George II Leads at Dettingen: Last Monarch in Battle
King George II personally led his British and allied Hanoverian troops to victory over a French army at the Battle of Dettingen in Bavaria on June 27, 1743, during the War of the Austrian Succession. At 60 years old, George commanded from horseback despite the confusion of a battle he had stumbled into by accident, his army being trapped in a narrow defile between the Main River and hills. When his horse bolted, George dismounted and led his infantry on foot, reportedly shouting "Now, boys, now for the honour of England, fire and behave brave and the French will soon run." The French withdrew after several hours of fighting. George II remains the last British monarch to personally lead troops in battle, ending a tradition stretching back to William the Conqueror.
June 27, 1743
283 years ago
Key Figures & Places
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