Editing George II of Great Britain (section)

===Quarrel with the King===
[[File:The Thames at Horseferry1710.jpg|thumb|right|London, {{Circa}} 1710]]
[[File:Kneller - George II when Prince of Wales.png|thumb|Portrait by Kneller, 1716]]
George and his father sailed for England from [[The Hague]] on 16/27 September 1714 and arrived at [[Greenwich]] two days later.<ref>Van der Kiste, p. 36.</ref> The following day, they formally entered London in a ceremonial procession.<ref>Trench, p. 38; Van der Kiste, p. 37.</ref> George was given the title of [[Prince of Wales]]. Caroline followed her husband to Britain in October with their daughters, while Frederick remained in Hanover to be brought up by private tutors.<ref>Thompson, pp. 39–40; Trench, p. 39.</ref> London was like nothing George had seen before; it was 50 times larger than Hanover,{{efn|Hanover had about 1,800 houses, whereas London had 100,000.<ref>Van der Kiste, p. 39.</ref>}} and the crowd was estimated at up to one and a half million spectators.<ref>Van der Kiste, p. 37.</ref> George courted popularity with voluble expressions of praise for the English, and claimed that he had no drop of blood that was not English.<ref>Trench, p. 55; Van der Kiste, p. 44.</ref>

In July 1716, the King returned to Hanover for six months, and George was given limited powers, as "Guardian and Lieutenant of the Realm", to govern in his father's absence.<ref>Trench, pp. 63–65; Van der Kiste, p. 55.</ref> He made a [[royal progress]] through [[Chichester]], [[Havant]], [[Portsmouth]], and [[Guildford]] in southern England.<ref>Van der Kiste, p. 59.</ref> Spectators were allowed to see him dine in public at [[Hampton Court Palace]].<ref>Black, ''George II'', p. 45; Thompson, p. 47.</ref> An attempt on his life at the [[Theatre Royal, Drury Lane]], in which one person was shot dead before the assailant<!--Mr Freeman--> was brought under control, boosted his high public profile.<ref>Van der Kiste, p. 61.</ref>

The King distrusted or was jealous of George's popularity, which contributed to the development of a poor relationship between them.<ref>Trench, p. 75; Van der Kiste, p. 61.</ref> The birth in 1717 of George's second son, [[Prince George William of Great Britain|George William]], proved to be a catalyst for a family quarrel; the King, supposedly following custom, appointed Lord Chamberlain [[Thomas Pelham-Holles, 1st Duke of Newcastle]], as one of the [[baptism]]al sponsors of the child. The King was angered when George, who disliked Newcastle, verbally insulted the Duke at the christening, which the Duke misunderstood as a challenge to a duel.{{efn|George shook his fist at Newcastle and said "You are a rascal; I shall find you out!", which the Duke apparently misheard as "You are a rascal; I shall fight you!"<ref>Van der Kiste, p. 63.</ref>}} George and Caroline were temporarily confined to their apartments on the order of the King, who subsequently banished his son from [[St James's Palace]], the King's residence.<ref>Trench, p. 77.</ref> The Prince and Princess of Wales left court, but their children remained in the care of the King.<ref>Black, ''George II'', p. 46; Thompson, p. 53; Trench, p. 78.</ref>

George and Caroline missed their children, and were desperate to see them. On one occasion, they secretly visited the palace without the approval of the King; Caroline fainted and George "cried like a child".<ref>Van der Kiste, p. 66.</ref> The King partially relented and permitted them to visit once a week, though he later allowed Caroline unconditional access.<ref>Van der Kiste, pp. 66–67.</ref> In February 1718, Prince George William died aged only three months, with his father by his side.<ref>Trench, p. 80.</ref>