1
00:00:01,840 --> 00:00:06,960
Ruling for just 10 short years,
George IV is the Hanoverian dynasty's

2
00:00:06,960 --> 00:00:08,960
party prince...

3
00:00:10,160 --> 00:00:13,920
..the polar opposite
of his patriotic, dutiful father.

4
00:00:15,160 --> 00:00:18,920
Talented and clever,
but shallow at heart,

5
00:00:18,920 --> 00:00:23,000
he dedicates much of his life
to the pursuit of pleasure.

6
00:00:24,360 --> 00:00:29,080
Displaying a gargantuan appetite
for wine and women,

7
00:00:29,080 --> 00:00:32,640
and racking up extraordinary debts,

8
00:00:32,640 --> 00:00:35,960
his life is synonymous
with excess and decadence.

9
00:00:37,520 --> 00:00:41,600
A man with time on his hands
to become a monster.

10
00:00:43,720 --> 00:00:47,800
He dies obese, alcoholic
and a drug addict.

11
00:00:50,200 --> 00:00:54,560
His brief reign marks the end
of the Georgian era.

12
00:00:57,000 --> 00:00:58,240
So, what went wrong?

13
00:01:10,320 --> 00:01:14,720
George Augustus Frederick is born
on 12 August 1762.

14
00:01:16,760 --> 00:01:22,600
Wild from a very young age, George's
rebel ways aren't for lack of love

15
00:01:22,600 --> 00:01:23,800
from his parents.

16
00:01:25,960 --> 00:01:28,320
King George III and Queen Charlotte

17
00:01:28,320 --> 00:01:30,400
actually had their first child

18
00:01:30,400 --> 00:01:31,840
very early on in their marriage,

19
00:01:31,840 --> 00:01:35,000
and they were delighted
<font color="

20
00:01:35,000 --> 00:01:38,240
They were actually,
for a king and queen at that time,

21
00:01:38,240 --> 00:01:40,480
quite maternal and paternal.

22
00:01:42,760 --> 00:01:45,160
He's the absolute favourite
of his mother.

23
00:01:45,160 --> 00:01:47,840
She describes him as looking
like a little angel.

24
00:01:47,840 --> 00:01:50,880
She commissions endless
<font color="

25
00:01:50,880 --> 00:01:53,880
and, unfortunately
for little George,

26
00:01:53,880 --> 00:01:55,400
no-one says no to him,

27
00:01:55,400 --> 00:01:58,960
and this is a problem
that will continue

28
00:01:58,960 --> 00:02:01,560
throughout his life.

29
00:02:01,560 --> 00:02:06,000
Despite George III's ongoing
mental illness that would eventually

30
00:02:06,000 --> 00:02:08,440
see him removed from the throne,

31
00:02:08,440 --> 00:02:11,400
the King's patriotism and dedication

32
00:02:11,400 --> 00:02:16,160
had won over the British people
and secured the Hanoverian dynasty.

33
00:02:18,080 --> 00:02:23,440
He's determined to make sure his son
grows up to be just as dutiful,

34
00:02:23,440 --> 00:02:26,920
with an emphasis being placed
on Christian piety.

35
00:02:29,320 --> 00:02:32,920
This begins with Prince George's
education.

36
00:02:32,920 --> 00:02:35,680
(CLOCK TICKS)

37
00:02:35,680 --> 00:02:40,120
He is a bright student,
but lacks focus and interest,

38
00:02:40,120 --> 00:02:43,480
much to the dismay
of his teachers and father.

39
00:02:45,360 --> 00:02:49,080
A lot of his tutors really struggle
<font color="

40
00:02:49,080 --> 00:02:52,840
They certainly try and he, you know,
often gives them the run-around.

41
00:02:52,840 --> 00:02:57,000
But when he shows a bit of laziness
or he shows a little bit

42
00:02:57,000 --> 00:03:00,400
of irritability,
his father has him whipped.

43
00:03:00,400 --> 00:03:01,600
Severely whipped.

44
00:03:01,600 --> 00:03:03,520
<font color="

45
00:03:03,520 --> 00:03:06,440
His sister recalls
seeing George whipped,

46
00:03:06,440 --> 00:03:08,040
as she says, like a dog.

47
00:03:10,040 --> 00:03:15,080
But the King's punitive measures
spectacularly backfire.

48
00:03:18,440 --> 00:03:21,480
The young prince rebels
against his father's

49
00:03:21,480 --> 00:03:23,160
strict moral code.

50
00:03:23,160 --> 00:03:28,440
For George, the sole point of life
is the pursuit of pleasure,

51
00:03:28,440 --> 00:03:29,720
in all its forms.

52
00:03:32,440 --> 00:03:38,600
He embarks on this career of sexual
<font color="

53
00:03:38,600 --> 00:03:41,440
and women flock around him.

54
00:03:43,800 --> 00:03:46,720
By the time he's 16, 17,

55
00:03:46,720 --> 00:03:48,960
he's a notorious drunkard.

56
00:03:48,960 --> 00:03:52,160
He's already sleeping
with various mistresses.

57
00:03:52,160 --> 00:03:54,040
He's exceeding his allowance.

58
00:03:54,040 --> 00:03:57,040
All of this, at some level,
<font color="

59
00:03:57,040 --> 00:03:59,800
But there is also an element,
I think, of,

60
00:03:59,800 --> 00:04:03,040
"And this is really going
to push back at my dad."

61
00:04:09,960 --> 00:04:14,120
One of George's first passions
is for a well-known actress,

62
00:04:14,120 --> 00:04:16,160
Mary Darby Robinson.

63
00:04:16,160 --> 00:04:20,600
The fact she is already married
only increases her attraction.

64
00:04:21,920 --> 00:04:24,840
Mary initially rejects his advances,

65
00:04:24,840 --> 00:04:28,080
but George refuses
to take no for an answer.

66
00:04:30,440 --> 00:04:31,520
George, please.

67
00:04:31,520 --> 00:04:34,160
No, no, listen, I mean it.

68
00:04:34,160 --> 00:04:35,480
I'm married.

69
00:04:35,480 --> 00:04:38,720
Not to mention I'm also
five years your senior.

70
00:04:38,720 --> 00:04:40,400
I'm not a child.

71
00:04:40,400 --> 00:04:41,760
You are.

72
00:04:43,760 --> 00:04:45,920
Your marriage is finished.

73
00:04:45,920 --> 00:04:50,320
Anyone can see that it's been
<font color="

74
00:04:50,320 --> 00:04:52,280
I said no.

75
00:04:54,920 --> 00:04:56,240
I'll pay you.

76
00:04:58,600 --> 00:04:59,880
20,000 to be mine.

77
00:05:01,800 --> 00:05:03,240
What?

78
00:05:05,000 --> 00:05:07,360
Would that make you
change your mind?

79
00:05:08,960 --> 00:05:11,520
But within a few months
of securing Mary's affections,

80
00:05:11,520 --> 00:05:15,440
he loses all interest
in his leading lady,

81
00:05:15,440 --> 00:05:19,920
leaving his father to pick up
the £20,000 spent he promised her

82
00:05:19,920 --> 00:05:24,440
when she threatens to publish
his romantic letters.

83
00:05:24,440 --> 00:05:27,440
George moves on to fresh conquests

84
00:05:27,440 --> 00:05:30,400
while Mary is left a laughing stock.

85
00:05:32,400 --> 00:05:34,440
For him, his amorous liaisons

86
00:05:34,440 --> 00:05:37,120
are all about the thrill
of the chase.

