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Ruling for just 10 short years,
George IV is the Hanoverian dynasty's
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party prince...
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..the polar opposite
of his patriotic, dutiful father.
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Talented and clever,
but shallow at heart,
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he dedicates much of his life
to the pursuit of pleasure.
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Displaying a gargantuan appetite
for wine and women,
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and racking up extraordinary debts,
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his life is synonymous
with excess and decadence.
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A man with time on his hands
to become a monster.
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He dies obese, alcoholic
and a drug addict.
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His brief reign marks the end
of the Georgian era.
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So, what went wrong?
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George Augustus Frederick is born
on 12 August 1762.
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Wild from a very young age, George's
rebel ways aren't for lack of love
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from his parents.
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King George III and Queen Charlotte
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actually had their first child
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very early on in their marriage,
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and they were delighted
they had produced an heir.
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They were actually,
for a king and queen at that time,
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quite maternal and paternal.
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He's the absolute favourite
of his mother.
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She describes him as looking
like a little angel.
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She commissions endless
portraits of him,
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and, unfortunately
for little George,
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no-one says no to him,
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and this is a problem
that will continue
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throughout his life.
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Despite George III's ongoing
mental illness that would eventually
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see him removed from the throne,
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the King's patriotism and dedication
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had won over the British people
and secured the Hanoverian dynasty.
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He's determined to make sure his son
grows up to be just as dutiful,
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with an emphasis being placed
on Christian piety.
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This begins with Prince George's
education.
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(CLOCK TICKS)
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He is a bright student,
but lacks focus and interest,
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much to the dismay
of his teachers and father.
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A lot of his tutors really struggle
to control his behaviour.
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They certainly try and he, you know,
often gives them the run-around.
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But when he shows a bit of laziness
or he shows a little bit
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of irritability,
his father has him whipped.
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Severely whipped.
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George and his brothers.
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His sister recalls
seeing George whipped,
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as she says, like a dog.
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But the King's punitive measures
spectacularly backfire.
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The young prince rebels
against his father's
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strict moral code.
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For George, the sole point of life
is the pursuit of pleasure,
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in all its forms.
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He embarks on this career of sexual
licentiousness at a very young age,
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and women flock around him.
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By the time he's 16, 17,
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he's a notorious drunkard.
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He's already sleeping
with various mistresses.
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He's exceeding his allowance.
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All of this, at some level,
is because he likes fun.
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But there is also an element,
I think, of,
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"And this is really going
to push back at my dad."
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One of George's first passions
is for a well-known actress,
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Mary Darby Robinson.
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The fact she is already married
only increases her attraction.
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Mary initially rejects his advances,
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but George refuses
to take no for an answer.
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George, please.
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No, no, listen, I mean it.
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I'm married.
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Not to mention I'm also
five years your senior.
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I'm not a child.
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You are.
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Your marriage is finished.
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Anyone can see that it's been
reduced to a droll, miserable union.
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I said no.
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I'll pay you.
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20,000 to be mine.
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What?
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Would that make you
change your mind?
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But within a few months
of securing Mary's affections,
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he loses all interest
in his leading lady,
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leaving his father to pick up
the £20,000 spent he promised her
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when she threatens to publish
his romantic letters.
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George moves on to fresh conquests
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while Mary is left a laughing stock.
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For him, his amorous liaisons
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are all about the thrill
of the chase.
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It's staggering how quickly
he falls in love,
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enjoys this passionate affair,
says all the right things,
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does virtually none
of the right things, and moves on.
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And I think he loved
the idea of love,
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and perhaps the more illicit
nature of these liaisons, as well.
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Frustrated at living under the same
roof as his parents,
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George persuades his father
that greater independence
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will steady his behaviour.
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Reluctantly, the King agrees
to increase his allowance
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and arranges for the prince
to set up home in Carlton House
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on fashionable Pall Mall.
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This was intended to be a space
where he could define his own time,
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his own freedom,
and build up his position
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as the Prince of Wales.
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From an early age, George has shown
a passionate interest in art
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and architecture and immediately
embarks on a major renovation.
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And he sends out his agents
around the world to bring back
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tapestries and carpets and paintings
and urns and ceramics.
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Everything.
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Carlton House finally a sort of
metropolitan palace
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that functioned in a way
and at a scale and with a level
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of decoration and a level of detail
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that felt comparable
to the best in Europe.
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But rather than a base
for the young prince
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to establish himself as a worthy heir
to the throne,
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Carlton House comes to symbolise
his profligacy and excess.
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He's the party king.
As a young man, he's a dancer.
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There's numerous big dinners
and banquets and, you know, things
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going on almost every night,
with music and cards
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and...and a huge amount of drinking.
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But his extravagant lifestyle leaves
the prince with crippling debts.
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He's racking up debts
of tens of thousands of pounds.
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That's in the 1770s.
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And for someone like George III,
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who was much more frugal
in how he approached ideas,
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it was seen as very wasteful,
very gluttonous behaviour,
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and not of the moral standing
that he would want for his heir.
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Now in his 20s,
the party prince, once again,
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falls head over heels in love,
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this time with another actress,
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28-year-old Maria Fitzherbert.
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But there is a terrible problem.
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Not only is she twice married,
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she's a Catholic.
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The whole reason why the three
Georges before him are on the throne
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was because they were Protestants.
