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These are the user uploaded subtitles that are being translated: 1 00:00:01,840 --> 00:00:06,960 Ruling for just 10 short years, George IV is the Hanoverian dynasty's 2 00:00:06,960 --> 00:00:08,960 party prince... 3 00:00:10,160 --> 00:00:13,920 ..the polar opposite of his patriotic, dutiful father. 4 00:00:15,160 --> 00:00:18,920 Talented and clever, but shallow at heart, 5 00:00:18,920 --> 00:00:23,000 he dedicates much of his life to the pursuit of pleasure. 6 00:00:24,360 --> 00:00:29,080 Displaying a gargantuan appetite for wine and women, 7 00:00:29,080 --> 00:00:32,640 and racking up extraordinary debts, 8 00:00:32,640 --> 00:00:35,960 his life is synonymous with excess and decadence. 9 00:00:37,520 --> 00:00:41,600 A man with time on his hands to become a monster. 10 00:00:43,720 --> 00:00:47,800 He dies obese, alcoholic and a drug addict. 11 00:00:50,200 --> 00:00:54,560 His brief reign marks the end of the Georgian era. 12 00:00:57,000 --> 00:00:58,240 So, what went wrong? 13 00:01:10,320 --> 00:01:14,720 George Augustus Frederick is born on 12 August 1762. 14 00:01:16,760 --> 00:01:22,600 Wild from a very young age, George's rebel ways aren't for lack of love 15 00:01:22,600 --> 00:01:23,800 from his parents. 16 00:01:25,960 --> 00:01:28,320 King George III and Queen Charlotte 17 00:01:28,320 --> 00:01:30,400 actually had their first child 18 00:01:30,400 --> 00:01:31,840 very early on in their marriage, 19 00:01:31,840 --> 00:01:35,000 and they were delighted they had produced an heir. 20 00:01:35,000 --> 00:01:38,240 They were actually, for a king and queen at that time, 21 00:01:38,240 --> 00:01:40,480 quite maternal and paternal. 22 00:01:42,760 --> 00:01:45,160 He's the absolute favourite of his mother. 23 00:01:45,160 --> 00:01:47,840 She describes him as looking like a little angel. 24 00:01:47,840 --> 00:01:50,880 She commissions endless portraits of him, 25 00:01:50,880 --> 00:01:53,880 and, unfortunately for little George, 26 00:01:53,880 --> 00:01:55,400 no-one says no to him, 27 00:01:55,400 --> 00:01:58,960 and this is a problem that will continue 28 00:01:58,960 --> 00:02:01,560 throughout his life. 29 00:02:01,560 --> 00:02:06,000 Despite George III's ongoing mental illness that would eventually 30 00:02:06,000 --> 00:02:08,440 see him removed from the throne, 31 00:02:08,440 --> 00:02:11,400 the King's patriotism and dedication 32 00:02:11,400 --> 00:02:16,160 had won over the British people and secured the Hanoverian dynasty. 33 00:02:18,080 --> 00:02:23,440 He's determined to make sure his son grows up to be just as dutiful, 34 00:02:23,440 --> 00:02:26,920 with an emphasis being placed on Christian piety. 35 00:02:29,320 --> 00:02:32,920 This begins with Prince George's education. 36 00:02:32,920 --> 00:02:35,680 (CLOCK TICKS) 37 00:02:35,680 --> 00:02:40,120 He is a bright student, but lacks focus and interest, 38 00:02:40,120 --> 00:02:43,480 much to the dismay of his teachers and father. 39 00:02:45,360 --> 00:02:49,080 A lot of his tutors really struggle to control his behaviour. 40 00:02:49,080 --> 00:02:52,840 They certainly try and he, you know, often gives them the run-around. 41 00:02:52,840 --> 00:02:57,000 But when he shows a bit of laziness or he shows a little bit 42 00:02:57,000 --> 00:03:00,400 of irritability, his father has him whipped. 43 00:03:00,400 --> 00:03:01,600 Severely whipped. 44 00:03:01,600 --> 00:03:03,520 George and his brothers. 45 00:03:03,520 --> 00:03:06,440 His sister recalls seeing George whipped, 46 00:03:06,440 --> 00:03:08,040 as she says, like a dog. 47 00:03:10,040 --> 00:03:15,080 But the King's punitive measures spectacularly backfire. 48 00:03:18,440 --> 00:03:21,480 The young prince rebels against his father's 49 00:03:21,480 --> 00:03:23,160 strict moral code. 50 00:03:23,160 --> 00:03:28,440 For George, the sole point of life is the pursuit of pleasure, 51 00:03:28,440 --> 00:03:29,720 in all its forms. 52 00:03:32,440 --> 00:03:38,600 He embarks on this career of sexual licentiousness at a very young age, 53 00:03:38,600 --> 00:03:41,440 and women flock around him. 54 00:03:43,800 --> 00:03:46,720 By the time he's 16, 17, 55 00:03:46,720 --> 00:03:48,960 he's a notorious drunkard. 56 00:03:48,960 --> 00:03:52,160 He's already sleeping with various mistresses. 57 00:03:52,160 --> 00:03:54,040 He's exceeding his allowance. 58 00:03:54,040 --> 00:03:57,040 All of this, at some level, is because he likes fun. 59 00:03:57,040 --> 00:03:59,800 But there is also an element, I think, of, 60 00:03:59,800 --> 00:04:03,040 "And this is really going to push back at my dad." 61 00:04:09,960 --> 00:04:14,120 One of George's first passions is for a well-known actress, 62 00:04:14,120 --> 00:04:16,160 Mary Darby Robinson. 63 00:04:16,160 --> 00:04:20,600 The fact she is already married only increases her attraction. 64 00:04:21,920 --> 00:04:24,840 Mary initially rejects his advances, 65 00:04:24,840 --> 00:04:28,080 but George refuses to take no for an answer. 66 00:04:30,440 --> 00:04:31,520 George, please. 67 00:04:31,520 --> 00:04:34,160 No, no, listen, I mean it. 68 00:04:34,160 --> 00:04:35,480 I'm married. 69 00:04:35,480 --> 00:04:38,720 Not to mention I'm also five years your senior. 70 00:04:38,720 --> 00:04:40,400 I'm not a child. 71 00:04:40,400 --> 00:04:41,760 You are. 72 00:04:43,760 --> 00:04:45,920 Your marriage is finished. 73 00:04:45,920 --> 00:04:50,320 Anyone can see that it's been reduced to a droll, miserable union. 74 00:04:50,320 --> 00:04:52,280 I said no. 75 00:04:54,920 --> 00:04:56,240 I'll pay you. 76 00:04:58,600 --> 00:04:59,880 20,000 to be mine. 77 00:05:01,800 --> 00:05:03,240 What? 78 00:05:05,000 --> 00:05:07,360 Would that make you change your mind? 79 00:05:08,960 --> 00:05:11,520 But within a few months of securing Mary's affections, 80 00:05:11,520 --> 00:05:15,440 he loses all interest in his leading lady, 81 00:05:15,440 --> 00:05:19,920 leaving his father to pick up the £20,000 spent he promised her 82 00:05:19,920 --> 00:05:24,440 when she threatens to publish his romantic letters. 83 00:05:24,440 --> 00:05:27,440 George moves on to fresh conquests 84 00:05:27,440 --> 00:05:30,400 while Mary is left a laughing stock. 85 00:05:32,400 --> 00:05:34,440 For him, his amorous liaisons 86 00:05:34,440 --> 00:05:37,120 are all about the thrill of the chase. 