came from, and 'German' is the handbook's exact word.

Memory hook: George from Germany: same first letter, same home.

Official handbook: Chapter 3, section 3.3, page 16

Not everyone accepted a German king chosen by Parliament. Supporters of the old Stuart line, known as Jacobites, wanted James II's son instead. Their attempt around George I's accession was quickly defeated. It was the first of two Jacobite risings in the handbook; the second, in 1745, was led by James II's grandson, Bonnie Prince Charlie.

Why it matters: Two Jacobite attempts appear in this section, for James II's son and then his grandson, so keep son and grandson apart.

Memory hook: Jacobites back James: J for J. Son first, grandson later.

Official handbook: Chapter 3, section 3.3, page 16

A king who cannot follow the debate cannot easily run the government. George I's weak English meant his ministers did more of the real work of governing. The most important of them came to be called the Prime Minister. So a language problem in 1714 helped shape the top political job in Britain today.

Why it matters: The handbook links George I's English directly to the rise of the Prime Minister, a cause-and-effect the test likes.

Memory hook: No English, so the ministers manage: the PM was born from a language gap.

Official handbook: Chapter 3, section 3.3, page 16

Walpole was the minister best able to manage Parliament for the king, and that made him the first to be called Prime Minister. His run from 1721 to 1742 lasted twenty-one years. Knowing the dates helps you place him after the 1714 Jacobite attempt and before the 1745 rising of Bonnie Prince Charlie.

Why it matters: You already know Walpole was first; the dates are the follow-up question examiners reach for.

Memory hook: 21 to 42: he started at 21 and doubled it, 1721 to 1742.

Official handbook: Chapter 3, section 3.3, page 16