87
00:05:39,440 --> 00:05:43,200
It's staggering how quickly
he falls in love,

88
00:05:43,200 --> 00:05:47,240
enjoys this passionate affair,
says all the right things,

89
00:05:47,240 --> 00:05:51,200
<font color="
of the right things, and moves on.

90
00:05:51,200 --> 00:05:53,600
And I think he loved
the idea of love,

91
00:05:53,600 --> 00:05:57,720
and perhaps the more illicit
nature of these liaisons, as well.

92
00:06:00,720 --> 00:06:04,280
Frustrated at living under the same
roof as his parents,

93
00:06:04,280 --> 00:06:06,640
George persuades his father
that greater independence

94
00:06:06,640 --> 00:06:08,400
will steady his behaviour.

95
00:06:12,960 --> 00:06:16,240
Reluctantly, the King agrees
to increase his allowance

96
00:06:16,240 --> 00:06:19,800
and arranges for the prince
to set up home in Carlton House

97
00:06:19,800 --> 00:06:21,560
on fashionable Pall Mall.

98
00:06:24,360 --> 00:06:29,320
This was intended to be a space
where he could define his own time,

99
00:06:29,320 --> 00:06:33,320
his own freedom,
and build up his position

100
00:06:33,320 --> 00:06:34,800
as the Prince of Wales.

101
00:06:36,040 --> 00:06:40,440
From an early age, George has shown
a passionate interest in art

102
00:06:40,440 --> 00:06:44,920
and architecture and immediately
embarks on a major renovation.

103
00:06:47,560 --> 00:06:51,760
And he sends out his agents
around the world to bring back

104
00:06:51,760 --> 00:06:56,720
tapestries and carpets and paintings
and urns and ceramics.

105
00:06:56,720 --> 00:06:58,560
Everything.

106
00:06:58,560 --> 00:07:01,960
Carlton House finally a sort of
metropolitan palace

107
00:07:01,960 --> 00:07:07,000
<font color="
and at a scale and with a level

108
00:07:07,000 --> 00:07:09,320
of decoration and a level of detail

109
00:07:09,320 --> 00:07:12,320
that felt comparable
to the best in Europe.

110
00:07:13,600 --> 00:07:16,080
But rather than a base
for the young prince

111
00:07:16,080 --> 00:07:19,680
to establish himself as a worthy heir
to the throne,

112
00:07:19,680 --> 00:07:23,840
Carlton House comes to symbolise
his profligacy and excess.

113
00:07:25,840 --> 00:07:28,640
<font color="
As a young man, he's a dancer.

114
00:07:28,640 --> 00:07:33,360
There's numerous big dinners
and banquets and, you know, things

115
00:07:33,360 --> 00:07:36,520
going on almost every night,
with music and cards

116
00:07:36,520 --> 00:07:39,440
and...and a huge amount of drinking.

117
00:07:42,840 --> 00:07:47,760
But his extravagant lifestyle leaves
the prince with crippling debts.

118
00:07:49,320 --> 00:07:52,400
<font color="
of tens of thousands of pounds.

119
00:07:52,400 --> 00:07:54,200
That's in the 1770s.

120
00:07:54,200 --> 00:07:56,400
And for someone like George III,

121
00:07:56,400 --> 00:08:00,280
who was much more frugal
in how he approached ideas,

122
00:08:00,280 --> 00:08:05,560
it was seen as very wasteful,
very gluttonous behaviour,

123
00:08:05,560 --> 00:08:10,160
<font color="
that he would want for his heir.

124
00:08:12,960 --> 00:08:16,240
Now in his 20s,
the party prince, once again,

125
00:08:16,240 --> 00:08:19,840
falls head over heels in love,

126
00:08:19,840 --> 00:08:23,280
this time with another actress,

127
00:08:23,280 --> 00:08:26,640
28-year-old Maria Fitzherbert.

128
00:08:26,640 --> 00:08:29,160
But there is a terrible problem.

129
00:08:29,160 --> 00:08:31,840
Not only is she twice married,

130
00:08:31,840 --> 00:08:33,560
she's a Catholic.

131
00:08:34,800 --> 00:08:39,120
The whole reason why the three
Georges before him are on the throne

132
00:08:39,120 --> 00:08:41,880
was because they were Protestants.

133
00:08:41,880 --> 00:08:45,040
They played strictly by the rules,

134
00:08:45,040 --> 00:08:47,840
not only upholding
the Protestant faith,

135
00:08:47,840 --> 00:08:51,320
but refusing to countenance
even fraternising

136
00:08:51,320 --> 00:08:52,720
with Catholic women.

137
00:08:55,120 --> 00:08:59,040
Unwilling to risk her reputation
for a brief dalliance,

138
00:08:59,040 --> 00:09:02,200
Maria initially rejects his advances.

139
00:09:02,200 --> 00:09:05,760
But convinced
she's his one true love,

140
00:09:05,760 --> 00:09:09,320
the prince's strategy
is to outact the actor.

141
00:09:11,720 --> 00:09:14,320
Oh, the pain!

142
00:09:14,320 --> 00:09:16,400
The pain of it all.

143
00:09:16,400 --> 00:09:17,920
Ah!
Your Highness.

144
00:09:17,920 --> 00:09:19,800
<font color="

145
00:09:19,800 --> 00:09:23,480
They said you ran yourself through
with a blade.

146
00:09:23,480 --> 00:09:24,720
I did.

147
00:09:26,400 --> 00:09:29,880
I chose to take my own life
rather than live without you.

148
00:09:31,080 --> 00:09:32,200
As I am close to the end,

149
00:09:32,200 --> 00:09:35,520
will you do me one last
act of kindness?

150
00:09:35,520 --> 00:09:37,280
<font color="

151
00:09:38,840 --> 00:09:40,520
Yes, Your Highness.

152
00:09:42,720 --> 00:09:46,920
Will you take this gift of a ring
and comfort me in my final moments?

153
00:09:46,920 --> 00:09:49,160
Of course.

154
00:09:49,160 --> 00:09:50,720
Thank you.

155
00:09:50,720 --> 00:09:52,280
No.

156
00:09:52,280 --> 00:09:54,160
Thank you,

157
00:09:54,160 --> 00:09:56,240
for now we are finally betrothed.

158
00:09:57,760 --> 00:09:59,200
We are what?

159
00:09:59,200 --> 00:10:00,480
<font color="

160
00:10:00,480 --> 00:10:01,920
You and I.

161
00:10:01,920 --> 00:10:03,120
No, Your Highness.

162
00:10:03,120 --> 00:10:05,840
And in the eyes of a witness,
no less.

163
00:10:09,440 --> 00:10:12,480
Are you not gravely ill?

164
00:10:12,480 --> 00:10:13,880
Never felt better.

165
00:10:21,960 --> 00:10:27,880
Alarmed by the prince's melodramatic
posturing, Maria flees to Europe.

166
00:10:27,880 --> 00:10:31,400
After firing off a stream
of impassioned letters,

167
00:10:31,400 --> 00:10:34,080
he manages to persuade her to return,

168
00:10:34,080 --> 00:10:37,600
but only on the condition
that they undergo a private,

169
00:10:37,600 --> 00:10:39,560
informal marriage ceremony.

170
00:10:41,840 --> 00:10:44,240
Now, that's against the law.

171
00:10:44,240 --> 00:10:48,080
There's a Royal Marriages Act
which says the Protestant heir

172
00:10:48,080 --> 00:10:50,080
cannot marry a Roman Catholic.

173
00:10:50,080 --> 00:10:54,880
And there's other legislation
which says the King has to agree

174
00:10:54,880 --> 00:10:59,800
<font color="
25 years old, and George is 23.

