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Royal history is at the heart
of the stories
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00:00:04,114 --> 00:00:06,478
we tell about the past.
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00:00:06,503 --> 00:00:09,399
We often think it's definitive.
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Kings and queens,
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00:00:12,114 --> 00:00:14,249
dates and facts,
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all unchanging and fixed forever.
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But it's not like that at all.
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History is a cacophony of voices,
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all of them competing to tell
their own version of the story.
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And, when revolution's in the air,
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that competition gets
really intense.
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In this series, I'm lifting the lid
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on three revolutionary moments
in royal history.
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The French Revolution -
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Was it really a peasants' revolt
or more of a bourgeois backlash?
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00:00:51,024 --> 00:00:52,608
The Russian Revolution -
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00:00:52,633 --> 00:00:55,959
Was it really a victory for Lenin
and the Bolsheviks?
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00:00:57,274 --> 00:01:01,319
And, in this episode,
George IV and the Regency.
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When the madness of King George Ill
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forced him to hand power
to his extravagant son.
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We think of the Regency
as a genteel, well-ordered age,
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full of Jane Austen-type balls
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and beautiful architecture
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and gallant, red-coated officers
thrashing Napoleon at Waterloo.
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But behind the facade
of Georgian elegance
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was an age of rebellion,
suppressed by fibs.
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Why was a British massacre
airbrushed out of history?
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It becomes very dangerous to attack
anyone connected to King George IV.
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Who really won the Battle
of Waterloo?
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And was the United Kingdom
as united as we think?
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It was the most astounding piece of
propaganda in the 19th century.
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As the French Revolution inspired
rebellion across Britain,
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the monarchy fought to stop
a revolution at home.
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Maintaining royal power meant
distorting the story,
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00:02:12,134 --> 00:02:14,189
suppressing the story,
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sometimes even making the story up
as you went along.
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00:02:18,004 --> 00:02:21,939
So, what was really going on
in the age of the Regency?
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In the 1780s, the British
monarchy was in trouble.
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King George Ill had lost
the American colonies
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00:02:41,164 --> 00:02:44,139
in the Revolutionary War.
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00:02:44,164 --> 00:02:48,828
Radical politicians were fighting
to reduce the power of the Crown...
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...and the Prince of Wales
was using public money
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to go on a spending spree.
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He was partying and gambling,
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00:02:59,364 --> 00:03:02,979
getting expensive renovations done
to his grand London house,
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and he was thinking about buying
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an extravagant holiday house
in Brighton as well.
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Very soon, the Prince of Wales
had to ask Parliament
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00:03:11,364 --> 00:03:14,549
for more money to clear his debts.
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00:03:17,134 --> 00:03:20,139
But Parliament was fighting back.
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00:03:20,164 --> 00:03:23,828
MPs were reluctant to give
more money to Prince George,
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because of a royal scandal, which
could stop him ever becoming King.
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A rumour was circulating in the
press that the Prince of Wales
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had secretly married a Catholic,
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and this wasn't just
a private matter.
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Angry MPs knew that if he really
had secretly married a Catholic,
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he would've violated
the Act of Settlement.
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The husband of a Catholic
could never be king.
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MPs demanded to know if the prince
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00:04:01,574 --> 00:04:03,939
had forfeited his right
to the throne.
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00:04:06,853 --> 00:04:10,549
Whig MP Charles James Fox,
a close friend of the prince,
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stood up in Parliament
to answer them.
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Fox said that this
rumoured marriage,
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not only could never have
happened legally,
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00:04:21,643 --> 00:04:24,578
but in fact had never happened
in any way whatsoever,
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and that to suggest otherwise
was a malicious falsehood.
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00:04:29,414 --> 00:04:31,498
But that wasn't quite true.
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In December 1785, the heir
to the throne had indeed married
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Maria Fitzherbert, a Catholic.
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Caricatures were filled with images
of the couple cavorting together.
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But marrying her was illegal
on two counts,
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not only because his wife
was Catholic,
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but also, the Prince couldn't marry
without his father's permission.
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00:05:01,603 --> 00:05:03,899
So, George had lied to Fox
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and told him that the marriage
would never happen.
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00:05:07,574 --> 00:05:10,828
And that's because George
wasn't just the Prince of Wales,
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he was also the Prince of Fibs.
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George's lie helps keep the course
of royal history right on track.
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The secret wedding was brushed aside
as legally invalid,
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George could still one day be king.
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And this wouldn't be the only time
royal fibs were used
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to cover up the truth
in this volatile era.
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00:05:47,964 --> 00:05:49,859
Three years after the
secret wedding,
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another royal crisis
would call for political spin.
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In November 1788, King George Ill
was brought to Kew Palace
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to be treated for the first of
several periods of mental illness.
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The madness of King George has come
to define his place in history.
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George Ill is often remembered today
as the "Mad King" who lost America.
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People have this idea of him
as a weak king,
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volatile, running amok through the
palace corridors, in his nightshirt.
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But to the people actually
alive in the 18th century,
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it wasn't like that at all.
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George's subjects didn't see
much of his madness
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and certainly not images of the King
in freezing baths
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or straightjackets.
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In an age when print shop windows
were full of cartoons,
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lampooning figures of authority,
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images of a mad King George
are almost non-existent.
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The public's attention
was being diverted
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to a different royal problem.
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This is the only known satirical
print of King George Ill
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during the first period
of his mental illness,
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and it's a sympathetic image.
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The poor guy's clearly suffering
in his bed,
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unlike his son, who's bursting
drunkenly in with his mates.
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And he's shouting out, "Damn me,
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"l'lljust see if the old fellow's
dead or not".
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It's pretty clear that one of these
two is out of control and dangerous,
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00:07:29,314 --> 00:07:32,189
but it's not the King,
it's the Prince.
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The King's son had been a target
for the cartoonists
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for most of his adult life.
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The Prince of Wales' lies
and his louche lifestyle
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made him an excellent subject
of satire.
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He was excessive in everything,
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00:07:52,523 --> 00:07:55,618
in women, in wine, in food,
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00:07:55,643 --> 00:07:58,109
in clothes and in art,
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but this caricature image
didn't leave much room for nuance.
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00:08:03,244 --> 00:08:08,748
To supporters of King George Ill,
the Prince was trouble.
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00:08:08,773 --> 00:08:13,219
Young George seemed to stand
for everything his father hated.
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00:08:13,244 --> 00:08:17,578
A friend of the Whigs, while his
father preferred the Tories.
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An exuberant spendthrift, while his
father lived a quiet life.
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The lover of a Catholic,
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while his father felt duty-bound
to defend the Protestant faith.
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And the King's mental illness
now meant the Prince
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00:08:37,804 --> 00:08:40,669
was an even bigger
political problem.
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The Prince might now have to step
up and rule in his father's place.
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In other words, a regency.
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And as regent, the Prince
would have the right
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to dismiss the Tory government
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00:08:55,414 --> 00:08:58,578
and hand power to his friends
in the Whig Party.
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00:09:00,694 --> 00:09:03,748
Worried Tories fought to avoid
a regency
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and pro-Tory cartoons emphasised
the Prince's character flaws.
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The political crisis helped cement
the Prince's terrible reputation.
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00:09:15,773 --> 00:09:19,469
But mental illness had
a very different effect
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on King George lll's image.
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What's interesting is that you might
think that his image takes,
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you know, takes a dive,
or that his image suffers
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during this period of
the original madness.
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But, actually, I think historians
really think that in some ways,
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once he recovers,
his image actually improves.
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Well, in the period before
that first illness, you know,
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he's not in a particularly
good position.
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He's lost the American colonies.
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People aren't particularly
happy about that.
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And he's sort of struggled
through the first period,
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the first decades of his reign,
but after his illness,
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his reputation really actually
surprisingly improves quite a bit.
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I think, for the British nation,
for the British people,
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he is seen as ever more resolute
and there is a sense of his recovery
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as being enormously
symbolically important.
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He seems stronger.
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The popular perception of the King
as dangerously out of control
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didn't really get going
until the 20th century.
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The notion of "George is mad",
in a sense, for me,
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all comes down to the
American bicentennial,
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the 200th anniversary
of American independence,
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which, in America,
was a very big deal.
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This 1976 moment was very,
very big and it brought around,
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brought about a reconsideration
of George Ill.
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It also elevated him
to American consciousness.
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Everything, from the way that
children in elementary schools
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are taught about the
American Revolution,
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to the way that there are popular
film and television shows,
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you need an antagonist,
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and George Ill probably serves
that purpose pretty well.
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So, by the time we get
to the famous film
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about the madness of George Ill,
the damage is done.
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Yes. George Ill is out of control.
He's unable to rule.
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Yes. He is clearly the enemy
of America. Yes, yes.
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The American Revolution needs
the King to have been,
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you know, an unsympathetic figure.
You need an enemy.
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You need an enemy.
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He was seen as this kind
of antagonist to American liberty
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and also mad and also, you know,
mentally unstable.
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And for Americans, that's very handy
to have it both ways, isn't it?
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In February 1789,
the King recovered
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and the political crisis
was resolved.
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Doctors' concerns that it
might be a recurring illness
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00:11:34,294 --> 00:11:37,939
were hidden from the people.
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00:11:37,964 --> 00:11:42,508
Galas, processions and a huge
Thanksgiving service at St Paul's
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00:11:42,533 --> 00:11:46,299
ensured the public knew
that their King was well.
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MUSIC: British National Anthem
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This image of a strong
and healthy King
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would soon become
even more important,
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because just three months
after the celebrations,
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the French would rise up
against their monarchy
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and start their revolution.
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00:12:13,603 --> 00:12:17,508
Across the Channel, the people
sent their king to the guillotine.
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00:12:18,574 --> 00:12:23,119
Rallying public support for the
British monarch was now vital.
