George III: a Personal History Book Summary and Study Guide

Prince George of Wales was born in June 1738, two months prematurely, and at first he was not expected to survive. Ironically, he lived to be 81, the oldest King of England at his death to date.

This biography paints a detailed, sympathetic portrait of his personal life and character. The boy who was left fatherless at the age of 14, dominated largely by his mother and tutor became the father of fifteen children, the eldest being a Prince of Wales (the future Prince Regent and King George IV) whom he disliked intensely, the youngest being a princess (Amelia) whom he adored intensely, and whose death from consumption at the age of 27 left him distraught.

To many, George III was the mad monarch, 'the King who lost America'. Yet though his political judgment was often unsound and his latter years clouded by mental illness, he was at heart a kindly, gentle man, whose enduring achievements were the expansion of Windsor Castle and Buckingham Palace. He was also a passionate collector of books, paintings and scientific instruments, and a generous patron of musicians, writers and artists. All these aspects of his life are well covered in this biography.

The review of this Book prepared by John Van der Kiste