Page:Collier's New Encyclopedia v. 04.djvu/340

LEFT GEORGE IV. 288 GEORGE V. commanding them immediately to return him their seals of office. On the follow- ing day Mr. Pitt became prime minister. In 1789 the king was afflicted with men- tal aberration, which lasted from the be- ginning of November till the following February. In 1798 public distress ap- peared to have reached its climax, and the Irish rebellion broke out. In 1800 the Act of Union between Great Britain and Ireland was passed; and in order to bring those over who opposed the meas- ure, the ministers allowed a tacit under- standing to prevail, that it would be fol- lowed by certain political concessions. George, however, could never be per- suaded that he could admit the Catholics to political power, without violating the spirit of his coronation oath — ^the conse- quence of which was the retirement from office of Mr. Pitt and his colleagues in 1801, and the formation of a new minis- try, headed by Mr. Addington. Negotia- tions were now speedily entered into, which led to the treaty of Amiens. When the resumption of hostilities took place in 1803 there was an evident demonstra- tion of public satisfaction throughout all ranks. The Addington administration, proved incompetent, and Mr. Pitt, in 1804, again took the helm of State; but he died in 1806, and the Grenville party, which Fox had joined, went into office. In 1807 Lord Grenville and his colleagues attempted to change the king's opinions with regard to Catholic emancipation; but George was inflexible, which led to the ejection of the Fox and Grenville party, and the Perceval administration succeeded them. The death of his young- est child, the Princess Amelia, toward the close of 1810, gave the king a shock that renewed his insanity. He died in Windsor, Jan. 29, 1820. GEORGE IV., King of England; born in London, Aug. 12, 1762. He became Prince Regent in 1811, and succeeded his father, George III., in 1820. Though he had at first declared for the Whigs, he for a long time gave himself up to Tory influence, and had as his prime ministers Lord Liverpool and the Duke of Welling- ton. During his regency occurred the final overthrow of Napoleon. He caused the passage of numerous laws against the liberty of the press, and had inces- sant troubles in Ireland to put down. In 1823 he again took sides with the Whigs, and selected as premier the celebrated George Canning. In 1829 the bill grant- ing Catholic emancipation was passed. George IV. married, in 1795, the Princess Caroline of Brunswick, whom he after- ward caused to be tried before the law courts on a charge of adultery. He died in Windsor, June 26, 1830. GEORGE V. (GEORGE FREDERICK ERNEST ALBERT), King of Great Britain and Ireland and of the British dominions beyond the seas. Emperor of India. He was born in 1865. Following the death of his elder brother he became direct heir to the throne. His choice as a career had been with the navy, which he entered in 1877, studying at Greenwich and becoming, successively, lieutenant, captain, rear-admiral, and vice-admiral. After the death of his brother he became betrothed to Princess Victoria Mary of Teck, who had been the fiancee of his brother, and they were married in 1898. Following the death of Queen Victoria in 1901 and the acces- sion of Edward VII., he journeyed round the world, making addresses in the vari- GEORGE V. ous British colonies. He then was offi- cially installed as Prince of Wales, and took the part previously taken by his father in assisting at various public ceremonies and representing the royal family. After the death of Edward VII., in 1910, he became king, taking the name of George V., while his wife took that of Queen Mary. The coronation took place in June, 1911, in Westminster Abbey, but attracted so little public interest that there was much speculation over a say- ing attributed to Edward VII. that he would be followed by the last king of England. The destruction by a bomb of the Lia Fail, or Stone of Destiny, for-