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00:12:23,144 --> 00:12:27,939
French revolutionary ideas
were spreading across Europe.
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00:12:27,964 --> 00:12:34,039
And in 1793, Britain went to war
with France to stop them.
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00:12:34,064 --> 00:12:39,039
This was a fight to secure the
system of monarchy across Europe,
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00:12:39,064 --> 00:12:41,679
and George wanted a part in it.
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00:12:42,964 --> 00:12:47,828
Again and again, he had himself
painted in military uniform.
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00:12:50,733 --> 00:12:56,149
These portraits presented the Prince
of Wales as a gallant man of action,
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00:12:56,174 --> 00:12:58,628
about to gallop away on his horse,
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00:12:58,653 --> 00:13:03,149
or else leading his troops through
the smoke of the battlefield.
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00:13:05,603 --> 00:13:10,069
This was an era of military heroes,
like Nelson and Wellington.
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00:13:12,424 --> 00:13:15,429
And in these paintings,
George was one of them.
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Except that he wasn't.
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00:13:18,814 --> 00:13:21,989
George never actually went to a war,
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00:13:22,014 --> 00:13:25,859
and the military version
of the Prince of Wales is a fib.
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00:13:28,934 --> 00:13:32,109
Why was George so keen on being
presented as an action hero?
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00:13:33,454 --> 00:13:37,708
I think George wanted desperately
to be part of a tradition
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00:13:37,733 --> 00:13:43,958
that had both military,
royal and celebrity association.
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00:13:43,983 --> 00:13:48,989
He absolutely wanted to be that
person to lead his forces
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00:13:49,014 --> 00:13:51,469
and soldiers, to stand up
for the nation.
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00:13:51,494 --> 00:13:55,319
And he couldn't, he wasn't allowed.
He wasn't allowed to go, basically,
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00:13:55,344 --> 00:13:58,219
because to be able to be
the next King of England,
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00:13:58,244 --> 00:14:00,219
his safety was paramount.
211
00:14:00,244 --> 00:14:03,149
But I think if we're really
brutally honest about it,
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00:14:03,174 --> 00:14:06,149
he quite liked the military dress
as well.
213
00:14:06,174 --> 00:14:09,508
And I think he also saw
that celebrities of the time
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00:14:09,533 --> 00:14:11,789
were often people
who were returned,
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00:14:11,814 --> 00:14:13,859
fresh from the battlefields,
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00:14:13,884 --> 00:14:17,019
and he wanted a little bit
of that public glamour as well.
217
00:14:17,044 --> 00:14:21,049
Who would see all these pictures
of the Prince of Wales?
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00:14:21,074 --> 00:14:24,159
Well, many of these pictures
would have been on the walls
219
00:14:24,184 --> 00:14:28,229
of the Royal Academy,
in the famous summer exhibition
220
00:14:28,254 --> 00:14:31,518
and it was somewhere
that certainly, annually,
221
00:14:31,543 --> 00:14:35,799
had THE most popular exhibition
in London town.
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00:14:35,824 --> 00:14:38,999
And, in a way, I think that
was the chance for George
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00:14:39,024 --> 00:14:41,968
to engage with some of the things
on the walls of the academy
224
00:14:41,993 --> 00:14:44,439
that he couldn't do in real life.
225
00:14:45,663 --> 00:14:48,689
As British troops fought
against the French republic,
226
00:14:48,714 --> 00:14:51,919
these military paintings
could strengthen the image
227
00:14:51,944 --> 00:14:53,508
of monarchy at home.
228
00:14:54,714 --> 00:14:57,559
He looks to the events
of Revolutionary France
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00:14:57,584 --> 00:15:01,799
with real horror and real concern
for those involved,
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00:15:01,824 --> 00:15:05,439
but also with a real sense
that Britain still needs
231
00:15:05,464 --> 00:15:09,838
to express monarchy in a way
that feels grand,
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00:15:09,863 --> 00:15:12,949
and that inspires kind of awe.
233
00:15:12,974 --> 00:15:16,718
And I think it's making sure that
in an age where people were far less
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00:15:16,743 --> 00:15:19,799
frequently exposed to
images of monarchy,
235
00:15:19,824 --> 00:15:24,971
there were at least ways that images
could be seen by the public
236
00:15:24,996 --> 00:15:28,301
and they could really engage
with that image.
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00:15:28,326 --> 00:15:31,560
Very few people would be likely
to see him in real life.
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00:15:31,585 --> 00:15:35,171
So, if there was a gap between
the image and the reality,
239
00:15:35,196 --> 00:15:37,131
most people just wouldn't be aware.
240
00:15:37,156 --> 00:15:38,921
Yeah, that's right.
They wouldn't.
241
00:15:40,176 --> 00:15:43,810
In an age of revolution,
the monarchy needed stability.
242
00:15:45,585 --> 00:15:48,331
Since his illegal wedding,
the Playboy Prince
243
00:15:48,356 --> 00:15:50,891
had enjoyed other affairs.
244
00:15:50,916 --> 00:15:54,251
Now, he was to marry
his Protestant cousin,
245
00:15:54,276 --> 00:15:58,171
Caroline of Brunswick,
and produce an heir.
246
00:15:58,196 --> 00:16:01,381
Pictures painted this
like a Jane Austen romance.
247
00:16:02,505 --> 00:16:04,411
But that's nonsense.
248
00:16:06,606 --> 00:16:10,581
This was the opposite
of a fairy-tale royal wedding.
249
00:16:10,606 --> 00:16:13,251
When they met in the flesh,
Caroline said,
250
00:16:13,276 --> 00:16:16,661
"Blimey, he wasn't that fat
in his portrait!"
251
00:16:16,686 --> 00:16:20,331
And George said, "Look at her,
I need brandy".
252
00:16:20,356 --> 00:16:23,381
They somehow stumbled
through their marriage vows
253
00:16:23,406 --> 00:16:28,480
and then he spent the wedding night
drunkenly asleep in the fireplace.
254
00:16:30,996 --> 00:16:34,451
Caroline and George stayed
together just long enough
255
00:16:34,476 --> 00:16:36,121
to produce a daughter.
256
00:16:36,146 --> 00:16:38,690
After that, they lived apart.
257
00:16:40,326 --> 00:16:44,221
George would soon accuse
Caroline of infidelity,
258
00:16:44,246 --> 00:16:46,661
and eventually,
she left the country.
259
00:16:50,326 --> 00:16:54,051
But Britain hadn't seen the last
of Caroline of Brunswick.
260
00:16:59,246 --> 00:17:01,371
While the Georgians tried to secure
261
00:17:01,396 --> 00:17:03,411
the future of the monarchy
in Britain,
262
00:17:03,436 --> 00:17:06,121
a military hero was setting
himself up
263
00:17:06,146 --> 00:17:09,251
as the alternative to monarchy
in France.
264
00:17:10,866 --> 00:17:15,301
In 1804, 11 years after
the execution of Louis XVI,
265
00:17:15,326 --> 00:17:18,810
Napoleon Bonaparte crowned
himself Emperor...
266
00:17:20,276 --> 00:17:24,251
...and he, too, was using fibs
to solidify his power.
267
00:17:25,796 --> 00:17:31,810
Napoleon's coronation was really
the Napoleon propaganda spectacular.
268
00:17:31,835 --> 00:17:35,610
The whole thing was designed
to legitimise his power.
269
00:17:35,635 --> 00:17:38,251
In this painting
he commissioned of the event,
270
00:17:38,276 --> 00:17:40,411
he hasn't been afraid to ask
for a few little
271
00:17:40,436 --> 00:17:43,021
tweaked improvements to reality.
272
00:17:44,585 --> 00:17:47,051
The artist originally painted
the Pope
273
00:17:47,076 --> 00:17:48,921
with his hands on his knees,
274
00:17:48,946 --> 00:17:53,251
but he was told to show him blessing
the coronation instead.
275
00:17:54,715 --> 00:17:58,121
Also the proportions of
the church have been shrunk,
276
00:17:58,146 --> 00:18:02,891
and that was to make Napoleon
look bigger.
277
00:18:02,916 --> 00:18:05,371
The French Revolution
was an inspiration
278
00:18:05,396 --> 00:18:08,480
to radicals in Georgian Britain.
279
00:18:08,505 --> 00:18:12,730
Progressive politicians were now
calling for electoral reform
280
00:18:12,755 --> 00:18:15,371
to give more British people a voice.
281
00:18:16,996 --> 00:18:20,451
Reformers said that the diadem
of Napoleon
282
00:18:20,476 --> 00:18:24,730
was dimming the lustre of all
the ancient crowns of Europe,
283
00:18:24,755 --> 00:18:26,171
and that, in Britain,
284
00:18:26,196 --> 00:18:29,971
the King was losing his hold upon
the affections of his people.
285
00:18:29,996 --> 00:18:35,091
But he was also, once again,
losing his hold upon his mind.
286
00:18:37,036 --> 00:18:40,531
In 1811, at the age of 48,
287
00:18:40,556 --> 00:18:45,251
the Prince of Wales finally
became Prince Regent.
288
00:18:45,276 --> 00:18:49,251
George now presented himself
as Napoleon's nemesis.
289
00:18:50,755 --> 00:18:52,891
Napoleon had redesigned Paris
290
00:18:52,916 --> 00:18:54,331
with a grand boulevard
291
00:18:54,356 --> 00:18:58,301
and triumphal arches to celebrate
his military victories.
292
00:18:59,996 --> 00:19:05,581
George hopes to eclipse Napoleon
with his own elegant boulevard,
293
00:19:05,606 --> 00:19:08,091
London's Regent Street.
294
00:19:10,036 --> 00:19:12,891
But it would take a battle,
not architecture,
295
00:19:12,916 --> 00:19:16,940
to cut Napoleon's empire
down to size.
