George IV

The English Monarchs

by E.A. Smith

This engrossing biography of George IV, king of England from 1820 to 1830, gives a full and objective reassessment of the monarch’s character, reputation, and achievement. Previous writers have tended to accept the unfavorable verdicts of the king’s contemporaries that he was a dissolute, pleasure-loving dilettante and a feeble and ineffective ruler who was responsible for the decline of the power and reputation of the monarchy in the early nineteenth century. Now E.A. Smith offers a new view of George IV, one that does not minimize the king’s faults but focuses on the positive qualities of his achievement in politics and in the patronage of the arts.

Smith explores the roots of the king’s character and personality, stressing the importance of his relationship with his parents and twelve surviving siblings. He examines the king’s important contributions to the cultural enhancement of his capital and his encouragement of the major artistic, literary, and scholarly figures of his time. He reassesses the king’s role as constitutional monarch, contending that it was he, rather than Victoria and Albert, who created the constitutional monarchy of nineteenth-century Britain and began the revival of its popularity. Smith’s biography not only illuminates the character of one of the most colorful of Britain’s rulers but also contributes to the history of the British monarchy and its role in the nation’s life.

Genres: History, Nonfiction, Biography, Royalty

320 pages, Paperback

First published June 10, 1999

Reviews

[Nick Artrip · Rating 3 out of 5]

"...most follow the view that George IV was a dissolute, pleasure-loving dilettante and a feeble, ineffective monarch, who dissipated the popularity of the throne created by his father, allowed the constitutional power of the crown to be eroded by unscrupulous politicians, and brought the royal family into a disrepute from which it was only rescued by virtuous reign of his niece Victoria and her husband Prince Albert.

I decided to venture back into my nonfiction reading with George IV by E.A. Smith, which is a volume in the Yale English Monarchs series. Dear old Prinny! What do we know about him? Well, he was terribly dramatic, lecherous, Caroline's tormentor, and Beau Brummel's fat friend, of course! As evidenced by the above quote, he hasn't exactly garnered the most positive reputation over the course of history. Smith's text work strives to present a more balanced view of George IV's rule by acknowledging his failings, while also shining a light on the positive attributes of his reign.

All this considered, George IV was a bit of a louse. His dealings with his father, his mother, his wife, his daughter, and the friends of his youth were all quite poor. Even Maria Fitzherbert, his poor Catholic “wife.” Poor old gal. All of these relationships contributed to his bad reputation. He was liked by some of his brothers and most of his sisters, however, so perhaps there was something redeemable there. Is the strict diet imposed by his father in his youth the reason for his corpulence as a youth? His limited choice in marriage responsible for his treatment of Caroline? Is his isolation from his brothers responsible for his later inability to maintain friendships? Smith seems to think so. The author does a commendable job of trying to make connections between George’s history and his personality, to really make sense of him as a person.

So, what did George IV do right? Well, he was much more malleable than the Georges that preceded him. He learned that the monarch must subjugate themselves and sacrifice personal opinion when the wind of public favor and Parliament is against them. His reign saw a transition from personal rule of the king to the rule of Parliament and the cabinet. He was a lavish collector and a great patron of the arts, which helped to shape the Royal Collection. He took great interest in architecture, overseeing improvements to Windsor Castle and commissioned the building of the Royal Pavilion in Brighton. Other than that, he was generally disliked. He died in seclusion and was not fondly remembered in death. A succinct read, informative, perhaps a little too willing to excuse some of Georgie’s flaws.

[Teddy Dodger · Rating 3 out of 5]

Interesting. Gotta read something decent on George I and Will IV to complete the Hanoverian set.

Binds in well with recent scholarship moving towards a more signficant role even for 18th/19th century monarchy

[EvaLovesYA · Rating 3 out of 5]

Also posted on Eva Lucias blog

E. A. Smith presents the reader with a thorough and detailed biography, where we read and learn about the historical figure, George IV, his life, his relationships with different women and his attempt to deal with politics, both internal and external in the early 1900s. It was a time when the French Revolution lured upon Europe and created political insecurity in all of Europe, which had an effect on Britain too.

It is obvious that several historians and writers have approached the subject with George IV and his bad reputation and simply looking at his faults and how he maybe wasn’t the perfect (I’m nice!) and ideal image of a monarchal leader. George IV has been described as the reason for the decline of the British power and that he as a person was rather horrible.

However, E. A. Smith looks besides his fault and try to bring out a lighter image of what happened in George IV’s reign, his past and family relations. Through a chronological browse through from birth to death, we are introduced to a certain historical figure in the British history.
It is well-written, detailed and one learns a lot along the way...

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[James Carrigy · Rating 3 out of 5]

6/10

A perfectly adequate, if occasionally fawning biography of a fat bastard.

[Ceora]

Intense Biography. Father hated him, that's why he's a corrupt King and rude to Victoria.