# If George Washington had been declared "King George I," who would be our king today? **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [May 17, 2008, 5:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/if-george-washington-had-been-declared-king-george-i-who-would-be-our-king-today/449667 "2008-05-17T17:10:10Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Annie-Xmas](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/ecc23a/32.png) [@Annie-Xmas](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Annie-Xmas)\ **Post date:** [May 17, 2008, 5:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/if-george-washington-had-been-declared-king-george-i-who-would-be-our-king-today/449667/1 "2008-05-17T17:10:10Z")
Assuming British laws of accession to the throne, who would be there today? George had no children, so who would have been declared King after he died? I would love to see a chronological list of hypothetical American Royal Leaders. ---
**Author:** ![yabob](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/yabob/32/2821_2.png) [@yabob](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/yabob)\ **Post date:** [May 17, 2008, 5:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/if-george-washington-had-been-declared-king-george-i-who-would-be-our-king-today/449667/2 "2008-05-17T17:53:29Z")
Forget that. ---
**Author:** ![WF\_Tomba](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/d9b06d/32.png) [@WF\_Tomba](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/WF_Tomba)\ **Post date:** [May 17, 2008, 6:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/if-george-washington-had-been-declared-king-george-i-who-would-be-our-king-today/449667/3 "2008-05-17T18:12:20Z")
I don’t know who would have succeeded George, but are you assuming that the members of the House of Washington would have married the same people as royals as they did in real life as commoners? In other words, you’re trying to see how George Washington’s actual family tree would translate into a royal dynasty, right? I don’t see any other way to answer this question. ---
**Author:** ![Annie-Xmas](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/ecc23a/32.png) [@Annie-Xmas](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Annie-Xmas)\ **Post date:** [May 17, 2008, 6:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/if-george-washington-had-been-declared-king-george-i-who-would-be-our-king-today/449667/4 "2008-05-17T18:17:27Z")
[QUOTE=WF Tomba] I don’t know who would have succeeded George, but are you assuming that the members of the House of Washington would have married the same people as royals as they did in real life as commoners? In other words, you’re trying to see how George Washington’s actual family tree would translate into a royal dynasty, right? I don’t see any other way to answer this question. [/QUOTE] Not necessarily Washington, but if everything else remained the same (i.e. the Washingtons had no children), who would have been most likely been crowned King after George I died. And who after him, and so on to the present? ---
**Author:** ![Baldwin](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/baldwin/32/7264_2.png) [@Baldwin](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Baldwin)\ **Post date:** [May 17, 2008, 6:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/if-george-washington-had-been-declared-king-george-i-who-would-be-our-king-today/449667/5 "2008-05-17T18:24:05Z")
I checked, and apparently it would be me. (I can’t really explain that, given that I have a living father and two older brothers, but, hey, the facts don’t lie.) Be grateful we dodged that bullet! ---
**Author:** ![Simplicio](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/c37758/32.png) [@Simplicio](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Simplicio)\ **Post date:** [May 17, 2008, 6:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/if-george-washington-had-been-declared-king-george-i-who-would-be-our-king-today/449667/6 "2008-05-17T18:25:36Z")
According to wikipeida, IRL, Washington’s heir was his nephew [Bushrod Washington](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bushrod_Washington). So him. After that, I suppose you could trace his family tree down to present day, but that seems a lot of work to pursue a hypothetical. ---