296
00:19:21,686 --> 00:19:26,051
Waterloo has gone down in history
as a great British victory,
297
00:19:26,076 --> 00:19:31,301
won by British troops, and it's
given its name to a railway station,
298
00:19:31,326 --> 00:19:35,661
to a bridge, and to one
of London's poshest streets.
299
00:19:35,686 --> 00:19:39,891
But this story of Waterloo
as a distinctly British victory
300
00:19:39,916 --> 00:19:42,371
is a distortion of the truth.
301
00:19:45,436 --> 00:19:48,301
It's true that the troops
at the Battle of Waterloo
302
00:19:48,326 --> 00:19:50,451
were led by the Duke of Wellington.
303
00:19:51,996 --> 00:19:54,761
But he led an allied army.
304
00:19:54,786 --> 00:19:59,331
Only around a third of
Wellington's troops were British.
305
00:19:59,356 --> 00:20:02,730
The rest were Dutch,
Belgian and Hanoverian.
306
00:20:04,276 --> 00:20:06,940
And in the decisive hours
of the battle,
307
00:20:06,965 --> 00:20:09,971
Wellington's 68,000 allied troops
308
00:20:09,996 --> 00:20:14,251
were joined by 48,000 Prussians.
309
00:20:14,276 --> 00:20:18,091
Most of the soldiers who defeated
Napoleon were German!
310
00:20:21,146 --> 00:20:24,971
So, how has it come to be remembered
as this British victory?
311
00:20:26,505 --> 00:20:30,301
The spin started on the night
after the battle
312
00:20:30,326 --> 00:20:34,451
when Wellington wrote the first
definitive description of Waterloo.
313
00:20:36,606 --> 00:20:38,581
The Prince Regent was dining
at a house,
314
00:20:38,606 --> 00:20:40,730
here, in St james's Square
in London,
315
00:20:40,755 --> 00:20:43,301
when Wellington's dispatch
reached him.
316
00:20:44,426 --> 00:20:46,531
In his report from the battlefield,
317
00:20:46,556 --> 00:20:49,971
Wellington graciously acknowledges
the Prussians.
318
00:20:49,996 --> 00:20:53,690
He says that they gave cordial
and timely assistance.
319
00:20:53,715 --> 00:20:56,761
But even this first dispatch
helps make it sound
320
00:20:56,786 --> 00:20:58,761
like a British victory.
321
00:21:00,476 --> 00:21:04,171
Wellington's report gave
the battle its name.
322
00:21:06,755 --> 00:21:09,301
The Prussian General Blucher
wanted to call it
323
00:21:09,326 --> 00:21:14,371
the Battle of Belle Alliance,
a nod to the allied victory.
324
00:21:16,715 --> 00:21:19,371
But Wellington wrote his
victorious dispatch
325
00:21:19,396 --> 00:21:22,610
from a village three miles
from the battlefield...
326
00:21:22,635 --> 00:21:24,371
...called Waterloo.
327
00:21:28,226 --> 00:21:31,251
Very soon, Parliament was adding
its weight
328
00:21:31,276 --> 00:21:33,581
to the British version of the story.
329
00:21:35,715 --> 00:21:37,841
Within a few clays of the victory,
330
00:21:37,866 --> 00:21:40,011
the Foreign Secretary,
Lord Castlereagh,
331
00:21:40,036 --> 00:21:42,730
also acknowledged the assistance
of the Prussians,
332
00:21:42,755 --> 00:21:46,480
but he went on to say that this
was a triumph of British arms
333
00:21:46,505 --> 00:21:51,371
and that it exulted the military
glory of the British nation.
334
00:21:54,916 --> 00:21:58,011
Politicians knew that
taking credit for the victory
335
00:21:58,036 --> 00:22:02,011
would enhance Britain's power
and authority in Europe.
336
00:22:03,635 --> 00:22:07,221
And soon, alternatives
to the great British narrative
337
00:22:07,246 --> 00:22:08,891
were being silenced.
338
00:22:10,835 --> 00:22:14,581
In 1830, the Army commissioned
cartographer
339
00:22:14,606 --> 00:22:18,730
Lieutenant William Siborne
to make a model of Waterloo.
340
00:22:20,606 --> 00:22:24,251
Siborne spent eight months
surveying the battlefield.
341
00:22:25,676 --> 00:22:28,221
To position his tiny soldiers,
342
00:22:28,246 --> 00:22:31,221
he wrote to hundreds
of Waterloo veterans,
343
00:22:31,246 --> 00:22:33,201
asking them where they were
344
00:22:33,226 --> 00:22:36,531
at around 7pm on the night
of the battle.
345
00:22:38,965 --> 00:22:40,730
When it came to making his model,
346
00:22:40,755 --> 00:22:42,651
was accuracy important
to Mr Siborne?
347
00:22:42,676 --> 00:22:45,121
We have a letter in the collection
where he actually says,
348
00:22:45,146 --> 00:22:47,891
"All I want is the truth
and I'm going to..."
349
00:22:47,916 --> 00:22:50,531
The truth? Yes.
That's a big thing to aim for.
350
00:22:50,556 --> 00:22:52,201
Absolutely. Yes.
351
00:22:52,226 --> 00:22:54,940
So, he definitely was...
He was very meticulous.
352
00:22:55,996 --> 00:23:00,371
Siborne's research suggested
that the role of the Prussians
353
00:23:00,396 --> 00:23:03,480
had been more important
than the British had made out.
354
00:23:04,556 --> 00:23:07,480
Partway through the project,
he lost his funding.
355
00:23:09,556 --> 00:23:11,690
During the project,
356
00:23:11,715 --> 00:23:16,331
he managed to make an enemy of
Wellington, or that's how it seems.
357
00:23:16,356 --> 00:23:22,401
So, losing Wellington's favour
actually made it impossible for him
358
00:23:22,426 --> 00:23:26,810
to get any government money
to finance the project.
359
00:23:26,835 --> 00:23:29,841
Why? Why would the Duke of
Wellington not want there to be
360
00:23:29,866 --> 00:23:32,730
a model of the Battle of Waterloo?
You'd think he'd love it.
361
00:23:32,755 --> 00:23:36,730
Yeah, you would, but it seems like
he was not particularly pleased
362
00:23:36,755 --> 00:23:39,221
with the prominence that
he thought was given
363
00:23:39,246 --> 00:23:40,971
to the Prussian troops on the model.
364
00:23:40,996 --> 00:23:44,680
So, there were slight hints for a
long period that, unfortunately,
365
00:23:44,705 --> 00:23:49,891
Siborne didn't get, about the fact
that Wellington was not that happy,
366
00:23:49,916 --> 00:23:55,251
and by the time he realised that the
Prussians were probably an issue,
367
00:23:55,276 --> 00:23:59,651
he made public that
he would be happy
368
00:23:59,676 --> 00:24:03,331
to remove the Prussians and go with
what Wellington thought was correct.
369
00:24:03,356 --> 00:24:05,581
It was a little bit too late
and Wellington,
370
00:24:05,606 --> 00:24:07,841
I mean, he had lost interest.
371
00:24:07,866 --> 00:24:10,651
So, do you personally think
that there might be
372
00:24:10,676 --> 00:24:13,221
a few Prussians missing here?
373
00:24:13,246 --> 00:24:18,011
There should be a few
more appearing here.
374
00:24:18,036 --> 00:24:22,401
There aren't that many left,
but there are certain documents
375
00:24:22,426 --> 00:24:26,971
that suggest that he removed
some of the Prussians
376
00:24:26,996 --> 00:24:28,581
from the battlefield.
377
00:24:31,916 --> 00:24:34,610
Britain was determined to claim
Waterloo as its own,
378
00:24:34,635 --> 00:24:38,610
but the real victor appeared to be
monarchy itself.
379
00:24:40,885 --> 00:24:45,680
With Napoleon defeated,
the French monarchy was restored.
380
00:24:45,705 --> 00:24:49,171
The ideals of the French Revolution
had been crushed.
381
00:24:51,116 --> 00:24:54,371
But in Britain, revolutionary
ideas didn't go away.
382
00:24:57,596 --> 00:24:59,480
In the aftermath of Waterloo,
383
00:24:59,505 --> 00:25:02,041
two very different pictures
of Regency life
384
00:25:02,066 --> 00:25:04,041
were starting to appear.
385
00:25:06,246 --> 00:25:10,610
One was a nation of gallant heroes
and a victorious Prince Regent,
386
00:25:10,635 --> 00:25:14,041
splashing cash on extravagant
royal palaces.
387
00:25:15,526 --> 00:25:18,221
The other was less glorious.
388
00:25:18,246 --> 00:25:21,810
Soldiers returning from war
faced mass unemployment,
389
00:25:21,835 --> 00:25:25,930
soaring food costs and
a thirst for democracy.
390
00:25:30,426 --> 00:25:34,730
Fewer than 2% of the people
in Regency Britain had the vote.
391
00:25:35,885 --> 00:25:38,221
The people wanted a voice
392
00:25:38,246 --> 00:25:42,680
and there were ever louder calls
to extend the franchise.
393
00:25:42,705 --> 00:25:46,291
The Regent and his government
feared revolution.
394
00:25:47,346 --> 00:25:50,041
On August 16th, 1819,
395
00:25:50,066 --> 00:25:55,371
60,000 men, women and children
came flooding through here
396
00:25:55,396 --> 00:25:59,651
towards what was then St Peter's
Field in Manchester.
397
00:25:59,676 --> 00:26:02,321
They'd come to attend
a huge protest rally
398
00:26:02,346 --> 00:26:07,041
and to hear the exciting,
celebrated orator, Henry Hunt.
399
00:26:09,146 --> 00:26:14,041
The authorities were determined
to stamp out any hint of revolution,
400
00:26:14,066 --> 00:26:17,241
so they told a lie.
