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VOICEOVER: Georgian Britain.

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Across the course of little more
than a century,

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a nation was transformed
from an inward-looking state

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that had just emerged
from a bitter civil war,

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to a global superpower.

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But it wasn't English kings
who oversaw this change.

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It was German nobility
shipped in from Hanover.

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The Georgian kings were
dysfunctional, detested each other,

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and were loved and loathed
by the public in equal measure.

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There are satirical cartoons
<font color="

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(INDISTINCT SHOUTING)
What starts off as a private quarrel
becomes a public sensation.

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If it looks like your dad
has exiled your mum, that probably
leads to a certain element

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of dysfunction early on in life.

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These are the backstabbings,
feuds and betrayals

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which shaped an entire era
of British history.

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Britain is continually at war
in the 18th century.

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The shocking stories
of the Georgian kings.

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His mother called him a monster.

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He was so besotted.
It's almost like stalker behaviour.

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<font color="

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"Well that's interesting.
I'm going to do it anyway."

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A time when in the monarchy
it was mayhem.

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George III, a monarch remembered
for his madness in later life

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and the brutal treatments he endured.

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But his reign began
with so much promise.

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The first Hanoverian king
born in Britain,

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who would dedicate his life
to his country and its people.

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A devoted husband who created
the modern image of a royal family.

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But then his reign was shaken
by events both at home and abroad.

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The loss of the Americas,

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revolution in France,

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then finally,
his own inescapable decline.

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To understand the real impact
of George's time on the throne,

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you have to go back to a time
long before these events,

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when George was just a young prince
whose future was bright.

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On the 4th of June, 1738,

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Frederick, Prince of Wales,
son of George II

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and heir to the British throne,

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and his wife Augusta,
welcome into the world George,

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named after George II,
the new-born's grandfather.

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Frederick knew that life as an heir
came with its unique challenges.

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With his father George II in Britain,
he had spent his childhood in Germany

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without either of his parents,

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and as a result,
he has a difficult relationship

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with his father, the King.

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He wanted to make sure
that young George's upbringing

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would be very different.

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<font color="
was going to become King eventually,

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and I think he did the best
to prepare him

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with George III's education.

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MAN: What we have is an heir
to the throne,

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who's born on British soil,

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<font color="
of the British Constitution.

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He sees himself and is encouraged
to see himself as extremely English.

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So Frederick was more present
and saw his son,

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which is a great, great improvement
upon the other kings and their sons.

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<font color="
the relationship
between Prince George

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and Frederick, the Prince of Wales
is pretty good

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by Hanoverian standards.

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As second in line to the throne,
young George is being prepared

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to fulfil his destiny
to become King of Britain.

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But what no-one could have predicted
was that fate would intervene

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and accelerate George's path
to the Crown.

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It was assumed that George's father,
Prince Frederick,

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would take the throne after
the death of his father, George II,

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but at the age of just 44,
Frederick dies unexpectedly.

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This was not planned for.

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This was not expected
in the slightest.

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I think it was a great shock
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Like, they thought they had
the succession nicely lined up

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and here we have the heir
just popping his clogs very early.

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What Frederick's death does
for George is it changes the game

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in a really unexpected way.

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<font color="
to those responsibilities far sooner

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than he would otherwise have been.

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Despite his untimely death,

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Frederick didn't leave
11-year-old George

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entirely without a father's guidance.

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He had been writing a book intended
for just a single reader....

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..his son.

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I have a gift from your father.

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<font color="

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Your father wanted
to prepare you to rule,

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to learn from the mistakes
of the past.

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Thank you.

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It contains within it, uh,
all of the key principles

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that Frederick sees as crucial
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of the Hanoverian dynasty.

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In his own life, Frederick
has observed his father George II

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and his grandfather George I
in the role of King,

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and he's very aware of some
of the mistakes they've made,

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<font color="
to Hanover and their refusal

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to completely shake
their German identity.

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And Frederick is someone
who's very focused on being British,

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and it's something that he drums
into his own son

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<font color="

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And part of Frederick's duty
is to mould him into the man

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that he wants him to be,
into the ruler that he'll need him

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to be one day.

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I think also that might have added
to the pressure.

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<font color="
when he was a child

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and must have thought,
"Oh, my God, I must live up to
my father's expectations."

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But it isn't only
his father's expectations

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young George now has to live up to.

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George II, the man who had been such
a distant father to Frederick,

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was now taking
a much greater interest

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in the boy who would succeed him.

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So once Frederick has died
and is removed from the picture,

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the young George is really thrown
into the power of his grandfather,

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George II, who is
notoriously a little bit difficult.

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He's had a very,
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with George's father, Frederick,

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and George is expected
to overlook this,

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and to be obedient
to his grandfather and to learn

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from him as much as possible.

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At the forefront of George II's mind
must have been

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the successful continuation
of the Hanoverian line.

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To do that, George must take a wife
and sire an heir.

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But the 21-year-old prince
is in no rush to marry.

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His mother decides to intervene.

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George III himself, he never
really showed a very active interest

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in getting a wife.

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So there was a bit of
political manoeuvring

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between George II
<font color="

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Picking a suitable spouse
for a monarch

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was an incredibly complex process
in the 18th century,

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and getting it right
was absolutely paramount.

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You needed someone who not only
would be able to provide heirs,

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<font color="
but also someone who could survive

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and enhance court life.

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Intelligent, curious, but not
too intelligent, not too curious.

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They must not overshadow the King.

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That's very important.

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I suppose you brought me here
<font color="

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I am to marry.

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Your grandfather and I have already
selected two choices

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befitting of your station.

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I see.

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Your grandfather suggests
Sophie Caroline of
Brunswick-Wolfenbuttel.

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<font color="
Fredericka of Saxe-Gotha.

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My choice would put you
in better stead.

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I hear Fredericka has an interest
in philosophy.

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Yes. She's a very learned girl,
by all accounts.

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Well, then...

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<font color="

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What?

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I am a pious man, Mother.

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Marrying a philosopher is
a dangerous undertaking for someone

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who has faith, don't you think?

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Where else to look?

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Not in England, it would seem.

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He had to look outside the country,

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<font color="
Protestant princesses were there,

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who were they, and how did you
actually go about choosing a wife?

