George III of the United Kingdom
George III (George William Frederick; 4 June 173829 January 1820) was King of Great Britain and of Monarchy of Ireland, Ireland from 25 October 1760 until Acts of Union 1800, the union of the two kingdoms on 1 January 1801, after which he was ...
has featured in many examples of popular culture.
Theatre and opera
The 1969 music theatre piece ''
Eight Songs for a Mad King'' by Sir
Peter Maxwell Davies depicts the increasing madness and eventual death of the king as he talks to birds. George's insanity is the subject of the 1986 radio play ''
In the Ruins'' by
Nick Dear
Nick Dear (born 11 June 1955) is an English writer for stage, screen and radio. He received a BAFTA for his first screenwriting credit, a film adaptation of Jane Austen's '' Persuasion''.
Education
Dear graduated with a degree in Comparative ...
(adapted for the stage in 1990 with
Patrick Malahide
Patrick Gerald Duggan (born 24 March 1945), known professionally as Patrick Malahide, is a veteran British film, television and theatre actor, author and producer, known, amongst other things, for his roles as Inspector Alleyn in ''The Inspect ...
as George) and the 1991 play ''
The Madness of George III
''The Madness of George III'' is a 1991 play by Alan Bennett. It is a fictionalised biographical study of the latter half of the reign of George III of the United Kingdom, his battle with mental illness, and the inability of his court to handle h ...
'' by
Alan Bennett (with
Nigel Hawthorne as George in the premiere production, for which he received the
Laurence Olivier Award
The Laurence Olivier Awards, or simply the Olivier Awards, are presented annually by the Society of London Theatre to recognise excellence in professional theatre in London at an annual ceremony in the capital. The awards were originally known as ...
). Dear's play centres on George looking back on his life in 1817 (the year before his death), whilst Bennett's concerns George's first bout of insanity in late 1788 and early 1789, which those in the royal court, including his own son, use as a way to sidestep regal authority. Hawthorne reprised his role in the film version of the play.
George appears as a
comic relief character in the Broadway musical ''
Hamilton Hamilton may refer to:
People
* Hamilton (name), a common British surname and occasional given name, usually of Scottish origin, including a list of persons with the surname
** The Duke of Hamilton, the premier peer of Scotland
** Lord Hamilt ...
'' (played by
Jonathan Groff
Jonathan Drew Groff (born March 26, 1985) is an American actor and singer . He began his career on Broadway, rising to prominence for his portrayal of Melchior Gabor in the original production of '' Spring Awakening'' (2006-2008), for which h ...
in the original Broadway cast) to sing three short musical numbers. Here, he is depicted as a cross between a scorned lover and a manchild who lightheartedly comments on the start of the
American Revolutionary War
The American Revolutionary War (April 19, 1775 – September 3, 1783), also known as the Revolutionary War or American War of Independence, was a major war of the American Revolution. Widely considered as the war that secured the independence of t ...
, its aftermath, and finally
John Adams
John Adams (October 30, 1735 – July 4, 1826) was an American statesman, attorney, diplomat, writer, and Founding Fathers of the United States, Founding Father who served as the second president of the United States from 1797 to 1801. Befor ...
' succession as
President of the United States
The president of the United States (POTUS) is the head of state and head of government of the United States of America. The president directs the executive branch of the federal government and is the commander-in-chief of the United Stat ...
. He also appears briefly during ''
The Reynolds Pamphlet
''The'' () is a grammatical article in English, denoting persons or things already mentioned, under discussion, implied or otherwise presumed familiar to listeners, readers, or speakers. It is the definite article in English. ''The'' is the ...
'', seen silently throwing around copies of the title document. While most of the play's songs are in the style of hip-hop, R&B, contemporary pop, or soul, George's numbers mimic the popular music of the
British Invasion
The British Invasion was a cultural phenomenon of the mid-1960s, when rock and pop music acts from the United Kingdom and other aspects of British culture became popular in the United States and significant to the rising "counterculture" on b ...
.
George appears as Prince of Wales and later king in the play ''
Mr Foote's Other Leg
''Mr Foote's Other Leg'' is a 2015 stage adaptation of ''Mr Foote's Other Leg: Comedy, tragedy and murder in Georgian London'', a 2012 biography of the 18th-century actor Samuel Foote. Both the biography and the play were written by Ian Kelly. Th ...
'' by
Ian Kelly (who played George in the play's premiere production in 2015).
Literature
King George III appears in the following novels:
*''
Jonathan Strange and Mr. Norrell
''Jonathan Strange & Mr Norrell'' is the debut novel by British writer Susanna Clarke. Published in 2004, it is an alternative history set in 19th-century England around the time of the Napoleonic Wars. Its premise is that magic once existed i ...
