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.

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 Williams

John Williams

"Martyred" missionary. Born Tottenham. Trained as a foundry worker and mechanic. In 1817 the London Missionary Society sent him and his wife to the Pacific Islands where they took the good word to ...

Person, Race Issues, Religion, Tragedy, Pacific Islands

1 memorial
Jak Beula Dodd

Jak Beula Dodd

Born St Mary's Hospital Paddington, to parents who were both from Jamaica, John Bubeula Dodd is commonly known as Jak Beula. He is a British entrepreneur and cultural activist of Caribbean heritage...

Person, Community / Clubs, Race Issues, Sculpture

2 memorials
Darcus Howe

Darcus Howe

Broadcaster, writer and civil liberties campaigner. Born as Leighton Rhett Radford Howe in Moruga, Trinidad. He moved to England at the age of 18 and initially studied law before moving to journali...

Person, Journalism / Publishing, Race Issues, TV & Radio, Caribbean Islands

2 memorials
Trevor Huddleston

Trevor Huddleston

Bishop and archbishop. Born Ernest Urban Trevor Huddleston in Bedford. Ordained in 1937, he became the Bishop of Masai, Tanzania, then the Bishop of Stepney, London, and eventually the second Archb...

Media, Race Issues, Religion, South Africa

1 memorial
Sir William Prichard

Sir William Prichard

Alder President associated with St Bartholomew's Hospital in 1702. A director of the slave trading Royal African Company and a governor of the colonial Irish Society.

Person, Medicine, Politics & Administration, Race Issues

1 memorial