87 00:05:39,440 --> 00:05:43,200 It's staggering how quickly he falls in love, 88 00:05:43,200 --> 00:05:47,240 enjoys this passionate affair, says all the right things, 89 00:05:47,240 --> 00:05:51,200 does virtually none of the right things, and moves on. 90 00:05:51,200 --> 00:05:53,600 And I think he loved the idea of love, 91 00:05:53,600 --> 00:05:57,720 and perhaps the more illicit nature of these liaisons, as well. 92 00:06:00,720 --> 00:06:04,280 Frustrated at living under the same roof as his parents, 93 00:06:04,280 --> 00:06:06,640 George persuades his father that greater independence 94 00:06:06,640 --> 00:06:08,400 will steady his behaviour. 95 00:06:12,960 --> 00:06:16,240 Reluctantly, the King agrees to increase his allowance 96 00:06:16,240 --> 00:06:19,800 and arranges for the prince to set up home in Carlton House 97 00:06:19,800 --> 00:06:21,560 on fashionable Pall Mall. 98 00:06:24,360 --> 00:06:29,320 This was intended to be a space where he could define his own time, 99 00:06:29,320 --> 00:06:33,320 his own freedom, and build up his position 100 00:06:33,320 --> 00:06:34,800 as the Prince of Wales. 101 00:06:36,040 --> 00:06:40,440 From an early age, George has shown a passionate interest in art 102 00:06:40,440 --> 00:06:44,920 and architecture and immediately embarks on a major renovation. 103 00:06:47,560 --> 00:06:51,760 And he sends out his agents around the world to bring back 104 00:06:51,760 --> 00:06:56,720 tapestries and carpets and paintings and urns and ceramics. 105 00:06:56,720 --> 00:06:58,560 Everything. 106 00:06:58,560 --> 00:07:01,960 Carlton House finally a sort of metropolitan palace 107 00:07:01,960 --> 00:07:07,000 that functioned in a way and at a scale and with a level 108 00:07:07,000 --> 00:07:09,320 of decoration and a level of detail 109 00:07:09,320 --> 00:07:12,320 that felt comparable to the best in Europe. 110 00:07:13,600 --> 00:07:16,080 But rather than a base for the young prince 111 00:07:16,080 --> 00:07:19,680 to establish himself as a worthy heir to the throne, 112 00:07:19,680 --> 00:07:23,840 Carlton House comes to symbolise his profligacy and excess. 113 00:07:25,840 --> 00:07:28,640 He's the party king. As a young man, he's a dancer. 114 00:07:28,640 --> 00:07:33,360 There's numerous big dinners and banquets and, you know, things 115 00:07:33,360 --> 00:07:36,520 going on almost every night, with music and cards 116 00:07:36,520 --> 00:07:39,440 and...and a huge amount of drinking. 117 00:07:42,840 --> 00:07:47,760 But his extravagant lifestyle leaves the prince with crippling debts. 118 00:07:49,320 --> 00:07:52,400 He's racking up debts of tens of thousands of pounds. 119 00:07:52,400 --> 00:07:54,200 That's in the 1770s. 120 00:07:54,200 --> 00:07:56,400 And for someone like George III, 121 00:07:56,400 --> 00:08:00,280 who was much more frugal in how he approached ideas, 122 00:08:00,280 --> 00:08:05,560 it was seen as very wasteful, very gluttonous behaviour, 123 00:08:05,560 --> 00:08:10,160 and not of the moral standing that he would want for his heir. 124 00:08:12,960 --> 00:08:16,240 Now in his 20s, the party prince, once again, 125 00:08:16,240 --> 00:08:19,840 falls head over heels in love, 126 00:08:19,840 --> 00:08:23,280 this time with another actress, 127 00:08:23,280 --> 00:08:26,640 28-year-old Maria Fitzherbert. 128 00:08:26,640 --> 00:08:29,160 But there is a terrible problem. 129 00:08:29,160 --> 00:08:31,840 Not only is she twice married, 130 00:08:31,840 --> 00:08:33,560 she's a Catholic. 131 00:08:34,800 --> 00:08:39,120 The whole reason why the three Georges before him are on the throne 132 00:08:39,120 --> 00:08:41,880 was because they were Protestants. 133 00:08:41,880 --> 00:08:45,040 They played strictly by the rules, 134 00:08:45,040 --> 00:08:47,840 not only upholding the Protestant faith, 135 00:08:47,840 --> 00:08:51,320 but refusing to countenance even fraternising 136 00:08:51,320 --> 00:08:52,720 with Catholic women. 137 00:08:55,120 --> 00:08:59,040 Unwilling to risk her reputation for a brief dalliance, 138 00:08:59,040 --> 00:09:02,200 Maria initially rejects his advances. 139 00:09:02,200 --> 00:09:05,760 But convinced she's his one true love, 140 00:09:05,760 --> 00:09:09,320 the prince's strategy is to outact the actor. 141 00:09:11,720 --> 00:09:14,320 Oh, the pain! 142 00:09:14,320 --> 00:09:16,400 The pain of it all. 143 00:09:16,400 --> 00:09:17,920 Ah! Your Highness. 144 00:09:17,920 --> 00:09:19,800 I came as soon as I could. 145 00:09:19,800 --> 00:09:23,480 They said you ran yourself through with a blade. 146 00:09:23,480 --> 00:09:24,720 I did. 147 00:09:26,400 --> 00:09:29,880 I chose to take my own life rather than live without you. 148 00:09:31,080 --> 00:09:32,200 As I am close to the end, 149 00:09:32,200 --> 00:09:35,520 will you do me one last act of kindness? 150 00:09:35,520 --> 00:09:37,280 Yes, Your Grace. 151 00:09:38,840 --> 00:09:40,520 Yes, Your Highness. 152 00:09:42,720 --> 00:09:46,920 Will you take this gift of a ring and comfort me in my final moments? 153 00:09:46,920 --> 00:09:49,160 Of course. 154 00:09:49,160 --> 00:09:50,720 Thank you. 155 00:09:50,720 --> 00:09:52,280 No. 156 00:09:52,280 --> 00:09:54,160 Thank you, 157 00:09:54,160 --> 00:09:56,240 for now we are finally betrothed. 158 00:09:57,760 --> 00:09:59,200 We are what? 159 00:09:59,200 --> 00:10:00,480 Betrothed! 160 00:10:00,480 --> 00:10:01,920 You and I. 161 00:10:01,920 --> 00:10:03,120 No, Your Highness. 162 00:10:03,120 --> 00:10:05,840 And in the eyes of a witness, no less. 163 00:10:09,440 --> 00:10:12,480 Are you not gravely ill? 164 00:10:12,480 --> 00:10:13,880 Never felt better. 165 00:10:21,960 --> 00:10:27,880 Alarmed by the prince's melodramatic posturing, Maria flees to Europe. 166 00:10:27,880 --> 00:10:31,400 After firing off a stream of impassioned letters, 167 00:10:31,400 --> 00:10:34,080 he manages to persuade her to return, 168 00:10:34,080 --> 00:10:37,600 but only on the condition that they undergo a private, 169 00:10:37,600 --> 00:10:39,560 informal marriage ceremony. 170 00:10:41,840 --> 00:10:44,240 Now, that's against the law. 171 00:10:44,240 --> 00:10:48,080 There's a Royal Marriages Act which says the Protestant heir 172 00:10:48,080 --> 00:10:50,080 cannot marry a Roman Catholic. 173 00:10:50,080 --> 00:10:54,880 And there's other legislation which says the King has to agree 174 00:10:54,880 --> 00:10:59,800 if the person is, uh, not 25 years old, and George is 23. 175 00:11:01,040 --> 00:11:04,640 But the young prince relishes and will do anything 176 00:11:04,640 --> 00:11:06,720 to provoke his father's wrath. 