William IV reigned during one of the most important periods in English history. Peel, Grey and Melbourne were political giants of the day and the Reform of Parliament was the main and lasting achievement. Here, the author reveals his adherence to duty and his role in the conflicts of his time. Ann Somerset's historical biographies include "Ladies-in-Waiting: From the Tudors to the Present Day" and "Elizabeth I".
As King, William IV was everything that his deplorable brother George was not - conscientious, fair-minded, unceremonious - and he endeared himself to his subjects from the start. He was simple in his tastes, partisan in his political views but just in affairs of state, and ultimately a devoted, faithful husband. As a young man, his dissolution exasperated his father, and his career in the Navy was distinguished more for enthusiasm than talent. His illegitimate children and his long affair with the actress Dorothy Jordan did nothing to improve his reputation. But when, in 1830, he succeeded to the throne, he responded with diligence as well as alacrity.
Local notes
As King, William IV was everything that his deplorable brother George was not - conscientious, fair-minded, unceremonious - and he endeared himself to his subjects from the start. He was simple in his tastes, partisan in his political views but just in affairs of state, and ultimately a devoted, faithful husband. As a young man, his dissolution exasperated his father, and his career in the Navy was distinguished more for enthusiasm than talent. His illegitimate children and his long affair with the actress Dorothy Jordan did nothing to improve his reputation. But when, in 1830, he succeeded to the throne, he responded with diligence as well as alacrity.