Today's Lesson is the Hanoverian Kings

Good morning, today we will be looking at the Kings who ruled during the Georgian Era. There were 5 Kings = 4 x Georges and 1x William. Covering the years from 1714 to 1830, these Kings are called the Hanoverian Kings. During their reigns, England was at peace for only 12 years and 8 months. Also, Enlgand’s ‘landscape’ started to change with regards to the arts, religion, social reform and politics.

The first Hanoverian King was George I (1660-1727). George I was the King of Great Britain and Ireland from 1st August, 1714, until his death on 11th June, 1727. George was born in the city of Hanover in the Duchy of Brunswick Luneburg in the Holy Roman Empire. His mother was Sophia of the Palatinate,and she was the granddaughter of King James 1, through her mother, Elizabeth Stuart, who was the Queen of Bohemia. He was the oldest son and had several brothers and sisters.

George married his first cousin, Sophia Dorothea of Celle, and the couple had one son, George, and one daughter, Sophia. The couple became estranged and the marriage was dissolved, George preferring the company of his mistress, Melusine von der Schulenburg, and they had three daughters.

George was proclaimed King of England and Ireland in 1714. He arrived in England on 18th September and was crowned at Westminster Abbey on 20th October. Unfortunately, the Coronation was accompanied by rioting in over twenty English towns. The new King George I lived mainly in Great Britain and became active in directing British foreign policy. Whilst in Germany, he was an absolute monarch, in England he had to govern through parliament.

During these years, the King’s relationship with his son became strained. The two could not agree on most things, especially after the first grandson was born. The Prince of Wales 'encouraged’ opposition to his father’s policies, which only made matters worse between father and son.

Although George I could speak fluent German and French, his English was much to be desired, and so the King communicated with his English ministers in French. As he was unfamiliar with English customs, the King was dependent on these same ministers and so the Whigs dominated Parliament during his reign.

During a visit to Hanover, George I died in 1727 and his son became George II.

George II reigned as King of England and Ireland from 11th June, 1727, until his death on 25th October, 1760. He lived for 77 years and longer than any of his English predecessors. George was born and brought up in northern Germany, and he was taught to speak French, German, Italian and English. George Married Caroline of Ansbach in 1705 and the couple had several children.

The couple came over to England in 1714 and became the Prince and Princess of Wales. The new Prince of Wales ‘courted popularity’ with the English people, but this only made his father jealous of him. George I distrusted his son. The young couple's Summer residence was Richmond Lodge.

When his father died, George II took up the throne at 43 years of age. The new King was crowned at Westminster Abbey on 22nd October, 1727. During the first twenty years of his reign, George II followed foreign and domestic ‘developments’ closely. Like his father though, George II did not get on well with his own son, Frederick, who was now the Prince of Wales.

However, George II showed little interest in politics towards the end of his reign. His son Frederick had died in 1751 and so the throne was passed onto his grandson when he died in 1760 at 76 years of age.

George III reigned from 1760 until his death in 1820. He was the first Hanoverian King to be born in England, in London on 4th June, 1738. George had a good education, which included chemistry, mathematics, astronomy, French, Latin, history and constitutional law (among other subjects). English was George’s first language. He married Charlotte Sophia of Mecklenburg-Strelitz on 8th September, 1761. This marriage lasted for over fifty years and produced fifteen children, thirteen of them reaching adulthood.

George III became the kIng of England and Ireland in 1760 and the Coronation took place on 22nd October at Westminster Abbey, two weeks after the wedding. Both George and Charlotte were crowned. In 1762, George III purchased Buckingham House (now Buckingham Palace) as a family retreat. St.James’s Palace was retained for official use.

This new King proclaimed: “Born and educated in this country, I glory in the name of Britain”. During his long reign, Britain was a ‘constitutional’ monarchy, which was ruled by his ministerial government, as well as prominent men in Parliament. George III introduced the Royal Marriages Act 1772, which meant that this new law forbade members of the Royal Family from legally marrying without the consent of the Sovereign. Although the King himself was a very religious man, the ‘morals’ of his brothers left much to be desired, and so he introduced the new law.