401
00:26:17,266 --> 00:26:21,880
They said the crowd was armed,
violent and riotous.
402
00:26:21,905 --> 00:26:24,750
In fact, the crowd were keen that
this should come across
403
00:26:24,775 --> 00:26:28,311
as a patriotic
and a peaceful occasion.
404
00:26:28,336 --> 00:26:31,421
A lot of the women in the crowd
were wearing white dresses,
405
00:26:31,446 --> 00:26:32,880
the colour of peace,
406
00:26:32,905 --> 00:26:36,311
and the protesters even sang
God Save The King.
407
00:26:36,336 --> 00:26:41,981
MUSIC: British National Anthem
408
00:26:47,696 --> 00:26:51,671
Magistrates gave the order to arrest
the speaker, Henry Hunt.
409
00:26:52,905 --> 00:26:57,591
The local militia charged in on
horseback, brandishing sabres.
410
00:26:59,616 --> 00:27:04,551
Up to 700 people were injured,
18 were killed,
411
00:27:04,576 --> 00:27:07,341
including a two-year-old child.
412
00:27:08,725 --> 00:27:12,630
It became known
as the Peterloo Massacre.
413
00:27:17,056 --> 00:27:21,031
After 20 minutes of bloodshed,
a new battle began.
414
00:27:21,056 --> 00:27:25,141
The battle to control the story
of what had happened.
415
00:27:26,855 --> 00:27:30,031
Officials continued to claim
the militia were provoked,
416
00:27:30,056 --> 00:27:32,500
by an armed and dangerous crowd.
417
00:27:33,655 --> 00:27:36,521
In the People's History Museum,
in Manchester,
418
00:27:36,546 --> 00:27:40,750
is a walking stick that belonged
to one of the protesters.
419
00:27:40,775 --> 00:27:44,671
The magistrates were desperate
to find weapons in this crowd.
420
00:27:44,696 --> 00:27:48,981
They believe that this was a violent
mob intent on revolution, really.
421
00:27:49,006 --> 00:27:52,311
And an object like this would
have been the perfect evidence
422
00:27:52,336 --> 00:27:55,031
that this was actually
a violent crowd.
423
00:27:55,056 --> 00:27:59,031
So, after Peterloo, you can see
an inscription written on it.
424
00:27:59,056 --> 00:28:02,341
"L was one of the
dreadful bludgeons,
425
00:28:02,366 --> 00:28:07,311
"seen on the fields of Peterloo".
426
00:28:07,336 --> 00:28:11,271
There's Peterloo in the capital
letters there. Yep.
427
00:28:11,296 --> 00:28:15,271
So, this is somebody being a bit
ironic. This ordinary walking stick.
428
00:28:15,296 --> 00:28:17,981
Yeah, it's a kind of mocking
reference to the fact
429
00:28:18,006 --> 00:28:20,061
that the government is saying this
is a violent...
430
00:28:20,086 --> 00:28:21,521
A dreadful bludgeon. Yeah.
431
00:28:21,546 --> 00:28:23,671
I mean, clearly this is not
a violent weapon,
432
00:28:23,696 --> 00:28:26,950
and it shows the really contested
nature of this history,
433
00:28:26,975 --> 00:28:29,421
even in the months after Peterloo,
434
00:28:29,446 --> 00:28:31,421
that people are fighting
over the meaning.
435
00:28:31,446 --> 00:28:35,671
What would Prince George himself
say to us had happened?
436
00:28:35,696 --> 00:28:38,391
He's briefed by the military
and by the government
437
00:28:38,416 --> 00:28:42,471
on what's happened,
and he formally sends his thanks
438
00:28:42,496 --> 00:28:45,781
to the Yeomanry and to those
who have crushed
439
00:28:45,806 --> 00:28:47,551
the demonstration at Peterloo.
440
00:28:47,576 --> 00:28:50,341
To us, the Prince Regent
appears open to criticism.
441
00:28:50,366 --> 00:28:52,671
Did anybody criticise him
at the time?
442
00:28:52,696 --> 00:28:57,161
Well, people did. So, in 1820,
a radical newspaper
443
00:28:57,186 --> 00:29:03,391
writes that George is a flippant,
callous leader, really,
444
00:29:03,416 --> 00:29:05,471
and these words become
very dangerous.
445
00:29:05,496 --> 00:29:08,311
Actually, a shopkeeper,
who sells this newspaper,
446
00:29:08,336 --> 00:29:11,830
goes to prison for selling
these seditious words.
447
00:29:11,855 --> 00:29:13,981
The government brings
in the Six Acts,
448
00:29:14,006 --> 00:29:18,700
so it becomes illegal to meet and
to protest against the government.
449
00:29:18,725 --> 00:29:21,421
The radical newspapers,
they're clamped down on,
450
00:29:21,446 --> 00:29:22,950
so the taxes are raised
451
00:29:22,975 --> 00:29:26,391
and the story of Peterloo
goes underground, really.
452
00:29:26,416 --> 00:29:29,521
Anyone who tries to talk about
what they've witnessed
453
00:29:29,546 --> 00:29:31,750
or what they've experienced
at Peterloo
454
00:29:31,775 --> 00:29:34,551
really has the threat
of imprisonment.
455
00:29:34,576 --> 00:29:37,231
We're veering towards a totalitarian
state, then,
456
00:29:37,256 --> 00:29:40,031
when you cannot publish
or even speak criticism.
457
00:29:40,056 --> 00:29:42,391
Yeah, I mean there's a huge clamp
down on anyone
458
00:29:42,416 --> 00:29:44,620
who dares to speak out
against the monarchy
459
00:29:44,645 --> 00:29:47,391
and those who supported
the massacre.
460
00:29:47,416 --> 00:29:50,191
What do you think the authorities
were trying to achieve
461
00:29:50,216 --> 00:29:54,341
by all of this censoring,
silencing of the story?
462
00:29:54,366 --> 00:29:57,750
Well, the authorities were panicking
at the idea of revolution,
463
00:29:57,775 --> 00:30:01,161
that the revolution in France,
which was still in living memory,
464
00:30:01,186 --> 00:30:02,830
might spread to Britain,
465
00:30:02,855 --> 00:30:06,671
and so they hoped with these
very authoritarian laws
466
00:30:06,696 --> 00:30:09,950
that they might stop that
spread of revolution,
467
00:30:09,975 --> 00:30:13,341
and so there was a desperate attempt
to stop any real reforms
468
00:30:13,366 --> 00:30:16,870
being given to ordinary people.
469
00:30:16,895 --> 00:30:19,620
Romantic poet Percy Bysshe Shelley
470
00:30:19,645 --> 00:30:23,911
responded to Peterloo
with The Masque of Anarchy.
471
00:30:25,855 --> 00:30:29,830
His poem called for the masses
to rise like lions
472
00:30:29,855 --> 00:30:32,950
against the ruling elite
of Regency Britain.
473
00:30:32,975 --> 00:30:34,471
He told the people to...
474
00:30:34,496 --> 00:30:37,671
Shake your chains to earth
like dew
475
00:30:37,696 --> 00:30:41,031
Which in sleep had fallen on you
476
00:30:41,056 --> 00:30:45,231
Ye are many - they are few!
477
00:30:45,256 --> 00:30:48,750
But Shelley couldn't find
a publisher in his lifetime.
478
00:30:48,775 --> 00:30:51,591
They were all too afraid
to print it.
479
00:30:54,975 --> 00:30:58,111
To maintain power,
monarchy and parliament
480
00:30:58,136 --> 00:31:01,231
had silenced the story of Peterloo.
481
00:31:02,696 --> 00:31:05,391
For the voice of the people
to be heard,
482
00:31:05,416 --> 00:31:09,830
Reformers would now start
spinning their own fibs.
483
00:31:11,136 --> 00:31:16,911
On January 29th, 1820,
King George Ill died.
484
00:31:16,936 --> 00:31:19,620
After nine years of his Regency,
485
00:31:19,645 --> 00:31:23,801
the Prince could finally become
King George IV.
486
00:31:29,336 --> 00:31:32,311
This is a whole lot of
commemorative cups and plates,
487
00:31:32,336 --> 00:31:34,950
the sort of thing that's familiar
from royal weddings,
488
00:31:34,975 --> 00:31:37,750
jubilees, that sort of thing.
489
00:31:37,775 --> 00:31:42,031
But these genteel royal knick-knacks
are not what they seem.
490
00:31:42,056 --> 00:31:46,830
Each one of these represents a slap
in the face to King George IV
491
00:31:46,855 --> 00:31:50,801
because this lot celebrate the woman
he didn't want to be Queen.
492
00:31:52,256 --> 00:31:55,421
At the hint of a coronation,
George's wife, Caroline,
493
00:31:55,446 --> 00:31:59,511
returned from Europe, determined
to take her place as Queen.
494
00:32:02,496 --> 00:32:04,591
George was having none of it.
495
00:32:04,616 --> 00:32:08,341
He wanted a divorce
but if he tried to get one,
496
00:32:08,366 --> 00:32:10,591
he might open himself up
to criticism
497
00:32:10,616 --> 00:32:12,671
for the mistresses that he'd had.
498
00:32:13,725 --> 00:32:19,471
So, George decided to bring his case
against Caroline before Parliament.
499
00:32:20,806 --> 00:32:23,191
Politicians, rather than a court,
500
00:32:23,216 --> 00:32:26,721
should decide if Caroline
was guilty of adultery.
501
00:32:29,056 --> 00:32:32,671
This was effectively trial
by Parliament.
502
00:32:32,696 --> 00:32:35,591
If Caroline wanted to be Queen,
she'd have to put up
503
00:32:35,616 --> 00:32:39,830
with her sex life being trotted out
and picked over
504
00:32:39,855 --> 00:32:41,981
in front of the entire nation.
