George III (George William Frederick; 4 June 1738 – Present) is the current monarch of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland. Taking the throne after his grandfather, George II, who had outlived his son, Frederick, Prince of Wales, he had taken the reins of Great Britain by 22.
A believer of the divine right of kings, which advocates the sacred origin of monarchical rule, George was greatly involved in the affairs of his government from the time he ascended to the throne up until the appointment of the Prince of Wales as Prince Regent.
George was a passionate writer and botanist, devoting much energy to his numerous passions and occupational hobbies. George was courteous, considerate, and good-natured, and displayed great faithfulness to his friends and family. His concept of his Majesty was undoubtedly staunch but was always conscious of his duty to the well-being of his subjects. George notably had a horrid temper which could be shown in full brutal force when provoked.
Biography[]
Birth[]
George William Frederick was born on the 4th of June in 1738 to Frederick, Prince of Wales, and his wife, Augusta of Saxe-Gotha, at Norfolk House in London. He was a sickly child, having been born two months prematurely, therefore not being likely to survive, hence his baptism on the same day by the Bishop of Oxford. Within a month, he was baptised a second time, publicly, at the place of his birth. His godparents were Frederick I, King of Sweden, for whom Charles Calvert, the 5th Baron Baltimore stood proxy; Frederick III, Duke of Saxe-Gotha, for whom Henry Brydges, the 2nd Duke of Chandos stood proxy; and Sophia Dorothea, Queen of Prussia, for whom Charlotte Edwin stood proxy.
Adolescence & Early Education[]
Despite the worries that the young boy would not survive, George grew into a healthy but reserved and shy child. Instead of being educated at court, the Prince of Wales and his family moved to Leicester Square, where George and his younger brother Edward were educated by private teachers. By age eight, it's noted that George could read, write, and understand both English and German, the latter being the language of his Hanoverian antecedents, as well as being able to personally comment on the time period's politics.
Beyond this, the young George was educated in astronomy, mathematics, French, Latin, history, music, geography, commerce, agriculture, constitutional law, chemistry, and lastly, physics; the latter two studies officially dubbed him the first British monarch to have a systematic study of a science, something that he would continue to be enthused with even far on into the years of his reign.
Aged 10, the Prince took part in a production of the play Cato, saying in the prologue: "What, tho' a boy! It may with truth be said: A boy in England born, in England bred."
Personality and Appearance[]
Personality[]
George's personality was unique to his own character. He was a steadfast monarch, devoted husband and father, and true to himself. Above being a devoted father, he was a determined monarch, and he insisted that his family follow the same route. Most notably, when confronted with the notorious affairs of his son, George, Prince of Wales, he consulted his Cabinet what to do concerning him.
Appearance[]
George's appearance could've been described as nothing less than regal. His person was tall and full of dignity; his countenance was florid and good-natured. Much like that of his predecessors, George had flame red hair, which he powdered white (as opposed to wearing a wig), fiery blue eyes, and stood at a prideful 6’.
Coronation[]
Unlike his two predecessors of the House of Hanover, George was raised in England and spoke English as his first language. His popularity amongst the common folk was bolstered by the fact he was considered a native of the British Isles, rather than a German prince whose command of the language spoken by his subjects was minimal (like his great grandfather, George I, who appointed the first Prime Minister to help him govern the country as a result).
For George's coronation, no expense was spared. Numerous foreign leaders attended with the hopes of meeting the young 22-year-old monarch. George's outfit was an elaborate golden suit with a golden and ermine-trimmed cloak to complement it. In addition to this, he bore another cloak that held the coat of arms of the royal house, the House of Hanover.
Upon his ascension, George fully understood the demands of his new position. It was stated clearly in his address to parliament, where he declared:
"Born and educated in this country, I glory in the name of Briton."
The speech had of course been written for him, but he personally inserted that particular line for he felt it described the life of dedication and duty he was prepared to live.
Personal Reign[]
Early Reign[]
Shortly after becoming King, he had already made a change in the thus-far tradition of the Hanoverian monarchs. His grandfather, George II, had destroyed George I's will upon his ascension. George intended on being different, which was shown by his quick movement to honour the late King's last requests. It's noted that six thousand pounds in bank notes were found in the King's desk, signed for his mistress, Lady Yarmouth. He not only complied with the note but instead added a further two thousand to the bequest.
Yet again becoming smitten, George succumbed to the object of his passion: the graceful Lady Sarrah Lennox, daughter of the Duke of Lennox and direct descendant of Charles II. Unlike Hannah Lightfoot, Sarah was of proper social standing to perhaps contemplate becoming Queen. The Queen Mother, who still influenced the young King, did not approve of her, however: she thought and feared Sarah was too headstrong and would usurp the influence she held with the King, whom she was determined to cling onto.