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Reluctant to have decisions made
for him, George decides to take

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a more active role
in the choosing of his bride.

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Given a list of potential suitors,
he strikes them all off except one.

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<font color="

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A bit provincial,
but not as educated,

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if that's what you're worried about.

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What's her name?

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Princess Charlotte.

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From this, the more surprising
choice ended up being

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Princess Charlotte
<font color="

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She wasn't necessarily
an immediate first choice...

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I don't think anyone would
have actually

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picked her out of the list
that was there.

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But she filled the bill.

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She was 17.

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<font color="
and amenable.

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She seemed like
she was rational and sensible.

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They initially thought,

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"Oh, yeah, this is like
a really simple country girl.

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"This will be, like,
perfect for a queen."

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With the choice made, Charlotte
is summoned from Germany to England

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to wed George.

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Having never met, the chances
of a love match are far from certain.

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She speaks some English,
not brilliantly.

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And she's marrying a man
who she's never met.

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The first meeting
was actually quite awkward.

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<font color="
She was confused.

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There's rumours that
she, uh, threw up over him.

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She's visibly shaking.

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She feels sick,
but she goes ahead with it

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because she has very little choice,
because it's her duty,

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<font color="
that's placed on her.

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These kinds of royal relationships
could be absolutely disastrous.

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But despite
their slightly awkward first meeting,

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it is soon clear

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that George and Charlotte
are in fact a good match.

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Come, let me show you around
the palace.

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<font color="
Luckily, their love story

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actually took a better turn
after their initial meeting.

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He wanted to make it a success,
but the fact that it then blossomed

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into love was just
a happy coincidence.

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<font color="
on a human level.

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She provides the foundation
to his life and the foundation

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to a fantastic relationship,
and they have at least 25 years

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of very happy times together.

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ELAINE CHALUS: They were probably
<font color="
of the Hanoverians.

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They had 15 children.

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It is all but expected
for the monarch to take a mistress.

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But George is different.

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He not only loves his wife,
but he is faithful to her

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and never takes a lover.

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It was very unusual for a monarch.

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Especially when this was
<font color="

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It might have been because he didn't
want to emulate his father,

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or his grandfather, for that matter.

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I suspect it was more because of
the fact that he was quite concerned

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about respectability,

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morality,

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<font color="

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I think that the public
embraced this.

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I think he was seen as a bit
of a breath of fresh air

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in that sense, that he was actually
a very moral, upstanding monarch

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in comparison
<font color="

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This notion of the royal family
as an institution, I think,

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is one of the real legacies
that he creates.

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But then, in the autumn of 1760,

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the same year
George and Charlotte meet and wed...
(KNOCKS AT DOOR)

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..George's grandfather,
George II, dies...

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Far sooner than he ever expects,

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the 22-year-old heir to the throne

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is now King of Britain.

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DR AMY BOYINGTON: Probably thought

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he had so many more years
to prepare.

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It really shook him to his core,
and he took it much to heart.

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When he eventually becomes King,

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it's as someone
<font color="

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of the weight
that he is having to carry,

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and he takes that
very, very seriously.

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He wants to be seen and sees himself

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as the patriot king.

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In parliament, he emphasises

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the fact that he is British.

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<font color="
in this country,

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"I glory in the name of Britain."

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And that really, I think,
in a nutshell explains how he feels.

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The old King had been
on the throne for some people

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more than their lifetime.

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<font color="
this is a new start.

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He's young and he's fresh.

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He's a good-looking man.

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It's a positive thing.

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With the public behind him,
George begins to draw

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on his private passions
to implement his vision for Britain.

248
00:15:41,880 --> 00:15:45,640
George III spends a lot
<font color="

249
00:15:45,640 --> 00:15:49,040
in a way, because he can make
them national interests.

250
00:15:49,040 --> 00:15:52,760
He's very interested in the kind
of latest scientific developments.

251
00:15:52,760 --> 00:15:58,760
He's hugely interested in
natural science, in agriculture.

252
00:15:58,760 --> 00:16:01,320
He was actually a pretty good
<font color="

253
00:16:01,320 --> 00:16:07,160
The monarch, therefore, the nation
can be identified or defined

254
00:16:07,160 --> 00:16:09,280
through the buildings
they're building.

255
00:16:09,280 --> 00:16:11,200
And it's incredibly important
to him.

256
00:16:11,200 --> 00:16:14,800
It's very, very personal to him,
as is patronage

257
00:16:14,800 --> 00:16:16,680
<font color="

258
00:16:16,680 --> 00:16:20,520
It's not just a hobby,
it's part of his job.

259
00:16:20,520 --> 00:16:23,640
He's a true man
of the enlightenment.

260
00:16:26,000 --> 00:16:30,160
But just as George's plans
for the nation are set into motion,

261
00:16:30,160 --> 00:16:32,960
and less than five years
into his reign,

262
00:16:32,960 --> 00:16:35,160
he is struck by a sudden illness.

263
00:16:36,640 --> 00:16:41,520
So in 1765, George III
<font color="

264
00:16:41,520 --> 00:16:45,080
his first bout of madness,
to use the term that they used

265
00:16:45,080 --> 00:16:46,520
in the 18th century.

266
00:16:46,520 --> 00:16:49,240
And it started with him coughing.

267
00:16:49,240 --> 00:16:50,640
He had a fever.

268
00:16:50,640 --> 00:16:54,120
Headaches, stomach ache
and apparently blue urine.

269
00:16:54,120 --> 00:16:57,160
<font color="
he's aggressive,

270
00:16:57,160 --> 00:16:59,600
he behaves in an erratic way,
he shouts.

271
00:16:59,600 --> 00:17:03,520
(GEORGE SHOUTS)
The first period of illness
took George III by surprise.

272
00:17:03,520 --> 00:17:07,800
There was no previous indication
that he was unwell.

273
00:17:09,040 --> 00:17:12,280
The cause of George's illness
has long been debated

274
00:17:12,280 --> 00:17:13,960
by doctors and historians.

275
00:17:16,280 --> 00:17:20,880
Today, it is generally agreed
that he was probably suffering

276
00:17:20,880 --> 00:17:25,680
from a form of bipolar disorder
with acute mania.