505
00:32:43,775 --> 00:32:47,111
Witnesses told tales of debauchery,
506
00:32:47,136 --> 00:32:52,471
stained bedsheets and a bath shared
with an Italian lover.
507
00:32:53,536 --> 00:32:57,471
But Caroline thought of a way
of getting the upper hand.
508
00:32:57,496 --> 00:32:58,981
Ooh, thanks.
509
00:32:59,006 --> 00:33:01,471
By telling just a little lie,
510
00:33:01,496 --> 00:33:06,950
she could reposition herself
as the people's radical Queen.
511
00:33:10,006 --> 00:33:12,700
Caroline was no political radical,
512
00:33:12,725 --> 00:33:15,781
but she did want revenge
on her husband.
513
00:33:17,256 --> 00:33:22,830
So she made an alliance with the
people fighting for the vote.
514
00:33:22,855 --> 00:33:26,750
During her trial, the radicals used
the press and caricatures
515
00:33:26,775 --> 00:33:32,151
to spin Caroline into the figurehead
for a wronged people.
516
00:33:32,176 --> 00:33:37,311
Tradesmen, shopkeepers and women's
groups signed petitions of support.
517
00:33:39,336 --> 00:33:43,441
And Caroline's radical allies
scripted replies in her name
518
00:33:43,466 --> 00:33:45,781
to fans across the country.
519
00:33:48,136 --> 00:33:50,341
To her supporters in Sunderland,
520
00:33:50,366 --> 00:33:54,311
Caroline said, "If the highest
subjects in the land
521
00:33:54,336 --> 00:34:00,261
"can be divorced, dethroned,
debased by an arbitrary power,
522
00:34:00,286 --> 00:34:02,671
"then the constitutional liberty
523
00:34:02,696 --> 00:34:05,830
"of the kingdom will be
shaken to its base."
524
00:34:05,855 --> 00:34:08,341
The newspapers loved her.
525
00:34:08,366 --> 00:34:11,791
They called her the French
revolutionary leader.
526
00:34:13,086 --> 00:34:15,791
Caroline's lawyer soon warned MPs
527
00:34:15,816 --> 00:34:18,261
that to save themselves
and the Crown,
528
00:34:18,286 --> 00:34:20,591
they must find her innocent.
529
00:34:21,645 --> 00:34:25,341
So, every day that she goes
down for the trial,
530
00:34:25,366 --> 00:34:29,031
there is a - what the
government refers to as - mob
531
00:34:29,056 --> 00:34:31,591
waiting to roar support.
532
00:34:31,616 --> 00:34:34,620
It's an extraordinary time.
533
00:34:34,645 --> 00:34:39,620
It sounds like an unholy alliance
between Caroline and the radicals.
534
00:34:39,645 --> 00:34:42,511
Why did the radicals want
to help Queen Caroline?
535
00:34:42,536 --> 00:34:47,591
The radicals are certainly...
536
00:34:47,616 --> 00:34:53,721
...seeing an opportunity
coming after Peterloo,
537
00:34:53,746 --> 00:34:57,791
and then these coercive acts,
538
00:34:57,816 --> 00:35:00,191
following that by the government.
539
00:35:00,216 --> 00:35:03,151
By focusing on the Queen,
540
00:35:03,176 --> 00:35:07,671
they can attack the King
and the government,
541
00:35:07,696 --> 00:35:09,950
but they're not criticising
542
00:35:09,975 --> 00:35:13,391
or saying anything seditious
or treasonable,
543
00:35:13,416 --> 00:35:16,261
because they're saying the Queen
is a wronged woman.
544
00:35:16,286 --> 00:35:20,620
So, a cheer for Queen Caroline
is secretly a boo for the King,
545
00:35:20,645 --> 00:35:23,031
and for the Tory government.
Absolutely.
546
00:35:23,056 --> 00:35:27,850
And an unspoken wish that the
franchise could be extended. Yeah.
547
00:35:27,875 --> 00:35:31,251
Fear of revolution helped
to sway Parliament's decision
548
00:35:31,276 --> 00:35:33,331
to abandon the trial.
549
00:35:35,196 --> 00:35:38,331
George's coronation could
finally go ahead.
550
00:35:44,026 --> 00:35:48,100
In July 1821, George IV processed
through the streets
551
00:35:48,125 --> 00:35:50,890
to Westminster Abbey.
552
00:35:50,915 --> 00:35:53,561
King George hopes that he
could use his coronation
553
00:35:53,586 --> 00:35:57,001
to stabilise the monarchy
and outshine Napoleon
554
00:35:57,026 --> 00:35:59,201
as a truly regal leader.
555
00:36:00,915 --> 00:36:03,970
But it didn't go entirely elegantly.
556
00:36:03,995 --> 00:36:07,491
There were complaints about
the horrendous cost of it all,
557
00:36:07,516 --> 00:36:09,331
and there was an uninvited guest.
558
00:36:09,356 --> 00:36:12,531
Caroline turned up and she was
banging on the door of the abbey,
559
00:36:12,556 --> 00:36:15,970
demanding to be let in,
as Queen of England.
560
00:36:15,995 --> 00:36:20,451
But she was kept out
and had to slink away humiliated.
561
00:36:22,795 --> 00:36:25,451
Once again,
George would turn to art
562
00:36:25,476 --> 00:36:28,331
to tell his version
of royal history.
563
00:36:33,795 --> 00:36:37,890
So, Kathryn, this is George's big
moment, he's finally become King.
564
00:36:37,915 --> 00:36:41,640
What's he trying to express
through this coronation portrait?
565
00:36:41,665 --> 00:36:45,171
Obviously, there's been
huge political turmoil.
566
00:36:45,196 --> 00:36:46,921
There's been military turmoil
in Britain.
567
00:36:46,946 --> 00:36:49,691
So, this is the moment
where he can present himself
568
00:36:49,716 --> 00:36:52,081
in this magnificent way
to his people
569
00:36:52,106 --> 00:36:56,131
and show them, here we are,
monarchy is still strong.
570
00:36:56,156 --> 00:36:57,491
Monarchy is back!
571
00:36:57,516 --> 00:36:59,970
It summarises monarchy in every
way you can think of, really.
572
00:36:59,995 --> 00:37:03,411
All that gold, the diamonds,
everything is showing.
573
00:37:03,436 --> 00:37:05,441
And even just his pose.
574
00:37:05,466 --> 00:37:08,640
He appears in this portrait
to be this towering figure.
575
00:37:08,665 --> 00:37:10,811
I don't think he was more than 5'7",
576
00:37:10,836 --> 00:37:14,640
but Lawrence makes him into
this great majestic figure.
577
00:37:14,665 --> 00:37:17,611
You can see this great swagger
of monarchy.
578
00:37:17,636 --> 00:37:20,890
So, it's not a portrait of a man,
it's a portrait of an institution.
579
00:37:20,915 --> 00:37:23,921
What are the sort of hidden
messages of the painting?
580
00:37:23,946 --> 00:37:25,770
Well, the key one, really,
is the table,
581
00:37:25,795 --> 00:37:29,251
which just appears
in the corner of the portrait.
582
00:37:29,276 --> 00:37:32,611
And, in fact, that was a table
that was made for Napoleon,
583
00:37:32,636 --> 00:37:35,720
and after the defeat of Napoleon
and the restoration of the monarchy,
584
00:37:35,745 --> 00:37:38,840
Louis XVIII presented it
to George IV.
585
00:37:38,865 --> 00:37:41,561
And you can just see this lovely
gesture that George,
586
00:37:41,586 --> 00:37:45,451
just with a single fingertip,
is resting upon Napoleon's table.
587
00:37:45,476 --> 00:37:48,081
I think that just sort of
sums up his attitude,
588
00:37:48,106 --> 00:37:52,890
that sort of slightly insolent nod
to his defeat of Napoleon.
589
00:37:52,915 --> 00:37:55,451
There's a real sense of
one-upmanship here, isn't there?
590
00:37:55,476 --> 00:37:56,970
There is, definitely.
591
00:37:56,995 --> 00:38:00,561
It's, "l can do it bigger and
better, but also I've defeated you".
592
00:38:00,586 --> 00:38:03,640
I think that the political
underpinning of that
593
00:38:03,665 --> 00:38:06,840
is really in response
to what Napoleon is doing,
594
00:38:06,865 --> 00:38:09,331
and that he's trying to make sure
595
00:38:09,356 --> 00:38:11,331
that that's not going
to happen again.
596
00:38:11,356 --> 00:38:13,921
George is clearly excellent
at style,
597
00:38:13,946 --> 00:38:17,171
some people might say
at the expense of substance,
598
00:38:17,196 --> 00:38:19,640
but perhaps, in an age
of revolution,
599
00:38:19,665 --> 00:38:24,451
it's more important that kings
project their majesty, do you think?
600
00:38:24,476 --> 00:38:27,411
I think he's very conscious
of how he appears in public.
601
00:38:27,436 --> 00:38:30,531
This great glittering backdrop,
this very sparkling court
602
00:38:30,556 --> 00:38:33,411
that he creates, is all designed,
really, to present the monarchy
603
00:38:33,436 --> 00:38:36,281
in the place where he felt
it belonged.
604
00:38:36,306 --> 00:38:40,051
George, really, is trying to protect
the monarchy at that moment
605
00:38:40,076 --> 00:38:42,611
as the leaders of Europe.
606
00:38:43,836 --> 00:38:46,840
King George wanted to dazzle
his people
607
00:38:46,865 --> 00:38:49,331
with the spectacle of monarchy,
608
00:38:49,356 --> 00:38:51,770
and that meant new bling.
609
00:38:53,386 --> 00:38:56,731
George had this diamond diadem
created to wear
610
00:38:56,756 --> 00:38:58,879
on the way to his coronation.
