George III, King of Great Britain and Ireland

George William Frederick (June 4, 1738 – January 29, 1820), better known as King George III, ruled Great Britain and Ireland for nearly sixty years, from 1760 until his death in 1820. He became king at the age of twenty-two. One year later, he married Charlotte of Mecklenburg-Strelitz, the daughter of a German duke. The couple had fifteen children.

George III became king during a time of growing conflict between Great Britain and its North American colonies. Many colonists were angry about high taxes and British control over colonial government. These disagreements led to the American Revolutionary War, which Great Britain lost, resulting in American independence. In the later years of his life, George III suffered from serious illness that affected his ability to rule, and his son later governed in his place as prince regent. 

Image credit: By Benjamin West – Royal Collection, Public Domain, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=92097063