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Why did Great Britain support Prussia during the Seven Years’ War?

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Seven Years' War: Battle of Zorndorf — Seven Years’ War Frederick II leading his Prussian troops against Russians at the Battle of Zorndorf during the Seven Years' War, August 25, 1758.

Great Britain’s support for Prussia during the Seven Years’ War was primarily driven by the need to protect Hanover, a territory in northwestern Germany that served as the ancestral home of the British ruling dynasty.12

Because Hanover was considered Britain’s "Achilles’ heel" in continental Europe, it was highly vulnerable to invasion by France during the broader Anglo-French colonial struggle. By entering into the Convention of Westminster with Prussia in 1756, Great Britain sought to secure its Continental interests by ensuring that Prussia would help resist any foreign invasion of "Germany".234

This alliance allowed Britain to focus its military efforts on colonial expansion against France in North America and India, while relying on Prussian military strength and British-funded subsidies to defend Hanover and maintain a balance of power on the European continent.153