611
00:39:02,544 --> 00:39:04,879
It's still worn by the Queen today.
612
00:39:10,674 --> 00:39:13,239
George wanted his diadem
to contain symbols
613
00:39:13,264 --> 00:39:15,798
of all the different bits
of the United Kingdom.
614
00:39:15,823 --> 00:39:19,848
So, it's got an Irish shamrock,
the English rose
615
00:39:19,873 --> 00:39:22,009
and the Scottish thistle,
616
00:39:22,034 --> 00:39:25,519
he's setting out his stall
as a unifying monarch.
617
00:39:28,703 --> 00:39:33,289
But to unify the country
he'd have to rely on a few fibs.
618
00:39:34,904 --> 00:39:38,879
The union between Britain and
Ireland had been forged in 1800
619
00:39:38,904 --> 00:39:41,928
to curb rebellion and help
discourage an alliance
620
00:39:41,953 --> 00:39:43,848
with Revolutionary France.
621
00:39:45,753 --> 00:39:50,129
Part of the deal was the promise
of Catholic emancipation.
622
00:39:50,154 --> 00:39:54,728
This would allow Catholics, who made
up 80% of the Irish population,
623
00:39:54,753 --> 00:39:58,319
to hold public office
and become MPs.
624
00:40:00,073 --> 00:40:02,928
But that promise had turned
out to be a lie.
625
00:40:04,823 --> 00:40:08,569
George Ill had vowed never
to allow Catholic emancipation.
626
00:40:08,594 --> 00:40:12,129
He felt it went against the oath
he'd made at his coronation,
627
00:40:12,154 --> 00:40:14,519
which was to support
the Protestant faith,
628
00:40:14,544 --> 00:40:17,489
but his son appeared
to think otherwise.
629
00:40:19,034 --> 00:40:21,769
When George IV announced
a trip to Ireland
630
00:40:21,794 --> 00:40:25,289
a month after his coronation
in 1821,
631
00:40:25,314 --> 00:40:30,319
it seemed that Catholic emancipation
might finally be on the horizon.
632
00:40:32,344 --> 00:40:37,048
George IV was welcomed
to Dublin by cheering crowds.
633
00:40:37,073 --> 00:40:40,009
After all the negativity
at the affair with Queen Caroline,
634
00:40:40,034 --> 00:40:41,928
this is a real tonic to him.
635
00:40:41,953 --> 00:40:46,009
He told the people he met
implausibly, but sincerely,
636
00:40:46,034 --> 00:40:49,569
that his heart had, in fact,
always been Irish.
637
00:40:53,034 --> 00:40:56,678
At the centre of the festivities
was Daniel O'Connell,
638
00:40:56,703 --> 00:40:59,678
leader of the Campaign
for Catholic Emancipation.
639
00:41:00,703 --> 00:41:04,948
In the past, O'Connell had
publicly criticised George.
640
00:41:04,973 --> 00:41:08,769
Now, he was determined to gain
maximum advantage
641
00:41:08,794 --> 00:41:10,649
from the King's visit.
642
00:41:11,873 --> 00:41:14,159
Patrick, what are both sides
hoping to achieve
643
00:41:14,184 --> 00:41:16,769
from this visit to Dublin
by George IV?
644
00:41:16,794 --> 00:41:20,079
I think the King was trying
to show that he was
645
00:41:20,104 --> 00:41:23,519
the King of a United Kingdom,
and a genuinely United Kingdom,
646
00:41:23,544 --> 00:41:27,519
that his subjects in Ireland
loved him, that he loved them,
647
00:41:27,544 --> 00:41:31,239
and that they were part
of this relationship
648
00:41:31,264 --> 00:41:34,099
that really was only in existence
for 20 years.
649
00:41:34,124 --> 00:41:38,569
So, I think there was a good reason
for the King to want to do it.
650
00:41:38,594 --> 00:41:41,209
For Daniel O'Connell,
it was more cynical.
651
00:41:41,234 --> 00:41:45,798
It was about making this huge
demonstration of Catholic loyalty,
652
00:41:45,823 --> 00:41:48,519
so that George IV
might be persuaded,
653
00:41:48,544 --> 00:41:51,409
might be convinced, that the
Catholics could be trusted
654
00:41:51,434 --> 00:41:54,129
and that therefore emancipation
could be granted.
655
00:41:58,154 --> 00:42:02,598
George departed from Ireland, here
from the quayside at Dun Laoghaire.
656
00:42:02,623 --> 00:42:05,959
The town was renamed Kingstown
in his honour.
657
00:42:05,984 --> 00:42:07,489
And, before he went,
658
00:42:07,514 --> 00:42:12,439
Daniel O'Connell crowned him with
the victorious wreath of laurel.
659
00:42:12,464 --> 00:42:15,879
Full of enthusiasm, George said
to the cheering crowd,
660
00:42:15,904 --> 00:42:18,159
that if ever the opportunity
arose for him
661
00:42:18,184 --> 00:42:21,718
to do something to serve Ireland,
he would do it.
662
00:42:21,743 --> 00:42:25,239
This didn't turn out
to be strictly accurate.
663
00:42:28,973 --> 00:42:34,239
George's visit celebrated the union
and gave Irish Catholics hope.
664
00:42:35,623 --> 00:42:39,409
But, once again, he was fibbing.
665
00:42:39,434 --> 00:42:43,879
He'd sworn as King to defend
the Protestant faith.
666
00:42:43,904 --> 00:42:47,798
Back in England, there was
no movement on emancipation.
667
00:42:49,594 --> 00:42:51,649
So, what happened
when it became clear
668
00:42:51,674 --> 00:42:54,489
that George really wasn't going
to help the Catholics?
669
00:42:54,514 --> 00:42:57,399
Suddenly, you had a backlash
against O'Connell,
670
00:42:57,424 --> 00:42:59,608
because O'Connell had been going
around the country,
671
00:42:59,633 --> 00:43:01,969
wearing a fur cap that had
a gold band on it
672
00:43:01,994 --> 00:43:06,219
and he'd been telling everyone that
this had been a gift from the King.
673
00:43:06,244 --> 00:43:08,779
But as soon as it looked
like the King
674
00:43:08,804 --> 00:43:10,219
wasn't going to change his mind,
675
00:43:10,244 --> 00:43:13,779
O'Connell had to deny that the cap
was a gift he had.
676
00:43:13,804 --> 00:43:16,728
He said, "That was just a joke,
I was only pretending".
677
00:43:16,753 --> 00:43:18,449
People began telling stories about
678
00:43:18,474 --> 00:43:21,978
how O'Connell had humiliated himself
at Dun Laoghaire, at Kingstown.
679
00:43:22,003 --> 00:43:24,449
How he had waded out in the harbour
680
00:43:24,474 --> 00:43:28,299
to present this laurel crown to
the King and O'Connell denied that.
681
00:43:28,324 --> 00:43:31,089
There was this belief
that he had gone too far
682
00:43:31,114 --> 00:43:32,938
and had gained nothing in return.
683
00:43:32,963 --> 00:43:37,169
So, O'Connell started, once again,
abusing the King
684
00:43:37,194 --> 00:43:39,499
and moving on from it.
685
00:43:40,724 --> 00:43:42,449
Over the next seven years,
686
00:43:42,474 --> 00:43:46,938
three emancipation bills
were defeated at Westminster.
687
00:43:46,963 --> 00:43:50,019
Eventually, O'Connell tried
a new tactic.
688
00:43:51,324 --> 00:43:53,708
He got himself elected!
689
00:43:53,733 --> 00:43:55,239
The government realised that
690
00:43:55,264 --> 00:43:58,249
denying O'Connell his parliamentary
seat in London
691
00:43:58,274 --> 00:44:01,019
could spark a rebellion in Ireland.
692
00:44:02,324 --> 00:44:07,419
In 1829, the Catholic Relief Act
granted emancipation.
693
00:44:07,444 --> 00:44:11,728
King George was finally forced to
concede power to the people.
694
00:44:13,444 --> 00:44:16,938
Emancipation was cheered
and celebrated by Irish people,
695
00:44:16,963 --> 00:44:19,958
who had no ambition to
ever sit in Parliament,
696
00:44:19,983 --> 00:44:21,828
but it was still meaningful
for them
697
00:44:21,853 --> 00:44:23,969
because it was a campaign
for civil rights.
698
00:44:23,994 --> 00:44:26,529
The emancipation itself
has to be understood
699
00:44:26,554 --> 00:44:28,579
because it's not just
a religious thing
700
00:44:28,604 --> 00:44:30,728
and it's not really even
a religious thing.
701
00:44:30,753 --> 00:44:34,169
It's a civil rights issue,
a campaign to ensure that Catholics,
702
00:44:34,194 --> 00:44:37,808
who had the right to vote,
would be able to sit in parliament,
703
00:44:37,833 --> 00:44:41,419
would be able to become judges
and kings' councils.
704
00:44:41,444 --> 00:44:44,858
And also be equal
in their own country,
705
00:44:44,883 --> 00:44:47,249
no longer feeling
that they were inferior,
706
00:44:47,274 --> 00:44:49,339
no longer feeling that
they were slaves,
707
00:44:49,364 --> 00:44:52,139
and that is why they gave
O'Connell the name Liberator.
708
00:44:52,164 --> 00:44:53,808
And that is why O'Connell became
709
00:44:53,833 --> 00:44:55,969
one of the great figures
in Irish history,
710
00:44:55,994 --> 00:44:59,169
because he had led this
mass peaceful movement
711
00:44:59,194 --> 00:45:01,969
and he had brought the
British Empire to its knees
712
00:45:01,994 --> 00:45:04,858
and he had done it without having
to fire a single shot.
