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

John Blanke

John Blanke

Trumpeter in the courts of Henry VII and Henry VIII. He probably came to England as one of the African attendants of Catherine of Aragon in 1501, and is one of the earliest recorded black people in...

Person, Music / songs, Race Issues, Africa

2 memorials
Andrea Levy

Andrea Levy

Born at the Whittington Hospital to Jamaican parents and and grew up in Twyford House on the Blackstock council estate. Best known for her novels 'Small Island' and 'The Long Song'. She wrote from ...

Person, Literature, Race Issues, Caribbean Islands

1 memorial
Brick Lane bomb

Brick Lane bomb

The bomb was planted by Neo-Nazi David Copeland, who was also responsible for the attacks in Brixton (17 April) and the Admiral Duncan pub (30 April) in Soho. Brick Lane  has a large Bangladeshi c...

Event, Race Issues, Terrorism

1 memorial
Westminster BAME Network

Westminster BAME Network

From Westminster we understand that this is a group providing support for Black, Asian and Multiple Ethnic employees of Westminster City Council.

Group, Politics & Administration, Race Issues

1 memorial
Edward Geoffrey Stanley, 14th Earl of Derby

Edward Geoffrey Stanley, 14th Earl of Derby

Tory politician. Born at Knowsley Park, Lancashire. Overcame his early boisterous jollity and three times became Prime Minister, each time a coalition caretaker between the giants: Peel and Gladsto...

Person, Politics & Administration, Race Issues

6 memorials

Previously viewed

Chelsea Embankment memorial - restored

Chelsea Embankment memorial - restored

SW3, Chelsea Embankment, Albert Bridge Gardens

An unusually decorative and high quality plaque for such a mundane event. We don't know whether it refers to a restoration of just the me...

1 creator
Wandsworth Council

Wandsworth Council

London borough. Formed from the former Metropolitan Borough of Battersea and much of the former area of the Metropolitan Borough of Wandsworth.

Group, Politics & Administration

21 memorials
Greater London Council

Greater London Council

Replaced the LCC. The GLC was abolished, some say, because Mrs Thatcher could not abide its left-wing politics, nor its leader, Ken Livingstone.  On its 50th anniversary Diamond Geezer posted a goo...

Group, Politics & Administration

241 memorials
Hackney Council

Hackney Council

Hackney Council was created in 1965 from the 3 Metropolitan Borough Councils of Hackney, Shoreditch and Stoke Newington, all three of which had been created in 1900. Previously they had been paris...

Group, Politics & Administration

61 memorials
Quintin Hogg

Quintin Hogg

Born London. Merchant, philanthropist, social reformer, and, in 1882, founder of the Regent Street Polytechnic which became a model for later social and educational centres for underprivileged yout...

Person, Philanthropy

3 memorials