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William IV

Buckingham Palace, 21 Aug 1765 – Windsor Castle, 20 Jun 1837

14 facts3 sources

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Facts and their sources

  • Born21 Aug 1765, Buckingham Palacenot verified1 source
  • MarriedAdelaide of Saxe-Meiningennot verified1 source
  • MarriedDorothea Jordannot verified1 source
  • Titlemember of the House of Lordsor Lord High Admiral, 1827–1828 · King of Hanover, 1830–1837 · monarch of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland, 1830–1837not verified1 source
  • TitleLord High Admiral, 1827–1828or King of Hanover, 1830–1837 · monarch of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland, 1830–1837 · member of the House of Lordsnot verified1 source
  • Titlemonarch of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland, 1830–1837or Lord High Admiral, 1827–1828 · King of Hanover, 1830–1837 · member of the House of Lordsnot verified1 source
  • TitleKing of Hanover, 1830–1837or Lord High Admiral, 1827–1828 · monarch of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland, 1830–1837 · member of the House of Lordsnot verified1 source
  • Died20 Jun 1837, Windsor Castlenot verified1 source
  • FatherGeorge III of Great Britainnot verified1 source
  • MotherCharlotte of Mecklenburg-Strelitznot verified1 source

A life in time

  1. 21 Aug 1765

    Born in Buckingham Palace

  2. 1794–1824

    14 children are born

  3. 1827–1828

    Lord High Admiral

  4. 1830–1837

    Monarch of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland

  5. 1830–1837

    King of Hanover

  6. 20 Jun 1837

    Dies in Windsor Castle, aged 71

Family

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Parents

Partners

Children · 15

During his lifetime

He lived through 8 decades. Pick one to hear and see what it was like around Buckingham Palace.

General history, not a record about the family: each item says where it comes from.

The 1760s · William IV is born in Buckingham Palace

In the news1761

Bridgewater Canal opens in 1761

The Bridgewater Canal opened in 1761, drastically reducing the cost of coal transport from 7d. to 4d. per ton.

Getting around

Walking and horseback were primary travel modes

Between 1750 and 1774, most people travelled on foot or on horseback, as walking remained the primary way to move locally and short distances.

At the table

Tea becomes a common drink

By the middle of the 18th century, drinking tea had become common even among ordinary people, despite its cost.

The Seven Years’ War. Fought in Europe, the Americas, Africa and India, often called the first world war: Britain took Canada and India from France.Around the world · 1756–1763

The Seven Years’ War. Fought in Europe, the Americas, Africa and India, often called the first world war: Britain took Canada and India from France.

Blaue Max · CC BY-SA 4.0

What people wore

Two Outfits for Respectability

Working-class individuals typically aimed to own two complete outfits, reserving their best clothing for Sundays and holidays.

Music

Boys perform on hurdy-gurdies

On Plough Monday in 1768, all the young boys in a Cambridgeshire parish gathered to perform using hurdy-gurdies. These instruments were commonly played by itinerant performers at fairs and pubs, but were also played by English people of lower socio-economic classes.

Daily life

Communal Baking for a Small Fee

In smaller communities, people often used a shared bakehouse where they paid a small fee to have their dough baked in a communal oven. Residents would carry their bread loaves to these ovens on boards resting on their shoulders.