'' (2004) by
Susanna Clarke
Susanna Mary Clarke (born 1 November 1959) is an English author known for her debut novel ''Jonathan Strange & Mr Norrell'' (2004), a Hugo Award-winning alternative history. Clarke began ''Jonathan Strange'' in 1993 and worked on it during her ...
, where the character of Jonathan Strange attempts to cure him
*''
Victory of Eagles
''Victory of Eagles'' is the fifth novel in the '' Temeraire'' alternate history/fantasy series by American author Naomi Novik. The series follows the actions of William Laurence and his dragon, Temeraire.
The book was released in hardcover in ...
'' (2008) by
Naomi Novik
Naomi Novik (born April 30, 1973) is an American author of speculative fiction. She is known for the ''Temeraire'' series (2006–2016), an alternate history of the Napoleonic Wars involving dragons, and her ''Scholomance'' fantasy series (2020 ...
, where he is encountered by William Laurence, the protagonist, while on an errand in
Edinburgh Castle
Edinburgh Castle is a historic castle in Edinburgh, Edinburgh, Scotland. It stands on Castle Rock (Edinburgh), Castle Rock, which has been occupied by humans since at least the Iron Age, although the nature of the early settlement is unclear. ...
*The
Dirk Gently series and ''
Life, the Universe and Everything'' (1982) by
Douglas Adams; in the latter, the character
Arthur Dent refers to trees as "those things people think you're mad if you talk to? Like George the Third".
*''A Darker Shade of Magic'' (2015) by
V. E. Schwab
Victoria Elizabeth (V. E.) Schwab (born July 7, 1987) is an American writer. She is known for the 2013 novel '' Vicious'', the '' Shades of Magic'' series, and ''The Invisible Life of Addie LaRue'', which was nominated for the 2020 Locus Award fo ...
and its sequel ''A Gathering of Shadows'' (2016) when the Antari Kell visits him (and
George IV of the United Kingdom
George IV (George Augustus Frederick; 12 August 1762 – 26 June 1830) was King of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland and King of Hanover from the death of his father, King George III, on 29 January 1820, until his own death ten y ...
) while in Gray London
*''The Prince and the Quakeress'' (1968) as well as ''The Third George'' (1969) by
Jean Plaidy (being the fourth and fifth novels of her Georgian Saga series). The former novel tells the story of George III as a young Prince of Wales and his supposed relationship with
Hannah Lightfoot, and then in the latter novel is of his life married to Charlotte and his role as king.
Film
On film, George has been portrayed by:
*
Arthur Donaldson
Arthur William Donaldson (13 December 1901 – 18 January 1993) was a Scottish journalist and Scottish National Party (SNP) politician. He was leader of the Scottish National Party from 1960 to 1969.
Early years
Donaldson was born in Dundee, ...
in ''
America
The United States of America (U.S.A. or USA), commonly known as the United States (U.S. or US) or America, is a country primarily located in North America. It consists of 50 states, a federal district, five major unincorporated territorie ...
'' (1924)
*Henry Mowbray in ''
The Pursuit of Happiness'' (1934)
*
Olaf Hytten in ''The Bill of Rights'' (1939, Short)
*
Raymond Lovell in ''
The Young Mr. Pitt'' (1942)
*
Frederick Valk in ''
Mrs. Fitzherbert
Maria Anne Fitzherbert (''née'' Smythe, previously Weld; 26 July 1756 – 27 March 1837) was a longtime companion of George, Prince of Wales (later King George IV of the United Kingdom). In 1785, they secretly contracted a marriage that was i ...
'' (1947), based on the novel by
Winifred Carter
:''not to be confused with Winifred S Carter, an American celebrity chef and cookery author also active from the 1920s–40s''.
Winifred Carter (c. 1883–1949) was an English author and playwright, who was particularly active from the 1920s–4 ...
*
Robert Morley in ''
Beau Brummell
George Bryan "Beau" Brummell (7 June 1778 – 30 March 1840) was an important figure in Regency England and, for many years, the arbiter of men's fashion. At one time, he was a close friend of the Prince Regent, the future King George IV, but ...
'' (1954), based on a play by
Clyde Fitch
*
Eric Pohlmann in ''
John Paul Jones'' (1959)
*
Roger Booth in ''
Barry Lyndon
''Barry Lyndon'' is a 1975 period drama film written, directed, and produced by Stanley Kubrick, based on the 1844 novel ''The Luck of Barry Lyndon'' by William Makepeace Thackeray. Starring Ryan O'Neal, Marisa Berenson, Patrick Magee, Leonard ...