**Author:** ![yabob](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/yabob/32/2821_2.png) [@yabob](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/yabob)\ **Post date:** [May 17, 2008, 6:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/if-george-washington-had-been-declared-king-george-i-who-would-be-our-king-today/449667/7 "2008-05-17T18:42:02Z")
Note that George Washington’s designated heir in his will would not necessarily be the heir to the throne under the laws of succession. In fact, since Bushrod Washington was the child of a younger brother, I doubt that he would be. It’s somewhat complicated by the fact that George Washington’s father had children by two separate wives - would the children by the first marriage count? If so, you would have to chase THEIR descendants. If not, he had a brother and sister by his father’s second marriage who were both older than John Augustine, the father of Bushrod. Presumably, their children would count. ---
**Author:** ![Loach](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/loach/32/350_2.png) [@Loach](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Loach)\ **Post date:** [May 17, 2008, 7:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/if-george-washington-had-been-declared-king-george-i-who-would-be-our-king-today/449667/8 "2008-05-17T19:33:22Z")
[QUOTE=Baldwin] I checked, and apparently it would be me. (I can’t really explain that, given that I have a living father and two older brothers, but, hey, the facts don’t lie.) Be grateful we dodged that bullet! [/QUOTE] Crap. Do we have to bow everytime you enter a thread? ---
**Author:** ![jayjay](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jayjay/32/6765_2.png) [@jayjay](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/jayjay)\ **Post date:** [May 17, 2008, 7:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/if-george-washington-had-been-declared-king-george-i-who-would-be-our-king-today/449667/9 "2008-05-17T19:40:04Z")
[QUOTE=Loach] Crap. Do we have to bow everytime you enter a thread? [/QUOTE] I was thinking something more along the lines of torches and pitchforks. ---
**Author:** ![Spoke](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/a88e57/32.png) [@Spoke](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Spoke)\ **Post date:** [May 17, 2008, 7:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/if-george-washington-had-been-declared-king-george-i-who-would-be-our-king-today/449667/10 "2008-05-17T19:43:55Z")
> [@](#): > > If George Washington had been declared “King George I,” who would be our king today? Elizabeth II? ---
**Author:** ![C\_K\_Dexter\_Haven](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/b2d939/32.png) [@C\_K\_Dexter\_Haven](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/C_K_Dexter_Haven)\ **Post date:** [May 17, 2008, 9:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/if-george-washington-had-been-declared-king-george-i-who-would-be-our-king-today/449667/11 "2008-05-17T21:09:27Z")
VANITY FAIR magazine did an article on this back in the 1980s (I think). Since George and Martha had no children, the title would have gone through a nephew, and they came up with a used car salesman in western Virginia who would now be King of the US. ---
**Author:** ![DaveLister](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/f0a364/32.png) [@DaveLister](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DaveLister)\ **Post date:** [May 17, 2008, 10:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/if-george-washington-had-been-declared-king-george-i-who-would-be-our-king-today/449667/12 "2008-05-17T22:35:07Z")
God forbid it would be the same guy who thinks he’s the king right now… ---
**Author:** ![Zsofia](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/z/7bcc69/32.png) [@Zsofia](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Zsofia)\ **Post date:** [May 17, 2008, 10:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/if-george-washington-had-been-declared-king-george-i-who-would-be-our-king-today/449667/13 "2008-05-17T22:47:27Z")
King Bushrod? Seriously? Man, did we ever dodge a bullet there! ---
**Author:** ![Spoke](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/a88e57/32.png) [@Spoke](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Spoke)\ **Post date:** [May 18, 2008, 12:26am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/if-george-washington-had-been-declared-king-george-i-who-would-be-our-king-today/449667/14 "2008-05-18T00:26:59Z")
[QUOTE=C K Dexter Haven] VANITY FAIR magazine did an article on this back in the 1980s (I think). Since George and Martha had no children, the title would have gone through a nephew, and they came up with a used car salesman in western Virginia who would now be King of the US. [/QUOTE] Which leads one to wonder: if the British had overthrown George III, would Liz Windsor be selling bales of office paper in Slough today? ---