175
00:11:01,040 --> 00:11:04,640
But the young prince relishes
and will do anything

176
00:11:04,640 --> 00:11:06,720
to provoke his father's wrath.

177
00:11:06,720 --> 00:11:11,200
He shows absolutely no hesitation
in crossing the line

178
00:11:11,200 --> 00:11:13,320
no-one has crossed before him.

179
00:11:14,760 --> 00:11:17,080
George goes, "Oh, it's not allowed?

180
00:11:17,080 --> 00:11:20,320
"Well, that's interesting.
I'm going to do it anyway."

181
00:11:20,320 --> 00:11:26,800
<font color="
done by a fleet minister, um,

182
00:11:26,800 --> 00:11:28,320
in her own house.

183
00:11:28,320 --> 00:11:32,960
And this, of course, is problematic
because it's not a legal...

184
00:11:32,960 --> 00:11:34,440
..a truly legal marriage.

185
00:11:36,880 --> 00:11:40,920
When rumours start to leak out
that George has illegally married

186
00:11:40,920 --> 00:11:43,480
a Catholic, his father is furious.

187
00:11:45,400 --> 00:11:51,080
Tensions between the King and his son
ratchet up a notch further.

188
00:11:51,080 --> 00:11:54,280
The Prince of Wales actually risked
a lot with his relationship

189
00:11:54,280 --> 00:11:55,520
with Maria Fitzherbert.

190
00:11:55,520 --> 00:11:58,920
And by the Act of Settlement,
at the beginning of the century,

191
00:11:58,920 --> 00:12:01,000
he could have actually lost
his place

192
00:12:01,000 --> 00:12:04,040
in the line of succession
<font color="

193
00:12:04,040 --> 00:12:06,120
if the marriage
was considered legal,

194
00:12:06,120 --> 00:12:09,080
which, luckily for him, it wasn't.

195
00:12:09,080 --> 00:12:12,600
But this just shows the level
of devotion and infatuation

196
00:12:12,600 --> 00:12:14,640
he had with Mrs Fitzherbert.

197
00:12:16,480 --> 00:12:20,760
The prince's self-indulgent behaviour
is a direct affront

198
00:12:20,760 --> 00:12:23,080
to the patriotic values
of his father.

199
00:12:30,960 --> 00:12:33,200
<font color="
Pray, tell.

200
00:12:34,680 --> 00:12:39,360
I heard that you've been enjoying
the company

201
00:12:39,360 --> 00:12:41,320
of drunkards and gamblers.

202
00:12:42,720 --> 00:12:44,720
And also that you've been cavorting

203
00:12:44,720 --> 00:12:47,560
with those who have dubbed me
a tyrant.

204
00:12:48,920 --> 00:12:51,520
Have you called me here
<font color="

205
00:12:51,520 --> 00:12:53,400
for my choice in friends?

206
00:12:53,400 --> 00:12:56,600
No, but we must not be governed
by our desires,

207
00:12:56,600 --> 00:13:00,040
but our sense of duty
to this great country.

208
00:13:00,040 --> 00:13:05,240
And as such, we must regulate
both our public and private life.

209
00:13:06,720 --> 00:13:12,120
<font color="
what I do behind closed doors?

210
00:13:12,120 --> 00:13:15,720
Because if you've already
been condemned by the people,

211
00:13:15,720 --> 00:13:19,640
Parliament will not help you
to achieve your aims.

212
00:13:19,640 --> 00:13:22,440
Whether you care or not,
what they think of you matters.

213
00:13:23,960 --> 00:13:26,560
<font color="
the better.

214
00:13:33,200 --> 00:13:37,400
It's easy to get mad at George
for spending all his time drinking,

215
00:13:37,400 --> 00:13:43,000
but his dad won't let him behave
in the ways that George feels

216
00:13:43,000 --> 00:13:44,920
would give his life meaning.

217
00:13:44,920 --> 00:13:49,160
George wants, for example,
<font color="

218
00:13:49,160 --> 00:13:51,960
like his brothers are, and he wants
to climb up the hierarchies

219
00:13:51,960 --> 00:13:53,720
of the Army or the Navy.

220
00:13:53,720 --> 00:13:56,920
And his dad says, "Forget it.
You are the heir.

221
00:13:56,920 --> 00:13:59,680
"You cannot do that."

222
00:13:59,680 --> 00:14:04,280
I think he thinks, "My dad won't
<font color="

223
00:14:04,280 --> 00:14:07,720
"in public life, so if all
that's left to me is drinking

224
00:14:07,720 --> 00:14:10,575
"and gambling and running up debts,
that's what I'm going to do."

225
00:14:14,160 --> 00:14:17,760
But in 1788, King George III,

226
00:14:17,760 --> 00:14:22,200
whose reign had already once
been rocked by an unforeseen illness,

227
00:14:22,200 --> 00:14:27,320
was struck by another sudden
and more extreme bout of madness,

228
00:14:27,320 --> 00:14:31,480
meaning George, the party prince,
cannot ignore his date

229
00:14:31,480 --> 00:14:33,000
with royal destiny.

230
00:14:34,920 --> 00:14:38,480
What starts to swing it is what's
called the 'regency crisis',

231
00:14:38,480 --> 00:14:42,680
which happens in 1788,
when George III declines

232
00:14:42,680 --> 00:14:45,840
into some sort of mental eclipse.

233
00:14:45,840 --> 00:14:49,760
So, George has several bouts
of mental illness

234
00:14:49,760 --> 00:14:54,800
<font color="
starting in the 1760s

235
00:14:54,800 --> 00:14:57,680
and certainly by the 1780s
into the 1790s.

236
00:14:57,680 --> 00:14:59,440
He's not speaking very clearly.

237
00:14:59,440 --> 00:15:00,680
He's very confused.

238
00:15:00,680 --> 00:15:01,880
He's babbling.

239
00:15:01,880 --> 00:15:03,680
He's repeating himself.

240
00:15:03,680 --> 00:15:05,720
He's foaming at the mouth.

241
00:15:07,520 --> 00:15:10,080
With the King's descent into madness,

242
00:15:10,080 --> 00:15:13,880
a Regency bill is drawn up,
appointing the Prince of Wales

243
00:15:13,880 --> 00:15:15,280
Regent in his place.

244
00:15:17,480 --> 00:15:21,000
George relishes the thought
of the money and influence

245
00:15:21,000 --> 00:15:26,000
that will come his way when the King
relinquishes the throne.

246
00:15:26,000 --> 00:15:29,400
We've got the Prince of Wales,
who is effectively

247
00:15:29,400 --> 00:15:32,200
champing at the bit,
thinking this is going

248
00:15:32,200 --> 00:15:35,160
<font color="
to be made Prince Regent

249
00:15:35,160 --> 00:15:37,440
and be able to do whatever he wants.

250
00:15:37,440 --> 00:15:40,960
But George III makes
an unexpected recovery,

251
00:15:40,960 --> 00:15:42,760
and the bill is repealed.

252
00:15:44,040 --> 00:15:47,240
The general public erupts
into celebrations

253
00:15:47,240 --> 00:15:49,080
for the much admired king.

254
00:15:50,440 --> 00:15:54,080
But one person who isn't celebrating
is the Prince.

255
00:15:56,040 --> 00:15:58,040
So, it's true then?

256
00:15:58,040 --> 00:16:00,520
My father is sane once again.

257
00:16:02,200 --> 00:16:07,760
<font color="
The King has made a full recovery.

258
00:16:07,760 --> 00:16:12,320
In fact, I'm told there is
to be a ball to celebrate.