177 00:11:06,720 --> 00:11:11,200 He shows absolutely no hesitation in crossing the line 178 00:11:11,200 --> 00:11:13,320 no-one has crossed before him. 179 00:11:14,760 --> 00:11:17,080 George goes, "Oh, it's not allowed? 180 00:11:17,080 --> 00:11:20,320 "Well, that's interesting. I'm going to do it anyway." 181 00:11:20,320 --> 00:11:26,800 They do have a marriage service, done by a fleet minister, um, 182 00:11:26,800 --> 00:11:28,320 in her own house. 183 00:11:28,320 --> 00:11:32,960 And this, of course, is problematic because it's not a legal... 184 00:11:32,960 --> 00:11:34,440 ..a truly legal marriage. 185 00:11:36,880 --> 00:11:40,920 When rumours start to leak out that George has illegally married 186 00:11:40,920 --> 00:11:43,480 a Catholic, his father is furious. 187 00:11:45,400 --> 00:11:51,080 Tensions between the King and his son ratchet up a notch further. 188 00:11:51,080 --> 00:11:54,280 The Prince of Wales actually risked a lot with his relationship 189 00:11:54,280 --> 00:11:55,520 with Maria Fitzherbert. 190 00:11:55,520 --> 00:11:58,920 And by the Act of Settlement, at the beginning of the century, 191 00:11:58,920 --> 00:12:01,000 he could have actually lost his place 192 00:12:01,000 --> 00:12:04,040 in the line of succession by marrying her 193 00:12:04,040 --> 00:12:06,120 if the marriage was considered legal, 194 00:12:06,120 --> 00:12:09,080 which, luckily for him, it wasn't. 195 00:12:09,080 --> 00:12:12,600 But this just shows the level of devotion and infatuation 196 00:12:12,600 --> 00:12:14,640 he had with Mrs Fitzherbert. 197 00:12:16,480 --> 00:12:20,760 The prince's self-indulgent behaviour is a direct affront 198 00:12:20,760 --> 00:12:23,080 to the patriotic values of his father. 199 00:12:30,960 --> 00:12:33,200 Do you know what I heard today? Pray, tell. 200 00:12:34,680 --> 00:12:39,360 I heard that you've been enjoying the company 201 00:12:39,360 --> 00:12:41,320 of drunkards and gamblers. 202 00:12:42,720 --> 00:12:44,720 And also that you've been cavorting 203 00:12:44,720 --> 00:12:47,560 with those who have dubbed me a tyrant. 204 00:12:48,920 --> 00:12:51,520 Have you called me here to chastise me 205 00:12:51,520 --> 00:12:53,400 for my choice in friends? 206 00:12:53,400 --> 00:12:56,600 No, but we must not be governed by our desires, 207 00:12:56,600 --> 00:13:00,040 but our sense of duty to this great country. 208 00:13:00,040 --> 00:13:05,240 And as such, we must regulate both our public and private life. 209 00:13:06,720 --> 00:13:12,120 Why should this great country care what I do behind closed doors? 210 00:13:12,120 --> 00:13:15,720 Because if you've already been condemned by the people, 211 00:13:15,720 --> 00:13:19,640 Parliament will not help you to achieve your aims. 212 00:13:19,640 --> 00:13:22,440 Whether you care or not, what they think of you matters. 213 00:13:23,960 --> 00:13:26,560 The sooner you understand that, the better. 214 00:13:33,200 --> 00:13:37,400 It's easy to get mad at George for spending all his time drinking, 215 00:13:37,400 --> 00:13:43,000 but his dad won't let him behave in the ways that George feels 216 00:13:43,000 --> 00:13:44,920 would give his life meaning. 217 00:13:44,920 --> 00:13:49,160 George wants, for example, to be in the military, 218 00:13:49,160 --> 00:13:51,960 like his brothers are, and he wants to climb up the hierarchies 219 00:13:51,960 --> 00:13:53,720 of the Army or the Navy. 220 00:13:53,720 --> 00:13:56,920 And his dad says, "Forget it. You are the heir. 221 00:13:56,920 --> 00:13:59,680 "You cannot do that." 222 00:13:59,680 --> 00:14:04,280 I think he thinks, "My dad won't let me have any meaningful role 223 00:14:04,280 --> 00:14:07,720 "in public life, so if all that's left to me is drinking 224 00:14:07,720 --> 00:14:10,575 "and gambling and running up debts, that's what I'm going to do." 225 00:14:14,160 --> 00:14:17,760 But in 1788, King George III, 226 00:14:17,760 --> 00:14:22,200 whose reign had already once been rocked by an unforeseen illness, 227 00:14:22,200 --> 00:14:27,320 was struck by another sudden and more extreme bout of madness, 228 00:14:27,320 --> 00:14:31,480 meaning George, the party prince, cannot ignore his date 229 00:14:31,480 --> 00:14:33,000 with royal destiny. 230 00:14:34,920 --> 00:14:38,480 What starts to swing it is what's called the 'regency crisis', 231 00:14:38,480 --> 00:14:42,680 which happens in 1788, when George III declines 232 00:14:42,680 --> 00:14:45,840 into some sort of mental eclipse. 233 00:14:45,840 --> 00:14:49,760 So, George has several bouts of mental illness 234 00:14:49,760 --> 00:14:54,800 throughout his life, um, potentially starting in the 1760s 235 00:14:54,800 --> 00:14:57,680 and certainly by the 1780s into the 1790s. 236 00:14:57,680 --> 00:14:59,440 He's not speaking very clearly. 237 00:14:59,440 --> 00:15:00,680 He's very confused. 238 00:15:00,680 --> 00:15:01,880 He's babbling. 239 00:15:01,880 --> 00:15:03,680 He's repeating himself. 240 00:15:03,680 --> 00:15:05,720 He's foaming at the mouth. 241 00:15:07,520 --> 00:15:10,080 With the King's descent into madness, 242 00:15:10,080 --> 00:15:13,880 a Regency bill is drawn up, appointing the Prince of Wales 243 00:15:13,880 --> 00:15:15,280 Regent in his place. 244 00:15:17,480 --> 00:15:21,000 George relishes the thought of the money and influence 245 00:15:21,000 --> 00:15:26,000 that will come his way when the King relinquishes the throne. 246 00:15:26,000 --> 00:15:29,400 We've got the Prince of Wales, who is effectively 247 00:15:29,400 --> 00:15:32,200 champing at the bit, thinking this is going 248 00:15:32,200 --> 00:15:35,160 to be the chance for him to be made Prince Regent 249 00:15:35,160 --> 00:15:37,440 and be able to do whatever he wants. 250 00:15:37,440 --> 00:15:40,960 But George III makes an unexpected recovery, 251 00:15:40,960 --> 00:15:42,760 and the bill is repealed. 252 00:15:44,040 --> 00:15:47,240 The general public erupts into celebrations 253 00:15:47,240 --> 00:15:49,080 for the much admired king. 254 00:15:50,440 --> 00:15:54,080 But one person who isn't celebrating is the Prince. 255 00:15:56,040 --> 00:15:58,040 So, it's true then? 256 00:15:58,040 --> 00:16:00,520 My father is sane once again. 257 00:16:02,200 --> 00:16:07,760 Yes, Your Highness. The King has made a full recovery. 258 00:16:07,760 --> 00:16:12,320 In fact, I'm told there is to be a ball to celebrate. 