277
00:17:25,680 --> 00:17:30,520
So, medical understandings
of mental illness were very narrow

278
00:17:30,520 --> 00:17:32,600
in the 18th century.

279
00:17:32,600 --> 00:17:35,240
<font color="
They can't be ill.

280
00:17:35,240 --> 00:17:37,160
They certainly
can't be mentally ill,

281
00:17:37,160 --> 00:17:39,320
because how can they then
rule the country,

282
00:17:39,320 --> 00:17:40,920
or how can we trust their judgement?

283
00:17:40,920 --> 00:17:44,240
This was something that they hadn't
<font color="

284
00:17:44,240 --> 00:17:46,320
Parliament were actually
so concerned

285
00:17:46,320 --> 00:17:49,200
that they very quickly
rushed through a Regency Act.

286
00:17:51,120 --> 00:17:55,520
The Regency Act proposed a process
for which an individual

287
00:17:55,520 --> 00:17:58,800
could be called upon to rule
in place of the king,

288
00:17:58,800 --> 00:18:00,960
should he be unfit to rule.

289
00:18:04,160 --> 00:18:08,800
In this first instance,
George stages a quick recovery,

290
00:18:08,800 --> 00:18:12,360
but the knowledge that he might
again fall ill sees him eager

291
00:18:12,360 --> 00:18:15,920
to decide for himself
who should act in his place.

292
00:18:19,920 --> 00:18:23,800
It is decided Queen Charlotte
will act as regent in my absence.

293
00:18:25,480 --> 00:18:29,960
Your Grace, if I may,
the Queen is not yet 21.

294
00:18:29,960 --> 00:18:32,800
Only when she comes of age
can she be named as regent

295
00:18:32,800 --> 00:18:35,040
<font color="

296
00:18:37,120 --> 00:18:39,640
What about my mother,
Princess Augusta?

297
00:18:39,640 --> 00:18:41,880
Well, I don't think...

298
00:18:41,880 --> 00:18:43,240
What?

299
00:18:43,240 --> 00:18:47,640
Maybe we should ruminate
a little more.

300
00:18:47,640 --> 00:18:50,960
No, this is to be signed
into law immediately.

301
00:18:50,960 --> 00:18:52,560
<font color="

302
00:18:52,560 --> 00:18:54,440
No, you don't understand!

303
00:18:54,440 --> 00:18:56,360
If the next attack of this illness

304
00:18:56,360 --> 00:18:58,440
is to prove more serious,

305
00:18:58,440 --> 00:19:01,360
my country must be protected.

306
00:19:01,360 --> 00:19:02,880
Do you all understand?

307
00:19:02,880 --> 00:19:04,800
Yes, Your Grace.

308
00:19:08,160 --> 00:19:12,680
There is a common conception
<font color="

309
00:19:12,680 --> 00:19:15,120
was always suffering
from mental illness,

310
00:19:15,120 --> 00:19:16,360
and it isn't the case.

311
00:19:16,360 --> 00:19:19,240
That's a short bout of being unwell.

312
00:19:19,240 --> 00:19:20,760
This was a very short illness.

313
00:19:20,760 --> 00:19:24,200
He did recover quickly
and the act was then repealed.

314
00:19:24,200 --> 00:19:27,000
<font color="
is the immediate panic

315
00:19:27,000 --> 00:19:28,960
that this particular incident
caused,

316
00:19:28,960 --> 00:19:31,120
even though it was
quite short lasting.

317
00:19:31,120 --> 00:19:36,120
His first bout of illness
actually results in a huge rise

318
00:19:36,120 --> 00:19:37,720
in public support.

319
00:19:37,720 --> 00:19:41,520
<font color="
this illness and he survives,

320
00:19:41,520 --> 00:19:46,840
it's really important to kind
of how he's sort of perceived

321
00:19:46,840 --> 00:19:50,480
across the breadth
of the British public.

322
00:19:55,320 --> 00:20:00,240
But just as soon as George stages
a recovery, political disaster

323
00:20:00,240 --> 00:20:05,200
is looming, not at home,
but in Britain's colonies in America.

324
00:20:07,040 --> 00:20:11,240
<font color="
of Britain's wealth lies

325
00:20:11,240 --> 00:20:14,200
in this relationship with
North America and all the goods

326
00:20:14,200 --> 00:20:15,960
that can come from there.

327
00:20:15,960 --> 00:20:18,560
MADELEINE PELLING: But they feel
that they ought to have the right

328
00:20:18,560 --> 00:20:21,280
to govern themselves, and that
<font color="

329
00:20:21,280 --> 00:20:23,560
who is out of touch
with their needs,

330
00:20:23,560 --> 00:20:26,280
with the environment
they live and work in.

331
00:20:26,280 --> 00:20:28,200
From George III's perspective,

332
00:20:28,200 --> 00:20:31,040
the Americans are sort
of being unruly children.

333
00:20:31,040 --> 00:20:34,280
They're rising up against
<font color="

334
00:20:36,600 --> 00:20:39,880
The American colonies
are starting to grow restless

335
00:20:39,880 --> 00:20:41,840
over their lack of autonomy.

336
00:20:41,840 --> 00:20:44,360
But rather than take this
into account,

337
00:20:44,360 --> 00:20:46,120
George takes a roll of the dice

338
00:20:46,120 --> 00:20:50,520
that would prove fatal to Britain's
relationship with those colonies.

339
00:20:52,320 --> 00:20:54,760
He increases taxes in America

340
00:20:54,760 --> 00:20:58,200
to help pay for public spending
in Britain.

341
00:21:00,640 --> 00:21:03,200
There's a series of policies
that are brought in

342
00:21:03,200 --> 00:21:05,040
<font color="

343
00:21:05,040 --> 00:21:09,960
The real frustration
is that Parliament has decided not

344
00:21:09,960 --> 00:21:13,880
to tax British citizens
in mainland Britain,

345
00:21:13,880 --> 00:21:17,720
and they offload that
financial burden to the colonists.

346
00:21:17,720 --> 00:21:20,160
The Americans say,
<font color="

347
00:21:20,160 --> 00:21:23,960
"if you don't
give us representation."

348
00:21:23,960 --> 00:21:26,720
And they're essentially the same
as British people.

