A tipping point in the evolution of the prime ministership came with the death of Anne in <answer>1714</answer> and the accession of George I to the throne. George spoke no English, spent much of his time at his home in Hanover, and had neither knowledge of, nor interest in, the details of English government. In these circumstances it was inevitable that the king's first minister would become the de facto head of the government.
In what year did Queen Anne die?
1714