259 00:16:12,320 --> 00:16:16,320 Your ticket has already been arranged. 260 00:16:16,320 --> 00:16:19,000 Sell it for all I care. I shan't be going. 261 00:16:19,000 --> 00:16:23,320 Many of your peers will be in attendance, Sire. 262 00:16:23,320 --> 00:16:27,320 Let it be known that I forebay any of my so-called friends 263 00:16:27,320 --> 00:16:30,120 from attending such a farce. 264 00:16:30,120 --> 00:16:31,600 Do you hear me? 265 00:16:31,600 --> 00:16:34,120 If they want to drink my champagne and eat my food, 266 00:16:34,120 --> 00:16:36,920 they can damn well show me some respect. 267 00:16:36,920 --> 00:16:39,080 I shall inform them. 268 00:16:44,480 --> 00:16:46,040 Silly old goat. 269 00:16:48,240 --> 00:16:49,920 Should have just stayed in bed. 270 00:16:49,920 --> 00:16:52,200 The country would be better off. 271 00:16:55,600 --> 00:17:00,480 Fearful of a relapse, George III once again attempts 272 00:17:00,480 --> 00:17:03,960 to get his reckless son on the straight and narrow, 273 00:17:03,960 --> 00:17:07,360 pressurising him to settle down and get married. 274 00:17:09,280 --> 00:17:12,280 After surveying the royal marriage market, 275 00:17:12,280 --> 00:17:15,640 the King selects cousin Caroline of Brunswick 276 00:17:15,640 --> 00:17:17,920 from Germany as his top choice. 277 00:17:17,920 --> 00:17:22,320 Caroline is selected as a suitable bride for George, 278 00:17:22,320 --> 00:17:25,160 and he has very little say in the matter, and of course 279 00:17:25,160 --> 00:17:28,160 is an already experienced lover. 280 00:17:28,160 --> 00:17:29,880 He's incredibly promiscuous. 281 00:17:29,880 --> 00:17:32,760 He has spent time and money and energy 282 00:17:32,760 --> 00:17:35,360 on many different women up to this point. 283 00:17:35,360 --> 00:17:39,240 The only reason he decides to do it is because he wants more money, 284 00:17:39,240 --> 00:17:41,400 and his father says that he'll pay off some of his debts 285 00:17:41,400 --> 00:17:43,320 if he marries Caroline. 286 00:17:43,320 --> 00:17:48,160 But the first meeting with his future wife is a disaster. 287 00:17:51,800 --> 00:17:55,720 Princess Caroline of Brunswick-Wolfenbuttel. 288 00:18:06,400 --> 00:18:07,720 Your Highness. 289 00:18:12,040 --> 00:18:13,600 I am not well. 290 00:18:16,600 --> 00:18:18,800 Fetch me a bottle of brandy. 291 00:18:18,800 --> 00:18:20,720 Of course, Your Highness. 292 00:18:27,880 --> 00:18:29,440 He's very fat. 293 00:18:31,360 --> 00:18:34,520 He's definitely not as handsome as his portraits. 294 00:18:39,000 --> 00:18:42,120 Despite the inauspicious first encounter, 295 00:18:42,120 --> 00:18:44,360 their mutually beneficial 296 00:18:44,360 --> 00:18:47,680 financial and political considerations prevail. 297 00:18:47,680 --> 00:18:50,280 Within a few months, the couple are married. 298 00:18:50,280 --> 00:18:54,360 At least the allowance is an aphrodisiac. 299 00:18:54,360 --> 00:18:58,360 It's just another dimension in a family that's warring 300 00:18:58,360 --> 00:19:01,280 with each other about behaviour 301 00:19:01,280 --> 00:19:04,360 and...and the responsibilities of the monarchy. 302 00:19:04,360 --> 00:19:06,600 But the wedding day is a calamity... 303 00:19:06,600 --> 00:19:08,000 (CHURCH BELLS PEEL) 304 00:19:08,000 --> 00:19:11,840 ..as the inebriated prince barely makes it to the altar. 305 00:19:16,360 --> 00:19:18,040 (GRUNTS) 306 00:19:22,840 --> 00:19:25,200 Your Highness, please. 307 00:19:25,200 --> 00:19:27,600 Leave me alone a while. 308 00:19:27,600 --> 00:19:29,600 The princess awaits. 309 00:19:29,600 --> 00:19:33,600 She can wait until hell freezes over, 310 00:19:33,600 --> 00:19:35,280 for all I care. 311 00:19:37,000 --> 00:19:39,240 (PANTS) Sire, please. 312 00:19:46,080 --> 00:19:48,920 Unhand me at once. 313 00:19:48,920 --> 00:19:51,440 You'll feel better when you're on your feet. 314 00:19:51,440 --> 00:19:52,880 I highly doubt... 315 00:19:52,880 --> 00:19:54,120 No! 316 00:19:55,640 --> 00:19:57,920 Come on, sire. This way. 317 00:20:00,680 --> 00:20:04,280 It was instant dislike and repulsion on both sides. 318 00:20:04,280 --> 00:20:08,360 And yet, they had to, you know, do the deed that very night. 319 00:20:08,360 --> 00:20:10,640 They apparently had intercourse three times. 320 00:20:10,640 --> 00:20:13,280 And of one of those times, they conceived. 321 00:20:13,280 --> 00:20:16,400 Now, their child, their only child, Charlotte, 322 00:20:16,400 --> 00:20:20,360 is born pretty much nine months to the day. 323 00:20:20,360 --> 00:20:22,280 That's the beginning of the relationship. 324 00:20:22,280 --> 00:20:26,000 That's about as good as their relationship gets. 325 00:20:27,640 --> 00:20:32,440 The ill-matched pair never recover from their catastrophic wedding. 326 00:20:33,680 --> 00:20:37,280 She seemed good on paper, but it became apparent very quickly 327 00:20:37,280 --> 00:20:39,200 that they were a terrible match, 328 00:20:39,200 --> 00:20:41,920 probably the most terrible match ever, in the history 329 00:20:41,920 --> 00:20:43,360 of the Hanoverian dynasty. 330 00:20:43,360 --> 00:20:48,440 Their relationship is one of mutual hatred, really. 331 00:20:48,440 --> 00:20:50,640 Um, there's certainly no love lost there. 332 00:20:50,640 --> 00:20:53,800 There's no respect for each other. 333 00:20:53,800 --> 00:20:56,720 She is loud. She's noisy. 334 00:20:56,720 --> 00:20:58,600 She's not a good dresser. 335 00:20:58,600 --> 00:21:02,040 She's just not the kind of woman he likes. 336 00:21:02,040 --> 00:21:07,040 And he also seemed to intimate that...that she smelled. 337 00:21:08,440 --> 00:21:12,280 Within a year, Caroline has departed the marital home... 338 00:21:13,520 --> 00:21:17,600 ..and much to George's annoyance, enjoys the pleasures of the flesh 339 00:21:17,600 --> 00:21:19,320 just as much as he does. 340 00:21:21,040 --> 00:21:24,320 Caroline is rumoured to have multiple lovers. 341 00:21:24,320 --> 00:21:27,520 In the years afterwards, there's lots of sensational 342 00:21:27,520 --> 00:21:29,440 gossip books that are written 343 00:21:29,440 --> 00:21:32,240 about the scandals she's supposed to have been involved in. 344 00:21:32,240 --> 00:21:37,560 She decides, "Well, if he can gamble and drink and have a string 345 00:21:37,560 --> 00:21:40,400 "of sexual partners, I'd like some of that too, please." 