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George IV
King of Great Britain and Ireland
(1762–1830)

Other names: George Augustus Frederick

Biographical

King of Hanover 1820–30†
Prince of Wales 1762–1820
Duke of Cornwall 1762–1820
Duke of Rothesay 1762–1820
Earl of Chester 1762–1820
Defender of the Faith 1762–1830†
Regent of the United Kingdom 1811–20
Knight of the Order of the Golden Fleece 1815 (Austria)
Knight of the Order of Alexander Nevsky 1814 (Russia)
Knight of the Order of the Sainte Esprit 1814 (France)
Knight of the Order of St Andrew 1813 (Russia)
Knight of the Garter 1765 (England)
Fellow of the Royal Society 1789 (Great Britain)

Colonel 10th Light Dragoons 1796–1820
Grand Master of the Premier Grand Lodge of England 1790–1813
Privy Councillor 1783
Colonel 1782

By the age of seventeen, George IV had already developed a reputation for indulgence in women and drink, much to the disapproval of his father, especially given his association with Whig figures like Charles James Fox. In 1784 he secretly married Maria Fitzherbert, the only woman he truly loved, though the marriage was invalid without royal consent, as he was under twenty-five. To settle his debts, he later entered a joyless marriage in 1795 with his cousin Caroline of Brunswick, whom he soon separated from; she moved to Italy by 1814. When George III became incapacitated in 1810, the prince assumed the role of regent, and though he had formerly aligned with the Whigs, he kept his father’s Tory ministers in power, a choice that helped maintain Britain's commitment to defeating Napoleon, which came to pass in 1815. He formally became king in 1820, but it brought no additional authority. Caroline returned to assert her rights as queen but was rebuffed, barred from the coronation in 1821, and died weeks later. Despite moments of pettiness and political meddling—especially in his dealings with Prime Minister Liverpool and later with George Canning—his influence faded in the final years of his reign. Still, George IV possessed genuine intellect and a deep appreciation for the arts, overseeing significant projects like the refurbishment of Windsor Castle and the fantastical Royal Pavilion at Brighton, which bore the decorative imprint of Indian and Chinese styles. He died in 1830 and was succeeded by his brother, William IV.

Place of birth and baptism (1762): St James' Palace, London
Place of marriage: St James' Palace, London
Place of death: Windsor Castle
Place of burial: St George's Chapel, Windsor Castle

Son of George III and Charlotte of Mecklenburg-Strelitz, he was married firstly to Maria Fitzherbert in 1785 (declared invalid), and secondly to Caroline of Brunswick in 1795, and had issue.