349
00:21:26,720 --> 00:21:31,560
"Why are we getting taxed
for no reason?"

350
00:21:31,560 --> 00:21:35,320
There's growing resentment
towards Britain, and specifically

351
00:21:35,320 --> 00:21:37,160
<font color="

352
00:21:37,160 --> 00:21:41,320
who's painted as a tyrant,
ruling this colony from afar,

353
00:21:41,320 --> 00:21:44,600
without any real care
for the difficulty that people

354
00:21:44,600 --> 00:21:46,080
there might be facing.

355
00:21:46,080 --> 00:21:49,040
That's when the cracks begin
to show.

356
00:21:49,040 --> 00:21:52,520
The great surprise

357
00:21:52,520 --> 00:21:55,120
<font color="
that relationship deteriorates.

358
00:21:56,960 --> 00:22:02,040
The taxing of the American colonies
is the catalyst that brings about

359
00:22:02,040 --> 00:22:05,120
one of history's
most famous acts of rebellion.

360
00:22:06,520 --> 00:22:08,200
There were opportunities
to back out,

361
00:22:08,200 --> 00:22:09,520
but neither side was going to.

362
00:22:09,520 --> 00:22:11,760
At that point, there was only
<font color="

363
00:22:11,760 --> 00:22:15,360
These are the fuse boxes
for what then becomes

364
00:22:15,360 --> 00:22:17,400
the American War of Independence.

365
00:22:17,400 --> 00:22:19,240
So uprisings start happening.

366
00:22:19,240 --> 00:22:24,520
What Britain has to do to try
and keep control of the Americas

367
00:22:24,520 --> 00:22:29,960
is send military forces
<font color="

368
00:22:29,960 --> 00:22:33,960
the Americans in military conflict,
in physical battles.

369
00:22:35,640 --> 00:22:39,800
By 1775, Britain and America
are at war.

370
00:22:42,280 --> 00:22:46,960
In terms of George's third role
in this, you know, no monarch

371
00:22:46,960 --> 00:22:49,520
is going to want to lose
his colonies.

372
00:22:49,520 --> 00:22:54,120
<font color="
like a previous George,

373
00:22:54,120 --> 00:22:58,840
but he is in lots of ways
more engaged.

374
00:22:58,840 --> 00:23:02,000
(THEY SPEAK INDISTINCTLY)

375
00:23:08,560 --> 00:23:10,920
What are the updates
on our troops in the north?

376
00:23:12,400 --> 00:23:16,880
Washington has prevented a breakout
in New York City,

377
00:23:16,880 --> 00:23:20,600
<font color="
have conquered western Quebec.

378
00:23:22,240 --> 00:23:23,880
And our response?

379
00:23:23,880 --> 00:23:27,920
The winter has slowed proceedings
to a snail's pace.

380
00:23:27,920 --> 00:23:30,080
It is a stalemate, Your Grace.

381
00:23:31,200 --> 00:23:32,360
Stalemate.

382
00:23:34,120 --> 00:23:35,640
And the south?

383
00:23:35,640 --> 00:23:39,440
The colonial forces
<font color="

384
00:23:39,440 --> 00:23:41,840
and underequipped.

385
00:23:41,840 --> 00:23:44,480
I need accurate numbers
on all of our troops.

386
00:23:44,480 --> 00:23:46,120
How much provisions they need?

387
00:23:46,120 --> 00:23:49,640
Food, supplies, ammunition.

388
00:23:49,640 --> 00:23:52,720
If we are to win this war, we need
a full picture of what is happening

389
00:23:52,720 --> 00:23:54,040
<font color="

390
00:23:55,200 --> 00:23:57,560
And we ARE going to win this war.

391
00:24:02,600 --> 00:24:07,960
Despite George's determination,
British forces do not overpower

392
00:24:07,960 --> 00:24:12,560
the fired up American troops,
leading to one of the nation's

393
00:24:12,560 --> 00:24:15,600
most significant historical defeats.

394
00:24:18,400 --> 00:24:22,680
That arguably the kind of
most modern military of the day

395
00:24:22,680 --> 00:24:26,720
can't secure victory
is a real shock.

396
00:24:26,720 --> 00:24:31,800
<font color="
of the British in order to create

397
00:24:31,800 --> 00:24:35,840
a government for their own nation.

398
00:24:35,840 --> 00:24:39,640
And on a global playing field,

399
00:24:39,640 --> 00:24:42,360
Britain is seen as weak
by other people

400
00:24:42,360 --> 00:24:45,520
because they couldn't retain
what they owned.

401
00:24:47,680 --> 00:24:51,720
<font color="
had spent 100 years or so

402
00:24:51,720 --> 00:24:54,400
laying their foundations in
are lost,

403
00:24:54,400 --> 00:24:59,280
and George actually writes
the words "America is lost"
in his journal.

404
00:25:06,640 --> 00:25:09,720
There is a huge kind
of public disappointment,

405
00:25:09,720 --> 00:25:12,840
<font color="
at the loss of the Americas.

406
00:25:12,840 --> 00:25:16,600
To lose, that, it's not just
an economic failure,

407
00:25:16,600 --> 00:25:18,760
not just a political failure,

408
00:25:18,760 --> 00:25:21,480
but also a psychological one
for George III,

409
00:25:21,480 --> 00:25:24,720
because he then has
to situate himself

410
00:25:24,720 --> 00:25:27,240
<font color="

411
00:25:27,240 --> 00:25:29,240
as the one who lost.

412
00:25:31,360 --> 00:25:36,200
With Britain both defeated
and globally humiliated,

413
00:25:36,200 --> 00:25:39,080
George hits rock bottom.

414
00:25:39,080 --> 00:25:43,560
Such is the depth of his despair
that the King even comes close

415
00:25:43,560 --> 00:25:45,320
to throwing in the towel.

416
00:25:48,840 --> 00:25:52,160
He even considers
giving up the Crown,

417
00:25:52,160 --> 00:25:54,320
considering abdicating.

418
00:25:54,320 --> 00:25:57,160
<font color="

419
00:25:57,160 --> 00:26:00,640
His responsibility
is the British Empire.