346 00:21:40,400 --> 00:21:45,520 And so, she becomes almost as reckless and outrageous 347 00:21:45,520 --> 00:21:46,760 as he does. 348 00:21:47,800 --> 00:21:51,640 Worse still for George, Caroline's support for various 349 00:21:51,640 --> 00:21:55,680 philanthropic causes make her a far more popular figure 350 00:21:55,680 --> 00:21:58,360 than her dissolute rake of a husband. 351 00:21:59,720 --> 00:22:02,920 When Caroline goes out, she is cheered. 352 00:22:02,920 --> 00:22:05,840 And whether it's to the play or whether it's to the opening 353 00:22:05,840 --> 00:22:08,760 of something, or whether it's to some political event, 354 00:22:08,760 --> 00:22:12,600 wherever she goes, a large portion of the press applauds her, 355 00:22:12,600 --> 00:22:14,800 takes her side, 356 00:22:14,800 --> 00:22:19,800 and this really irritates the Prince of Wales. 357 00:22:21,520 --> 00:22:26,160 Determined to be rid of Caroline, the prince tries unsuccessfully 358 00:22:26,160 --> 00:22:28,520 to have her charged with adultery. 359 00:22:29,800 --> 00:22:33,560 Fed up with the rank hypocrisy of her philandering husband, 360 00:22:33,560 --> 00:22:37,320 Caroline departs for Europe in 1814. 361 00:22:38,760 --> 00:22:42,400 And as luck would have it, another thorn in George's side 362 00:22:42,400 --> 00:22:44,440 is about to be dealt with, 363 00:22:44,440 --> 00:22:48,280 as his father, the King, now aged 71, 364 00:22:48,280 --> 00:22:52,440 descends into a madness from which he will never emerge. 365 00:22:54,000 --> 00:22:58,800 Whatever happened to George III's health resurfaces, 366 00:22:58,800 --> 00:23:01,600 and this time, it doesn't pass. 367 00:23:01,600 --> 00:23:05,040 This time, he enters some kind of mental eclipse, 368 00:23:05,040 --> 00:23:06,440 and he stays there. 369 00:23:06,440 --> 00:23:10,360 He stays there from essentially 1810 until he dies. 370 00:23:11,720 --> 00:23:14,680 Parliament rushes through a new Regency Act, 371 00:23:14,680 --> 00:23:16,680 appointing George as Regent. 372 00:23:18,920 --> 00:23:21,400 It's been a long wait of nine years. 373 00:23:23,000 --> 00:23:24,760 Due to the King's health... 374 00:23:26,200 --> 00:23:30,720 ..we are authorised, as per the terms of the Regency Act, 375 00:23:30,720 --> 00:23:34,760 to name you Prince Regent in his stead. 376 00:23:34,760 --> 00:23:37,320 Fetch me a bottle of brandy! 377 00:23:37,320 --> 00:23:38,720 Brandy? 378 00:23:38,720 --> 00:23:41,480 Yes. We must celebrate. 379 00:23:41,480 --> 00:23:43,640 Celebrate? Of course. 380 00:23:43,640 --> 00:23:45,000 I want a banquet. 381 00:23:45,000 --> 00:23:47,160 A party thrown in my honour. 382 00:23:51,160 --> 00:23:56,320 By 1812, the prince has been granted the full powers of the monarch. 383 00:23:57,400 --> 00:24:01,200 But while George is jubilant about his elevated status, 384 00:24:01,200 --> 00:24:04,760 the British public are less than enthusiastic 385 00:24:04,760 --> 00:24:06,520 about their new ruler. 386 00:24:06,520 --> 00:24:10,960 The Prince of Wales becoming Regent caused a few concerns. 387 00:24:10,960 --> 00:24:13,240 The main one was about his spending. 388 00:24:13,240 --> 00:24:15,160 "How much money is he going to spend?" 389 00:24:15,160 --> 00:24:17,760 "Is he going to be actually giving us a monarchy 390 00:24:17,760 --> 00:24:19,800 "that's going to be reputable?" 391 00:24:21,280 --> 00:24:25,280 Following the commercial success of George III's reign, 392 00:24:25,280 --> 00:24:30,080 Britain is the richest, most powerful country in the world. 393 00:24:30,080 --> 00:24:35,080 Now, the ecstatic prince can finally indulge his passion 394 00:24:35,080 --> 00:24:39,600 for the finer things in life, with no one to restrain him. 395 00:24:39,600 --> 00:24:41,920 When he becomes Prince Regent, 396 00:24:41,920 --> 00:24:44,240 he's considerably older, 23 years older, 397 00:24:44,240 --> 00:24:45,960 but he's excited in the same ways 398 00:24:45,960 --> 00:24:50,600 about what it means in terms of wealth and power. 399 00:24:53,800 --> 00:24:58,360 In 1815, George turns his attention to a passion project in Brighton. 400 00:24:59,880 --> 00:25:03,000 George has been visiting the vibrant seaside resort 401 00:25:03,000 --> 00:25:05,280 since he was a young man, 402 00:25:05,280 --> 00:25:08,640 captivated by its devil-may-care aristocrats 403 00:25:08,640 --> 00:25:11,640 and their dazzling social life. 404 00:25:11,640 --> 00:25:14,240 The Prince of Wales loves going to Brighton, 405 00:25:14,240 --> 00:25:16,440 for all kinds of different reasons. 406 00:25:16,440 --> 00:25:19,600 And there is a farmhouse there, 407 00:25:19,600 --> 00:25:23,600 and he acquires that, and he has an architect 408 00:25:23,600 --> 00:25:27,440 turn it into a kind of neoclassical villa, 409 00:25:27,440 --> 00:25:28,960 but modest. 410 00:25:30,360 --> 00:25:33,080 But the prince is no lover of modesty, 411 00:25:33,080 --> 00:25:34,960 and now that he is Regent, 412 00:25:34,960 --> 00:25:38,280 with money no object, he scales up, 413 00:25:38,280 --> 00:25:41,400 fulfilling a long cherished dream 414 00:25:41,400 --> 00:25:45,600 of turning the seaside villa into an exotic pleasure palace. 415 00:25:45,600 --> 00:25:53,520 If you want a sense of the exuberance and audacity 416 00:25:53,520 --> 00:25:57,720 and creativity of George IV, 417 00:25:57,720 --> 00:25:59,600 it's the Brighton Pavilion. 418 00:26:03,640 --> 00:26:06,360 It's a mash-up of all different styles. 419 00:26:06,360 --> 00:26:09,160 It draws from architectural styles in India. 420 00:26:09,160 --> 00:26:11,920 The interior features Chinese elements. 421 00:26:13,400 --> 00:26:15,560 There's gilded gold everywhere. 422 00:26:15,560 --> 00:26:18,400 There's these rich fabric wallpapers, there's murals, 423 00:26:18,400 --> 00:26:20,880 there's artworks hanging everywhere. 424 00:26:22,280 --> 00:26:25,680 You would walk through, into this banqueting room, 425 00:26:25,680 --> 00:26:31,120 this incredibly extravagant space full of incredible porcelain 426 00:26:31,120 --> 00:26:35,400 and glassware and metal, silverware. 427 00:26:37,360 --> 00:26:42,200 Designed by the brilliant architect John Nash, the Royal Pavilion 428 00:26:42,200 --> 00:26:44,920 comes to symbolise the Regency period, 429 00:26:44,920 --> 00:26:49,840 and in turn, transforms Brighton's fortunes, even if only turning it 430 00:26:49,840 --> 00:26:53,160 into a playground for the wealthy aristocracy. 431 00:26:55,160 --> 00:26:58,520 There's a sudden influx of fashionable Georgian people 432 00:26:58,520 --> 00:27:01,360 coming from London, all making their way to party 433 00:27:01,360 --> 00:27:02,800 with the Prince Regent. 