259
00:16:12,320 --> 00:16:16,320
Your ticket has already
been arranged.

260
00:16:16,320 --> 00:16:19,000
Sell it for all I care.
I shan't be going.

261
00:16:19,000 --> 00:16:23,320
Many of your peers
<font color="

262
00:16:23,320 --> 00:16:27,320
Let it be known that I forebay
any of my so-called friends

263
00:16:27,320 --> 00:16:30,120
from attending such a farce.

264
00:16:30,120 --> 00:16:31,600
Do you hear me?

265
00:16:31,600 --> 00:16:34,120
If they want to drink my champagne
and eat my food,

266
00:16:34,120 --> 00:16:36,920
they can damn well
show me some respect.

267
00:16:36,920 --> 00:16:39,080
<font color="

268
00:16:44,480 --> 00:16:46,040
Silly old goat.

269
00:16:48,240 --> 00:16:49,920
Should have just stayed in bed.

270
00:16:49,920 --> 00:16:52,200
The country would be better off.

271
00:16:55,600 --> 00:17:00,480
Fearful of a relapse,
George III once again attempts

272
00:17:00,480 --> 00:17:03,960
to get his reckless son
on the straight and narrow,

273
00:17:03,960 --> 00:17:07,360
pressurising him to settle down
and get married.

274
00:17:09,280 --> 00:17:12,280
After surveying
the royal marriage market,

275
00:17:12,280 --> 00:17:15,640
the King selects
cousin Caroline of Brunswick

276
00:17:15,640 --> 00:17:17,920
from Germany as his top choice.

277
00:17:17,920 --> 00:17:22,320
Caroline is selected
as a suitable bride for George,

278
00:17:22,320 --> 00:17:25,160
and he has very little say
in the matter, and of course

279
00:17:25,160 --> 00:17:28,160
is an already experienced lover.

280
00:17:28,160 --> 00:17:29,880
He's incredibly promiscuous.

281
00:17:29,880 --> 00:17:32,760
He has spent time and money
and energy

282
00:17:32,760 --> 00:17:35,360
<font color="
up to this point.

283
00:17:35,360 --> 00:17:39,240
The only reason he decides to do it
is because he wants more money,

284
00:17:39,240 --> 00:17:41,400
and his father says that he'll
pay off some of his debts

285
00:17:41,400 --> 00:17:43,320
if he marries Caroline.

286
00:17:43,320 --> 00:17:48,160
But the first meeting
with his future wife is a disaster.

287
00:17:51,800 --> 00:17:55,720
<font color="
of Brunswick-Wolfenbuttel.

288
00:18:06,400 --> 00:18:07,720
Your Highness.

289
00:18:12,040 --> 00:18:13,600
I am not well.

290
00:18:16,600 --> 00:18:18,800
Fetch me a bottle of brandy.

291
00:18:18,800 --> 00:18:20,720
Of course, Your Highness.

292
00:18:27,880 --> 00:18:29,440
He's very fat.

293
00:18:31,360 --> 00:18:34,520
He's definitely not as handsome
as his portraits.

294
00:18:39,000 --> 00:18:42,120
Despite the inauspicious
first encounter,

295
00:18:42,120 --> 00:18:44,360
their mutually beneficial

296
00:18:44,360 --> 00:18:47,680
financial and political
considerations prevail.

297
00:18:47,680 --> 00:18:50,280
Within a few months,
the couple are married.

298
00:18:50,280 --> 00:18:54,360
At least the allowance
is an aphrodisiac.

299
00:18:54,360 --> 00:18:58,360
It's just another dimension
in a family that's warring

300
00:18:58,360 --> 00:19:01,280
with each other about behaviour

301
00:19:01,280 --> 00:19:04,360
and...and the responsibilities
of the monarchy.

302
00:19:04,360 --> 00:19:06,600
But the wedding day is a calamity...

303
00:19:06,600 --> 00:19:08,000
(CHURCH BELLS PEEL)

304
00:19:08,000 --> 00:19:11,840
..as the inebriated prince
barely makes it to the altar.

305
00:19:16,360 --> 00:19:18,040
(GRUNTS)

306
00:19:22,840 --> 00:19:25,200
Your Highness, please.

307
00:19:25,200 --> 00:19:27,600
Leave me alone a while.

308
00:19:27,600 --> 00:19:29,600
The princess awaits.

309
00:19:29,600 --> 00:19:33,600
She can wait
until hell freezes over,

310
00:19:33,600 --> 00:19:35,280
for all I care.

311
00:19:37,000 --> 00:19:39,240
<font color="

312
00:19:46,080 --> 00:19:48,920
Unhand me at once.

313
00:19:48,920 --> 00:19:51,440
You'll feel better
when you're on your feet.

314
00:19:51,440 --> 00:19:52,880
I highly doubt...

315
00:19:52,880 --> 00:19:54,120
No!

316
00:19:55,640 --> 00:19:57,920
Come on, sire. This way.

317
00:20:00,680 --> 00:20:04,280
It was instant dislike
and repulsion on both sides.

318
00:20:04,280 --> 00:20:08,360
<font color="
do the deed that very night.

319
00:20:08,360 --> 00:20:10,640
They apparently had intercourse
three times.

320
00:20:10,640 --> 00:20:13,280
And of one of those times,
they conceived.

321
00:20:13,280 --> 00:20:16,400
Now, their child,
their only child, Charlotte,

322
00:20:16,400 --> 00:20:20,360
is born pretty much nine months
<font color="

323
00:20:20,360 --> 00:20:22,280
That's the beginning
of the relationship.

324
00:20:22,280 --> 00:20:26,000
That's about as good
as their relationship gets.

325
00:20:27,640 --> 00:20:32,440
The ill-matched pair never recover
from their catastrophic wedding.

326
00:20:33,680 --> 00:20:37,280
She seemed good on paper,
but it became apparent very quickly

327
00:20:37,280 --> 00:20:39,200
<font color="

328
00:20:39,200 --> 00:20:41,920
probably the most terrible
match ever, in the history

329
00:20:41,920 --> 00:20:43,360
of the Hanoverian dynasty.

330
00:20:43,360 --> 00:20:48,440
Their relationship is one
of mutual hatred, really.

331
00:20:48,440 --> 00:20:50,640
Um, there's certainly
no love lost there.

332
00:20:50,640 --> 00:20:53,800
<font color="

333
00:20:53,800 --> 00:20:56,720
She is loud. She's noisy.

334
00:20:56,720 --> 00:20:58,600
She's not a good dresser.

335
00:20:58,600 --> 00:21:02,040
She's just not the kind
of woman he likes.

336
00:21:02,040 --> 00:21:07,040
And he also seemed to intimate
that...that she smelled.

337
00:21:08,440 --> 00:21:12,280
Within a year, Caroline
has departed the marital home...

338
00:21:13,520 --> 00:21:17,600
..and much to George's annoyance,
enjoys the pleasures of the flesh

339
00:21:17,600 --> 00:21:19,320
just as much as he does.

340
00:21:21,040 --> 00:21:24,320
Caroline is rumoured
to have multiple lovers.

341
00:21:24,320 --> 00:21:27,520
In the years afterwards,
there's lots of sensational

342
00:21:27,520 --> 00:21:29,440
gossip books that are written

343
00:21:29,440 --> 00:21:32,240
about the scandals she's supposed
to have been involved in.

344
00:21:32,240 --> 00:21:37,560
<font color="
and drink and have a string

345
00:21:37,560 --> 00:21:40,400
"of sexual partners,
I'd like some of that too, please."