420
00:26:00,640 --> 00:26:03,920
Any loss of that
is a personal loss,

421
00:26:03,920 --> 00:26:07,280
and that must have had
a massive impact.

422
00:26:13,760 --> 00:26:19,280
And for him to lose America
is a huge blow that arguably, um,

423
00:26:19,280 --> 00:26:22,880
<font color="
and mental health as much

424
00:26:22,880 --> 00:26:24,320
as his political health.

425
00:26:24,320 --> 00:26:29,120
The long term impact is a kind
of refocusing, and a kind of

426
00:26:29,120 --> 00:26:32,640
reconstituting of perhaps
what it means to be British

427
00:26:32,640 --> 00:26:35,840
in the aftermath of
<font color="

428
00:26:37,360 --> 00:26:41,880
To rebuild Britain's reputation
and his own popularity

429
00:26:41,880 --> 00:26:45,720
amongst his subjects, George turns
to the one thing he thinks

430
00:26:45,720 --> 00:26:49,080
he can count on - family.

431
00:26:49,080 --> 00:26:51,200
DR VICKY RANDALL: For George III,

432
00:26:51,200 --> 00:26:54,280
he has a new level of scrutiny

433
00:26:54,280 --> 00:26:56,160
on him at that very time,

434
00:26:56,160 --> 00:26:59,200
which no previous monarch
<font color="

435
00:26:59,200 --> 00:27:01,400
He invests really heavily
in how he's perceived

436
00:27:01,400 --> 00:27:02,960
and how his family are perceived.

437
00:27:02,960 --> 00:27:06,400
So I think the way in which
George starts to position himself

438
00:27:06,400 --> 00:27:10,240
as a sort of...much more
as a kind of family man,

439
00:27:10,240 --> 00:27:16,200
<font color="
you know, visceral reaction

440
00:27:16,200 --> 00:27:19,440
and response to
an unprecedented humiliation

441
00:27:19,440 --> 00:27:22,000
on a global stage.

442
00:27:23,720 --> 00:27:25,200
It is this narrative

443
00:27:25,200 --> 00:27:30,320
George III tries to encourage
everyone in the family to uphold,

444
00:27:30,320 --> 00:27:34,800
but his often excessive
and reckless first born young George

445
00:27:34,800 --> 00:27:36,840
needs more convincing.

446
00:27:39,000 --> 00:27:41,200
<font color="

447
00:27:42,440 --> 00:27:43,520
Pray tell.

448
00:27:44,720 --> 00:27:49,640
I heard that you enjoy the company
of drunkards and gamblers.

449
00:27:50,720 --> 00:27:53,080
And that he also had been
cavorting with those

450
00:27:53,080 --> 00:27:56,000
who have dubbed me a tyrant.

451
00:27:56,000 --> 00:27:58,240
Have you called me here
to chastise me

452
00:27:58,240 --> 00:28:00,400
<font color="

453
00:28:00,400 --> 00:28:03,360
No, but we must not be governed
by our own desires,

454
00:28:03,360 --> 00:28:06,640
but our sense of duty
to our great country.

455
00:28:06,640 --> 00:28:11,840
As such, we must regulate
both our public and private life.

456
00:28:13,160 --> 00:28:16,320
Why should this great country care

457
00:28:16,320 --> 00:28:18,520
<font color="

458
00:28:18,520 --> 00:28:22,440
Because if you've been already
condemned by the people,

459
00:28:22,440 --> 00:28:27,120
Parliament will not help you
to achieve your aims.

460
00:28:27,120 --> 00:28:31,600
Whether you care or not,
what they think of you matters.

461
00:28:34,440 --> 00:28:37,880
As soon you understand that,
<font color="

462
00:28:37,880 --> 00:28:41,720
But it isn't just Prince George
who is reluctant to stick

463
00:28:41,720 --> 00:28:45,840
to the rules
of his father's PR campaign.

464
00:28:45,840 --> 00:28:50,280
George is really having to manage
the family image when,

465
00:28:50,280 --> 00:28:53,760
behind the scenes,
it's a little bit of chaos.

466
00:28:53,760 --> 00:28:57,920
His siblings weren't necessarily
following in his footsteps.

467
00:28:57,920 --> 00:29:00,800
<font color="

468
00:29:00,800 --> 00:29:03,800
was known as something
of an adulterer.

469
00:29:03,800 --> 00:29:07,040
He got into a dispute with
Lord Grosvenor because he was caught

470
00:29:07,040 --> 00:29:10,440
in bed with his wife,
Lady Grosvenor,

471
00:29:10,440 --> 00:29:13,720
and ended up having to give him
around £10,000,

472
00:29:13,720 --> 00:29:17,520
<font color="
compensation in today's money.

473
00:29:19,320 --> 00:29:24,120
And Henry isn't the only sibling
disobeying George's rules.

474
00:29:26,000 --> 00:29:29,080
His littlest sister was called
Caroline Matilda.

475
00:29:30,520 --> 00:29:35,920
She was married to
the future Christian VII of Denmark.

476
00:29:35,920 --> 00:29:40,200
He had a royal physician called
<font color="

477
00:29:40,200 --> 00:29:42,760
and she fell in love with
this amazing man

478
00:29:42,760 --> 00:29:44,840
because he was a man
of the enlightenment,

479
00:29:44,840 --> 00:29:49,280
and so they struck up a relationship
and got caught out.

480
00:29:49,280 --> 00:29:51,040
Doctor Struensee was executed.

481
00:29:51,040 --> 00:29:56,280
She was divorced and exiled
<font color="

482
00:29:56,280 --> 00:29:58,600
never having seen her children
ever again.

483
00:29:58,600 --> 00:30:01,640
It's effectively sort of egg
on the face of George

484
00:30:01,640 --> 00:30:06,040
and Charlotte, who are trying
to keep this extremely moral,

485
00:30:06,040 --> 00:30:08,920
careful, regulated court.

486
00:30:11,240 --> 00:30:13,760
To bring the royal family to order,

487
00:30:13,760 --> 00:30:16,520
George III seeks the help
of Parliament

488
00:30:16,520 --> 00:30:19,360
and the Royal Marriage Act
is introduced.

489
00:30:20,920 --> 00:30:24,040
Any descendant of George III
had to get permission

490
00:30:24,040 --> 00:30:25,760
from the monarch to marry.