434 00:27:02,800 --> 00:27:06,440 And it's a sort of play den, 435 00:27:06,440 --> 00:27:11,480 a quote-unquote "exotic" colonial palace 436 00:27:11,480 --> 00:27:14,680 that celebrates Britain's empire 437 00:27:14,680 --> 00:27:17,720 and George's role as the sort of decadent head 438 00:27:17,720 --> 00:27:20,480 of all this hedonistic, plentiful-ness. 439 00:27:22,680 --> 00:27:26,760 But beyond the glittering world of Brighton, Britain has spent 440 00:27:26,760 --> 00:27:32,720 the entirety of the prince's regency at war with France in Europe. 441 00:27:32,720 --> 00:27:36,240 Now, finally, in 1815, 442 00:27:36,240 --> 00:27:39,760 after more than 20 long years of war, 443 00:27:39,760 --> 00:27:45,520 Britain achieves incredible military success, defeating Napoleon 444 00:27:45,520 --> 00:27:47,680 at the Battle of Waterloo. 445 00:27:47,680 --> 00:27:50,640 When Wellington defeats Napoleon, 446 00:27:50,640 --> 00:27:53,440 there is euphoria in Britain. 447 00:27:53,440 --> 00:27:57,960 Napoleon is sent into exile, and peace comes to Britain 448 00:27:57,960 --> 00:28:00,280 for the first time since 1793. 449 00:28:02,520 --> 00:28:04,760 When the conflict first started, 450 00:28:04,760 --> 00:28:07,960 Prince George had been eager to serve his country 451 00:28:07,960 --> 00:28:12,040 on the battlefield, but his father, the King, had forbade it. 452 00:28:13,080 --> 00:28:16,920 As a result, George had always resented his lack 453 00:28:16,920 --> 00:28:18,520 of military experience, 454 00:28:18,520 --> 00:28:23,520 now with the country's victory against France only serving 455 00:28:23,520 --> 00:28:26,120 to increase his inner sense of emptiness. 456 00:28:27,200 --> 00:28:29,160 Wellington. 457 00:28:29,160 --> 00:28:30,480 Wellington, tell them. 458 00:28:31,920 --> 00:28:35,680 Tell them how it was I who led the cavalry charge at Waterloo. 459 00:28:38,200 --> 00:28:40,720 I've oft heard Your Majesty say so. 460 00:28:41,880 --> 00:28:44,200 See? Exactly what I said. 461 00:28:47,840 --> 00:28:50,000 Straight from the horse's mouth. 462 00:28:51,920 --> 00:28:53,640 (LAUGHS) 463 00:28:56,080 --> 00:28:58,440 For the rest of his life, 464 00:28:58,440 --> 00:29:02,960 George persists in the fiction that he played a key part 465 00:29:02,960 --> 00:29:04,600 in Napoleon's downfall. 466 00:29:06,080 --> 00:29:09,560 That's the level of fantasy he was capable of. 467 00:29:09,560 --> 00:29:12,800 But it speaks to how the enduring way 468 00:29:12,800 --> 00:29:14,840 in which that grief, 469 00:29:14,840 --> 00:29:16,840 frustration, sadness, whatever it was, 470 00:29:16,840 --> 00:29:19,440 stayed in his...in his head. 471 00:29:19,440 --> 00:29:21,520 With the defeat of Napoleon, 472 00:29:21,520 --> 00:29:25,120 Britain's global dominance is without challenge. 473 00:29:26,480 --> 00:29:29,400 But the public is now increasingly angry 474 00:29:29,400 --> 00:29:31,720 about the unequal spoils of war. 475 00:29:33,480 --> 00:29:37,440 There's a significant amount of unrest brewing in Britain, 476 00:29:37,440 --> 00:29:40,920 and partly, this is a hangover from the war, 477 00:29:40,920 --> 00:29:45,000 that veterans are returning home with limbs missing, 478 00:29:45,000 --> 00:29:49,080 with mental injuries, as well, and finding that they cannot work, 479 00:29:49,080 --> 00:29:51,360 or they're struggling to find a place for themselves 480 00:29:51,360 --> 00:29:53,400 in the communities that they'd left. 481 00:29:55,360 --> 00:29:59,560 The Napoleonic Wars have been a huge drain on the economy. 482 00:29:59,560 --> 00:30:03,800 Faced with crippling taxes and soaring unemployment, 483 00:30:03,800 --> 00:30:07,560 George's British subjects are starving. 484 00:30:07,560 --> 00:30:13,400 The widespread suffering is in sharp contrast to the extravagant caprices 485 00:30:13,400 --> 00:30:15,000 of the Prince Regent. 486 00:30:16,960 --> 00:30:21,080 Graffiti appears on the walls of the Regent's main residence, 487 00:30:21,080 --> 00:30:24,760 Carlton House - "Bread or the Regent's head." 488 00:30:26,120 --> 00:30:29,400 Carlton House and Brighton Pavilion are symbols of excess. 489 00:30:29,400 --> 00:30:32,320 They're...they're symbols of gluttony. 490 00:30:32,320 --> 00:30:40,280 They are perceived as emblematic of a kind of corrupt, lascivious, 491 00:30:40,280 --> 00:30:44,240 you know, individual that only is really looking after themselves. 492 00:30:47,680 --> 00:30:51,280 By now, George has no-one to help him weather the storm. 493 00:30:58,600 --> 00:31:03,480 In 1817, George's only child, Princess Charlotte, 494 00:31:03,480 --> 00:31:07,560 the product of his brief and disastrous marriage to Caroline, 495 00:31:07,560 --> 00:31:12,160 dies while giving birth to a stillborn son. 496 00:31:12,160 --> 00:31:14,600 The nation is devastated. 497 00:31:17,440 --> 00:31:23,240 She's a very popular figure and seen by many as the redeeming daughter 498 00:31:23,240 --> 00:31:26,840 to a wayward Prince Regent and eventually King. 499 00:31:26,840 --> 00:31:30,920 It is said that London ran out of black cloth for mourning 500 00:31:30,920 --> 00:31:33,560 because everybody wanted to show their respect for the fallen 501 00:31:33,560 --> 00:31:35,040 or the dead princess. 502 00:31:36,320 --> 00:31:41,120 The death of Charlotte and her son rocks the foundations 503 00:31:41,120 --> 00:31:43,560 of the House of Hanover to its core. 504 00:31:44,640 --> 00:31:49,840 All of a sudden, the whole dynasty is sort of up in the air. 505 00:31:49,840 --> 00:31:53,600 There's a huge question mark over who's going to inherit the throne. 506 00:31:57,680 --> 00:32:00,960 George plunges into a deep depression, 507 00:32:00,960 --> 00:32:03,240 and alcoholism consumes him. 508 00:32:04,640 --> 00:32:08,960 We often see the Prince of Wales, as he was then, 509 00:32:08,960 --> 00:32:13,080 as quite a happy figure, a very pleasure-seeking figure, 510 00:32:13,080 --> 00:32:16,280 and not someone who necessarily holds deep feelings. 511 00:32:16,280 --> 00:32:20,640 And yet, when his daughter died, he was inconsolable. 512 00:32:20,640 --> 00:32:23,000 He wept in bed for weeks. 513 00:32:23,000 --> 00:32:26,880 And I think that that's a really defining low point. 514 00:32:28,000 --> 00:32:31,280 The string of family losses doesn't end there. 