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George III of the United Kingdom, King of the United Kingdom, was born 4 June 1738 in Norfolk House, Westminster, Greater London, England, United Kingdom to Frederick Lewis, Prince of Wales (1707-1751) and Augusta von Sachsen-Gotha-Altenburg (1719-1772) and died 29 January 1820 Windsor Castle, Windsor, Berkshire, England, United Kingdom of unspecified causes. He married Charlotte von Mecklenburg-Strelitz (1744-1818) 1 September 1761 in Chapel Royal, St James's Palace, Westminster, Greater London, England, United Kingdom.

Biography

King George III was a complex and controversial figure in British history, whose reign was marked by both significant achievements and significant challenges. He is remembered as one of Britain's longest-reigning monarchs and as a pivotal figure in the history of the British Empire.

King George III was the king of Great Britain and Ireland from 1760 until his death in 1820. He was born on June 4, 1738, in London, England,[1] and was the eldest son of Frederick, Prince of Wales, and Augusta of Saxe-Gotha. George III was the grandson of George II and the first of the Hanoverian dynasty to be born in England.

George III is known for his long and eventful reign, which spanned a period of significant political, social, and economic change in Britain. During his reign, Britain saw the Industrial Revolution, the growth of the British Empire, and the American Revolution War.

George III's reign began in 1760, when he ascended to the throne at the age of 22. He was a popular king in his early years, known for his personal virtues, such as his honesty, simplicity, and hard work. However, he became increasingly unpopular during the 1760s and 1770s, due to his stubbornness and resistance to political reform.

He was King of Great Britain and of Ireland from 25 October 1760 until his death in 1820. Both kingdoms were in a personal union under him until the Acts of Union 1800 merged them on 1 January 1801. He then became King of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland. He was concurrently Duke and Prince-elector of Brunswick-Lüneburg ("Hanover") in the Holy Roman Empire before becoming King of Hanover on 12 October 1814. He was a monarch of the House of Hanover who, unlike his two predecessors, was born in Great Britain, spoke English as his first language,[2] and never visited Hanover.[3]

George's life and reign were marked by a series of military conflicts involving his kingdoms, much of the rest of Europe, and places farther 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 Britain's American colonies were soon lost in the American War of Independence. Further wars against revolutionary and Napoleonic France from 1793 concluded in the defeat of Napoleon at the Battle of Waterloo in 1815. In 1807, the transatlantic slave trade was banned from the British Empire.

One of the defining events of George III's reign was the American Revolution, which began in 1775 and ended in 1783 with the signing of the Treaty of Paris. George III was vehemently opposed to the American colonists' demands for independence, and his government's attempts to suppress the rebellion ultimately failed.

In the later part of his life, George had recurrent—and eventually permanent—mental illness. Although it has since been suggested that he had bipolar disorder or the blood disease porphyria, the cause of his illness remains unknown. George suffered a final relapse in 1810, and his eldest son, the Prince of Wales, became Prince Regent the following year. When the King died in 1820, the Regent succeeded him as George IV. At the time of his death, George III was the longest-lived and longest-reigning British monarch; he remains the longest-lived and longest-reigning male monarch. Historical analysis of his life has gone through a "kaleidoscope of changing views" that have depended heavily on the prejudices of his biographers and the sources available to them.[4]

George III's later years were marked by periods of mental illness, which led to a regency in 1811 and his eventual removal from public life. He died at Windsor Castle on January 29, 1820, at the age of 81.

Early life

Conversation piece in oils: Ayscough dressed in black with a clerical collar stands beside a settee on which the two boys sit, one wearing a grey suit the other a blue one. He holds a sheet of paper; the boys hold a book.

Prince George (right), his brother Prince Edward, and their tutor, Francis Ayscough (later Dean of Bristol), c.1749

George was born on 4 June 1738 at Norfolk House in St James's Square, London. He was a grandson of King George II and the eldest son of Frederick, Prince of Wales, and Augusta of Saxe-Gotha. As he was born two months prematurely and thought unlikely to survive, he was baptised the same day by Thomas Secker, who was both Rector of St James's Church, Piccadilly, and Bishop of Oxford.[5][6] One month later he was publicly baptised at Norfolk House, again by Secker. His godparents were King Frederick I of Sweden (for whom Lord Baltimore stood proxy), his uncle Frederick III, Duke of Saxe-Gotha (for whom Lord Carnarvon stood proxy), and his great-aunt Sophia Dorothea, Queen in Prussia (for whom Lady Charlotte Edwin stood proxy).[7]

George grew into a healthy, reserved and shy child. The family moved to Leicester Square, where George and his younger brother Edward (later Duke of York and Albany) were educated together by private tutors. Family letters show that he could read and write in both English and German, as well as comment on political events of the time, by the age of eight.[8] He was the first British monarch to study science systematically.[9]

Abolition of Slavery

DunmoresProclamation

Dunmore's Proclamation, by the King's authority, set free Rebel slaves.

