DEATH OF KING GEORGE IV

 

 On this day - 26th June 1830 
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 DEATH OF KING GEORGE IV 

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 George IV was born on August 12, 1762.

As the eldest son of King George III and Queen Charlotte, he was the assumed heir to his father’s throne, and announced as the Prince of Wales within a few days of his birth.

As the years passed, George would accumulate another 14 siblings, 12 of which survived to adulthood.

 King George III’s expectations of his eldest son were significantly more than those of his other children.

After all, George would take his place on the throne, so the king was very critical of his son’s behavior and decisions.

 Throughout his childhood, George was taught self-control and restraint.
He was put on a restrictive diet to offset a genetic tendency to become overweight.

After moving away from his parents, George went to the opposite extreme, and indulged in everything that he laid his eyes on.

 When George turned 18, he was given Carlton House to enjoy as his own.

Instead of using the opportunity to mature, George took advantage of being away from the strict control and stern rules of his parents.

The young prince remodelled Carlton House, with indulgent French interiors.

Once Carlton House had been reimagined to his liking, George proceeded to invite iconic guests to party with.

 George lived his life with a significant focus on food, and he didn’t shy away from spending large amounts of money to stock his spectacular kitchens.

In 1816, Carlton House took delivery of 5264 lbs of meat - not including sausages, pork or poultry.
All this was in just one month!

 Most mornings, George would sit at the breakfast table, and be served his favorite breakfast.

This included two pigeons, three beefsteaks, three parts of a bottle of white wine, a glass of dry champagne, two glasses of port, and a glass of brandy.

It wasn’t long before George’s body started to fill out, unfortunately, it wasn’t only George’s gluttonous diet that was unsavory....

 George would have multiple affairs over the years, taking various women of all ages, to his bed.

The most scandalous of these was Maria Fitzherbert.
Maria Fitzherbert was a twice-widowed woman, a Roman Catholic and a commoner, not the king’s first (or last) choice for his eldest son and heir!

 The 1772 Royal Marriages Act forbade anyone in direct line for the throne to marry under 25, without the sovereign’s consent.

Once over 25, the heir could marry without sovereign consent, but this still needed sign-off from both houses of parliament.

As with his dietary preferences, George took no notice of rules and guidelines.
George was determined to make Maria his wife ~ whether she liked it or not!

As it turns out, she did not like the idea of marrying George.

 Legend has it that George stabbed himself in a fit of passion, while trying to extract a promise of marriage from Maria.

The pair did eventually marry in secret in 1785, but the union had no legal basis.
Even though the marriage was considered invalid, the secret marriage was common knowledge, as was George’s other improper behavior.

 As a young prince, George had no concept of money.
He spent money frivolously, without concern for consequences.

The young prince racked up significant bills by improving, decorating, and furnishing his two residences in London and Brighton, but this was just the beginning.

 Once the houses were to his liking, George started hosting lavish parties, filling his walls with expensive art.

There’s no denying that George was a great patron of the arts and established Brighton Pavilion as the attraction that it is today - but it came at an immense cost.

 In 1775, George saw a solution to his money troubles.
He married his cousin, Caroline of Brunswick.
In exchange, all of his debts would be cleared.

Unfortunately, the relationship got off to a rocky start.
At their first meeting, Prince George called for brandy, and Princess Caroline immediately raised her disapproving eyebrows.

 Caroline then claimed that George was not as handsome as she had hoped.
She claimed -

“He is very fat, and he is nothing like as handsome
as his portrait.”

George upheld his negative reputation by getting incoherently drunk at their wedding.

 Without love to bind their relationship, the royal marriage quickly deteriorated.

The couple managed to have a daughter, Princess Charlotte, in 1796, before their animosity led to a separation.

Sadly, Princess Charlotte would never succeed to the throne, as she died during childbirth in 1817.

 Although separated, the unhappy marriage continued for many years, and the estranged pair would keep popping up in one another’s lives at inappropriate times.

With the king’s health rapidly declining, George stepped up as Prince Regent.

The responsibility didn’t stop him from spending impulsively, and living an extravagant lifestyle.

 George did have a few redeeming qualities.
While he was Prince Regent, he oversaw Great Britain's triumph over Napoleon, in 1815.

George had a unique relationship with politicians too, somehow managing to insult and intrigue them at the same time.

Yet while he managed to portray a decent political performance, his private life continued to raise eyebrows.

 In 1821, he was crowned king during the most lavish and expensive coronation in English history.

However, it wasn’t only his extravagance that added to the coronation’s infamous reputation, but also the uninvited guest - his estranged wife, Queen Caroline.

George refused to recognise Caroline as queen, and he even had her name excluded from the Book of Common Prayer.

 Despite this, Caroline arrived at Westminster Abbey, and demanded to be let in - she was refused.

One month later, Caroline was dead, and King George IV continued to do what he did best, and indulge in the finer things in life.

 George IV proceeded to stuff his face with food and drink.
Each day that passed, George IV grew a little bit larger.....

Due to his size, it allegedly took three hours to lace the king into his girdle and a whalebone corset, due to his “bulging and excrescences.”

Once fitted, the girdle would restrict George IV’s breathing, and it almost caused him to faint at his own coronation!

 Eventually, King George IV’s large size became too difficult to bear, for both him and those around him.

The mass of weight had huge health implications for the king, with the heaviness on his chest almost causing him to asphyxiate when lying down.

To remedy this, he had to sleep propped in an upright condition.

 As his limbs were swollen with fat, and obesity overtook his body, King George IV had trouble performing the simplest tasks.
He was constantly in pain and couldn’t even dress himself in the morning.

Eventually, the king had to have a stamp of his signature made, because his gout prevented him from signing legal documents, and cataracts rendered him blind.

 In 1830, King George IV’s health had reached its limit.
He died at the age of 67 on 26th June 1830, after serving 10 years as king - and his passing was not peaceful.

The King died from a ruptured blood vessel in his stomach, and his doctor later recounted how George was screaming -

“Fetch the doctor, this is death!”

 At the time of death, George had surpassed 24 stone, and his weight continued to present a problem even after death.

Stairs and columns needed to be protected by wood, in case of any potential damage by the huge coffin as it was carried.

Even the table’s ironwork started to give way under the weight of George in his coffin.

 History paints King George IV as a flamboyant, stubborn, but largely successful monarch - pardon the pun!

He lived a life of gluttony and indulgence, but he also contributed to great social, political, and cultural change.

Having failed marriages and an ill-fated daughter, George IV’s position as king was handed to his next brother, William, Duke of Clarence, who was an unexpected, but surprisingly good king.

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 Source - en.claireandjamie