515 00:32:32,680 --> 00:32:37,760 In January 1820, George loses the most towering figure 516 00:32:37,760 --> 00:32:41,760 of his entire life when his father, George III, 517 00:32:41,760 --> 00:32:47,080 having never recovered from his madness, finally dies. 518 00:32:47,080 --> 00:32:52,120 Thousands turn out to mourn the death of a much loved monarch, 519 00:32:52,120 --> 00:32:55,800 and his wayward son finally becomes King. 520 00:33:00,680 --> 00:33:05,760 Having waited most of his life for this moment, and after nine years 521 00:33:05,760 --> 00:33:10,320 as Prince Regent, 58-year-old George has meticulously planned 522 00:33:10,320 --> 00:33:14,120 for this to be the coronation to end all coronations. 523 00:33:15,400 --> 00:33:20,400 George IV loves performance, and he loves spectacle, 524 00:33:20,400 --> 00:33:23,680 and so his coronation was an immense spectacle. 525 00:33:26,600 --> 00:33:32,320 It's all very well choreographed, and it's all designed to show George 526 00:33:32,320 --> 00:33:35,520 in the best light possible, which it does. 527 00:33:35,520 --> 00:33:37,920 And part of the reason is because he did it. 528 00:33:37,920 --> 00:33:39,120 He designed it. 529 00:33:39,120 --> 00:33:40,840 He designed what he was going to wear. 530 00:33:40,840 --> 00:33:42,840 He designed the whole thing. 531 00:33:47,000 --> 00:33:51,400 The coronation banquet is the most extravagant in history. 532 00:33:51,400 --> 00:33:56,400 The food and drink alone costs over £25,000 - 533 00:33:56,400 --> 00:34:00,080 £3.5 million in today's money. 534 00:34:01,840 --> 00:34:05,200 How can he have a celebration without, you know, gargantuan 535 00:34:05,200 --> 00:34:08,680 quantities of food and drink, which is what he supplies. 536 00:34:08,680 --> 00:34:11,840 And of course, he's able to lead the proceedings in eating 537 00:34:11,840 --> 00:34:15,520 and drinking because he's very, very good at that. 538 00:34:17,320 --> 00:34:20,000 In spite of all their reservations, 539 00:34:20,000 --> 00:34:24,000 the spectacular coronation briefly tips the public 540 00:34:24,000 --> 00:34:25,640 in the King's favour. 541 00:34:27,440 --> 00:34:32,160 But George has never shown much interest in running the country. 542 00:34:32,160 --> 00:34:35,680 He continues to spend eye-watering sums, 543 00:34:35,680 --> 00:34:40,640 indulging his greatest passions - partying, drinking 544 00:34:40,640 --> 00:34:43,000 and renovating royal palaces. 545 00:34:45,760 --> 00:34:49,960 But there is one pressing political issue that, as King, 546 00:34:49,960 --> 00:34:51,880 he cannot avoid - 547 00:34:51,880 --> 00:34:55,120 the fight for Catholic emancipation. 548 00:34:56,560 --> 00:35:01,880 Ever since the Act of Settlement in 1701, aimed at securing 549 00:35:01,880 --> 00:35:06,480 the Protestant succession, Catholics' political and civil rights 550 00:35:06,480 --> 00:35:08,560 have been severely curtailed. 551 00:35:09,960 --> 00:35:14,120 The Catholics in Britain were very, very tired of these restrictions 552 00:35:14,120 --> 00:35:18,480 on their liberties and wanted them removed, wanted to be emancipated. 553 00:35:18,480 --> 00:35:23,680 In 1829, the government faces the prospect of a major 554 00:35:23,680 --> 00:35:25,160 rebellion in Ireland. 555 00:35:26,600 --> 00:35:28,920 George comes under increasing pressure 556 00:35:28,920 --> 00:35:32,360 from the Duke of Wellington, now Prime Minister, 557 00:35:32,360 --> 00:35:36,680 to give royal assent to a bill easing restrictions. 558 00:35:36,680 --> 00:35:39,520 But despite his first illegitimate marriage 559 00:35:39,520 --> 00:35:41,560 to Catholic Maria Fitzherbert, 560 00:35:41,560 --> 00:35:44,840 George is fiercely opposed. 561 00:35:46,080 --> 00:35:50,400 The Protestant faith underpins why the Hanoverian dynasty came 562 00:35:50,400 --> 00:35:52,200 to rule Britain. 563 00:35:54,080 --> 00:35:56,040 You don't expect me to sign this? 564 00:35:56,040 --> 00:35:58,080 Only the signing of the Catholic Emancipation 565 00:35:58,080 --> 00:36:00,960 will prevent a civil war in Ireland. 566 00:36:00,960 --> 00:36:02,640 Poppycock. 567 00:36:02,640 --> 00:36:03,680 If I may, Your Majesty... 568 00:36:03,680 --> 00:36:06,240 I'll tell you what I believe. 569 00:36:06,240 --> 00:36:10,360 I believe this is against everything that my sainted and revered 570 00:36:10,360 --> 00:36:11,560 father believed in. 571 00:36:12,680 --> 00:36:16,000 As upholder of the Protestant faith, it is my duty to veto 572 00:36:16,000 --> 00:36:17,200 any such measure. 573 00:36:18,920 --> 00:36:22,560 Look, why don't we have some more brandy and make sense 574 00:36:22,560 --> 00:36:23,560 of this issue, mmm? 575 00:36:24,960 --> 00:36:27,200 Your Highness. I'll order up a few bottles, 576 00:36:27,200 --> 00:36:30,800 we can sit down and marinate our options. 577 00:36:30,800 --> 00:36:35,640 Your Majesty, there are no options to save unrest and discontent. 578 00:36:37,320 --> 00:36:39,040 Don't be a fool. Of course there are. 579 00:36:39,040 --> 00:36:42,400 Your Majesty, if you don't sign this bill, 580 00:36:42,400 --> 00:36:45,000 this country will be without a government. 581 00:36:45,000 --> 00:36:47,040 I don't care. 582 00:36:47,040 --> 00:36:49,720 If I'm going to be bullied into signing 583 00:36:49,720 --> 00:36:53,400 this abomination of a bill, 584 00:36:53,400 --> 00:36:54,760 I'll abdicate. 585 00:36:54,760 --> 00:36:56,720 Your Majesty, please. 586 00:36:56,720 --> 00:36:58,320 You think I'm bluffing? 587 00:36:59,840 --> 00:37:02,640 You force my hand, I'll do it. 588 00:37:02,640 --> 00:37:04,760 And then, you'll all suffer. 589 00:37:06,760 --> 00:37:11,400 But by now, the balance of power has tipped in Parliament's favour, 590 00:37:11,400 --> 00:37:14,480 and George finally agrees to sign the bill. 591 00:37:15,560 --> 00:37:18,040 Passed in 1829, 592 00:37:18,040 --> 00:37:21,760 the Catholic Emancipation Act enables Catholics, 593 00:37:21,760 --> 00:37:25,440 for the first time in more than 130 years, 594 00:37:25,440 --> 00:37:28,360 to be represented in Parliament, 595 00:37:28,360 --> 00:37:33,800 an act which, perhaps unwittingly changed King George IV's legacy. 596 00:37:33,800 --> 00:37:37,040 In some ways, it's really his parting gift to Britain, 597 00:37:37,040 --> 00:37:43,840 and it's a way that he repairs something of his reputation. 