George IV (1762-1830) - Find a Grave Memorial

British Monarch. The oldest son of King George III and Charlotte of Mecklenburg-Strelitz, he was well known for his wit and amorous nature - the exact opposite of his father. He was conservative in politics, but liberal in his love of the arts. He donated his father's immense collection of books as the start of the British Museum Library. Known for his love of building projects, he is responsible for the "Regency" style of architecture. However, his love of the arts and his tendency to be extravagant came at a bad period in England, when it was recovering from the Napoleonic wars and changes brought about because of the industrial revolution. He had many mistresses, until he married a Catholic widow, Maria Fritzherbert, in 1785. This was done without his father's permission, and it was annulled. Had it gone through, George would never have been allowed to reign, as his wife was a Catholic. After Maria was dismissed from court, he continued to have many mistresses until marrying his cousin, Caroline of Brunswick. Together they had one daughter, Princess Charlotte Augusta in 1796, but it was not a happy union. He had his daughter separated from her mother, and when he became king, he barred his wife from his coronation. He died at Windsor at the age of 68 after a series of strokes caused by a hemorrhage in his stomach.

Bio by: Alexis