346
00:21:40,400 --> 00:21:45,520
And so, she becomes almost
as reckless and outrageous

347
00:21:45,520 --> 00:21:46,760
as he does.

348
00:21:47,800 --> 00:21:51,640
Worse still for George,
Caroline's support for various

349
00:21:51,640 --> 00:21:55,680
philanthropic causes make her
a far more popular figure

350
00:21:55,680 --> 00:21:58,360
than her dissolute rake of a husband.

351
00:21:59,720 --> 00:22:02,920
When Caroline goes out,
she is cheered.

352
00:22:02,920 --> 00:22:05,840
And whether it's to the play
or whether it's to the opening

353
00:22:05,840 --> 00:22:08,760
of something, or whether it's
to some political event,

354
00:22:08,760 --> 00:22:12,600
wherever she goes, a large portion
<font color="

355
00:22:12,600 --> 00:22:14,800
takes her side,

356
00:22:14,800 --> 00:22:19,800
and this really irritates
the Prince of Wales.

357
00:22:21,520 --> 00:22:26,160
Determined to be rid of Caroline,
the prince tries unsuccessfully

358
00:22:26,160 --> 00:22:28,520
to have her charged with adultery.

359
00:22:29,800 --> 00:22:33,560
Fed up with the rank hypocrisy
of her philandering husband,

360
00:22:33,560 --> 00:22:37,320
Caroline departs for Europe in 1814.

361
00:22:38,760 --> 00:22:42,400
And as luck would have it,
another thorn in George's side

362
00:22:42,400 --> 00:22:44,440
is about to be dealt with,

363
00:22:44,440 --> 00:22:48,280
as his father, the King, now aged 71,

364
00:22:48,280 --> 00:22:52,440
descends into a madness
from which he will never emerge.

365
00:22:54,000 --> 00:22:58,800
Whatever happened
to George III's health resurfaces,

366
00:22:58,800 --> 00:23:01,600
and this time, it doesn't pass.

367
00:23:01,600 --> 00:23:05,040
This time, he enters some kind
of mental eclipse,

368
00:23:05,040 --> 00:23:06,440
and he stays there.

369
00:23:06,440 --> 00:23:10,360
<font color="
1810 until he dies.

370
00:23:11,720 --> 00:23:14,680
Parliament rushes through
a new Regency Act,

371
00:23:14,680 --> 00:23:16,680
appointing George as Regent.

372
00:23:18,920 --> 00:23:21,400
It's been a long wait of nine years.

373
00:23:23,000 --> 00:23:24,760
Due to the King's health...

374
00:23:26,200 --> 00:23:30,720
..we are authorised,
as per the terms of the Regency Act,

375
00:23:30,720 --> 00:23:34,760
to name you Prince Regent
<font color="

376
00:23:34,760 --> 00:23:37,320
Fetch me a bottle of brandy!

377
00:23:37,320 --> 00:23:38,720
Brandy?

378
00:23:38,720 --> 00:23:41,480
Yes. We must celebrate.

379
00:23:41,480 --> 00:23:43,640
Celebrate?
Of course.

380
00:23:43,640 --> 00:23:45,000
I want a banquet.

381
00:23:45,000 --> 00:23:47,160
A party thrown in my honour.

382
00:23:51,160 --> 00:23:56,320
By 1812, the prince has been granted
the full powers of the monarch.

383
00:23:57,400 --> 00:24:01,200
But while George is jubilant
about his elevated status,

384
00:24:01,200 --> 00:24:04,760
the British public are less
than enthusiastic

385
00:24:04,760 --> 00:24:06,520
about their new ruler.

386
00:24:06,520 --> 00:24:10,960
The Prince of Wales becoming
Regent caused a few concerns.

387
00:24:10,960 --> 00:24:13,240
The main one was about his spending.

388
00:24:13,240 --> 00:24:15,160
"How much money
is he going to spend?"

389
00:24:15,160 --> 00:24:17,760
"Is he going to be actually
giving us a monarchy

390
00:24:17,760 --> 00:24:19,800
<font color="

391
00:24:21,280 --> 00:24:25,280
Following the commercial success
of George III's reign,

392
00:24:25,280 --> 00:24:30,080
Britain is the richest,
most powerful country in the world.

393
00:24:30,080 --> 00:24:35,080
Now, the ecstatic prince can finally
indulge his passion

394
00:24:35,080 --> 00:24:39,600
for the finer things in life,
with no one to restrain him.

395
00:24:39,600 --> 00:24:41,920
When he becomes Prince Regent,

396
00:24:41,920 --> 00:24:44,240
he's considerably older,
23 years older,

397
00:24:44,240 --> 00:24:45,960
<font color="

398
00:24:45,960 --> 00:24:50,600
about what it means
in terms of wealth and power.

399
00:24:53,800 --> 00:24:58,360
In 1815, George turns his attention
to a passion project in Brighton.

400
00:24:59,880 --> 00:25:03,000
George has been visiting
the vibrant seaside resort

401
00:25:03,000 --> 00:25:05,280
since he was a young man,

402
00:25:05,280 --> 00:25:08,640
captivated by its devil-may-care
aristocrats

403
00:25:08,640 --> 00:25:11,640
and their dazzling social life.

404
00:25:11,640 --> 00:25:14,240
The Prince of Wales loves
<font color="

405
00:25:14,240 --> 00:25:16,440
for all kinds of different reasons.

406
00:25:16,440 --> 00:25:19,600
And there is a farmhouse there,

407
00:25:19,600 --> 00:25:23,600
and he acquires that,
and he has an architect

408
00:25:23,600 --> 00:25:27,440
turn it into a kind of
neoclassical villa,

409
00:25:27,440 --> 00:25:28,960
but modest.

410
00:25:30,360 --> 00:25:33,080
But the prince is no lover
of modesty,

411
00:25:33,080 --> 00:25:34,960
and now that he is Regent,

412
00:25:34,960 --> 00:25:38,280
with money no object, he scales up,

413
00:25:38,280 --> 00:25:41,400
fulfilling a long cherished dream

414
00:25:41,400 --> 00:25:45,600
of turning the seaside villa
into an exotic pleasure palace.

415
00:25:45,600 --> 00:25:53,520
If you want a sense
of the exuberance and audacity

416
00:25:53,520 --> 00:25:57,720
and creativity of George IV,

417
00:25:57,720 --> 00:25:59,600
it's the Brighton Pavilion.

418
00:26:03,640 --> 00:26:06,360
It's a mash-up
of all different styles.

419
00:26:06,360 --> 00:26:09,160
<font color="
styles in India.

420
00:26:09,160 --> 00:26:11,920
The interior features
Chinese elements.

421
00:26:13,400 --> 00:26:15,560
There's gilded gold everywhere.

422
00:26:15,560 --> 00:26:18,400
There's these rich
fabric wallpapers, there's murals,

423
00:26:18,400 --> 00:26:20,880
there's artworks hanging everywhere.

424
00:26:22,280 --> 00:26:25,680
<font color="
into this banqueting room,

425
00:26:25,680 --> 00:26:31,120
this incredibly extravagant space
full of incredible porcelain

426
00:26:31,120 --> 00:26:35,400
and glassware and metal, silverware.

427
00:26:37,360 --> 00:26:42,200
Designed by the brilliant architect
John Nash, the Royal Pavilion

428
00:26:42,200 --> 00:26:44,920
comes to symbolise
the Regency period,

429
00:26:44,920 --> 00:26:49,840
and in turn, transforms Brighton's
fortunes, even if only turning it

430
00:26:49,840 --> 00:26:53,160
into a playground
for the wealthy aristocracy.

