William Frederick George III., grandson of the preceding, and son of Frederick, prince of Wales, and of Augusta of Saxe-Gotha, born June 4, 1738, died in Windsor castle, Jan. 29, 1820. He was not likely to be well educated in the court of his father, nor did the death of that parent improve his prospects in that way. His mother confined his early associations to a small circle, wishing to preserve him from the profligacy of the day, in which she was successful; but he was brought up more as a Stuart prince might have been than as the heir apparent to the throne of a constitutionally governed state. His disposition was arbitrary and crafty, and the whole of his long reign, until he lost his intellect, was passed in a continual combat against liberal ideas and institutions. At first he was popular. Young, a native of the country, and but little known to the people, his accession (Oct. 25, 1760) was hailed with loud rejoicings. His first speech in parliament contained a sentence, originated by himself, expressing pride in his English birth and confidence in the people, which excited great enthusiasm. He married, Sept. 8, 1761, the sister of the duke of Mecklenburg-Strelitz, Charlotte Sophia, who shared his throne for 57 years, and bore him 15 children, all but two of whom grew up.

The fact that he had offered himself in 1761 to Lady Sarah Lennox seems to be proved by the statement of her brother-in-law, the first Lord Holland, and her son, Capt. Henry Napier, contained in "Holland House," by Princess Marie Liechtenstein (London, 1873). The new king was resolved upon being a king in fact as well as in name. To afford an opportunity to attempt the inauguration of the new system, it was necessary that peace should be restored, though the war was very popular, and Pitt, the war minister, was at the height of his power. The earl of Bute, long connected with the king's father and mother, was introduced into the cabinet, and ultimately became premier, and put an end to the war, though not until a new war had been made in consequence of Spain having joined France. When the family compact was made between France and Spain, Pitt was for anticipating the latter and commencing the war, but was overruled in the cabinet, where almost every man hated him because of his inordinate egotism and arrogance.

He resigned his office Oct. 5, 1761; but the event showed the wisdom of his advice, for the conduct of Spain was such that England was compelled to declare war against her, Jan. 4, 1762. This war was a series of successes on the part of England. Havana was captured with a large part of the island of Cuba, the Philippines were reduced, treasure ships of immense value were taken from the Spaniards, and the naval and colonial supremacy of England was established. The effect was to make the premier more determined than ever upon peace, which was finally brought about at Paris in 1763, on terms that were honorable to England, though party spirit caused them to be denounced as treacherous, insecure, and disgraceful. The king became unpopular, and the minister was the object of violence. Lord Bute resigned in April, and was succeeded by George Granville, whose administration commenced with the famous contest with Wilkes and the "North Briton." The restoration of peace enabled the king to seek the development of his political plans, and for many years he was engaged in a warfare against those principles to uphold which his house had been called to the British throne.

While George Grenville was minister, in 1765, the stamp act was passed, which threw the North American colonies into a blaze, and was the first in that series of acts which in their entirety make up the American revolution. The same year the first indications appeared of that mental malady which clouded the king's latter days. In July the Grenville ministry was dismissed, and the new ministry of Rockingham repealed the stamp act. In 1766 Pitt was made earl of Chatham, and formed a new ministry; and during this administration the taxation was renewed which ultimately led to American independence, although Chatham had little or nothing to do with this measure. He resigned in October, 1768. In 1769 appeared the famous letters of Junius attacking the policy of the ministry, and especially the duke of Grafton, who resigned in January, 1770, and Lord North, who had been chancellor of the exchequer, became premier, and held the place for 12 years. The modern tory party dates from that time as a powerful and efficient organization. The king ruled as well as reigned, and the attacks on American liberty were his acts, the guilt of the minister consisting in his being the tool, against his own convictions, of a master who was not always in possession of his reason.

The year 1771 is memorable for the successful assertion by the newspaper press of the right of report-fng the debates of parliament. The printer of the debates was arrested on the king's proclamation, but released by the London magistrates. In 1772 the king's message, provoked by the marriage of his brother in a manner he did not approve, secured the passage of the act, still in force, making the sovereign's consent necessary to marriages in the royal family. The American war began in the spring of 1775, and for seven years the most desperate efforts were made to conquer the colonies, which in 1776 declared themselves independent. Besides large bodies of English troops, and tories and Indians recruited in America, thousands of German mercenaries were employed in the war, which was marked by just enough of success to encourage the king to persevere. Gradually other countries were drawn into the contest, until it had assumed a European character. War between France and England began in 1778, and Spain and Holland were soon ranked among England's active enemies. The northern powers formed the armed neutrality. The combined fleets of France and Spain obtained command even of the English channel. Gibraltar was beleaguered by an immense fleet.