Born "beautiful as an angel" according to his mother, he was sturdy, strong and healthy and this he would remain all his life. When he was born, King Charles II of England was only just restored to the English throne and George's chances of becoming King seemed remote. 
At that time the House of Brunswick did not adhere to the law of primogeniture, resulting in regular divisions of property which prevented anyone becoming a powerful German ruler. After several 
re-arrangements of properties and titles, his father became Elector of Han(n)over) in 1692. 

George grew up in a happy family atmosphere even though his father spent a great deal of his time with mistresses, something George would repeat much later. His mother took care of George's education; but early in life George displayed talents more suitable for a military career. In 1680 he went to England for the first time and here it was suggested that he should marry his English cousin, Anne (later Queen Anne); however, as dislike was mutual, nothing came of it. 
On his return, his father decided for him and he became engaged to and married his first cousin, Sophia Dorothea, daughter and only heir of his very rich uncle, the Duke of Brunswick-Celle. At first the marriage was happy, providing him with both son and daughter. But then, following in his father's footsteps, George started to take mistresses, often having more than one at a time. 
George's marriage was dissolved after twelve years, yet it was the claimed infidelity of his wife that was the cause. For some time Sophia Dorothea had been in love with Count Philipp Christoph von 
Koenigsmarck, to the extent of planning elopement. However, after having entered Sophia Dorothea's residence on the night they intended to leave, the Count disappeared. A tribunal then dissolved the marriage on the ground of Sophia Dorothea's refusal to cohabit with her husband. 

In 1698 when his father died, he became Elector of Hanover. Three years later his mother was proclaimed heir to the English throne. Had she lived only a few more months, she would have succeeded; but Queen Anne outlived her by two months, which made the Elector of Hanover 
King of Great Britain and Ireland. Accompanied by two mistresses, nicknamed "the Elephant" and "the Maypole", the fifty-four-year-old monarch set out for his kingdom. His coronation service took place in October 1714, and in 1715 the Jacobite uprising took place in Scotland. Until he fell out with his son, they would attend cabinet meetings together. He visited Germany regularly and on his last trip he died at Osnabrueck of a cerebral haemorrhage. 
George was regarded as dull and humourless. His limited knowledge of English enhanced the importance of his ministers. Also the way he had treated his wife, the prisoner of Ahlden, may have been the cause of the mistrust between George and his son. 
 

Source: Leo van de Pas