George III’s mental incapacitation was formally recognised by Parliament on February 5th, 1811, when The Regency Act handed power to his son, the future George IV.
Though George III had struggled with bouts of illness for decades, his periods of lucidity made it difficult to decide when, or even if, he should be replaced. He resisted the idea of ceding power, particularly to his son, with whom he had a notoriously difficult relationship. Parliament wasn’t thrilled about George IV either, seeing him as indulgent, irresponsible, and politically aligned with the opposition.
In this episode, Arion, Rebecca and Olly examine George III’s "mad spells"; discover the shockingly cruel treatments contemporary medicine offered up - including blistering his skin with arsenic, dunking him in freezing water, and using leeches to "suck out the madness" - and explain how he kept the love of his people even as his health declined…
CONTENT WARNING: mental health trauma, infant mortality.
Further Reading:
• ’The King's 'Malady': George III's Mental Illness Explored’ (Historic Royal Palaces):
https://www.hrp.org.uk/blog/the-kings-malady-george-iiis-mental-illness-explored/#gs.jra39q
• ‘George IV’ (Historic UK):
https://www.historic-uk.com/HistoryUK/HistoryofBritain/George-IV/
• ‘Mad King of Britain: King George III 👑 Private Lives of Monarchs’ (Smithsonian Channel, 2019): https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Jh0RV27qxSA
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The Retrospectors are Olly Mann, Rebecca Messina & Arion McNicoll, with Matt Hill.
Theme Music: Pass The Peas. Announcer: Bob Ravelli. Graphic Design: Terry Saunders. Edit Producer: Ollie Peart
Copyright: Rethink Audio / Olly Mann 2025.
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