713
00:45:09,194 --> 00:45:11,938
A year after George's Irish trip,
714
00:45:11,963 --> 00:45:16,998
he embarks on another visit to
quell rebellion - to Edinburgh.
715
00:45:18,624 --> 00:45:23,339
In 1820, Scottish workers
had called a general strike
716
00:45:23,364 --> 00:45:27,419
under the revolutionary motto,
Liberty or Death.
717
00:45:29,444 --> 00:45:33,369
The three leaders of the strike
were hanged and beheaded.
718
00:45:34,724 --> 00:45:38,369
Could a royal visit
inspire some loyalist spirit?
719
00:45:41,354 --> 00:45:46,359
The Edinburgh George IV visited
was a tartan extravaganza.
720
00:45:46,384 --> 00:45:50,249
Everywhere you looked, there
were clan chiefs or people
721
00:45:50,274 --> 00:45:53,369
holding Highland Bulls
to celebrate the King.
722
00:45:53,394 --> 00:45:56,219
Even George himself
had been persuaded
723
00:45:56,244 --> 00:45:59,369
to truss himself up into a
tartan costume.
724
00:45:59,394 --> 00:46:02,579
But this tartan city
was an illusion,
725
00:46:02,604 --> 00:46:06,009
a bit like the mythical village
of Brigadoon.
726
00:46:09,684 --> 00:46:12,529
Tartan wasn't even
an Edinburgh thing.
727
00:46:12,554 --> 00:46:14,969
It was a Highland tradition.
728
00:46:14,994 --> 00:46:18,089
England supporter, are you?
Er, no, the other one.
729
00:46:18,114 --> 00:46:20,249
Aye. Funny that. Yeah.
730
00:46:20,274 --> 00:46:24,009
And it was associated with
the Hanoverian's great rivals,
731
00:46:24,034 --> 00:46:26,089
the Jacobites.
732
00:46:26,114 --> 00:46:28,808
Just 77 years earlier,
733
00:46:28,833 --> 00:46:32,169
the Jacobite rebellion had
fought to put a Stuart King
734
00:46:32,194 --> 00:46:34,139
back on the British throne.
735
00:46:35,684 --> 00:46:41,828
But in 1746, George's family
had crushed them at Culloden.
736
00:46:41,853 --> 00:46:44,299
And the wearing of Highland dress,
737
00:46:44,324 --> 00:46:47,579
a sign of political allegiance
to the jacobites,
738
00:46:47,604 --> 00:46:51,699
had been banned for 35 years.
739
00:46:51,724 --> 00:46:54,808
Now, the King's visit
would rewrite history.
740
00:46:56,274 --> 00:46:59,089
The man in charge of it all
was Sir Walter Scott,
741
00:46:59,114 --> 00:47:03,938
the best-selling author of
romanticised historical fiction.
742
00:47:05,164 --> 00:47:08,938
This pamphlet was published
just before the royal visit
743
00:47:08,963 --> 00:47:12,938
and it's called Hints To
The Inhabitants Of Edinburgh,
744
00:47:12,963 --> 00:47:17,369
suggesting to them how to behave
and what to wear.
745
00:47:17,394 --> 00:47:19,808
The author here is given as
"An Old Citizen".
746
00:47:19,833 --> 00:47:23,009
Actually, that was
Sir Walter Scott himself.
747
00:47:23,034 --> 00:47:27,169
And he says, basically,
you can't wear too much tartan.
748
00:47:27,194 --> 00:47:30,608
Scott was a Tory unionist
749
00:47:30,633 --> 00:47:34,699
and he was willing to tweak the
truth to support his cause,
750
00:47:34,724 --> 00:47:40,139
even if that meant turning
Hanoverian George into a Scotsman.
751
00:47:40,164 --> 00:47:44,499
"He comes as the descendant of a
long line of Scottish kings,
752
00:47:44,524 --> 00:47:48,499
"the blood of the heroic Robert
Bruce, the blood of the noble,
753
00:47:48,524 --> 00:47:53,009
"the enlightened, the generous
James I is in his veins."
754
00:47:53,034 --> 00:47:55,529
And he concludes, triumphantly,
755
00:47:55,554 --> 00:47:59,858
"that we are the clan
and the King is our chief."
756
00:48:01,474 --> 00:48:06,009
300,000 people turned out
to see George in Scotland.
757
00:48:06,034 --> 00:48:10,889
The image of the Tartan King
was captured by court painters
758
00:48:10,914 --> 00:48:13,139
and mocked by cartoonists.
759
00:48:15,674 --> 00:48:19,299
What was Scott up to when he
staged-managed this amazing visit
760
00:48:19,324 --> 00:48:21,369
to Edinburgh by George IV?
761
00:48:21,394 --> 00:48:25,289
In some ways, it was the most
astounding piece of propaganda
762
00:48:25,314 --> 00:48:27,299
in the 19th century.
763
00:48:27,324 --> 00:48:32,978
The fact that you have a Hanoverian
King, dressed up as a Jacobite,
764
00:48:33,003 --> 00:48:35,219
is quite striking, you know,
765
00:48:35,244 --> 00:48:38,089
given that only two
generations beforehand,
766
00:48:38,114 --> 00:48:42,139
these people were trying
to oust his whole family.
767
00:48:42,164 --> 00:48:45,728
But Scott nuances everything to say,
768
00:48:45,753 --> 00:48:50,009
"George IV is yourjacobite King".
769
00:48:50,034 --> 00:48:53,449
It invokes an idea of loyalty
770
00:48:53,474 --> 00:48:56,728
and it was trying to heal divisions
771
00:48:56,753 --> 00:49:01,499
between Hanoverian and Jacobite,
between English and Scottish.
772
00:49:01,524 --> 00:49:05,339
Scott manages to somehow fuse
all this together,
773
00:49:05,364 --> 00:49:08,699
into a cohesive whole
that is Scotland
774
00:49:08,724 --> 00:49:12,249
and admits George IV as their King.
775
00:49:12,274 --> 00:49:14,649
And how did Scottish people
themselves react
776
00:49:14,674 --> 00:49:17,449
to being encouraged
to put on fancy dress?
777
00:49:17,474 --> 00:49:20,728
It was something which
many of the other people,
778
00:49:20,753 --> 00:49:24,808
lowlanders like me,
found quite objectionable,
779
00:49:24,833 --> 00:49:27,889
people refer to it as nauseous
780
00:49:27,914 --> 00:49:30,699
and Sir Walter
has made us ridiculous
781
00:49:30,724 --> 00:49:33,009
by claiming we're all Highlanders.
782
00:49:33,034 --> 00:49:37,009
They simply didn't like it, but it
was something that translates,
783
00:49:37,034 --> 00:49:41,259
and I think one can measure
the success,
784
00:49:41,284 --> 00:49:44,608
if you look at any kind
of cultural depiction
785
00:49:44,633 --> 00:49:48,449
of Scotland, nowadays, it's tartan.
Yes.
786
00:49:48,474 --> 00:49:53,889
Doesn't matter if it's The Simpsons
or if it's Braveheart,
787
00:49:53,914 --> 00:49:56,699
tartan equals Scotland,
788
00:49:56,724 --> 00:49:58,699
and that's what Scott did.
789
00:49:58,724 --> 00:50:02,139
We had this ancient garb,
as he would've called it.
790
00:50:02,164 --> 00:50:04,449
Ancient garb. That's
a great word for it.
791
00:50:04,474 --> 00:50:07,579
Ancient garbage, some might say!
LUCY LAUGHS
792
00:50:07,604 --> 00:50:11,219
Did this help neutralise
any actual Scottish rebellion
793
00:50:11,244 --> 00:50:13,449
that might have been
otherwise brewing?
794
00:50:13,474 --> 00:50:14,889
I think it did.
795
00:50:14,914 --> 00:50:18,649
I think because there's
a certain idea of...
796
00:50:18,674 --> 00:50:21,289
...it alljust being a fiction.
797
00:50:21,314 --> 00:50:24,779
Of it not actually
making any difference.
798
00:50:24,804 --> 00:50:28,449
There's a great sense that,
look, what does it matter?
799
00:50:28,474 --> 00:50:32,579
And yet, it's so significant
that through this,
800
00:50:32,604 --> 00:50:36,529
given that the 19th century will
become the age of revolutions,
801
00:50:36,554 --> 00:50:38,928
and particularly
nationalist revolutions
802
00:50:38,953 --> 00:50:41,889
from Finland through to Hungary,
803
00:50:41,914 --> 00:50:44,889
where doesn't have a revolution?
804
00:50:44,914 --> 00:50:46,009
Scotland.
805
00:50:46,034 --> 00:50:49,419
Well, the solution, obviously,
is just put men into skirts.
806
00:50:52,554 --> 00:50:55,339
George's Edinburgh visit
was a triumph.
807
00:50:57,444 --> 00:51:00,058
But winning over his people
in person
808
00:51:00,083 --> 00:51:02,699
was becoming more of a challenge.
809
00:51:04,724 --> 00:51:08,608
The King was now in his '60s,
obese and unhealthy.
810
00:51:10,034 --> 00:51:12,419
He began to think of his legacy.
811
00:51:14,444 --> 00:51:17,369
Once again, George was hoping
that his lasting image
812
00:51:17,394 --> 00:51:20,728
would be as the vanquisher
of Napoleon.
813
00:51:20,753 --> 00:51:25,449
In later life, he'd sometimes
reminisce about how he himself
814
00:51:25,474 --> 00:51:27,808
had been on the battlefield
at Waterloo,
815
00:51:27,833 --> 00:51:30,369
which left the Duke of Wellington,
rolling his eyes
816
00:51:30,394 --> 00:51:35,499
and muttering about the madness
that ran in the royal family.
817
00:51:35,524 --> 00:51:37,499
To cement his place in history,
818
00:51:37,524 --> 00:51:43,009
George would rely on his favourite
spin doctors - art and architecture.
