George IV

[Bee]

Challenge: find a way to make George IV of the United Kingdom a national hero. No preconditions, and it can be deserved or otherwise, but the more plausible the better.

 

[Lycaon pictus]

Tricky. Here's how I'd do it:

• In 1785, rather than have his marriage to Mrs. Fitzherbert declared null and void, Prince George is disinherited and his younger brother Frederick made heir to George III.
• George is then given duties in the army. He cleans himself up and serves heroically in the Napoleonic Wars. Meanwhile, with the king's health failing, Frederick becomes Prince Regent.
• In 1819, George III dies a year early. The new King Frederick uses the unrest in Manchester and elsewhere as an excuse to crack down on Radicals, Whigs and the less fervent Tories. The people, and enough of the army, turn to George, their "rightful king," who overthrows his brother and becomes a reformist king.

 

[Emperor Constantine]

Tricky. Here's how I'd do it:

• In 1785, rather than have his marriage to Mrs. Fitzherbert declared null and void, Prince George is disinherited and his younger brother Frederick made heir to George III.
• George is then given duties in the army. He cleans himself up and serves heroically in the Napoleonic Wars. Meanwhile, with the king's health failing, Frederick becomes Prince Regent.
• In 1819, George III dies a year early. The new King Frederick uses the unrest in Manchester and elsewhere as an excuse to crack down on Radicals, Whigs and the less fervent Tories. The people, and enough of the army, turn to George, their "rightful king," who overthrows his brother and becomes a reformist king.

Yeah not gonna happen. George IV didn't have his marriage declared null, legally it never happened. Big difference. At this point all members of the British Royal Family needed the approval of the Sovereign or if over the age of 25 may marry one year after giving notice to the Privy Council of their intention to so marry, unless both houses of Parliament expressly declare their disapproval. No way that the Privy council or Parliament would consent to the heir to the throne marrying a Catholic who isn't even royal.

 

[Bee]

If George is willing to renounce his right to succeed, parliament might vote to let him marry who he wanted.

Key is Frederick's attitude. He could say that he would agree to a dynastic marriage to a foreign princess, but only if a child of that marriage would be guaranteed to succeed to the throne. Otherwise, he would just cohabit with whoever he wanted, like his brothers. Since Frederick's children's succession rights could not be guaranteed as long as George could potentially marry a princess in the future, the way for everyone to get what they wanted would be for George to renounce in exchange for parliament's endorsement of his marriage.