A Short Biography on Some of Europes Most Loved and Hated Monarchs - Pt2 (Mad) King George III

King George III who suffered from porphyria, a maddening disease, was born in 1738 to Frederick, Prince of Wales and Augusta. In 1761 George married Charlotte of Mecklinburg-Strelitz and together produced fifteen children: nine sons and six daughters.

King George III came to the throne in 1760 and was determined to recover the power lost to the ministerial council by the first two Georges by systematically weakening the Whig party through bribery, coercion and patronage. Prime Minister, William Pitt the Elder was toppled by Whigs in 1763 after the signing of the Peace of Paris, and men of ordinary aptitude were then hand-picked by George as Cabinet members to become little more than yes-men. Bouts with madness and the handling of the American Revolution eroded his support and the power of the Crown was granted again to the Prime Minister.

In 1763 The Peace of Paris brought an end to the Seven Years' War with France and Great Britain emerged from the conflict as the world's greatest colonial power. England thrived but King George III's ongoing commitment to taxing the American colonies to pay for military protection led to conflict in 1775. The colonists declared their independence from England in 1776, but George stubbornly continued with the war until the final American victory at Yorktown in 1781. The signing of The Peace of Versailles in 1783 ensured British recognition of the United States of America. The stress of these events took their toll on George: his sanity was stretched to the breaking point and his political power decreased when William Pitt the Younger became Prime Minister in 1783. George clawed back some of his powers, driving Pitt from office during the years 1801 to 1804, but his condition worsened and he ceased to rule in 1811.

Ten years after the ending of war with France, England joined a continental coalition against French revolutionary forces who sought total French supremacy throughout Europe. By 1797, most of Europe was under French control, with England going at it alone against the oppressive French Republic. The British Navy again proved its worth by defeating French forces at Camperdown, Cape St. Vincent and the Battle of the Nile in 1797, and finally at Copenhagen in 1801. France sued for peace in 1802.

Napoleon Bonaparte came to power and in 1803 renewed attacks against England, which lasted until 1814. Arthur Wellesley, Duke of Wellington, led the army whilst Lord Horatio Nelson, who won the decisive battle off Cape Trafalgar, commanded the British navy. In addition to the war with France, England was also at war again with the United States during the period 1812-14, over the British practice of conscripting American seamen into service in the British Navy.

In 1814, both wars came to an end; Napoleon was defeated and England agreed not to press into service anymore-American sailors.

George's madness ultimately left the fate of the crown in the hands of his eldest son George, Prince Regent. Prince George was put in the unenviable position of attempting to govern according to the increasingly erratic behaviour of his father.

King George III died blind, deaf and mad at Windsor Castle on January 29, 1820.

I hope you have enjoyed reading about King George III.

In my next article will learn about the life of King Ludwig II Unitl then,

Best wishes and have a great day

Stuart Bazga

Guide to Castles of Europe

A Guide to Castles of Europe was born from childhood dreams and aspirations. It is my hope to educate and stimulate you into exploring these castles for yourselves.

---

African Masks

The following is a general over view of African Masks.There... Read More

Bewitching Jewelry -- Amulets, Talismans and Charms

Throughout the ages, men and women have used gemstones and... Read More

A Defense of Cultural Intelligence

When humans set off to address fundamental issues about what... Read More

A Look At The Years of Celebrities Wearing Jewelry

As far back as one can remember famous celebrities have... Read More

Old Russian Symbolics on a White and Blue Porcelain

Russian porcelain is widely known and is often used as... Read More

A Short Biography on Some of Europes Most Loved and Hated Monarchs - Pt 3 King Ludwig II

King Ludwig II of Bavaria, named after his grandfather, was... Read More

The Automatic Champion

"Babe" Didrickson Zaharias was a phenomenal athlete. This Texan ran,... Read More

In Seach Of Heroes - Matrimonial Heroes (Part One)

Just as our arrival at destination is tied to the... Read More

Synchronized Swimming, Dolphin Cognition and Visualization

As humans become more technologically advanced and are able to... Read More

Debussy and Gamelan According to a 150 Year Old Man

Hello!If you haven't been transported by the mesmerizing sounds of... Read More

Europes New Jews

They inhabit self-imposed ghettoes, subject to derision and worse, the... Read More

Lance Armstrong Bracelets: Fashion Accessories for a Worthy Cause

Lance Armstrong bracelets, the yellow rubber wrist bands inscribed with... Read More

Better Red than Dead!

Red, perhaps the first color our eyes perceive.It is said... Read More

Feng Shui Horoscopes

A great tool to help you find out more about... Read More

Medieval Siege Weaponry: Castle Walls Beware

Medieval siege weaponry was required in any self-respecting war leader's... Read More

A Look at the Heart of American Beauty

Sam Mendes' darkly comic portrayal of suburbia in his first... Read More

A Hidden Oriental Jewel: 100% Chinese Hand-Made Silk Embroidery

IntroductionDo you know what "silk embroidery is? Do you know... Read More

Native American Indian Art Wood Carvings of the Pacific Northwest

Native American Indian art in the American southwest is dominated... Read More

What is Y Ddraig Goch - the Welsh Red Dragon?

The red Dragon was introduced to Britain during Roman times.... Read More

Merton Abbey Mills Developments

For those who don't know, Merton Abbey Mills is an... Read More

Eminem Slimshady

Firstly revealed by the fable Dr.Dre, and then debut of... Read More

How to Make Your Civil War Uniform Shirt

Your own shirt designed and made by you for your... Read More

Propaganda and American Journalism, Born Joined at Birth

Passion was the main stuff of journalism long before the... Read More

Rasputin

GRIGORY EFIMOVICH NOVYKH (RASPUTIN):'Hail, Hail, Ras-putin'. This man's story has... Read More

Your Souls Purpose Is Found In the Zodiac

Of course, science has explained this to us, and we... Read More

What Sets Chinese Painting Apart From Western Painting

Because of different instruments, materials and cultural background, Chinese paintings... Read More

From Dynasty to Destiny: Ten Celebrated Inventions of Ancient China

In the last two centuries, new cultural discoveries have nearly... Read More

A Short Biography on Some of Europes Most Loved and Hated Monarchs - Pt 4 Queen Mary I

Queen Mary I of England was born in 1516 to... Read More

Mexican Living: Doctors, Doctors, Doctors

I am sick. I don't know what's wrong nor if... Read More

Zorro

ZORRO:Timon of Athens. But most often they wrote in code... Read More

Native American Life After Prophetstown

My name is Luksi Humma, I am Choctaw or, Chahta,... Read More

Precious Stones -The Big Five: Part 1, The Emerald

The emerald is probably the most rare of all precious... Read More

The Saga of Puffed Wheat Anderson, A Minnesota Legend

I have no idea how old I was when I... Read More