431
00:26:55,160 --> 00:26:58,520
There's a sudden influx
of fashionable Georgian people

432
00:26:58,520 --> 00:27:01,360
coming from London,
all making their way to party

433
00:27:01,360 --> 00:27:02,800
with the Prince Regent.

434
00:27:02,800 --> 00:27:06,440
And it's a sort of play den,

435
00:27:06,440 --> 00:27:11,480
a quote-unquote "exotic"
colonial palace

436
00:27:11,480 --> 00:27:14,680
<font color="

437
00:27:14,680 --> 00:27:17,720
and George's role
as the sort of decadent head

438
00:27:17,720 --> 00:27:20,480
of all this hedonistic,
plentiful-ness.

439
00:27:22,680 --> 00:27:26,760
But beyond the glittering world
of Brighton, Britain has spent

440
00:27:26,760 --> 00:27:32,720
the entirety of the prince's regency
at war with France in Europe.

441
00:27:32,720 --> 00:27:36,240
Now, finally, in 1815,

442
00:27:36,240 --> 00:27:39,760
after more than 20 long years
of war,

443
00:27:39,760 --> 00:27:45,520
Britain achieves incredible
military success, defeating Napoleon

444
00:27:45,520 --> 00:27:47,680
at the Battle of Waterloo.

445
00:27:47,680 --> 00:27:50,640
When Wellington defeats Napoleon,

446
00:27:50,640 --> 00:27:53,440
there is euphoria in Britain.

447
00:27:53,440 --> 00:27:57,960
Napoleon is sent into exile,
and peace comes to Britain

448
00:27:57,960 --> 00:28:00,280
for the first time since 1793.

449
00:28:02,520 --> 00:28:04,760
When the conflict first started,

450
00:28:04,760 --> 00:28:07,960
Prince George had been eager
to serve his country

451
00:28:07,960 --> 00:28:12,040
on the battlefield, but his father,
the King, had forbade it.

452
00:28:13,080 --> 00:28:16,920
As a result, George had always
resented his lack

453
00:28:16,920 --> 00:28:18,520
of military experience,

454
00:28:18,520 --> 00:28:23,520
now with the country's victory
against France only serving

455
00:28:23,520 --> 00:28:26,120
to increase his inner sense
of emptiness.

456
00:28:27,200 --> 00:28:29,160
Wellington.

457
00:28:29,160 --> 00:28:30,480
Wellington, tell them.

458
00:28:31,920 --> 00:28:35,680
Tell them how it was I who led
the cavalry charge at Waterloo.

459
00:28:38,200 --> 00:28:40,720
I've oft heard Your Majesty say so.

460
00:28:41,880 --> 00:28:44,200
<font color="

461
00:28:47,840 --> 00:28:50,000
Straight from the horse's mouth.

462
00:28:51,920 --> 00:28:53,640
(LAUGHS)

463
00:28:56,080 --> 00:28:58,440
For the rest of his life,

464
00:28:58,440 --> 00:29:02,960
George persists in the fiction
that he played a key part

465
00:29:02,960 --> 00:29:04,600
in Napoleon's downfall.

466
00:29:06,080 --> 00:29:09,560
That's the level of fantasy
he was capable of.

467
00:29:09,560 --> 00:29:12,800
But it speaks to how
the enduring way

468
00:29:12,800 --> 00:29:14,840
<font color="

469
00:29:14,840 --> 00:29:16,840
frustration, sadness,
whatever it was,

470
00:29:16,840 --> 00:29:19,440
stayed in his...in his head.

471
00:29:19,440 --> 00:29:21,520
With the defeat of Napoleon,

472
00:29:21,520 --> 00:29:25,120
Britain's global dominance
is without challenge.

473
00:29:26,480 --> 00:29:29,400
But the public is now
increasingly angry

474
00:29:29,400 --> 00:29:31,720
about the unequal spoils of war.

475
00:29:33,480 --> 00:29:37,440
There's a significant amount
of unrest brewing in Britain,

476
00:29:37,440 --> 00:29:40,920
<font color="
from the war,

477
00:29:40,920 --> 00:29:45,000
that veterans are returning home
with limbs missing,

478
00:29:45,000 --> 00:29:49,080
with mental injuries, as well,
and finding that they cannot work,

479
00:29:49,080 --> 00:29:51,360
or they're struggling to find
a place for themselves

480
00:29:51,360 --> 00:29:53,400
<font color="

481
00:29:55,360 --> 00:29:59,560
The Napoleonic Wars have been a huge
drain on the economy.

482
00:29:59,560 --> 00:30:03,800
Faced with crippling taxes
and soaring unemployment,

483
00:30:03,800 --> 00:30:07,560
George's British subjects
are starving.

484
00:30:07,560 --> 00:30:13,400
The widespread suffering is in sharp
contrast to the extravagant caprices

485
00:30:13,400 --> 00:30:15,000
of the Prince Regent.

486
00:30:16,960 --> 00:30:21,080
Graffiti appears on the walls
of the Regent's main residence,

487
00:30:21,080 --> 00:30:24,760
Carlton House -
"Bread or the Regent's head."

488
00:30:26,120 --> 00:30:29,400
<font color="
are symbols of excess.

489
00:30:29,400 --> 00:30:32,320
They're...they're symbols
of gluttony.

490
00:30:32,320 --> 00:30:40,280
They are perceived as emblematic
of a kind of corrupt, lascivious,

491
00:30:40,280 --> 00:30:44,240
you know, individual that only
is really looking after themselves.

492
00:30:47,680 --> 00:30:51,280
By now, George has no-one
to help him weather the storm.

493
00:30:58,600 --> 00:31:03,480
In 1817, George's only child,
Princess Charlotte,

494
00:31:03,480 --> 00:31:07,560
the product of his brief
and disastrous marriage to Caroline,

495
00:31:07,560 --> 00:31:12,160
dies while giving birth
to a stillborn son.

496
00:31:12,160 --> 00:31:14,600
The nation is devastated.

497
00:31:17,440 --> 00:31:23,240
She's a very popular figure and seen
by many as the redeeming daughter

498
00:31:23,240 --> 00:31:26,840
to a wayward Prince Regent
and eventually King.

499
00:31:26,840 --> 00:31:30,920
<font color="
of black cloth for mourning

500
00:31:30,920 --> 00:31:33,560
because everybody wanted to show
their respect for the fallen

501
00:31:33,560 --> 00:31:35,040
or the dead princess.

502
00:31:36,320 --> 00:31:41,120
The death of Charlotte and her son
rocks the foundations

503
00:31:41,120 --> 00:31:43,560
of the House of Hanover to its core.

504
00:31:44,640 --> 00:31:49,840
All of a sudden, the whole dynasty
<font color="

505
00:31:49,840 --> 00:31:53,600
There's a huge question mark over
who's going to inherit the throne.

506
00:31:57,680 --> 00:32:00,960
George plunges
into a deep depression,

507
00:32:00,960 --> 00:32:03,240
and alcoholism consumes him.

508
00:32:04,640 --> 00:32:08,960
We often see the Prince of Wales,
as he was then,

509
00:32:08,960 --> 00:32:13,080
as quite a happy figure,
a very pleasure-seeking figure,

510
00:32:13,080 --> 00:32:16,280
<font color="
holds deep feelings.

511
00:32:16,280 --> 00:32:20,640
And yet, when his daughter died,
he was inconsolable.

512
00:32:20,640 --> 00:32:23,000
He wept in bed for weeks.

513
00:32:23,000 --> 00:32:26,880
And I think that that's a really
defining low point.

514
00:32:28,000 --> 00:32:31,280
The string of family losses
doesn't end there.

