Person    | Male  Born 4/6/1738  Died 29/1/1820

King George III

Born in St James's Square (not the public garden, one of the houses, obviously). Crowned in 1760, the first monarch since Queen Anne to be truly British. It was during his rule that many of the American colonies were lost in the American Revolutionary War. Later in life suffered from an intermittent mental illness which made him eventually too mad to rule and his eldest son ruled as Prince Regent, becoming George IV on his father's death, at Windsor. His consort was Queen Charlotte. In recent years the accepted diagnosis has been manic depression.

George III was a strong supporter of Eton College (his local school) and, in return, the school made the King's birthday a holiday and the 'Fourth of June' became a traditional day of festivities even though it is seldom celebrated on June 4.

Journal of the American Revolution describes the toppling of a Manhattan statue of George III in 1776. This had been erected only about 10 years previously but when the States declared their independence a group of New Yorkers celebrated by pulling it down.  A 2021 meme: "After hearing a reading of the newly adopted Declaration of Independence, New Yorkers "Destroy History" by toppling a statue of King George III. And that's why no one knows who won the American Revolution.”

Invested in and was governor of the South Sea company whose trade was slavery. During the campaign to end the slave trade George supported neither side, which, given his position, was helpful to those in favour of retention.

Comments are provided by Facebook, please ensure you are signed in here to see them

This section lists the memorials where the subject on this page is commemorated:
King George III

Commemorated ati

Duke of York's column

Bronze statue by Westmacott of "The Grand Old Duke of York" of nursery rhyme ...

Read More

General Roy's cannon - south

The cannon was installed in 1791 by Mudge. The plaque came later in 1926. Fr...

Read More

George III at Trinity House

This building was erected during his reign.

Read More

George III in Cockspur Street

Considered to be Wyatt's best work.

Read More

George III with the River god

Bronze statue erected in 1789 showing the king who had commissioned the rebui...

Read More

Show all 16

Other Subjects

League of coloured peoples

League of coloured peoples

Founded by Doctor Harold Moody. A civil-rights organisation with the aim of racial equality around the world. Although its primary purpose was black rights in Britain, it was also involved in other...

Group, Community / Clubs, Race Issues

1 memorial
Steve Biko

Steve Biko

Anti-apartheid activist. Born Stephen Bantu Biko in Ginsberg Township, in what is now the Eastern Cape province of South Africa. He was initially involved with the multiracial National Union of Sou...

Person, Politics & Administration, Race Issues, Seriously Famous, South Africa

1 memorial
Lord Teignmouth, John Shore

Lord Teignmouth, John Shore

Anti-slavery campaigner.  Born St James Street, Piccadilly but brought up in Romford.  1769 went to work in Bengal where he was one of the first to learn a number of the local languages.  Like many...

Person, Politics & Administration, Race Issues, Religion, Indian Sub-continent

1 memorial
Duke of Wellington

Duke of Wellington

Born Arthur Wesley (later Wellesley) in Dublin to Irish parents. After the Battle of Waterloo in which 60,000 died Wellington wrote to a friend "Next to a battle lost, the greatest misery is a batt...

Person, Armed Forces, Politics & Administration, Race Issues, Ireland

10 memorials
Thomas Clarkson

Thomas Clarkson

Leading campaigner against the slave trade. A founding member of The Society for the Abolition of the Slave Trade, in 1787, whose work was later taken over by the Anti-Slavery Society. A report of...

Person, Race Issues

1 memorial