'' (1975), based on the novel by
William Makepeace Thackeray
*
Nigel Hawthorne in ''
The Madness of King George
''The Madness of King George'' is a 1994 British biographical historical comedy-drama film directed by Nicholas Hytner and adapted by Alan Bennett from his own 1991 play ''The Madness of George III''. It tells the true story of George III of Gre ...
'' (1994), for which he was nominated for the
Academy Award for Best Actor
The Academy Award for Best Actor is an award presented annually by the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences (AMPAS). It is given to an actor who has delivered an outstanding performance in a leading role in a film released that year. The ...
, based on the play ''
The Madness of George III
''The Madness of George III'' is a 1991 play by Alan Bennett. It is a fictionalised biographical study of the latter half of the reign of George III of the United Kingdom, his battle with mental illness, and the inability of his court to handle h ...
'', in the premiere production of which George was also played by Hawthorne
*
Robin Soans
Robin Soans (born 20 June 1946) is a British actor, and a playwright specialising in verbatim and documentary plays. These plays include ''Across the Divide'' (2007); ''A State Affair'' (2000) which looked at life on a Bradford estate, produced ...
in the Spanish comedy ''Sabotage!'' (2000)
*Dave Reitze in the American video ''Kidz History: The Revolutionary War'' (2003)
Television
Portrayals
On television, George has been portrayed by:
*
Albert Lieven in the British drama ''Rake's Progress'' (1939)
*Eric Pohlmann in the drama ''
The Scarecrow of Romney Marsh
The Reverend Doctor Christopher Syn is the smuggler hero of a series of novels by Russell Thorndike. The first book, ''Doctor Syn: A Tale of the Romney Marsh'' was published in 1915. The story idea came from smuggling in the 18th-century Romney ...
'' (1963), part of the ''
Disneyland
Disneyland is a amusement park, theme park in Anaheim, California. Opened in 1955, it was the first theme park opened by The Walt Disney Company and the only one designed and constructed under the direct supervision of Walt Disney. Disney in ...
'' series, based on the novel by
Russell Thorndike
Arthur Russell Thorndike (6 February 1885 – 7 November 1972) was a British actor and novelist, best known for the Doctor Syn of Romney Marsh novels. Less well-known than his sister Sybil but equally versatile, Russell Thorndike's first love ...
*Jean Muselli in the French children's drama ''Le matelot de nulle part'', based on the novel ''
Israel Potter
''Israel Potter: His Fifty Years of Exile'' is the eighth book by American writer Herman Melville, first published in serial form in '' Putnam's Monthly'' magazine between July 1854 and March 1855, and in book form by G. P. Putnam & Co. in March 1 ...
'' by
Herman Melville
Herman Melville (Name change, born Melvill; August 1, 1819 – September 28, 1891) was an American people, American novelist, short story writer, and poet of the American Renaissance (literature), American Renaissance period. Among his bes ...
*
Graham Chapman in the BBC comedy series ''
Monty Python's Flying Circus
''Monty Python's Flying Circus'' (also known as simply ''Monty Python'') is a British surreal sketch comedy series created by and starring Graham Chapman, John Cleese, Eric Idle, Terry Jones, Michael Palin and Terry Gilliam, who became known ...
'', in the episode "The Golden Age of Ballooning" (1974)
*
John Tillinger
John Tillinger (born June 28, 1938) is a theatre director and actor.
Life and career
Joachim F. Tillinger was born in Tabriz, Iran. His father was German Jewish and his mother was Protestant. Tillinger was raised in England, where he was first ...
in the American drama series ''
The Adams Chronicles
''The Adams Chronicles'' is a thirteen-episode miniseries by PBS that aired in 1976 to commemorate the American Bicentennial.
Synopsis
The series chronicles the story of the Adams political family over a 150-year span, including John Adams (dra ...
'' (1976)
*
Nigel Davenport in the BBC drama series ''
Prince Regent
A prince regent or princess regent is a prince or princess who, due to their position in the line of succession, rules a monarchy as regent in the stead of a monarch regnant, e.g., as a result of the sovereign's incapacity (minority or illness ...
'' (1979)
*Rhys McConnochie in the
ABC
ABC are the first three letters of the Latin script known as the alphabet.