491
00:30:25,760 --> 00:30:31,280
This was George III's way
of trying to control who was able

492
00:30:31,280 --> 00:30:33,400
to marry into the royal family.

493
00:30:34,640 --> 00:30:38,360
But the challenges of George's reign
are beginning to take

494
00:30:38,360 --> 00:30:39,880
a psychological toll.

495
00:30:42,280 --> 00:30:44,000
I think that he found
that very hard,

496
00:30:44,000 --> 00:30:46,880
and I think it deeply impacted
his mental health

497
00:30:46,880 --> 00:30:52,040
and made him spiral
a little more quickly, perhaps.

498
00:30:53,800 --> 00:30:58,240
Then a family catastrophe
exposes the true severity

499
00:30:58,240 --> 00:30:59,920
of George's illness.

500
00:31:01,240 --> 00:31:05,560
In the 1780s, he loses two
<font color="

501
00:31:05,560 --> 00:31:07,800
called Alfred and Octavius...

502
00:31:07,800 --> 00:31:10,840
MADELEINE PELLING: ..who are one
and four, when they die.

503
00:31:10,840 --> 00:31:13,760
They die after smallpox inoculation,

504
00:31:13,760 --> 00:31:17,000
and he's so hard hit

505
00:31:17,000 --> 00:31:18,880
by the deaths
of these two little boys

506
00:31:18,880 --> 00:31:20,920
<font color="

507
00:31:20,920 --> 00:31:24,320
He thinks that they're still alive,
and he's caught,

508
00:31:24,320 --> 00:31:26,920
like, having conversations
with his sons.

509
00:31:26,920 --> 00:31:28,800
And when he comes to again,

510
00:31:28,800 --> 00:31:31,520
he remembers that they are dead
all over again.

511
00:31:34,240 --> 00:31:37,480
<font color="

512
00:31:40,760 --> 00:31:42,440
Octavius, my son.

513
00:31:44,120 --> 00:31:48,480
You'll grow up to be
a fine young man, I'm sure of it.

514
00:31:59,880 --> 00:32:01,160
Now...

515
00:32:03,240 --> 00:32:07,200
..let me tell you about the time
when I met your mother.

516
00:32:08,560 --> 00:32:12,920
No, no, no. Hie. We'll tell him.

517
00:32:16,040 --> 00:32:17,600
It's a lovely story.

518
00:32:23,320 --> 00:32:27,400
George's hallucinations
mark the beginning of a prolonged

519
00:32:27,400 --> 00:32:29,800
and severe bout of mental illness.

520
00:32:31,000 --> 00:32:35,640
He goes through a long extended
period of, you know, about - what? -

521
00:32:35,640 --> 00:32:37,400
six months, I suppose.

522
00:32:37,400 --> 00:32:43,840
Delusions of paranoia, of violence,
of absolute nonstop talking.

523
00:32:43,840 --> 00:32:48,160
And it's these kinds of elements
<font color="

524
00:32:48,160 --> 00:32:51,720
or insanity
that really characterise this

525
00:32:51,720 --> 00:32:55,440
as much more of the madness
of King George.

526
00:32:55,440 --> 00:32:58,280
They bring in mad doctors
to deal with him.

527
00:32:58,280 --> 00:33:00,680
It's quite a horrendous situation.

528
00:33:00,680 --> 00:33:03,280
And so they're trying
<font color="

529
00:33:03,280 --> 00:33:06,400
his mental illness,
but they didn't truly understand it,

530
00:33:06,400 --> 00:33:08,440
so it was almost impossible for them
to do it.

531
00:33:10,640 --> 00:33:16,080
And that means subjecting the King
to a variety of brutal treatments,

532
00:33:16,080 --> 00:33:20,800
ones his devoted wife, Charlotte,
had to watch him suffer through.

533
00:33:21,840 --> 00:33:26,040
King George III
<font color="

534
00:33:26,040 --> 00:33:28,560
He is bled repeatedly.

535
00:33:28,560 --> 00:33:30,360
He was put into straitjackets.

536
00:33:30,360 --> 00:33:33,160
Treatments that, of course,
in his delirious state,

537
00:33:33,160 --> 00:33:34,840
he cannot understand.

538
00:33:34,840 --> 00:33:36,040
It was never going to cure him

539
00:33:36,040 --> 00:33:37,960
and actually did more harm
than good.

540
00:33:37,960 --> 00:33:41,960
<font color="
a terrible time.

541
00:33:43,960 --> 00:33:48,440
Nevertheless, and no thanks to months
of quack treatments,

542
00:33:48,440 --> 00:33:50,080
George makes a recovery...

543
00:33:52,640 --> 00:33:57,280
..but only in time for trouble
to loom from just over the channel,

544
00:33:57,280 --> 00:34:00,960
in France,
where revolution is brewing.

545
00:34:04,280 --> 00:34:07,920
As we enter into
the later 18th century,

546
00:34:07,920 --> 00:34:09,600
we begin to see

547
00:34:09,600 --> 00:34:14,520
<font color="
the uncontested power of kings.

548
00:34:14,520 --> 00:34:17,800
Already, the power of kings
in England is limited,

549
00:34:17,800 --> 00:34:20,560
but on the continent
this has begun to shift.

550
00:34:20,560 --> 00:34:23,280
By 1788,

551
00:34:23,280 --> 00:34:30,720
France as a state is unable
to function because the levels

552
00:34:30,720 --> 00:34:33,400
<font color="

553
00:34:33,400 --> 00:34:35,840
You have the first estate,
which is the clergy,

554
00:34:35,840 --> 00:34:37,800
the second estate,
which is the nobility,

555
00:34:37,800 --> 00:34:41,080
and the third estate,
which is everyone else.

556
00:34:41,080 --> 00:34:42,760
All of the money is held

557
00:34:42,760 --> 00:34:46,160
by the first and second estates,
<font color="

558
00:34:46,160 --> 00:34:49,120
and the third estate
pay all of the tax.

559
00:34:50,560 --> 00:34:52,160
Marie Antoinette and King Louis XVI

560
00:34:52,160 --> 00:34:56,280
both got this reputation
of being, um, these big spenders

561
00:34:56,280 --> 00:34:57,920
and being really out of touch.