515
00:32:32,680 --> 00:32:37,760
In January 1820, George loses
the most towering figure

516
00:32:37,760 --> 00:32:41,760
of his entire life when his father,
George III,

517
00:32:41,760 --> 00:32:47,080
having never recovered
from his madness, finally dies.

518
00:32:47,080 --> 00:32:52,120
Thousands turn out to mourn the death
of a much loved monarch,

519
00:32:52,120 --> 00:32:55,800
and his wayward son finally
becomes King.

520
00:33:00,680 --> 00:33:05,760
Having waited most of his life
for this moment, and after nine years

521
00:33:05,760 --> 00:33:10,320
as Prince Regent, 58-year-old George
has meticulously planned

522
00:33:10,320 --> 00:33:14,120
for this to be the coronation
to end all coronations.

523
00:33:15,400 --> 00:33:20,400
George IV loves performance,
<font color="

524
00:33:20,400 --> 00:33:23,680
and so his coronation
was an immense spectacle.

525
00:33:26,600 --> 00:33:32,320
It's all very well choreographed,
and it's all designed to show George

526
00:33:32,320 --> 00:33:35,520
in the best light possible,
which it does.

527
00:33:35,520 --> 00:33:37,920
And part of the reason
<font color="

528
00:33:37,920 --> 00:33:39,120
He designed it.

529
00:33:39,120 --> 00:33:40,840
He designed what
he was going to wear.

530
00:33:40,840 --> 00:33:42,840
He designed the whole thing.

531
00:33:47,000 --> 00:33:51,400
The coronation banquet is the most
extravagant in history.

532
00:33:51,400 --> 00:33:56,400
The food and drink alone costs
over £25,000 -

533
00:33:56,400 --> 00:34:00,080
£3.5 million in today's money.

534
00:34:01,840 --> 00:34:05,200
How can he have a celebration
<font color="

535
00:34:05,200 --> 00:34:08,680
quantities of food and drink,
which is what he supplies.

536
00:34:08,680 --> 00:34:11,840
And of course, he's able to lead
the proceedings in eating

537
00:34:11,840 --> 00:34:15,520
and drinking because he's very,
very good at that.

538
00:34:17,320 --> 00:34:20,000
In spite of all their reservations,

539
00:34:20,000 --> 00:34:24,000
the spectacular coronation briefly
tips the public

540
00:34:24,000 --> 00:34:25,640
in the King's favour.

541
00:34:27,440 --> 00:34:32,160
But George has never shown much
interest in running the country.

542
00:34:32,160 --> 00:34:35,680
He continues to spend
eye-watering sums,

543
00:34:35,680 --> 00:34:40,640
indulging his greatest passions -
partying, drinking

544
00:34:40,640 --> 00:34:43,000
and renovating royal palaces.

545
00:34:45,760 --> 00:34:49,960
But there is one pressing
political issue that, as King,

546
00:34:49,960 --> 00:34:51,880
he cannot avoid -

547
00:34:51,880 --> 00:34:55,120
the fight for Catholic emancipation.

548
00:34:56,560 --> 00:35:01,880
Ever since the Act of Settlement
in 1701, aimed at securing

549
00:35:01,880 --> 00:35:06,480
the Protestant succession,
Catholics' political and civil rights

550
00:35:06,480 --> 00:35:08,560
have been severely curtailed.

551
00:35:09,960 --> 00:35:14,120
<font color="
very tired of these restrictions

552
00:35:14,120 --> 00:35:18,480
on their liberties and wanted them
removed, wanted to be emancipated.

553
00:35:18,480 --> 00:35:23,680
In 1829, the government faces
the prospect of a major

554
00:35:23,680 --> 00:35:25,160
rebellion in Ireland.

555
00:35:26,600 --> 00:35:28,920
George comes under
increasing pressure

556
00:35:28,920 --> 00:35:32,360
from the Duke of Wellington,
now Prime Minister,

557
00:35:32,360 --> 00:35:36,680
to give royal assent to a bill
easing restrictions.

558
00:35:36,680 --> 00:35:39,520
But despite his first
illegitimate marriage

559
00:35:39,520 --> 00:35:41,560
to Catholic Maria Fitzherbert,

560
00:35:41,560 --> 00:35:44,840
George is fiercely opposed.

561
00:35:46,080 --> 00:35:50,400
The Protestant faith underpins
why the Hanoverian dynasty came

562
00:35:50,400 --> 00:35:52,200
to rule Britain.

563
00:35:54,080 --> 00:35:56,040
You don't expect me to sign this?

564
00:35:56,040 --> 00:35:58,080
Only the signing
of the Catholic Emancipation

565
00:35:58,080 --> 00:36:00,960
will prevent a civil war in Ireland.

566
00:36:00,960 --> 00:36:02,640
Poppycock.

567
00:36:02,640 --> 00:36:03,680
<font color="

568
00:36:03,680 --> 00:36:06,240
I'll tell you what I believe.

569
00:36:06,240 --> 00:36:10,360
I believe this is against everything
that my sainted and revered

570
00:36:10,360 --> 00:36:11,560
father believed in.

571
00:36:12,680 --> 00:36:16,000
As upholder of the Protestant faith,
it is my duty to veto

572
00:36:16,000 --> 00:36:17,200
any such measure.

573
00:36:18,920 --> 00:36:22,560
<font color="
more brandy and make sense

574
00:36:22,560 --> 00:36:23,560
of this issue, mmm?

575
00:36:24,960 --> 00:36:27,200
Your Highness.
I'll order up a few bottles,

576
00:36:27,200 --> 00:36:30,800
we can sit down
and marinate our options.

577
00:36:30,800 --> 00:36:35,640
Your Majesty, there are no options
to save unrest and discontent.

578
00:36:37,320 --> 00:36:39,040
<font color="
Of course there are.

579
00:36:39,040 --> 00:36:42,400
Your Majesty,
if you don't sign this bill,

580
00:36:42,400 --> 00:36:45,000
this country will be
without a government.

581
00:36:45,000 --> 00:36:47,040
I don't care.

582
00:36:47,040 --> 00:36:49,720
If I'm going to be bullied
into signing

583
00:36:49,720 --> 00:36:53,400
<font color="

584
00:36:53,400 --> 00:36:54,760
I'll abdicate.

585
00:36:54,760 --> 00:36:56,720
Your Majesty, please.

586
00:36:56,720 --> 00:36:58,320
You think I'm bluffing?

587
00:36:59,840 --> 00:37:02,640
You force my hand, I'll do it.

588
00:37:02,640 --> 00:37:04,760
And then, you'll all suffer.

589
00:37:06,760 --> 00:37:11,400
But by now, the balance of power
has tipped in Parliament's favour,

590
00:37:11,400 --> 00:37:14,480
and George finally agrees
to sign the bill.

591
00:37:15,560 --> 00:37:18,040
Passed in 1829,

592
00:37:18,040 --> 00:37:21,760
the Catholic Emancipation Act
enables Catholics,

593
00:37:21,760 --> 00:37:25,440
for the first time in more
than 130 years,

594
00:37:25,440 --> 00:37:28,360
to be represented in Parliament,

595
00:37:28,360 --> 00:37:33,800
an act which, perhaps unwittingly
changed King George IV's legacy.

596
00:37:33,800 --> 00:37:37,040
In some ways, it's really
his parting gift to Britain,

597
00:37:37,040 --> 00:37:43,840
and it's a way that he repairs
something of his reputation.

