GEORGE III., King of England, son of Frederick Louis, Prince of Wales; born in London, June 4, 1738. He suc ceeded his grandfather, George II., in 1760. In the early part of his reign he gained brilliant successes over France and Austria in the Seven Years' War, and in 1763 concluded an advantageous peace. In 1764 George Grenville suc• ceeded to Lord Bute as premier, and the American Stamp Act was passed the fol lowing year. After a long and fruitless war, the independence of the United States was acknowledged. In 1782 Lord Shelburne was placed at the head of the State, with Mr. Pitt, son of the Earl of Chatham as Chancellor of the Exchequer. In 1783 the memorable coalition ministry between Mr. Fox and Lord North was formed. To this the king was decidedly hostile; and as soon as Mr. Fox's India bill had been rejected by the Lords, he sent a message to him and Lord North, commanding them immediately to return him their seals of office. On the follow ing day Mr. Pitt became prime minister. In 1789 the king was afflicted with men tal aberration, which lasted from the be ginning of November till the following February. In 1798 public distress ap peared to have reached its climax, and the Irish rebellion broke out. In 1800 the Act of Union between Great Britain and Ireland was passed; and in order to bring those over who opposed the meas ure, the ministers allowed a tacit under standing to prevail, that it would be fol lowed by certain political concessions.
George, however, could never be per suaded that he could admit the Catholics to political power, without violating the spirit of his coronation oath—the conse quence of which was the retirement from office of Mr. Pitt and his colleagues in 1801, and the formation of a new minis try, headed by Mr. Addington. Negotia tions were now speedily entered into, which led to the treaty of Amiens. When the resumption of hostilities took place in 1803 there was an evident demonstra tion of public satisfaction throughout all ranks. The Addington proved incompetent, and Mr. Pitt, in 1804, again took the helm of State; but he died in 1806, and the Grenville party, which Fox had joined, went into office. In 1807 Lord Grenville and his colleagues attempted to change the king's opinions with regard to Catholic emancipation; but George was inflexible, which led to the ejection of the Fox and Grenville party, and the Perceval administration succeeded them. The death of his young est child, the Princess Amelia, toward the close of 1810, gave the king a shock that renewed his insanity. He died in Windsor, Jan. 29, 1820.