819
00:51:45,364 --> 00:51:49,619
In 1825, he began transforming
London's Buckingham House
820
00:51:49,644 --> 00:51:52,089
into a grand palace.
821
00:51:53,804 --> 00:51:56,499
In front of Buckingham Palace
was to be an arch
822
00:51:56,524 --> 00:51:59,369
to rival the Arc de Triomphe,
823
00:51:59,394 --> 00:52:02,499
celebrating Britain's victory
over Napoleon
824
00:52:02,524 --> 00:52:05,449
and topped with a statue of George.
825
00:52:07,753 --> 00:52:10,619
At Windsor, he raised the height
of the Round Tower
826
00:52:10,644 --> 00:52:13,928
to make it more imposing...
827
00:52:13,953 --> 00:52:17,858
...and inside the castle, he planned
to display portraits of the leaders
828
00:52:17,883 --> 00:52:22,139
who'd ended the march of
French Republicanism at Waterloo.
829
00:52:23,594 --> 00:52:26,499
The paintings were all
to be gathered together
830
00:52:26,524 --> 00:52:32,699
into one amazing room that's still
called the Waterloo Chamber.
831
00:52:32,724 --> 00:52:34,928
What's being celebrated here
832
00:52:34,953 --> 00:52:37,728
is not so much the fighting
on the battlefield.
833
00:52:37,753 --> 00:52:40,699
Instead, these people
are the architects
834
00:52:40,724 --> 00:52:42,449
of the peace that followed.
835
00:52:42,474 --> 00:52:45,249
These are the builders
of a new Europe.
836
00:52:45,274 --> 00:52:47,649
And this is a pantheon of heroes
837
00:52:47,674 --> 00:52:50,569
in which George could take
his place.
838
00:52:53,554 --> 00:52:58,369
But George wouldn't live to see
his version of history completed.
839
00:52:59,644 --> 00:53:02,169
He died in 1830.
840
00:53:03,914 --> 00:53:06,858
The money for his
triumphal arch ran out,
841
00:53:06,883 --> 00:53:10,259
and the smaller version,
now known as Marble Arch,
842
00:53:10,284 --> 00:53:13,699
was moved away from
Buckingham Palace.
843
00:53:13,724 --> 00:53:18,649
George's heroic legacy
remained a fantasy.
844
00:53:18,674 --> 00:53:22,169
Instead, he was remembered
for his excesses
845
00:53:22,194 --> 00:53:24,978
and his extravagance.
846
00:53:25,003 --> 00:53:28,219
After his death,
The Times was scathing.
847
00:53:28,244 --> 00:53:30,858
"There never was an individual
less regretted
848
00:53:30,883 --> 00:53:34,699
"by his fellow creatures
than this deceased King.
849
00:53:34,724 --> 00:53:38,419
"What eye has wept for him?"
850
00:53:38,444 --> 00:53:42,259
It was the caricature version
of George that won out.
851
00:53:42,284 --> 00:53:45,569
He'd made countless attempts
to control his own story,
852
00:53:45,594 --> 00:53:48,209
but, ultimately, he failed.
853
00:53:50,164 --> 00:53:51,779
After George's death,
854
00:53:51,804 --> 00:53:55,089
the memory of Peterloo
could no longer be suppressed.
855
00:53:57,444 --> 00:54:00,808
Shelley's forbidden poem,
The Masque of Anarchy,
856
00:54:00,833 --> 00:54:03,858
was finally published in 1832,
857
00:54:03,883 --> 00:54:06,728
the same year as the first
of the great reform acts
858
00:54:06,753 --> 00:54:08,649
started to extend the vote.
859
00:54:11,364 --> 00:54:13,419
It was later quoted by Gandhi
860
00:54:13,444 --> 00:54:16,058
during the campaign for
Indian independence...
861
00:54:17,753 --> 00:54:20,649
...by students at
Tiananmen Square in 1989...
862
00:54:22,114 --> 00:54:26,209
...and by protesters in Cairo
during the Arab Spring.
863
00:54:28,394 --> 00:54:30,928
And in Britain,
fighters for democracy
864
00:54:30,953 --> 00:54:35,449
kept digging beneath the facade of
the Regency for inspiration.
865
00:54:37,164 --> 00:54:41,419
In October 1905, Christabel
Pankhurst and another suffragette
866
00:54:41,444 --> 00:54:44,619
came here to the Free Trade Hall
in Manchester.
867
00:54:44,644 --> 00:54:47,978
They wanted to attend a big meeting
at the Liberal Party.
868
00:54:48,003 --> 00:54:51,889
They had some questions for the
party leaders about votes for women.
869
00:54:51,914 --> 00:54:55,089
Now, this place had
enormous significance
870
00:54:55,114 --> 00:54:56,779
for Christabel Pankhurst
871
00:54:56,804 --> 00:55:01,499
because the building stands on what
had been the field of Peterloo,
872
00:55:01,524 --> 00:55:05,899
where her own great-grandfather,
as she'd often been told,
873
00:55:05,924 --> 00:55:09,089
had only just escaped
being massacred.
874
00:55:11,524 --> 00:55:16,499
After disrupting the meeting,
Pankhurst spat at police officers.
875
00:55:16,524 --> 00:55:18,569
These two were the
first suffragettes
876
00:55:18,594 --> 00:55:21,699
to be imprisoned for
militant action.
877
00:55:21,724 --> 00:55:23,909
And the Pankhursts would later
point out
878
00:55:23,934 --> 00:55:27,748
that they and their ancestor
had fought for democracy
879
00:55:27,773 --> 00:55:30,078
on the very same site.
880
00:55:32,494 --> 00:55:36,029
To the suffragettes then,
the Regency wasn't a time
881
00:55:36,054 --> 00:55:38,359
of fancy balls and fancy manners,
882
00:55:38,384 --> 00:55:41,639
it was a time when rebellion
was born.
883
00:55:43,184 --> 00:55:48,109
Georgian fibs were used to
maintain power and control,
884
00:55:48,134 --> 00:55:52,919
and George's impact may have been
greater than history remembers.
885
00:55:52,944 --> 00:55:58,389
Throughout his regency and reign,
the monarchy remained intact.
886
00:55:58,414 --> 00:56:03,948
Napoleon was defeated and there
was no revolution in Britain.
887
00:56:03,973 --> 00:56:07,469
George lived through a time
when thrones were falling.
888
00:56:07,494 --> 00:56:09,359
The French Revolution
had just happened.
889
00:56:09,384 --> 00:56:13,669
Does he bear any credit
for seeing things through
890
00:56:13,694 --> 00:56:16,639
in Britain, without revolution?
891
00:56:16,664 --> 00:56:19,439
I think he probably doesn't
bear much credit for it
892
00:56:19,464 --> 00:56:23,519
in terms of the actual
military victories
893
00:56:23,544 --> 00:56:26,469
that kept Napoleon from our shores,
894
00:56:26,494 --> 00:56:30,868
but he certainly was preoccupied
with what monarchy might seem
895
00:56:30,893 --> 00:56:35,748
or be or embody in his own
time period.
896
00:56:35,773 --> 00:56:41,309
He argues for a state of splendour
that would somehow set Britain
897
00:56:41,334 --> 00:56:46,868
on an international stage and
give it that kind of credibility
898
00:56:46,893 --> 00:56:50,669
for monarchy-led constitution.
899
00:56:50,694 --> 00:56:55,389
I think George's legacy
is absolutely the kind of pomp
900
00:56:55,414 --> 00:56:59,189
and circumstance that we have
that surrounds monarchy today.
901
00:56:59,214 --> 00:57:03,439
That aspect of the glamour
and the splendour of monarchy
902
00:57:03,464 --> 00:57:08,948
is something that we still want
to see in the 21st century.
903
00:57:10,744 --> 00:57:14,389
Many of George's attempts to spin
the story of Great Britain
904
00:57:14,414 --> 00:57:16,639
and its monarchy have survived.
905
00:57:19,254 --> 00:57:21,189
His version of the United Kingdom,
906
00:57:21,214 --> 00:57:23,479
whether that's
tartan-clad spectacle
907
00:57:23,504 --> 00:57:25,389
or conquerors of Napoleon,
908
00:57:25,414 --> 00:57:28,839
is still how the nation presents
itself to the world.
909
00:57:30,893 --> 00:57:33,748
His palaces are still
the seat of monarchy.
910
00:57:35,214 --> 00:57:41,828
His diamond diadem still sparkles
on our currency and our Queen.
911
00:57:41,853 --> 00:57:45,359
And maybe his excessive dazzle
912
00:57:45,384 --> 00:57:49,109
still blinds us to the truth
to this day.
913
00:57:49,134 --> 00:57:53,948
This period of history is often
remembered as genteel and refined.
914
00:57:53,973 --> 00:57:57,948
We concentrate on the style of it
rather than the substance.
915
00:57:57,973 --> 00:58:01,279
But this was also an age
which saw stirrings of revolution,
916
00:58:01,304 --> 00:58:05,639
even in Britain, and monarchy
had to react to that.
917
00:58:05,664 --> 00:58:10,469
Stories about ridiculous George
and his lavish lifestyle,
918
00:58:10,494 --> 00:58:13,509
tend to crowd out the
grittier reality
919
00:58:13,534 --> 00:58:16,669
of the age of the Regency.
920
00:58:19,054 --> 00:58:22,868
Next time,
the Russian Revolution.
921
00:58:22,893 --> 00:58:25,828
Was Lenin really the leader
who toppled the monarchy?
922
00:58:27,944 --> 00:58:31,279
How did Eisenstein help
create the cult of Lenin?
923
00:58:33,304 --> 00:58:37,948
And is Vladimir Putin the
true heir to the czars?
109394
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