It was during this reign that the American War of Independence started. George III told his ministers: “I was the last to consent to separation; but the separation having been made and having become inevitable, I have always said, as I say now, that I should be the first to meet the friendship of the United States as an independent power”.

Over the years, George III became mentally ill. Back then, the doctors had no idea how to manage this or even what caused it. There have been several guesses, such as porphyria or bipolar disorder, but one thing that is fact is that samples of the King’s hair revealed high levels of arsenic (2005), although the question is asked ‘where did the arsenic come from?’ George would speak for hours without a pause, causing him to foam at the mouth and his voice to go hoarse. He would repeat himself, with his vocabulary becoming more complex, creative and ‘colorful’. The doctors would forcibly restrain the King until he was calm, or apply caustic poultices to draw out “evil humors”.

In February, 1789, the Regency Bill came into force, authorizing the Prince of Wales to act as Regent during the King’s illnesses, which seemed to come and go. In late 1810, George III was virtually blind with cataracts, in constant pain with rheumatism, and relapsed into his mental illness. He now had to accept the Regency Act 1811, and the Prince of Wales acted as Regent for the remainder of George III’s life. By the end of the year 1811, George III had become ‘permanently’ insane and he lived the rest of his life in seclusion at Windsor Castle.

During his reign, George III was a popular King, dying of pneumonia on 29th January, 1820.

Greoge IV reigned as King from 1820 until his death in 1830. He had served as Prince Regent since 1811, during his father’s final illness. George was born on 12 August, 1762, at St.James’s Palace. When he turned 18, the Prince was given a separate establishment and lived in dramatic contrast to his religious father, and the Prince ‘threw’ himself into a life of extravagance, heavy drinking and mistresses. He ‘married’ Maria Fitzherbert, who was a commoner and Roman Catholic, without even asking the King and the marriage remained a secret. The Prince quickly plunged into debt.

His father refused to help with the debts until the Prince married his (the Prince’s) cousin Caroline of Brunswick. The Prince gave in and married Caroline on 8th April, 1795. It was a disastrous match, with the couple separating after the birth of their only child, Princess Charlotte, in 1796. The Prince remained attached to Maria for the rest of his life, although he did have other mistresses.

The Prince of Wales became the Prince Regent in 1811 and then the King in 1820, when his father died. George IV was 47 years old, obese and (possibly) addicted to laudanum. The Coronation was magnificent and expensive. The new King now traveled to Ireland and Scotland, but spent most of his reign in seclusion at Windsor Castle. However, the King still dabbled in politics.

George IV became physically ill and (possibly) mentally ill. He became blind with cataracts and had severe gout in his right arm and hand which meant he could no longer sign documents. By the Spring of 1830, George’s end was apparent and his intake of laudanum left him drugged for days on end. The laudanum was to help cope with pain. On 27th June, 1830, King George IV died.

William IV reigned as King of Great Britain and Ireland from 1830 until his death in 1837. He was the last of the Hanoverian Kings. William was the third son of George III, and succeeded his brother, George IV, whose daughter had died.

William was born on 21st August, 1765, at Buckingham House and joined the Royal Navy when he was 13 years old. William became a lieutenant in 1785 and he was given command of several ships. After leaving the Navy, he spent time in the House of Lords.

William lived with an Irish actress, Dorothea Bland, and the couple had several illegitimate children. The couple separated when William realized that he may become King, and he married Princess Adelaide of Saxe-Meiningen in 1818. The marriage lasted almost twenty years (until William’s death) and it was a happy marriage, but none of their children survived into adulthood. As Lord High Admiral, he did much to improve Navy standards.

When his brother died in 1830, William became WIlliam IV. He discouraged pomp and ceremony and proved himself a conscientious worker. William IV was 64 years old when he took to the throne. He did his best to endear himself to the people. “This man at least wishes to make everybody happy, and everything he has done has been benevolent”, wrote Emily Eden. Gaining public approval, William IV employed an English chef and An English band, and gave much of the previous King’s art collection to the nation.

William IV and his Queen were fond of their niece, Princess Victoria of Kent, who was also fond of her uncle the King. He hanged on to life until Victoria (as heir to the throne) turned 18, and then died on 20th June, 1837.

Now started the Victorian Era.