Between 1791 and 1800, almost 400,000 Africans were shipped to the Americas, by 1,340 slaving voyages, mounted from British ports, including Liverpool and Bristol. On 25 March 1807 George III signed into law An Act for the Abolition of the Slave Trade, under which the transatlantic slave trade was banned in the British Empire.[10]

Accession and marriage

In 1759, George was smitten with Lady Sarah Lennox, sister of Charles Lennox, 3rd Duke of Richmond, but Lord Bute advised against the match and George abandoned his thoughts of marriage. "I am born for the happiness or misery of a great nation," he wrote, "and consequently must often act contrary to my passions."[11] Nevertheless, George and his mother resisted attempts by the King to marry George to Princess Sophie Caroline of Brunswick-Wolfenbüttel.[12] Sophie married Frederick, Margrave of Bayreuth, instead.[13]

The following year, at the age of 22, George succeeded to the throne when his grandfather George II died suddenly on 25 October 1760, two weeks before his 77th birthday. The search for a suitable wife intensified: after giving consideration to a number of Protestant German princesses, George's mother sent Colonel David Graeme with, on her son's behalf, an offer of marriage to Princess Charlotte of Mecklenburg-Strelitz. Charlotte accepted. While a royal household and staff were assembled for Charlotte in London, Lord Harcourt, the royal Master of the Horse, escorted her from Strelitz to London. Charlotte arrived in the afternoon of 8 September 1761 and the marriage ceremony was conducted that same evening in the Chapel Royal, St James's Palace.[14][lower-alpha 1] A fortnight later on 22 September, both were crowned at Westminster Abbey. George never took a mistress (in contrast with his grandfather and his sons), and the couple enjoyed a happy marriage until his mental illness struck.[2][16]

In 1762, George purchased Buckingham House (on the site now occupied by Buckingham Palace) for use as a family retreat.[17] His other residences were Kew Palace and Windsor Castle. St James's Palace was retained for official use. He did not travel extensively and spent his entire life in southern England. In the 1790s, the King and his family took holidays at Weymouth, Dorset,[18] which he thus popularised as one of the first seaside resorts in England.[19]

Issue

The King and Queen had 15 children—nine sons and six daughters.

  1. George IV of the United Kingdom (1762-1830) - Prince Regent 1811-1820 during his father's mental illness, success as King of the United Kingdom. Prince of Wales 1762–1820; married 1795, Princess Caroline of Brunswick-Wolfenbüttel; had one daughter: Princess Charlotte
  2. Frederick, Duke of York and Albany (1763-1827) - Married 1791, Princess Frederica of Prussia; no issue
  3. William IV of the United Kingdom (1765-1837) - Duke of Clarence and St Andrews; married 1818, Princess Adelaide of Saxe-Meiningen; no surviving legitimate issue, but had illegitimate children with Dorothea Jordan
  4. Charlotte, Princess Royal (1766-1828) - Married 1797, King Frederick of Württemberg; no surviving issue
  5. Edward Augustus, Duke of Kent and Strathearn (1767-1820) - Married 1818, Princess Victoria of Saxe-Coburg-Saalfeld; had one daughter: [[

Victoria of the United Kingdom (1819-1901)| Queen Victoria]], last monarch of the House of Hanover.

  1. Augusta Sophia of the United Kingdom (1768-1840) - Never married, no issue
  2. Elizabeth of the United Kingdom (1770-1840) - Married 1818, Frederick VI, Landgrave of Hesse-Homburg; no issue
  3. Ernest Augustus I of Hanover (1771-1851) - King of Hanover - Duke of Cumberland and Teviotdale 1799–1851; married 1815, Princess Friederike of Mecklenburg-Strelitz; had one son: George V of Hanover
  4. Augustus Frederick, Duke of Sussex (1773-1843) - (1) Married 1793, in contravention of the Royal Marriages Act 1772, Lady Augusta Murray; had issue; marriage annulled 1794 / (2) Married 1831, Lady Cecilia Buggin (later Duchess of Inverness in her own right); no issue
  5. Adolphus, Duke of Cambridge (1774-1850) - Married 1818, Princess Augusta of Hesse-Kassel; had issue
  6. Mary of the United Kingdom (1776-1857) - Married 1816, Prince William Frederick, Duke of Gloucester and Edinburgh; no issue
  7. Sophia of the United Kingdom (1777-1848) - Never married, no issue
  8. Octavius of Great Britain (1779-1783) - died in childhood
  9. Alfred of Great Britain (1780-1782) - died in childhood
  10. Amelia of the United Kingdom (1783-1810) - Never married, no issue


