George III

His Social Background

He was the first son of Frederick, Prince of Wales, and Augusta. King George III was born in 1738 and ruled from 1760 until 1820, the year he died. In 1761 he married Charlotte of Mecklinburg-Strelitz and had fifteen children, nine sons and six daughters, with her. King George III ascended to the throne after his grandfather, George II, died in 1760. His father, Frederick, Prince of Wales, who died in 1751, never ascended to the throne. Ruling the Great Britain was not easy because King George III suffered from porphyria, a disease that causes mental problems, and so his reign was occasionally disrupted, e.g. in 1765.

His reign

His reign was unstable for he frequently changed his ministry. From October 1760 to February 1770 he had six separate ministries. Before he became king, the country had actually been governed under 40 years of stability with a one-party system of Whig patronage and court favourism. Improving the previous government under King George II, King George III accepted oppositional politics according to the Torie virtue. However, this opposition was only a fake. As a matter of fact, King George III was permanantly accused of corruption and of acting secretly and illigitimately. He did not accept any oppositions and thus, e.g. prohibited the freedom of press. Everyone who wrote something against the English government was immediately presecuted. Consequently, journalists had no other choice than use caricatures and further indirect allusions to cricize the king.