George III

Full Name: George William Frederick
Profession: King of Great Britain and Ireland

Nationality:

Biography: George III reigned as King of Great Britain and Ireland from 1760 to 1820. The two countries were merged into the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland from 1 January 1821.

In addition to this George was the Elector/King of the German princely state of Hanover from 1814, though he never visited the territory.

The early years of his reign saw the victory of Great Britain in the Seven Years' War and Britain became the dominant power in Europe and Africa. The success of this was offset, however, by the loss of the American colonies after their declaration of independence in 1776 and the subsequent revolutionary war. In 1815, Britain's forces in Europe under Arthur Wellesley, Duke of Wellington, defeated Napoléon Bonaparte at the Battle of Waterloo.

The later years of George III's reign were marked by his increasing mental illness, the nature of which has never been fully understood, but which might have been bipolar disorder or the disease porphyria. In 1811 his son and successor George, Prince of Wales, began a nine-year tenure as regent after his illness relapsed and became permanent.

By the time the regency was established, George III was almost blind, suffered from rheumatism and bouts of depression and crying as described by his nurse. He later developed dementia and in the last Christmas of his life spoke nonsense for 54 hours straight. He died shortly after on January 20, 1820.

George III's historical reputation has undergone changes over the years. In his lifetime he was considered a tyrant by the American colonies and is primarily remembered in the UK as the King who lost the colonies.

Born: June 4, 1738
Birthplace: Norfolk House, London, England, United Kingdom
Star Sign: Gemini

Died: January 29, 1820 (aged 81)