Children


Offspring of George III of the United Kingdom and Charlotte von Mecklenburg-Strelitz (1744-1818)
Name Birth Death Joined with
George IV of the United Kingdom (1762-1830) 12 August 1762 St James's Palace, Greater London, England, United Kingdom 26 June 1830 Windsor Castle, Windsor, Berkshire, England, United Kingdom Caroline von Braunschweig-Wolfenbüttel (1768-1821)
Maria Anne Smythe (1756-1837)
Frances Twysden (1753-1821)
Frederick, Duke of York and Albany (1763-1827) 16 August 1763 St. James's Palace, Greater London, England, United Kingdom 5 January 1827 Rutland House, Arlington Street, Westminster, Greater London, England, United Kingdom Friederike von Preußen (1767-1820)
William IV of the United Kingdom (1765-1837) 21 August 1765 Westminster, Greater London, England, United Kingdom 20 June 1837 Windsor, Berkshire, England, United Kingdom Dorothy Bland (1762-1816)
Adelheid von Sachsen-Meiningen (1792-1849)
Charlotte, Princess Royal (1766-1828) 29 September 1766 Westminster, Greater London, England, United Kingdom 6 October 1828 Ludwigsburg Palace, Ludwigsburg, Baden-Württemberg, Germany Friedrich I. von Württemberg (1754-1816)
Edward Augustus, Duke of Kent and Strathearn (1767-1820) 2 November 1767 Buckingham House, London, Greater London, England, United Kingdom 23 January 1820 Woolbrook Cottage, Sidmouth, Devon, England, United Kingdom Victoria of Saxe-Coburg-Saalfeld (1786-1861)
Anne Gabrielle Alexandrine Moré
Adelaide Dubus
Augusta Sophia of the United Kingdom (1768-1840) 8 November 1768 Buckingham House, Westminster, Greater London, England, United Kingdom 22 September 1840 Clarence House, Greater London, England, United Kingdom
Elizabeth of the United Kingdom (1770-1840) 22 May 1770 Buckingham Palace, St. James's, Greater London, England, United Kingdom 10 January 1840 Frankfurt-am-Main, Hessen, Germany Friedrich VI. von Hessen-Homburg (1769-1829)
Ernest Augustus I of Hanover (1771-1851) 5 June 1771 Buckingham House, Westminster, Greater London, England, United Kingdom 18 November 1851 Herrenhausen, Germany Friederike Luise Karoline Sofie von Mecklenburg-Strelitz (1778-1841)
Augustus Frederick, Duke of Sussex (1773-1843) 27 January 1773 Buckingham House, Westminster, Greater London, England, United Kingdom 21 April 1843 Kensington Palace, Kensington, Greater London, England, United Kingdom Augusta Murray (1768-1830)
Cecilia Letitia Gore, Duchess of Inverness (c1785-1873)
Adolphus, Duke of Cambridge (1774-1850) 24 February 1774 8 July 1850 Auguste von Hessen-Kassel (1797-1889)
Mary of the United Kingdom (1776-1857) 25 April 1776 Buckingham House, Westminster, Middlesex, England, United Kingdom 30 April 1857 Gloucester House, Westminster, Middlesex, England, United Kingdom William Frederick, 2nd Duke of Gloucester and Edinburgh (1776-1834)
Sophia of the United Kingdom (1777-1848) 3 November 1777 Buckingham House, Westminster, Greater London, England, United Kingdom 27 May 1848 Vicarage Place, Kensington, Greater London, England, United Kingdom
Octavius of Great Britain (1779-1783) 23 February 1779 Buckingham Palace, St. James's, Greater London, England, United Kingdom 3 May 1783 Kew Palace, Kew, Greater London, England, United Kingdom
Alfred of Great Britain (1780-1782) 22 September 1780 Windsor Castle, Windsor, Berkshire, England, United Kingdom 20 August 1782 Windsor Castle, Windsor, Berkshire, England, United Kingdom
Amelia of the United Kingdom (1783-1810) 7 August 1783 Royal Lodge, Windsor Park, Windsor, Berkshire, England, United Kingdom 2 November 1810 Augusta Lodge, Windsor, Berkshire, England, United Kingdom



