Maria's Diary 6

 June 20, 1830

Father has gone to Liverpool, where he will be speaking at the British and Foreign Unitarian Association. William’s father goes to those meetings too, and I think Father intends to stay overnight at his house.

June 27

The King died yesterday, and the newspapers are full of stories of his
life. I will copy out a few of the things they said about him

George IV was 48 when he became Regent in 1811, as a result of the illness of his father, George III. He succeeded to the throne in January 1820. He had secretly and illegally married a Roman Catholic, Mrs. Fitzherbert in 1785. In 1795 he officially married Princess Caroline of Brunswick, but the marriage was a failure. He excluded her from the coronation. He tried unsuccessfully to divorce her after his accession in 1820 (Caroline died in 1821). Their only child Princess
Charlotte died giving birth to a stillborn child, in 1817, aged 21.

An outstanding, if extravagant, collector and builder, George IV acquired many important works of art art, built the Royal Pavilion at Brighton, and transformed Windsor Castle and Buckingham Palace. George's fondness for pageantry helped to develop the ceremonial side of monarchy.

After his father's long illness, George resumed royal visits; he visited Ireland and Hanover in 1821 (it had not been visited by its ruler since the 1750s), and Scotland in 1822, which had not been visited by the monarch since Charles II's Scottish Coronation in 1651.

Beset by debts, George was in a weak position in relation to his Cabinet of
ministers. In 1829, George IV was forced by his ministers, much against his will and his interpretation of his coronation oath, to agree to Catholic Emancipation. By reducing religious discrimination, this emancipation enabled the monarchy to play a more national role.
 

George's last years were marked by increasing physical and mental decay and
withdrawal from public affairs. Privately, a senior aide to the King confided to his diary: "A more contemptible, cowardly, selfish, unfeeling dog does not exist ... There have been good and wise kings but not many of them and this I believe to be one of the worst."
 

The Times said, "There never was an individual less regretted by his fellow-creatures than this deceased king. What eye has wept for him? What heart has heaved one throb of unmercenary sorrow? ... If he ever had a friend – a
devoted friend in any rank of life – we protest that the name of him or her never reached us".

June 30

William came to visit us today. He had gone into town to hear the proclamation of the new king. He said, “On Saturday we were in mourning and the shops were half shut but on Monday the bells were ringing and the guns firing in honour of the new King’s ascension.
 

"I witnessed the whole thing from Temple Bar. There was such a crushing of the crowd or people, and I thought I surely would have broken a rib. I was pleased that I went as it was an interesting ceremony. Then I watched from our windows as the crowds spent in amusements and we were annoyed that those doing boat races on the Thames disrupted our work. There was band music all through the day and the gardens were full of people.

"There is talk that the new king, who is the eldest surviving brother of the
past king, will like his father be a lunatic before his death. He does seem a real contrast to the past King, as he allowed people in the street to take familiarities with him, as he is courting popularity."

William had had letters that Father had delivered to him when he returned
from Liverpool . When Father was out of the room, he whispered to me, “Do you want to know what my father said about your father?”

“Oh yes,” I said,

He said “the speech he gave at the meeting was heard with great
interest delivered in his usual ardent and forcible manner.” Apparently according to Father after dinner, they had a long discussion about the immorality of lawyers taking fees to plead cases that they know to be unjust.”

“I’m pleased that they seem to get along well,” I said.

9th of July

William has again been to the theatre, and as usual he tells us of it when he
visits. This time he went to see Edmund Keen. playing Sir Giles Overreach. He said it was very good but the theatre was very hot. He told me that he and his fiancee went to see him play Richard III when he went to Liverpool.

He also told us that he has left his chambers and is now doing work with
Christopher Richmond at Lincoln’s Inn. He is learning about conveyancing.

William says that he thinks there have never been such a popular King and
Queen. “He is doing reviews of the troops this week and will be doing it every day. They were at the Regents Park Barracks. I was as close as possible to them and might have had the pleasure of kissing his majesty's hand. The aristocracy think they are making themselves too cheap. Their majesties both seem to enjoy mixing with the populace.”

15 July

Today was the King’s funeral and burial.H e was buried at St. George’s Chapel, Windsor Castle.