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They played strictly by the rules,
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not only upholding
the Protestant faith,
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but refusing to countenance
even fraternising
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with Catholic women.
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Unwilling to risk her reputation
for a brief dalliance,
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Maria initially rejects his advances.
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But convinced
she's his one true love,
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the prince's strategy
is to outact the actor.
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Oh, the pain!
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The pain of it all.
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Ah!
Your Highness.
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I came as soon as I could.
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They said you ran yourself through
with a blade.
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I did.
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I chose to take my own life
rather than live without you.
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As I am close to the end,
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will you do me one last
act of kindness?
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Yes, Your Grace.
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Yes, Your Highness.
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Will you take this gift of a ring
and comfort me in my final moments?
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Of course.
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Thank you.
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No.
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Thank you,
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for now we are finally betrothed.
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We are what?
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Betrothed!
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You and I.
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No, Your Highness.
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And in the eyes of a witness,
no less.
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Are you not gravely ill?
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Never felt better.
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Alarmed by the prince's melodramatic
posturing, Maria flees to Europe.
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After firing off a stream
of impassioned letters,
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he manages to persuade her to return,
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but only on the condition
that they undergo a private,
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informal marriage ceremony.
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Now, that's against the law.
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There's a Royal Marriages Act
which says the Protestant heir
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cannot marry a Roman Catholic.
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And there's other legislation
which says the King has to agree
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if the person is, uh, not
25 years old, and George is 23.
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But the young prince relishes
and will do anything
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to provoke his father's wrath.
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He shows absolutely no hesitation
in crossing the line
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no-one has crossed before him.
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George goes, "Oh, it's not allowed?
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"Well, that's interesting.
I'm going to do it anyway."
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They do have a marriage service,
done by a fleet minister, um,
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in her own house.
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And this, of course, is problematic
because it's not a legal...
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..a truly legal marriage.
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When rumours start to leak out
that George has illegally married
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a Catholic, his father is furious.
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Tensions between the King and his son
ratchet up a notch further.
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The Prince of Wales actually risked
a lot with his relationship
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with Maria Fitzherbert.
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And by the Act of Settlement,
at the beginning of the century,
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he could have actually lost
his place
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in the line of succession
by marrying her
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if the marriage
was considered legal,
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which, luckily for him, it wasn't.
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But this just shows the level
of devotion and infatuation
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he had with Mrs Fitzherbert.
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The prince's self-indulgent behaviour
is a direct affront
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to the patriotic values
of his father.
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Do you know what I heard today?
Pray, tell.
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I heard that you've been enjoying
the company
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of drunkards and gamblers.
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And also that you've been cavorting
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with those who have dubbed me
a tyrant.
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Have you called me here
to chastise me
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for my choice in friends?
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No, but we must not be governed
by our desires,
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but our sense of duty
to this great country.
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And as such, we must regulate
both our public and private life.
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Why should this great country care
what I do behind closed doors?
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Because if you've already
been condemned by the people,
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Parliament will not help you
to achieve your aims.
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Whether you care or not,
what they think of you matters.
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The sooner you understand that,
the better.
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00:13:33,200 --> 00:13:37,400
It's easy to get mad at George
for spending all his time drinking,
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but his dad won't let him behave
in the ways that George feels
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would give his life meaning.
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George wants, for example,
to be in the military,
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like his brothers are, and he wants
to climb up the hierarchies
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00:13:51,960 --> 00:13:53,720
of the Army or the Navy.
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00:13:53,720 --> 00:13:56,920
And his dad says, "Forget it.
You are the heir.
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"You cannot do that."
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00:13:59,680 --> 00:14:04,280
I think he thinks, "My dad won't
let me have any meaningful role
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00:14:04,280 --> 00:14:07,720
"in public life, so if all
that's left to me is drinking
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00:14:07,720 --> 00:14:10,575
"and gambling and running up debts,
that's what I'm going to do."
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00:14:14,160 --> 00:14:17,760
But in 1788, King George III,
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whose reign had already once
been rocked by an unforeseen illness,
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was struck by another sudden
and more extreme bout of madness,
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meaning George, the party prince,
cannot ignore his date
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with royal destiny.
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What starts to swing it is what's
called the 'regency crisis',
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which happens in 1788,
when George III declines
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into some sort of mental eclipse.
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00:14:45,840 --> 00:14:49,760
So, George has several bouts
of mental illness
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throughout his life, um, potentially
starting in the 1760s
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and certainly by the 1780s
into the 1790s.
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He's not speaking very clearly.
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00:14:59,440 --> 00:15:00,680
He's very confused.
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He's babbling.
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He's repeating himself.
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He's foaming at the mouth.
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00:15:07,520 --> 00:15:10,080
With the King's descent into madness,
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a Regency bill is drawn up,
appointing the Prince of Wales
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Regent in his place.
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00:15:17,480 --> 00:15:21,000
George relishes the thought
of the money and influence
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00:15:21,000 --> 00:15:26,000
that will come his way when the King
relinquishes the throne.
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00:15:26,000 --> 00:15:29,400
We've got the Prince of Wales,
who is effectively
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00:15:29,400 --> 00:15:32,200
champing at the bit,
thinking this is going
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00:15:32,200 --> 00:15:35,160
to be the chance for him
to be made Prince Regent
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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
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