His mother prevailed in getting rid of the Lady Sarah. George was hastily married to the rather plain Charlotte of Mecklenburg-Strelitz, daughter of Karl Ludwig of Mecklenburg-Strelitz and Elisabeth Albertine of Saxe-Hildburghausen. Upon the young Princess' arrival at St. James' Palace, it is said that he was visibly disappointed by the first meeting. Charlotte was said to have been small and thin, having been described as having African features by her contemporaries. Even her physician, the Baron Stockmar, is recorded to have said that she had "true mulatto features." She had Moorish blood in her lineage, as she was a descendant a number of times from the 13th-century monarch, King Alfonso III of Portugal and his mistress, Maurana Gib, who is believed to have been an African.
In a twist of irony, the King's previous infatuation, Lady Sarah Lennox, was charged to act as a bridesmaid at the wedding ceremony, which took place at St. James' Palace on the 8th of September 1761. She is recorded to have outshone Princess Charlotte, having it even been recorded that the elderly Earl of Westmorland had to have been forcibly restrained from accidentally paying homage to Sarah instead of the true Queen, Charlotte.
American War of Independence[]
George III's response to the American War of Independence
Issue[]
George III had a particular love for his family, shown by his desire to have a large one. He and his wife, Sophie Charlotte, had 15 children; 13 of which would survive into adulthood.
- George, Prince of Wales
- Frederick, Duke of York and Albany
- William, Duke of Clarence and St. Andrews
- Charlotte, Princess Royal
- Edward, Duke of Kent and Strathearn
- Augusta
- Elizabeth
- Ernest Augustus, Duke of Cumberland and Teviotdale
- Augustus Frederick, Duke of Sussex
- Adolphus, Duke of Cambridge
- Mary
- Sophia
- Octavius
- Alfred
- Amelia
Ancestry[]
| 8. George I, King of Great Britain and Ireland | |||||||||||||
| 4. George II, King of Great Britain and Ireland | |||||||||||||
| 9. Sophia Dorothea of Celle | |||||||||||||
| 2. Frederick, Prince of Wales | |||||||||||||
| 10. John Frederick, Margrave of Brandenburg-Ansbach | |||||||||||||
| 5. Caroline of Ansbach | |||||||||||||
| 11. Princess Eleonore Erdmuthe of Saxe-Eisenach | |||||||||||||
| 1. George III, British Emperor | |||||||||||||
| 12. Frederick I, Duke of Saxe-Gotha-Altenburg | |||||||||||||
| 6. Frederick II, Duke of Saxe-Gotha-Altenburg | |||||||||||||
| 13. Magdalena Sibylle of Saxe-Weissenfels | |||||||||||||
| 3. Princess Augusta of Saxe-Gotha | |||||||||||||
| 14. Karl, Prince of Anhalt-Zerbst | |||||||||||||
| 7. Princess Magdalena Augusta of Anhalt-Zerbst | |||||||||||||
| 15. Sophia of Saxe-Weissenfels | |||||||||||||
Titles, Styles, Honours & Arms[]
Titles and Styles[]
- 4 June 1738 - 31 March 1751 His Royal Highness the Prince George
- 31 March 1751 - 20 April 1751 His Royal Highness The Duke of Edinburgh
- 20 April 1751 - 25 October 1760 His Royal Highness The Prince of Wales
- 25 October 1760 - 1 January 1801 His Majesty The King
- 1 January 1801 - Present His Majesty The British Emperor (not an official royal style)
In Great Britain, George III used the official style "George the Third, by the Grace of God, King of Great Britain, France, and Ireland, Defender of the Faith, and so forth". In 1801, by the Acts of Union 1800, when Great Britain united with Ireland, the title "King of France" was dropped from use, which had been part of the royal style since the reign of Edward III, who had laid claim to the French throne. From then on, he adopted the style "George the Third, by the Grace of God, of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland King, Defender of the Faith".
In Germany, more-so the Holy Roman Empire, he was styled "Duke of Brunswick and Lüneburg, Arch-Treasurer and Prince-elector of the Holy Roman Empire" (German: Herzog von Braunschweig und Lüneburg, Erzschatzmeister und Kurfürst des Heiligen Römischen Reiches) until the dissolution of the Holy Roman Empire in 1806.
Following the unification of the kingdoms of Great Britain and Ireland, George also adopted the style "Emperor of the British Empire", which is also sometimes said in its short-form of "British Emperor". It does not appear on official documents often and so is not an official royal style.
After the American War of Independence, France ceded the territory of Corsica to George III, and it was later included into the royal style as a subsidiary of the King's title of "Emperor of the British Empire".
Full Title[]
"George III, by the Grace of God, of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland King, Emperor of India, Duke of Brunswick-Lüneburg, Arch-Treasurer and Prince-Elector of the Holy Roman Empire, Commander-in-Chief of the British Armed Forces, Supreme Governor of the Church of England, Defender of the Faith"
Honours[]
- Sovereign of the Most Noble Order of the Garter
- Sovereign of the Most Ancient and Most Noble Order of the Thistle
- Sovereign and Founder of the Most Illustrious Order of Saint Patrick
- Sovereign of the Most Honourable Order of the Bath
- Sovereign of the Royal Guelphic Order
Arms[]
