Editing Regency era (section)

== Legislative background ==

[[George III]] (1738–1820) became [[King of Great Britain]] on 25 October 1760 when he was 22 years old, succeeding his grandfather [[George II of Great Britain|George II]]. George III had himself been the subject of legislation to provide for a [[regency]] when [[Parliament of the United Kingdom|Parliament]] passed the [[Minority of Successor to Crown Act 1751]] following the death of his father [[Frederick, Prince of Wales]], on 31 March 1751. George became [[heir apparent]] at the age of 12 and he would have succeeded as a minor if his grandfather had died before 4 June 1756, George's 18th birthday. As a contingency, the Act provided for his mother, [[Princess Augusta of Saxe-Gotha|Augusta, Dowager Princess of Wales]], to be appointed regent and discharge most but not all royal functions.{{Citation needed|date=May 2024}}

In 1761, George III married Princess [[Charlotte of Mecklenburg-Strelitz]] and over the following years they had 15 children (nine sons and six daughters). The eldest was [[George IV|Prince George]], born on 12 August 1762 as heir apparent. He was named [[Prince of Wales]] soon after his birth. By 1765, three infant children led the order of succession and Parliament again passed a Regency Act as contingency. The [[Minority of Heir to the Crown Act 1765]] provided for either Queen Charlotte or Princess Augusta to act as regent if necessary.<ref name=RC1>[https://royalcentral.co.uk/features/mother-knows-best-the-regency-before-the-20th-century-156962/ Royal Central]. ''The Regency before the 20th century'' by Lydia Starbuck. 10 March 2021.</ref> George III had a long episode of mental illness in the summer of 1788. Parliament proposed the [[Regency Bill 1789]] which was passed by the [[House of Commons]]. Before the [[House of Lords]] could debate it, the King recovered and the Bill was withdrawn. Had it been passed into law, the Prince of Wales would have become the regent in 1789.<ref>Herman, N. (2001). Henry Grattan, the Regency Crisis and the Emergence of a Whig Party in Ireland, 1788–9. Irish Historical Studies, 32(128), 478–497. [http://www.jstor.org/stable/30006972].</ref>

The King's mental health continued to be a matter of concern but, whenever he was of sound mind, he opposed any further moves to implement a Regency Act. Finally, following the death on 2 November 1810 of his youngest daughter, [[Princess Amelia of the United Kingdom|Princess Amelia]], he became permanently insane. Parliament passed the [[Care of King During his Illness, etc. Act 1811]], commonly known as the [[Regency Act 1811]]. The King was suspended from his duties as head of state and the Prince of Wales assumed office as Prince Regent on 5 February 1811.<ref>{{London Gazette |issue=16451 |page=227 |date=5 February 1811}}</ref> At first, Parliament restricted some of the Regent's powers, but the constraints expired one year after the passage of the Act.<ref>Innes (1915), p. 50.</ref> The Regency ended when George III died on 29 January 1820 and the Prince Regent succeeded him as George IV.<ref>Innes (1915), p. 81.</ref>

After George IV died in 1830, a further [[Regency Act 1830|Regency Act]] was passed by Parliament. George IV was succeeded by his brother [[William IV]]. His wife, [[Queen Adelaide]], was 37 and there were no surviving legitimate children. The heir presumptive was [[Princess Victoria of Kent]], aged eleven. The new Act provided for her mother, [[Princess Victoria of Saxe-Coburg-Saalfeld|Victoria, Dowager Duchess of Kent]] to become regent in the event of William's death before 24 May 1837, the young Victoria's 18th birthday. The Act made allowance for Adelaide having another child, either before or after William's death. If the latter scenario had arisen, Victoria would have become Queen only temporarily until the new monarch was born. Adelaide had no more children and, as it happened, William died on 20 June 1837, just four weeks after Victoria was 18.<ref>{{Cite book |last=Kendall |first=Paul |title=Queen Victoria: Her Life and Legacy |date=2022 |publisher=Pen & Sword Books Limited |isbn=978-1-3990-1834-0 |location=Havertown}}</ref>