King george iii early life time

King george iii illness

This was a king who wanted to distance himself from his German ancestors and establish royal authority whilst presiding over an increasingly powerful Britain. Sadly for George, he would not achieve all of his goals as during his reign, more than ever, the balance of power had shifted from the monarchy to parliament and any attempt to recalibrate it fell short.

When he was still just a young man, his father died at the age of forty-four, leaving George to become heir apparent. These two figures would remain influential in his life, guiding him in his matrimonial match and also later in politics, as Lord Bute would go on to become Prime Minister. In the meantime, George had shown interest in Lady Sarah Lennox, who sadly for George, had been deemed an unfit match for him.

By the time he was twenty-two however, his need to find a suitable wife became even more pressing as he was about to succeed the throne from his grandfather. With the marriage now a matter of urgency, on 8th September George married Charlotte of Mecklenburg-Strelitz, meeting her on the day of their wedding. The union would prove to be a happy and productive one, with fifteen children.

Only two weeks later, George was crowned at Westminster Abbey. Culturally he would also have an important impact, as he chose unlike his predecessors to remain in England for much of his time, only journeying down to Dorset for holidays which began the trend for the seaside resort in Britain. During his lifetime, he also extended the royal households to include Buckingham Palace, formerly Buckingham House as a family retreat as well as Kew Palace and Windsor Castle.