Siblings


Offspring of Frederick Lewis, Prince of Wales (1707-1751) and Anne Vane (1710-1736)
Name Birth Death Joined with
FitzFrederick Cornwall Vane (1732-1736)
Amelia Vane (1733-1733)


Offspring of Frederick Lewis, Prince of Wales (1707-1751) and Augusta von Sachsen-Gotha-Altenburg (1719-1772)
Name Birth Death Joined with
Augusta of Great Britain (1737-1813) 31 July 1737 St James Palace, Westminster, Middlesex, England, United Kingdom 23 March 1813 Hanover Square, Westminster, Middlesex, England, United Kingdom Karl II. Wilhelm Ferdinand von Braunschweig-Wolfenbüttel (1735-1806)
George III of the United Kingdom (1738-1820) 4 June 1738 Norfolk House, Westminster, Greater London, England, United Kingdom 29 January 1820 Windsor Castle, Windsor, Berkshire, England, United Kingdom Charlotte von Mecklenburg-Strelitz (1744-1818)
Edward Augustus, Duke of York and Albany (1739-1767) 25 March 1739 St James Square, Westminster, London, England, United Kingdom 17 September 1767 Place du Palais, Monaco
Elizabeth Caroline of Great Britain (1740-1759)
William Henry, Duke of Gloucester and Edinburgh (1743-1805) 14 November 1743 Leicester House, Westminster, Middlesex, England, United Kingdom 25 August 1805 Gloucester House, Westminster, Middlesex, England, United Kingdom Maria Walpole (1739-1807)
Almeria Carpenter (c1745-1809)
Henry Frederick, Duke of Cumberland and Strathearn (1745-1790) 27 October 1745 Leicester House, Westminster, Greater London, England, United Kingdom 18 September 1790 London, Greater London, England, United Kingdom Anne Luttrell (1743-1808)
Louisa Anne of Great Britain (1749-1768)
Frederick William of Great Britain (1750-1765)
Caroline Matilda of Great Britain (1751-1775) 11 July 1751 Westminster, Middlesex, England, United Kingdom 10 May 1775 Celle, Lower Saxony, Germany Christian VII of Denmark (1749-1808)
John Frederick Struensee (1737-1772)


See Also

  • George Hanover
  • Hanover Family
  • Hanover in England

Bibliography

External Links

Ancestry Trees

Contemporary References

Some of the best contemporary references for George III include:

  1. The Letters of King George III edited by A. Aspinall - This collection of letters written by George III provides a fascinating insight into his personal and political life. The letters cover a wide range of topics, from the American Revolution to his relationships with his family members and advisors.
  2. The Gentleman's Magazine - This monthly publication, which ran from 1731 to 1922, was an important source of news and commentary in Georgian England. It includes articles and letters about the events and personalities of the day, including George III and his reign.
  3. The Parliamentary History of England - This multi-volume work, first published in 1751, contains the official record of the debates and proceedings of the British Parliament. It provides a valuable source of information about the political issues and debates of George III's reign.
  4. The Annual Register - This annual publication, which began in 1758, provides a detailed chronicle of the events of the year in Britain and around the world. It includes articles and commentary on a wide range of topics, including politics, culture, and society.
  5. The Memoirs of the Reign of King George III by Horace Walpole - This book, written by the influential writer and politician Horace Walpole, provides a detailed and often critical account of George III's reign. It is a valuable source of information about the political and social issues of the period.

Original Citations

Letter of Ambassador John Adams

Here is an excerpt from a letter written by John Adams (1735-1826), the second President of the United States, to his wife Abigail Adams on February 13, 1787. In the letter, Adams describes his meeting with King George III:

"I this day presented my Credentials to the King, in the great Council Chamber, at St. James's. His Majesty received me very graciously and conversed with me for some time, very familiarly. He asked me many questions, respecting the late Revolution in America, and the present state of the several States. He enquired very particularly after my former fellow labourers in Congress, and about Dr. Franklin, with whom, he said, he had been long acquainted, and always had esteemed him. He expressed great satisfaction at the Peace which had taken place between his Kingdom and the United States, and wished me to assure the Congress of his Desire to cultivate a good Understanding with them."