598 00:37:43,840 --> 00:37:48,000 It really marks the end of the Georgian era, 599 00:37:48,000 --> 00:37:53,280 in which this question of Protestantism versus Catholicism 600 00:37:53,280 --> 00:37:58,680 has shaped not only the events and battles and rioting 601 00:37:58,680 --> 00:38:02,960 and struggles on the streets of Britain, but has also completely 602 00:38:02,960 --> 00:38:05,480 dictated what's happening behind closed doors 603 00:38:05,480 --> 00:38:07,800 in the royal courts. 604 00:38:07,800 --> 00:38:12,720 George has finally done something to restore his tattered reputation. 605 00:38:15,120 --> 00:38:19,320 But by now, his dissolute lifestyle is catching up with him. 606 00:38:22,560 --> 00:38:25,400 As he nears the end of life, 607 00:38:25,400 --> 00:38:28,560 George is an increasingly pitiful figure. 608 00:38:30,320 --> 00:38:32,960 Years of partying have caught up with him. 609 00:38:32,960 --> 00:38:34,680 His complexion is gone. 610 00:38:34,680 --> 00:38:36,160 He's gone jowly, 611 00:38:36,160 --> 00:38:39,880 he's gone fat, he's gone flabby, and he's ill. 612 00:38:39,880 --> 00:38:42,800 He's in a huge amount of pain, increasing amounts of pain, 613 00:38:42,800 --> 00:38:46,800 taking massive amounts of laudanum as he gets older. 614 00:38:46,800 --> 00:38:50,080 It's a pretty sad scenario. 615 00:38:50,080 --> 00:38:52,120 He became fairly bedridden. 616 00:38:52,120 --> 00:38:55,680 He also didn't seem to have much zest for life, so I think 617 00:38:55,680 --> 00:38:57,360 he was very depressed towards the end of his life. 618 00:38:57,360 --> 00:39:01,455 So, yeah, I think it was a kind of a tragic end for him. 619 00:39:04,600 --> 00:39:07,960 One of his few visitors is his niece, 620 00:39:07,960 --> 00:39:10,480 the future Queen Victoria. 621 00:39:19,520 --> 00:39:21,120 Give me your little paw. 622 00:39:28,640 --> 00:39:30,800 It's beautiful. 623 00:39:30,800 --> 00:39:32,000 It's yours. 624 00:39:35,360 --> 00:39:36,640 Follow me, my dear. 625 00:39:38,400 --> 00:39:40,040 Not so quickly, please. 626 00:39:42,320 --> 00:39:45,440 Well, the relationship of George with his niece Victoria 627 00:39:45,440 --> 00:39:49,560 is an extraordinary one, and her recollections of going out 628 00:39:49,560 --> 00:39:51,960 in the carriage with her Uncle George 629 00:39:51,960 --> 00:39:53,440 are quite remarkable. 630 00:39:53,440 --> 00:39:57,440 She was pretty loving and fond in her recollections 631 00:39:57,440 --> 00:39:58,920 of him as a person. 632 00:40:00,360 --> 00:40:04,440 But their burgeoning companionship was cut all too short. 633 00:40:06,560 --> 00:40:11,880 George IV dies on 26 June 1830, aged 68. 634 00:40:13,480 --> 00:40:19,520 A miniature of Maria Fitzherbert, arguably his one true love, is found 635 00:40:19,520 --> 00:40:20,680 around his neck. 636 00:40:22,000 --> 00:40:24,600 But few mourn his departure. 637 00:40:26,320 --> 00:40:28,120 When George IV dies... 638 00:40:29,360 --> 00:40:32,600 ..uh, The Times newspaper says, 639 00:40:32,600 --> 00:40:36,600 "Never was an individual less regretted 640 00:40:36,600 --> 00:40:40,480 "by his fellow creatures than this deceased king." 641 00:40:42,040 --> 00:40:45,880 George is succeeded by his younger brother William, 642 00:40:45,880 --> 00:40:50,240 but within seven years, he, too, dies, childless. 643 00:40:52,160 --> 00:40:56,920 As the Georgian era draws to a close, Princess Victoria accedes 644 00:40:56,920 --> 00:41:01,960 to the throne, and the extravagances of George IV are replaced 645 00:41:01,960 --> 00:41:05,600 by the straight-laced virtues of the Victorian age. 646 00:41:07,360 --> 00:41:12,200 Lots of Victorians looked back at the Regency and just gasped 647 00:41:12,200 --> 00:41:15,560 that their grandfathers would tolerate that kind 648 00:41:15,560 --> 00:41:18,960 of libertinism and that kind of drinking and excess. 649 00:41:18,960 --> 00:41:23,040 You can see her reign as trying to repair the damage to the monarchy 650 00:41:23,040 --> 00:41:24,880 that he inflicted upon it. 651 00:41:28,160 --> 00:41:31,480 But despite George's many failings, 652 00:41:31,480 --> 00:41:36,120 his passion for the arts and architecture underpins 653 00:41:36,120 --> 00:41:38,560 the extraordinary cultural flowering 654 00:41:38,560 --> 00:41:42,120 that takes place in Britain under his reign. 655 00:41:42,120 --> 00:41:45,560 We still refer to his reign as the Regency period, 656 00:41:45,560 --> 00:41:48,320 because it was the aesthetic of the time. 657 00:41:48,320 --> 00:41:52,160 His idea of beauty, of architecture, of fashion 658 00:41:52,160 --> 00:41:54,160 is still remembered today 659 00:41:54,160 --> 00:41:57,280 because he had such a huge impact upon it. 660 00:41:57,280 --> 00:42:01,400 As much as the perception of George IV was about opulence 661 00:42:01,400 --> 00:42:04,320 and ostentation, the heart of that is, actually, he was a man 662 00:42:04,320 --> 00:42:05,960 of great taste. 663 00:42:05,960 --> 00:42:08,560 He was the leader of fashion. 664 00:42:08,560 --> 00:42:11,160 He was at the vanguard of stylistic change. 665 00:42:13,600 --> 00:42:17,760 George's death ushers in the end of the Georgian era... 666 00:42:20,000 --> 00:42:23,120 ..a period that has been one of the most tumultuous 667 00:42:23,120 --> 00:42:24,480 in British history. 668 00:42:27,480 --> 00:42:31,480 Despite the many foibles of George I, 669 00:42:31,480 --> 00:42:33,640 II, III 670 00:42:33,640 --> 00:42:36,960 and IV, their legacy endures to this day. 671 00:42:41,360 --> 00:42:43,680 Britain today is entirely shaped by the Georgian period. 672 00:42:43,680 --> 00:42:48,240 It's a fundamental part of British history 673 00:42:48,240 --> 00:42:53,400 and a period that our understanding of 674 00:42:53,400 --> 00:43:00,040 is...is fundamental to understanding what works and what doesn't work 675 00:43:00,040 --> 00:43:02,560 in...in Britain today. 676 00:43:02,560 --> 00:43:06,080 One of the main lessons one could take from the Georgian era 677 00:43:06,080 --> 00:43:09,000 is the importance of being a pragmatist 678 00:43:09,000 --> 00:43:11,640 and being a royal pragmatist. 679 00:43:11,640 --> 00:43:13,280 That ability to... 680 00:43:13,280 --> 00:43:17,120 I think, their ability to absorb change - 681 00:43:17,120 --> 00:43:21,120 not necessarily embrace change, but I think to respond to change 682 00:43:21,120 --> 00:43:25,920 over the long lifespan of this dynasty - 683 00:43:25,920 --> 00:43:29,960 in that lies the key to their...their success. 684 00:43:29,960 --> 00:43:32,960 Captions by Red Bee Media (c) SBS Australia 2024 75282

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