**Author:** ![Szlater](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/90ced4/32.png) [@Szlater](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Szlater)\ **Post date:** [May 18, 2008, 12:30am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/if-george-washington-had-been-declared-king-george-i-who-would-be-our-king-today/449667/15 "2008-05-18T00:30:22Z")
[QUOTE=spoke-] Which leads one to wonder: if the British had overthrown George III, would Liz Windsor be selling bales of office paper in Slough today? [/QUOTE] She definitely wouldn’t have all those handbags and gladrags that her grandfather had to buy her. ---
**Author:** ![Shagnasty](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/9dc877/32.png) [@Shagnasty](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Shagnasty)\ **Post date:** [May 18, 2008, 12:45am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/if-george-washington-had-been-declared-king-george-i-who-would-be-our-king-today/449667/16 "2008-05-18T00:45:12Z")
I like the idea of a King Bushrod. I can imagine him in the Oval Office fucking JLO while smoking crack and toking on a joint while calling his bud, Puff Daddy for advise on the Middle East. ---
**Author:** ![Shagnasty](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/9dc877/32.png) [@Shagnasty](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Shagnasty)\ **Post date:** [May 18, 2008, 12:46am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/if-george-washington-had-been-declared-king-george-i-who-would-be-our-king-today/449667/17 "2008-05-18T00:46:20Z")
I like the idea of a King Bushrod. I can imagine him in the Oval Office fucking JLO while smoking crack and toking on a joint while calling his bud, Puff Daddy for advise on the Middle East. The presidential salary isn’t that much either. Bushrod would be a perfect male pornstar name. ---
**Author:** ![MadTheSwine](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/9fc29f/32.png) [@MadTheSwine](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MadTheSwine)\ **Post date:** [May 18, 2008, 1:34am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/if-george-washington-had-been-declared-king-george-i-who-would-be-our-king-today/449667/18 "2008-05-18T01:34:41Z")
Vice King John. ---
**Author:** ![Little\_Nemo](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/little_nemo/32/3120_2.png) [@Little\_Nemo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Little_Nemo)\ **Post date:** [May 18, 2008, 1:55am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/if-george-washington-had-been-declared-king-george-i-who-would-be-our-king-today/449667/19 "2008-05-18T01:55:19Z")
Maybe King Ralph would have reunited the two realms. According to Wikipedia, the closest direct lineage back to George Washington goes through his younger brother Samuel. Samuel had a son Lawrence Augustine. Lawrence Augustine apparently is the closest relative to George that has a living descendant. George and Samuel were older brothers to John Augustine, who was Bushrod’s father. So it would seem that Lawrence Augustine’s claim to the title would take precedence over Bushrod’s. ---
**Author:** ![yabob](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/yabob/32/2821_2.png) [@yabob](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/yabob)\ **Post date:** [May 18, 2008, 2:22am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/if-george-washington-had-been-declared-king-george-i-who-would-be-our-king-today/449667/20 "2008-05-18T02:22:44Z")
[QUOTE=Little Nemo] Maybe King Ralph would have reunited the two realms. According to Wikipedia, the closest direct lineage back to George Washington goes through his younger brother Samuel. Samuel had a son Lawrence Augustine. Lawrence Augustine apparently is the closest relative to George that has a living descendant. George and Samuel were older brothers to John Augustine, who was Bushrod’s father. So it would seem that Lawrence Augustine’s claim to the title would take precedence over Bushrod’s. [/QUOTE] Hmmm. Samuel apparently married five times and had seven kids, most of whom died before George. What about George Steptoe Washington who was two years older than his brother Lawrence Augustine, and still alive at the time of George Washington’s death? > **[Samuel Washington](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Samuel_Washington)** > > Samuel Washington (November 16, 1734 – September 26, 1781) was an American planter, politician and military officer best known for being the younger brother of George Washington, the first president of the United States. > Washington was born in at his father's Wakefield Plantation on Pope's Creek, in Westmoreland County, Colony of Virginia, in November 1734. He was the second son born to Mary Ball Washington and Augustine Washington. George Washington was his eldest full brother, but he also had ... [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/if-george-washington-had-been-declared-king-george-i-who-would-be-our-king-today/449667.md?page=2)