562
00:34:57,920 --> 00:35:00,600
AMY FROST: This utter inequality

563
00:35:00,600 --> 00:35:04,480
<font color="
to change those rules

564
00:35:04,480 --> 00:35:06,480
led to the solution.

565
00:35:06,480 --> 00:35:10,560
And the solution is just to remove
those people entirely.

566
00:35:10,560 --> 00:35:14,280
At that point,
the revolution takes off.

567
00:35:14,280 --> 00:35:18,240
The French Revolution begins
with the storming of the Bastille,

568
00:35:18,240 --> 00:35:19,880
<font color="

569
00:35:19,880 --> 00:35:24,000
Which leads to the execution
of King Louis and his wife

570
00:35:24,000 --> 00:35:28,080
Marie Antoinette, and ultimately
the end of the monarchy.

571
00:35:30,520 --> 00:35:32,240
The impact of the French Revolution

572
00:35:32,240 --> 00:35:36,200
is to create these fears in Britain

573
00:35:36,200 --> 00:35:39,800
that the revolutionary fervour
<font color="

574
00:35:39,800 --> 00:35:41,200
There is a very keen sense

575
00:35:41,200 --> 00:35:43,680
that this is not
very far away from home.

576
00:35:43,680 --> 00:35:46,760
That revolution in France
was terrifying.

577
00:35:46,760 --> 00:35:49,280
For George, that fear,
that terror,

578
00:35:49,280 --> 00:35:55,000
is that another king,
<font color="

579
00:35:55,000 --> 00:35:58,640
And if it can happen to that king,
then it can happen to George.

580
00:36:01,680 --> 00:36:06,480
This fear is only intensified
when French revolutionaries decide

581
00:36:06,480 --> 00:36:11,200
that reform in their own country
alone isn't enough.

582
00:36:12,600 --> 00:36:16,120
What the new French Republic
tries to do

583
00:36:16,120 --> 00:36:17,560
is export the revolution

584
00:36:17,560 --> 00:36:19,880
<font color="

585
00:36:19,880 --> 00:36:22,960
which is essentially
a declaration of war

586
00:36:22,960 --> 00:36:25,080
on any constitutional monarchy.

587
00:36:25,080 --> 00:36:29,280
So France declares war
on Britain in 1793.

588
00:36:32,720 --> 00:36:36,960
Never before has Britain, indeed,
the monarchy itself,

589
00:36:36,960 --> 00:36:40,120
been so in need of a strong
and stable king

590
00:36:40,120 --> 00:36:43,040
to lead them through this conflict.

591
00:36:43,040 --> 00:36:46,400
But George suffers
another personal loss,

592
00:36:46,400 --> 00:36:51,120
which triggers his final
and most extreme bout of illness,

593
00:36:51,120 --> 00:36:53,680
one from which he never recovers.

594
00:36:57,600 --> 00:37:00,560
His favourite daughter
is Princess Amelia

595
00:37:00,560 --> 00:37:02,840
and Princess Amelia

596
00:37:02,840 --> 00:37:06,400
is suffering possibly
from tuberculosis.

597
00:37:08,920 --> 00:37:14,680
She died very slowly and painfully,
<font color="

598
00:37:14,680 --> 00:37:17,400
and they both declined together.

599
00:37:17,400 --> 00:37:20,680
That seems to be
the final triggering point

600
00:37:20,680 --> 00:37:24,920
that precipitates him
into this final period

601
00:37:24,920 --> 00:37:28,040
of manic depression, madness,
dementia.

602
00:37:33,360 --> 00:37:35,000
Pardon me, Your Majesty.

603
00:37:35,000 --> 00:37:38,240
<font color="
that you needed my attention.

604
00:37:38,240 --> 00:37:41,360
Not now! You're interrupting
a private conversation.

605
00:37:41,360 --> 00:37:43,920
Who is it you're talking to, sire?

606
00:37:46,040 --> 00:37:47,200
Are you blind?

607
00:37:48,680 --> 00:37:51,120
I'm talking to my daughter.

608
00:37:53,280 --> 00:37:55,400
Your daughter?

609
00:37:55,400 --> 00:37:57,240
Princess Amelia.

610
00:38:01,120 --> 00:38:04,320
<font color="

611
00:38:09,280 --> 00:38:10,680
I know.

612
00:38:11,680 --> 00:38:13,920
I'm telling her about her funeral.

613
00:38:18,800 --> 00:38:20,680
His last public appearance,

614
00:38:20,680 --> 00:38:24,920
the symptoms of insanity
were very obvious.

615
00:38:24,920 --> 00:38:28,440
So he did not appear in public again
after that point.

616
00:38:28,440 --> 00:38:33,560
The minute that he is no longer able
<font color="

617
00:38:33,560 --> 00:38:36,520
of being a figurehead, let alone
have any contribution towards it,

618
00:38:36,520 --> 00:38:40,440
the reliance on those
military leaders, those tacticians,

619
00:38:40,440 --> 00:38:43,880
those advisers, all of the people
in Parliament that are actually

620
00:38:43,880 --> 00:38:48,880
the people running the British side
<font color="

621
00:38:48,880 --> 00:38:51,840
George III isn't aware of any of it.

622
00:38:53,360 --> 00:38:58,000
Given the country's desperate need
for a stable ruler, the decision

623
00:38:58,000 --> 00:39:03,120
is finally made that King George III
is officially unfit to rule.

624
00:39:04,680 --> 00:39:08,320
The Regency Act
is set into motion immediately.

625
00:39:09,560 --> 00:39:11,040
The workings of government

626
00:39:11,040 --> 00:39:12,360
had been prepared

627
00:39:12,360 --> 00:39:13,880
for this eventuality after

628
00:39:13,880 --> 00:39:15,760
<font color="

629
00:39:15,760 --> 00:39:20,440
and they moved very quickly
to appoint George IV

630
00:39:20,440 --> 00:39:21,560
as the Prince Regent.

631
00:39:23,400 --> 00:39:26,920
Prince George was very excited
to become the Regent.

632
00:39:26,920 --> 00:39:30,760
He was a king in waiting
and he wanted more power,

633
00:39:30,760 --> 00:39:33,560
<font color="
and he desperately wanted

634
00:39:33,560 --> 00:39:35,320
to be in charge.

