George III

Francis Ayscough with the Prince of Wales (later King George III) and Edward Augustus, Duke of York and Albany by Richard Wilson

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George, Prince of Wales (1738-1820), by Jean-Étienne Liotard

George III (by Allan Ramsay)

King George III of the United Kingdom, by John van Nost the Younger 1767 CE. It is housed in the British Museum, London; lent by the Victoria and Albert Museum

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King George III of England by Johann Zoffany

William Walcutt statue George III

George III (George William Frederick; 4 June 1738 – 29 January 1820) was King of Great Britain and King of Ireland from 25 October 1760 until the union of the two kingdoms on 1 January 1801, after which he was King of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland until his death. He was concurrently Duke of Brunswick-Lüneburg (Hanover) in the Holy Roman Empire before becoming King of Hanover on 12 October 1814. He was the third British monarch of the House of Hanover, but unlike his two Hanoverian predecessors, he was born in Britain, spoke English as his first language, and never visited Hanover.

His reign was marked by a series of military conflicts involving his kingdoms, much of the rest of Europe, and places further afield in Africa, the Americas, and Asia. Early in his reign, Great Britain defeated France in the Seven Years' War, becoming the dominant European power in North America and India. However, many of his later years were clouded by the unsuccessful American War of Independence. He also suffered from recurrent, and eventually permanent, mental illness. After a final relapse in 1810, his eldest son, the future George IV, acted as regent. George III's long tenure saw significant changes in British society, including the abolition of the slave trade in 1807 and the passage of the Act of Union 1800, which created the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland.

Early Life

George was born in London at Norfolk House in St James's Square. He was the son of Frederick, Prince of Wales, and Princess Augusta of Saxe-Gotha. As the grandson of George II, he was third in line to the throne after his father and elder brother Frederick, both of whom died before George ascended the throne.

Reign

George III's reign is noted for the union of Great Britain and Ireland into a single kingdom, the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland, and for the American War of Independence, where the 13 American colonies declared their independence. The period also saw the Industrial Revolution, which dramatically changed the economic and social structure of Britain.

Mental Health

Throughout his life, George III suffered from a mental illness that has since been widely attributed to the genetic blood disorder porphyria, although the actual cause of his illness remains the subject of speculation. His deteriorating mental health led to the Regency Act 1811, which established his eldest son, George, Prince of Wales, as regent.

Legacy

George III's legacy is complex. He is often remembered for his bouts of madness and the loss of the American colonies. However, his reign also encompassed the abolition of the slave trade and significant cultural advancements within Britain. His collection of books formed the basis of the British Library.