598
00:37:43,840 --> 00:37:48,000
It really marks the end
<font color="

599
00:37:48,000 --> 00:37:53,280
in which this question
of Protestantism versus Catholicism

600
00:37:53,280 --> 00:37:58,680
has shaped not only the events
and battles and rioting

601
00:37:58,680 --> 00:38:02,960
and struggles on the streets
of Britain, but has also completely

602
00:38:02,960 --> 00:38:05,480
dictated what's happening
<font color="

603
00:38:05,480 --> 00:38:07,800
in the royal courts.

604
00:38:07,800 --> 00:38:12,720
George has finally done something
to restore his tattered reputation.

605
00:38:15,120 --> 00:38:19,320
But by now, his dissolute lifestyle
is catching up with him.

606
00:38:22,560 --> 00:38:25,400
As he nears the end of life,

607
00:38:25,400 --> 00:38:28,560
George is an increasingly
pitiful figure.

608
00:38:30,320 --> 00:38:32,960
Years of partying
have caught up with him.

609
00:38:32,960 --> 00:38:34,680
His complexion is gone.

610
00:38:34,680 --> 00:38:36,160
<font color="

611
00:38:36,160 --> 00:38:39,880
he's gone fat, he's gone flabby,
and he's ill.

612
00:38:39,880 --> 00:38:42,800
He's in a huge amount of pain,
increasing amounts of pain,

613
00:38:42,800 --> 00:38:46,800
taking massive amounts
of laudanum as he gets older.

614
00:38:46,800 --> 00:38:50,080
It's a pretty sad scenario.

615
00:38:50,080 --> 00:38:52,120
<font color="

616
00:38:52,120 --> 00:38:55,680
He also didn't seem to have much
zest for life, so I think

617
00:38:55,680 --> 00:38:57,360
he was very depressed
towards the end of his life.

618
00:38:57,360 --> 00:39:01,455
So, yeah, I think it was a kind
of a tragic end for him.

619
00:39:04,600 --> 00:39:07,960
One of his few visitors is his niece,

620
00:39:07,960 --> 00:39:10,480
the future Queen Victoria.

621
00:39:19,520 --> 00:39:21,120
<font color="

622
00:39:28,640 --> 00:39:30,800
It's beautiful.

623
00:39:30,800 --> 00:39:32,000
It's yours.

624
00:39:35,360 --> 00:39:36,640
Follow me, my dear.

625
00:39:38,400 --> 00:39:40,040
Not so quickly, please.

626
00:39:42,320 --> 00:39:45,440
Well, the relationship of George
with his niece Victoria

627
00:39:45,440 --> 00:39:49,560
is an extraordinary one,
and her recollections of going out

628
00:39:49,560 --> 00:39:51,960
<font color="
with her Uncle George

629
00:39:51,960 --> 00:39:53,440
are quite remarkable.

630
00:39:53,440 --> 00:39:57,440
She was pretty loving and fond
in her recollections

631
00:39:57,440 --> 00:39:58,920
of him as a person.

632
00:40:00,360 --> 00:40:04,440
But their burgeoning companionship
was cut all too short.

633
00:40:06,560 --> 00:40:11,880
George IV dies on 26 June 1830,
aged 68.

634
00:40:13,480 --> 00:40:19,520
A miniature of Maria Fitzherbert,
arguably his one true love, is found

635
00:40:19,520 --> 00:40:20,680
around his neck.

636
00:40:22,000 --> 00:40:24,600
But few mourn his departure.

637
00:40:26,320 --> 00:40:28,120
When George IV dies...

638
00:40:29,360 --> 00:40:32,600
..uh, The Times newspaper says,

639
00:40:32,600 --> 00:40:36,600
"Never was an individual
less regretted

640
00:40:36,600 --> 00:40:40,480
"by his fellow creatures
than this deceased king."

641
00:40:42,040 --> 00:40:45,880
George is succeeded
by his younger brother William,

642
00:40:45,880 --> 00:40:50,240
but within seven years,
he, too, dies, childless.

643
00:40:52,160 --> 00:40:56,920
As the Georgian era draws
to a close, Princess Victoria accedes

644
00:40:56,920 --> 00:41:01,960
to the throne, and the extravagances
of George IV are replaced

645
00:41:01,960 --> 00:41:05,600
by the straight-laced virtues
of the Victorian age.

646
00:41:07,360 --> 00:41:12,200
Lots of Victorians looked back
at the Regency and just gasped

647
00:41:12,200 --> 00:41:15,560
that their grandfathers
would tolerate that kind

648
00:41:15,560 --> 00:41:18,960
of libertinism and that kind
<font color="

649
00:41:18,960 --> 00:41:23,040
You can see her reign as trying
to repair the damage to the monarchy

650
00:41:23,040 --> 00:41:24,880
that he inflicted upon it.

651
00:41:28,160 --> 00:41:31,480
But despite George's many failings,

652
00:41:31,480 --> 00:41:36,120
his passion for the arts
and architecture underpins

653
00:41:36,120 --> 00:41:38,560
the extraordinary cultural flowering

654
00:41:38,560 --> 00:41:42,120
that takes place in Britain
under his reign.

655
00:41:42,120 --> 00:41:45,560
We still refer to his reign
<font color="

656
00:41:45,560 --> 00:41:48,320
because it was the aesthetic
of the time.

657
00:41:48,320 --> 00:41:52,160
His idea of beauty,
of architecture, of fashion

658
00:41:52,160 --> 00:41:54,160
is still remembered today

659
00:41:54,160 --> 00:41:57,280
because he had such a huge
impact upon it.

660
00:41:57,280 --> 00:42:01,400
As much as the perception
<font color="

661
00:42:01,400 --> 00:42:04,320
and ostentation, the heart of that
is, actually, he was a man

662
00:42:04,320 --> 00:42:05,960
of great taste.

663
00:42:05,960 --> 00:42:08,560
He was the leader of fashion.

664
00:42:08,560 --> 00:42:11,160
He was at the vanguard
of stylistic change.

665
00:42:13,600 --> 00:42:17,760
George's death ushers in the end
of the Georgian era...

666
00:42:20,000 --> 00:42:23,120
..a period that has been one
of the most tumultuous

667
00:42:23,120 --> 00:42:24,480
in British history.

668
00:42:27,480 --> 00:42:31,480
Despite the many foibles of George I,

669
00:42:31,480 --> 00:42:33,640
II, III

670
00:42:33,640 --> 00:42:36,960
and IV, their legacy endures
to this day.

671
00:42:41,360 --> 00:42:43,680
Britain today is entirely shaped
by the Georgian period.

672
00:42:43,680 --> 00:42:48,240
It's a fundamental part
of British history

673
00:42:48,240 --> 00:42:53,400
and a period
that our understanding of

674
00:42:53,400 --> 00:43:00,040
<font color="
what works and what doesn't work

675
00:43:00,040 --> 00:43:02,560
in...in Britain today.

676
00:43:02,560 --> 00:43:06,080
One of the main lessons one could
take from the Georgian era

677
00:43:06,080 --> 00:43:09,000
is the importance
of being a pragmatist

678
00:43:09,000 --> 00:43:11,640
and being a royal pragmatist.

679
00:43:11,640 --> 00:43:13,280
<font color="

680
00:43:13,280 --> 00:43:17,120
I think, their ability
to absorb change -

681
00:43:17,120 --> 00:43:21,120
not necessarily embrace change,
but I think to respond to change

682
00:43:21,120 --> 00:43:25,920
over the long lifespan
of this dynasty -

683
00:43:25,920 --> 00:43:29,960
in that lies the key
to their...their success.

684
00:43:29,960 --> 00:43:32,960
Captions by Red Bee Media
(c) SBS Australia 2024