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

Mydiddee

Mydiddee

He was the servant of a Tahitian chief, and it is believed that he was brought to England by Captain Bligh (6 years after the ill-fated Bounty assignment) to act as a cultural ambassador. Already i...

Person, Race Issues, Tragedy, Tahiti

1 memorial
Nirmal Roy

Nirmal Roy

Nirmal Chandra Roy first stood as a Labour party candidate in the Adelaide Ward of the London Borough of Camden in the 1978 council elections and came 6th. Four years later in 1982 he stood in the ...

Person, Politics & Administration, Race Issues

1 memorial
198 Gallery

198 Gallery

Also known as 198 Contemporary Arts and Learning. An art space and gallery in Railton Road, Brixton that for more than three decades has had a strong commitment to diversity, equality and inclusion...

Group, Art, Community / Clubs, Race Issues

1 memorial
Sir Christopher Wren

Sir Christopher Wren

Born East Knoyle, Wiltshire, died London.  Designer of 54 London churches, of which 13 were destroyed in the Blitz. Part of one of his churches, St Antholin, has ended up in an unexpected location...

Person, Architecture, Race Issues, Seriously Famous

38 memorials
Rhaune Laslett-O'Brien

Rhaune Laslett-O'Brien

Lived most of her life in and around West London.  After WW2 the housing conditions, the poverty and the racial mix in Notting Hill brought out her skills as a community champion.  In 1965 she intr...

Person, Community / Clubs, Race Issues, Social Welfare, Tourism / Traditions

1 memorial