George III dies in 1788

Status
Not open for further replies.

Thande

Donor
I've been reading WIlliam Hague's biography of Pitt the Younger and it's a useful source of PODs.

In OTL, George III's porphyria first developed into madness into 1788, provoking crisis in the country. There were calls for his deeply unpopular son the Prince of Wales (the future George IV) to take over as Regent, but the powers of said Regency would have to be determined by Parliament. Also, Pitt's position as PM was dependent on George III remaining King; upon assuming royal powers, Prince George would have thrown Pitt out in favour of the effective leader of the Whig opposition, Charles James Fox - who, interestingly, supported the French Revolution in OTL.

In OTL, Pitt uses parliamentary tricks and managed to spin out the Regency bill affair by using multiple inquiries and bringing in doctors to assess the King's condition, to the extent that weeks later George III recovered and became sane again (for many years, but not permanently). Prince George and Fox missed their chance.

Now, one of these doctors apparently allowed George III to shave with a razor - fortunately at that precise moment he was lucid enough not to do anything unwise. Let's say George III manages to kill himself by this or other means during his initial bout of madness. George IV becomes King unopposed and there is no way Pitt can put a spin on it, so Fox becomes PM.

Now what happens?
 
I don't think there is enough support in Parliament for him to survive long and once the French off the King he would be forced out because such an affront would demand action be taken (I imagine even George IV would be able to disengage from his debauchery long enough to demand action betaken).

Frankly I just can't see Fox lasting long espousing Jacobin ideology when his fellows on the continent are causing all sort of mayhem.

Of course it doesn’t really matter one way or another when the French finally decide to declare war on Britain in order to depose the king, I think that will demand a response no matter who is PM.

Pitt is recalled before very long and gets to carry on as in OTL, with the probable exception that he may get to grant Catholic Emancipation with the Union in 1801.

That means he doesn’t resign so he will be in charge when the treaty of Ameins happened in OTL, whether he will refuse such an overture is an open question but it seems possible.
 
Hmm...I wonder what will happen to Maria FitzHubert, the Catholic women Prince George secretly married a few years previously, now that George is king before he's forced to marry Caroline?
 
Georgian Kings had the habit of turning from Whigs to Tories upon accession to the throne.

George IV spoke often of Catholic Emancipation as PoW but didn't follow through as King.

He would have tired of Fox soon enough. And Fox didn't have the patience to keep his temper when George IV stopped listening.

The King of Britain still had alot of power at this point, Parliament was hardly democratic with all the rotton borroughs, but George IV was himself weak and lazy and power would have been siphoned away quicker.
 
George IV is a 22-year-old man and decent enough fellow at this point, not the bitter, twisted 59-year-old degenerate he was when he took the throne OTL.

I very much doubt he is weak OR lazy; his OTL sniping at his father's government and his sponsorship projects suggest otherwise. What he is is 1) smart enough to listen to other people while 2) not wanting to be remembered as a failed autocrat like his father.

If things go much as OTL and he lives long enough to put down Napoleon, on top of all his other projects, he'll be remembered as one of Britain's truly great kings.
 
OTL,George IV's brothers didn't really get interested in marrying till late, and I think his sisters were prevented from marrying by their mother, if I recall. Would that change TTL since now George IV is king and there will be more pressure to provide some spare heirs?
 
so King George III, on October 28th, while shaving himself, he is said to have screamed, "Ah there is an insect on my face," before slicing his left artery and becomeing the first British Monarch to committ suicide, plunging Britain into mourning.

Prince George, of Wales, at the age of 26, is crowned King George IV, on accessing to the throne, King George IV, ordered for Charles James Fox, to come to a meeting at the palace, but was informed that, Fox was out of contact in Italy; informing everyone, that he would not to read any newspapers while he was abroad, except the racing reports.
He did not return to Britain until 25 November.

On 17th November, George called for a formal meeting with Wiliam Pitt "the Younger" and Fox. At this meeting, George stated how he wanted, parliament to work together, in a national unity government.
Pitt would still be Prime Minister, Fox will become the new Foreign Secretary, with Francis Osborne, the Marquess of Carmarthen, becoming Chancellor of the Exchequer.
And all the other ministers who are needed will not be selected for their political alligence but for their combined broad political support in both Houses of Parliament and known capabilities in a time of crisis.

This way King George IV could put his personal ally, Fox into the Government, without being seen as a tyrant.

A reign of nearly 57 years years, TTL George IV would hopefully be happier and healthier living to nearly 80 like his former Georges so from 1788 to 1843, beating James VI of Scotland (I of England) reign.
 

CalBear

Moderator
Donor
Monthly Donor
Zombie sighted. Team of Minute Men dispatched to deal with issue.

Target negated.
 
Top
Status
Not open for further replies.
Top