| William IV | |
King of England
| |
| In office 1820–1830 | |
| Preceded by | George IV |
|---|---|
| Succeeded by | Queen Victoria |
| Born | August 21, 1765 Buckingham House, Great Britain |
| Died | June 20, 1837 Windsor Castle, United Kingdom |
King William IV (August 21, 1765 – June 20, 1837) was the third son of King George III. He succeeded to the throne of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland upon the death of his brother George IV on June 26, 1830. As king he was frugal and popular, in striking contrast to George IV, who was widely despised and ridiculed. William IV had ten illegitimate children with an actress with the stage name Mrs Jordan. He dropped her, but favoured the children. They were not eligible to succeed him, and his two legitimate children both died soon after birth. Therefore, he was succeeded by his niece, Princess Victoria of Kent, who reigned as Queen Victoria.
References
- Michael Brock, "William IV (1765–1837)", Oxford Dictionary of National Biography, (2004) online