On this day the infamous Prince William August, also known under his title, the Duke of Cumberland, was born. He was from the German House of Welf, which in unusual line of succession came to the British throne just six years before his birth. It was an inheritance in the female line, by which the British crown went to King George I, who was German and did not even speak English when he came to the English throne.
Prince William August was the grandson of King George I and received the high title of Duke of Cumberland when he was only four years old. He grew up in England and was well-educated. In fact, his mother chose the famous scientist Edmond Halley (after whom Halley’s Comet is named) to tutor him. Over time, the prince focused on military occupation.
As a soldier and a member of the royal dynasty, the prince advanced to very high positions. He became Commander-in-Chief of the British Army, and was notorious for his strict discipline and military ruthlessness. He was nicknamed “The Butcher” after the Battle of Culloden in Scotland. That was the last formational battle on British soil. In this battle, the prince defeated Jacobite forces that tried to invade Britain. Namely, the Jacobites were supporters of the exiled Catholic dynasty (James II, and his successors), who had ruled Great Britain until 1688.
Prince cruelly liquidated the Jacobite rebels. Apparently, after the victory, he ordered any rebel soldier on the battlefield who still showed a sign of life to be killed. Then he moved to the parts of Scotland where the Jacobites had support and committed massacres, reportedly even among the civilian population. These were for the most part located in the famous Scottish Highlands. The Jacobites never managed to recover the British throne.
