George William Frederick

George III was born on 4 June 1738 at Norfolk House in London. He was the son of Frederick Prince of Wales and Augusta of Saxe-Gotha. He was the grandson of King George II and the great-grandson of King George I, who was the first monarch of the House of Hanover. He became heir apparent to the throne when his father died in 1751. He was educated by private tutors and developed an interest in agriculture, botany, astronomy, and music. He also learned several languages, such as English, French, German, Italian, and Latin. He married Charlotte of Mecklenburg-Strelitz in 1761, when he was 22 years old. They had a happy and faithful marriage, and produced 15 children, 13 of whom survived to adulthood. George was devoted to his family and spent much time with them at his residences in Kew, Windsor, and Buckingham House. He also amassed a large collection of books, paintings, maps, and other objects of art and science. He founded the Royal Academy of Arts in 1768 and supported many cultural and scientific institutions. He also patronized composers such as Handel and Haydn. ¹ He succeeded his grandfather as king of Great Britain and Ireland in 1760, when he was 22 years old. He was the first Hanoverian monarch to be born and raised in Britain, and to speak English as his first language. He also became king of Hanover in Germany in 1814. He reigned for almost 60 years, making him the longest-reigning British monarch until Queen Victoria surpassed him in 1896. He was also the third-longest-reigning monarch in European history after Louis XIV of France and Franz Joseph I of Austria. ¹ He was a popular and conscientious king, who tried to uphold his constitutional duties and act in the best interests of his people. He also sought to strengthen the role and authority of the monarchy, which had been diminished by his predecessors and by the growing power of Parliament and the Prime Minister. He had a close relationship with his Prime Minister Lord North, whom he appointed in 1770 and supported for 12 years. He also had a personal influence on many policies and appointments, especially on matters of foreign affairs and war. He was a patriot and a loyalist, who defended his country against its enemies and maintained its sovereignty and integrity. He was also a devout Christian and a moralist, who upheld the values of religion, family, and duty. ¹ However, his reign was also marked by a series of crises and conflicts, both at home and abroad, that challenged his authority and reputation. He faced wars with France, Spain, the Netherlands, and other European powers, such as the Seven Years' War (1756-1763), the War of American Independence (1775-1783), the French Revolutionary Wars (1792-1802), and the Napoleonic Wars (1803-1815). He also faced rebellions and resistance from his own subjects, such as the American colonists, who declared their independence in 1776 and fought against British rule until 1783, the Irish nationalists, who staged an uprising in 1798 and sought to unite with France, and the Scottish Jacobites, who attempted to restore the Stuart dynasty to the throne in 1745-1746. ¹ He also faced opposition and criticism from his own Parliament and political parties, such as the Whigs, who opposed his policies and accused him of being a tyrant, a despot, or a puppet of his ministers. He also faced personal difficulties and tragedies, such as the death of his father in 1751, the death of his wife in 1818, the death of several of his children and grandchildren, and the estrangement of his eldest son and heir George IV, who was a dissolute and extravagant prince. He also suffered from recurrent and eventually permanent mental illness, which impaired his ability to rule and caused him much distress and agony. He had several episodes of madness, which were probably caused by a genetic disorder called porphyria, which affects the production of blood cells. He also had physical problems, such as blindness, deafness, rheumatism, and dropsy. ¹ He died on 29 January 1820 at Windsor Castle, when he was 81 years old. He had been incapacitated by his illness for the last decade of his life, and his son George IV had acted as regent since 1811. He was buried at St George's Chapel in Windsor Castle. He was succeeded by his son George IV, who proved to be an unpopular and extravagant king, and who died without a legitimate heir in 1830. He was followed by his brother William IV, who also died without a legitimate heir in 1837. He was followed by his niece Victoria, who became the longest-reigning British monarch in history and ushered in a new era of progress and prosperity. ¹