George III, King of Great Britain

George, the son of Frederick Louis, Prince of Wales, and Auguste, Princess of Saxe-Gotha, was born June 4 1738 at Norfolk House, St James' Square, London.
He married firstly in secret Hannah Lightfoot, the daughter of a shoemaker on April 17 1759 in Kew Chapel, London. The marriage is disputed.
He married secondly Sophia Charlotte, daughter of Karl Ludwig, Duke of Mecklenburg-Strelitz on September 8 1761 at St James' Palace, London.

George IV meets Sophia Charlotte for the first time.

George III succeeded his grandfather, George II, and on September 22nd 1761he was crowned in Westminster Abbey. He reigned for nearly 60 years and during all, or part of that time, was recognised as King of Hanover, much of the  West Indies, Canada, Sierra Leone, The Gambia, New South Wales, parts of India, Ceylon, Malacca, Singapore, Java, Cape Colony, Gibraltar, Corsica, Minorca, Malta, The Ionian Islands and the American Colonies.

Modern party politics resulted from his reign, as did the Union with Ireland, growth of the industrial revolution, victories over Napoleon, the founding of the British Library, the rebirth of the British Navy and, despite the loss of the American colonies in 1783, the emergence of Britain as a leading world power.

He was unassuming, good humoured, domesticated and popular with his people. In 1765 he suffered the first attack of an incurable ailment which led to deafness, blindness and symptoms of insanity. In 1815, the King was no doubt too ill to appreciate Wellington's victory at Waterloo.

George III and his family parade on Windsor Terrace.

He died January 29 1820 at Windsor Castle, and was succeeded by his son, George IV.

Sophie Charlotte died November 17 1818 at Kew Palace, London.