ABC or abc may also refer to:
Arts, entertainment, and media Broadcasting
* American Broadcasting Company, a commercial U.S. TV broadcaster
** Disney–ABC Television ...
miniseries ''Captain James Cook'' (1987)
*
Gertan Klauber in the final episode of the BBC comedy series ''
Blackadder the Third'' (1987); George III was depicted as a complete madman with a German accent
*
David Warner David or Dave Warner may refer to:
Sports
* Dave Warner (strongman) (born 1969), Northern Ireland strongman competitor
* David Bruce Warner (born 1970), South African alpine skier
* David Warner (cricketer) (born 1986), Australian cricketer
Oth ...
in the drama documentary ''The American Revolution'' (1994)
*
Nicholas Rowe in the miniseries ''
Longitude
Longitude (, ) is a geographic coordinate that specifies the east–west position of a point on the surface of the Earth, or another celestial body. It is an angular measurement, usually expressed in degrees and denoted by the Greek letter l ...
'' (2000)
*
Mark Hadlow
Mark Selwyn Hadlow (born 1957) is an Australian-New Zealand actor and comedian. Hadlow is perhaps best known internationally for playing the roles of Harry in ''King Kong'' and Dori, a Dwarf, in ''The Hobbit'' series.
Early life
Hadlow was bo ...
in the comedy/action series ''
Jack of All Trades
Jack of all trades may refer to:
*Jack of all trades, master of none, an aphorism
*"Jack of All Trades", a term to reference one with the ability to be proficient in many areas of life
Film and television
*Jack of All Trades (TV series), ''Jack of ...
'', in the episode "It's a Mad, Mad, Mad, Mad Opera" (2000)
*
Charles Shaughnessy (voice) in the animated series ''
Liberty's Kids'' (2002)
*Anthony Cochrane in the TV film ''
Benjamin Franklin
Benjamin Franklin ( April 17, 1790) was an American polymath who was active as a writer, scientist, inventor, statesman, diplomat, printer, publisher, and political philosopher. Encyclopædia Britannica, Wood, 2021 Among the leading inte ...
'' (2002)
*
Geoffrey Streatfeild in the drama documentary ''
Timewatch'' - How Mad Was King George? (2004)
*Yoshihisa Kawahara (Japanese - voice) / Blake McMahon (British - voice) in ''
Le Chevalier D'Eon'' (2006-2007)
*
Tom Hollander in the
HBO
Home Box Office (HBO) is an American premium television network, which is the flagship property of namesake parent subsidiary Home Box Office, Inc., itself a unit owned by Warner Bros. Discovery. The overall Home Box Office business unit is ba ...
miniseries ''
John Adams
John Adams (October 30, 1735 – July 4, 1826) was an American statesman, attorney, diplomat, writer, and Founding Fathers of the United States, Founding Father who served as the second president of the United States from 1797 to 1801. Befor ...
'' (2008)
*
Simon Farnaby
Simon Farnaby (born 2 April 1973) is an English actor, comedian and writer. He is a member of the British Horrible Histories troupe in which he starred in the television series ''Horrible Histories'', ''Yonderland'' and ''Ghosts''. He has writte ...
and
Lawry Lewin
Lawrence Valdemar Lewin (born 28 November 1975) is an English television actor. He appears on the CBBC show ''Horrible Histories'', and featured in the ''Doctor Who'' Christmas special " The End of Time".
Career
Lawry played a role in the '' ...
in the British children's sketchshow ''
Horrible Histories'' (2009 - 2015)
*
Paul Rhys in the
AMC
AMC may refer to:
Film and television
* AMC Theatres, an American movie theater chain
* AMC Networks, an American entertainment company
** AMC (TV channel)
** AMC+, streaming service
** AMC Networks International, an entertainment company
*** AM ...
period drama
A historical drama (also period drama, costume drama, and period piece) is a work set in a past time period, usually used in the context of film and television. Historical drama includes historical fiction and romance film, romances, adventure f ...
series ''
Turn: Washington's Spies'' (2015 - 2017)
*
Edward Petherbridge in ''
Jonathan Strange & Mr Norrell'', a TV adaptation of the novel of the same name (2015)
*
Paul Whitehouse in ''
The Windsors'' (Christmas special, 2016); he, like many of Britain's past monarchs, appears as a ghost to give guidance to
Prince William
William, Prince of Wales, (William Arthur Philip Louis; born 21 June 1982) is the heir apparent to the British throne. He is the elder son of King Charles III and his first wife Diana, Princess of Wales.
Born in London, William was educat ...
*
James Fleet in ''
Bridgerton'' (2020)
Other
The popular 1970s U.S. children's educational series ''
Schoolhouse Rock
''Schoolhouse Rock!'' is an American interstitial programming series of animated Musical film, musical educational short films (and later, videos) that aired during the Saturday-morning cartoon, Saturday morning children's programming block on the ...