This letter is a valuable eyewitness account of John Adams' meeting with King George III, and provides insight into the king's views on the American Revolution and his desire for good relations with the United States.

Letter of Abigail Adams

Here is an excerpt from a letter written by Abigail Smith (1744-1818) Abigail Adams to her husband John Adams (1735-1826) on December 6, 1785, in which she describes her visit to the Royal Palace at St. James's and her meeting with King George III and Queen Charlotte:

"On Wednesday last, I went to Court with my good Friend, Mrs. Bingham. We went in a Coach and six, and tho it was not drawing room day, yet we had a fine opportunity of seeing the King and Queen, the Prince of Wales, the Princesses Royal, Augusta, Elizabeth, Mary and Sophia, and several other of the Nobility. We were in the drawing room and saw the Queen at tea and the King at his Levee. He walked the Room with a firm Step, his eyes fixed on the Ground, his Dress a dark blue cloth, with a silver Laced Hat, and sword by his Side, his Hair, or what is left of it, tied in a Que. He is tall and well made, tho thin. The Queen was dressed in a white Silk, trimmed with Silver, with the new fashioned Head, high in Front, and her Hair frizzled and powdered, on the Top, with a few Diamonds."

This letter provides an interesting and detailed account of Abigail Adams' visit to the Royal Palace and her observations of King George III and Queen Charlotte. Her description of the king's appearance and demeanor, as well as the queen's fashion choices, offer a unique perspective on the royal couple and the court of the time.

Royal Succession Charts

George III of the United Kingdom (1738-1820)
Cadet branch of the House of Welf
Born: 4 June 1738 Died: 29 January 1820
Regnal titles
Preceded by
George II
King of Great Britain and Ireland
25 October 1760 – 31 December 1800
Acts of Union 1800
Duke of Brunswick-Lüneburg
25 October 1760 – 12 October 1814
Congress of Vienna
Acts of Union 1800 King of the United Kingdom
1 January 1801 – 29 January 1820
Succeeded by
George IV
Congress of Vienna King of Hanover
12 October 1814 – 29 January 1820
British royaltyWp globe tiny
Preceded by
Frederick
Prince of Wales
1751–1760
Vacant
Title next held by
George (IV)
Peerage of Great Britain
Preceded by
Prince Frederick
Duke of Edinburgh
1st creation
1751–1760
Merged with the Crown
Pretenders to the title
Preceded by
George II
— TITULAR —
King of France
25 October 1760 – 31 December 1800
Title abandoned

Footnotes

  1. ^ All dates in this article are in the New Style Gregorian calendar. George was born on 24 May in the Old Style Julian calendar used in Great Britain until 1752.
  2. ^ a b "George III". Royal Household. 31 December 2015. https://www.royal.uk/george-iii-r-1760-1820. 
  3. ^ Brooke, p. 314; Fraser, p. 277.
  4. ^ Butterfield, p. 9.
  5. ^ Hibbert, p. 8.
  6. ^ The Third Register Book of the Parish of St James in the Liberty of Westminster For Births & Baptisms. 1723–1741. 24 May 1738.
  7. ^

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    , 20 June 1738.
  8. ^ Brooke, pp. 23–41.
  9. ^ Brooke, pp. 42–44, 55.
  10. ^ "Transatlantic slave trade and abolition". Royal Museums Greenwich. 2021. https://www.rmg.co.uk/stories/topics/how-did-slave-trade-end-britain. 
  11. ^ Ayling, p. 54; Brooke, pp. 71–72.
  12. ^ Ayling, pp. 36–37; Brooke, p. 49; Hibbert, p. 31.
  13. ^ Benjamin, p. 62.
  14. ^ Hadlow, Janice (2014). A royal experiment : the private life of King George III. New York: Holt. pp. 139–148. ISBN 9780805096569. 
  15. ^ "Documents relating to the case". The National Archives. http://discovery.nationalarchives.gov.uk/details/r/C5895849. 
  16. ^ Cannon (September 2004). "George III (1738–1820)". Oxford Dictionary of National Biography (online ed.). Oxford University Press. doi:10.1093/ref:odnb/. http://www.oxforddnb.com/view/article/10540.  (subscription or UK public library membership required) (Subscription required).
  17. ^ Ayling, pp. 85–87.
  18. ^ Ayling, p. 378; Cannon and Griffiths, p. 518.
  19. ^ Watson, p. 549.



Footnotes (including sources)


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