635
00:39:38,080 --> 00:39:41,600
Due to the King's health,
we are authorised,

636
00:39:41,600 --> 00:39:44,160
as per the terms of the Regency Act,

637
00:39:44,160 --> 00:39:49,040
to name you Prince Regent
in his stead.

638
00:39:49,040 --> 00:39:50,880
Fetch me a bottle of brandy!

639
00:39:50,880 --> 00:39:52,640
<font color="

640
00:39:52,640 --> 00:39:55,520
We must celebrate.
Celebrate?

641
00:39:55,520 --> 00:39:59,120
Of course. I want a banquet for...

642
00:39:59,120 --> 00:40:02,280
..a party thrown in my honour.

643
00:40:04,560 --> 00:40:08,560
Prince George acts as Regent
for nine years,

644
00:40:08,560 --> 00:40:12,160
a period in which the war
with France comes to an end,

645
00:40:12,160 --> 00:40:16,280
with Britain victorious
at the Battle of Waterloo.

646
00:40:16,280 --> 00:40:20,840
All the while, his father,
now having lost almost all grip

647
00:40:20,840 --> 00:40:25,720
on reality, lives out the tortuous,
tragic final years

648
00:40:25,720 --> 00:40:27,600
of his life in isolation.

649
00:40:27,600 --> 00:40:30,200
(GEORGE III LAUGHS MANICALLY)

650
00:40:30,200 --> 00:40:33,080
Despite their loyal
and loving marriage,

651
00:40:33,080 --> 00:40:36,680
George and Charlotte's
life together ends in heartache.

652
00:40:38,520 --> 00:40:43,520
Charlotte spends her final years
watching her husband deteriorate,

653
00:40:43,520 --> 00:40:47,440
so much so that he forgets
who she is entirely.

654
00:40:48,960 --> 00:40:51,400
He didn't know that
Queen Charlotte had died.

655
00:40:55,560 --> 00:40:58,880
<font color="
he just had no comprehension

656
00:40:58,880 --> 00:41:00,080
at this point,

657
00:41:00,080 --> 00:41:03,200
It was much, much more serious
and much more sustained.

658
00:41:05,600 --> 00:41:09,720
Despite nearly a decade hidden away
from his people,

659
00:41:09,720 --> 00:41:12,560
and plagued by the depths
of his suffering,

660
00:41:12,560 --> 00:41:15,760
George III's death in 1820

661
00:41:15,760 --> 00:41:18,240
marks the end of what
still remains today

662
00:41:18,240 --> 00:41:22,840
the longest rule of any male monarch
in British history.

663
00:41:31,760 --> 00:41:35,480
The great tragedy of George III is,

664
00:41:35,480 --> 00:41:39,040
when he ascends to the throne,
he's 22,

665
00:41:39,040 --> 00:41:44,520
he is young, he is vibrant,
he is intelligent,

666
00:41:44,520 --> 00:41:48,720
he is charismatic,
he is, you know, everything,

667
00:41:48,720 --> 00:41:52,360
if you wanted to kind of
<font color="

668
00:41:52,360 --> 00:41:55,280
in people's minds,
people would have wanted.

669
00:41:55,280 --> 00:41:58,320
And there is this kind of vitality.

670
00:41:58,320 --> 00:42:02,080
And at the end of his reign,
when he's in his 80s,

671
00:42:02,080 --> 00:42:04,920
you have this really tragic
kind of ending.

672
00:42:04,920 --> 00:42:09,760
<font color="
all of that vitality,

673
00:42:09,760 --> 00:42:11,840
all of that physical health,

674
00:42:11,840 --> 00:42:16,840
just being removed,
and having a figure or an idea

675
00:42:16,840 --> 00:42:20,720
of a figure who is dependent
entirely on other people.

676
00:42:20,720 --> 00:42:25,520
He cannot protect his people
<font color="

677
00:42:25,520 --> 00:42:27,320
on other people.

678
00:42:27,320 --> 00:42:30,240
George II's reign has been
overshadowed by his madness,

679
00:42:30,240 --> 00:42:33,600
because it was so shocking
at the time to have a monarch

680
00:42:33,600 --> 00:42:34,920
unable to rule,

681
00:42:34,920 --> 00:42:38,000
and I think, as a result, it really
<font color="

682
00:42:38,000 --> 00:42:40,080
and which is why
we still remember it today.

683
00:42:40,080 --> 00:42:43,160
But George's reign was so much more
than his madness.

684
00:42:43,160 --> 00:42:47,160
What George III offers throughout
that period is continuity,

685
00:42:47,160 --> 00:42:52,760
and I think also what he
<font color="

686
00:42:52,760 --> 00:42:57,200
is that, for the monarchy to endure,
for the monarchy to survive,

687
00:42:57,200 --> 00:43:00,800
it has to kind of modernise,
it has to shift,

688
00:43:00,800 --> 00:43:04,360
it has to evolve over time.

689
00:43:04,360 --> 00:43:08,600
It's the period and the moment

690
00:43:08,600 --> 00:43:11,600
in which the foundations of,
<font color="

691
00:43:11,600 --> 00:43:14,080
I would argue kind of all forms
of modern life

692
00:43:14,080 --> 00:43:19,280
are thought through and tested
and trialled for the first time.

693
00:43:21,040 --> 00:43:25,240
A monarch's legacy is rarely
easily defined,

694
00:43:25,240 --> 00:43:26,680
but for George III,

695
00:43:26,680 --> 00:43:30,520
a monarch who wanted nothing more
than to succeed,

696
00:43:30,520 --> 00:43:35,480
but who faced such profound personal
and public hardship,

697
00:43:35,480 --> 00:43:39,360
the success of his reign
is more difficult to measure.

698
00:43:41,840 --> 00:43:44,960
Whilst he may be remembered
for his madness,

699
00:43:44,960 --> 00:43:47,360
the changes George oversaw

700
00:43:47,360 --> 00:43:51,720
and the virtues he had held so dear
since the beginning of his reign,

701
00:43:51,720 --> 00:43:57,200
undeniably changed Britain
and kept him in the public's favour.