'' features a song entitled "No More Kings" which paints George III as a tyrant reluctant to allow the colonies out from under his boot.
George III's papers do not include a diary. The TV series ''
The X-Files
''The X-Files'' is an American science fiction on television, science fiction drama (film and television), drama television series created by Chris Carter (screenwriter), Chris Carter. The series revolves around Federal Bureau of Investigation ...
'' uses a fictional anecdote that George III's diary entry on July 4, 1776, read: "Nothing important happened today", as a plot device and as the title of the ninth-season premiere. (In fact, George could anyway not have been notified of transatlantic events until weeks later).
Radio
George appeared in the final episode of the British radio comedy ''
Revolting People
''Revolting People'' is a BBC Radio 4 situation comedy set in colonial Baltimore, Maryland, just before and during the American Revolutionary War. The series is written by the Briton Andy Hamilton and the American Jay Tarses, with Tarses playi ...
'' in 2006, played by
Timothy West, where he is almost convinced into calling off the American Revolutionary War.
Sculpture
There are several extant statues of the king, not only in London (at the junction of
Pall Mall and
Cockspur Street, near
Trafalgar Square
Trafalgar Square ( ) is a public square in the City of Westminster, Central London, laid out in the early 19th century around the area formerly known as Charing Cross. At its centre is a high column bearing a statue of Admiral Nelson commemo ...
, and in the courtyard of
Somerset House
Somerset House is a large Neoclassical complex situated on the south side of the Strand in central London, overlooking the River Thames, just east of Waterloo Bridge. The Georgian era quadrangle was built on the site of a Tudor palace ("O ...
titled ''
George III and the River Thames'') but also elsewhere - on London Street in
Liverpool
Liverpool is a city and metropolitan borough in Merseyside, England. With a population of in 2019, it is the 10th largest English district by population and its metropolitan area is the fifth largest in the United Kingdom, with a popul ...
, on the
Bargate in
Southampton
Southampton () is a port city in the ceremonial county of Hampshire in southern England. It is located approximately south-west of London and west of Portsmouth. The city forms part of the South Hampshire built-up area, which also covers Po ...
, at one end of the Long Walk in
Windsor Great Park
Windsor Great Park is a Royal Park of , including a deer park, to the south of the town of Windsor on the border of Berkshire and Surrey in England. It is adjacent to the private Home Park, which is nearer the castle. The park was, for many ...
(''
The Copper Horse
The Copper Horse is an 1831 equestrian statue of George III. The monumental bronze statue by Richard Westmacott stands on a stone plinth at Snow Hill in Windsor Great Park in the English county of Berkshire, at the southern end of the Long Wal ...
'') and the painted
King's Statue
King's Statue is a tribute statue to King George III in Weymouth, Dorset, Weymouth, Dorset, England. It was installed in 1809, the year which marked the Golden Jubilee of King George III. The buildings on the seafront are mostly of Georgian arc ...
in
Weymouth, Dorset
Weymouth is a seaside town in Dorset, on the English Channel coast of England. Situated on a sheltered bay at the mouth of the River Wey, south of the county town of Dorchester, Weymouth had a population of 53,427 in 2021. It is the third l ...
.
The American statue of George III at
Bowling Green, New York City was toppled on 9 July 1776 by
Sons of Liberty during the
American Revolution
The American Revolution was an ideological and political revolution that occurred in British America between 1765 and 1791. The Americans in the Thirteen Colonies formed independent states that defeated the British in the American Revolut ...
. A replica of the statue exists at the
Museum of the American Revolution
The Museum of the American Revolution (formerly The American Revolution Center) is a museum in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania dedicated to telling the story of the American Revolution. The museum was opened to the public on April 19, 2017, the 242nd a ...
in
Philadelphia
Philadelphia, often called Philly, is the largest city in the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, the sixth-largest city in the U.S., the second-largest city in both the Northeast megalopolis and Mid-Atlantic regions after New York City. Sinc ...
.
Long-Toppled Statue of King George III to Ride Again, From a Brooklyn Studio
/ref>
Besides depictions in works of art, students for years learned the length of a mile
The mile, sometimes the international mile or statute mile to distinguish it from other miles, is a British imperial unit and United States customary unit of distance; both are based on the older English unit of length equal to 5,280 English ...
through the mnemonic
A mnemonic ( ) device, or memory device, is any learning technique that aids information retention or retrieval (remembering) in the human memory for better understanding.
Mnemonics make use of elaborative encoding, retrieval cues, and imag ...
"George the Third said with a smile / 'There's seventeen sixty yards in a mile.'", 1760 being the year he came to the throne.
Footnotes
{{Cultural depictions of English and British monarchs