Editing George IV (section)

== Declining health and death ==
[[File:His Most Excellent Majesty George the Fourth, lithograph by T.C.P., from the original by George Atkinson, profile artist to His Majesty, printed by C. Hullmandel, published by G. Atkinson, Brighton, November 15, 1821.jpg|thumb|upright|[[Lithography|Lithograph]] of George IV in profile, by George Atkinson, printed by [[Charles Joseph Hullmandel|C. Hullmandel]], 1821]]
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 | image1 = King Henry IV, William Heath - George IV and his mistress Elizabeth, Marchioness Conygham, with the title intended to echo a well known work by Henry Fuseli.jpg
 | alt1 = Cartoon of a fat George and canoodling an obese Lady Conyngham
 | caption1 = ''King Henry IV'' by [[William Heath (artist)|William Heath]], {{c.|1827}}

 | image2 = Fuseli Henry IV part 2 act II scene 4.jpg
 | alt2 = Falstaff cuddling Doll Tearsheet in a scene from a Shakespeare play
 | caption2 = ''Henry IV Part 2 Act II Scene 4'' by [[Henry Fuseli]], 1805

 | footer = Cartoon (left) of George IV and his mistress Lady Conyngham, satirised as [[John Falstaff]] and [[Doll Tearsheet]], mirroring a well known work (right) by Fuseli<ref>{{Cite web |title=King Henry IV |url=https://www.metmuseum.org/art/collection/search/710350?searchField=All&sortBy=DateDesc&who=Shakespeare%2c+William%24William+Shakespeare&ao=on&ft=*&offset=80&rpp=80&pos=158 |access-date=4 February 2021 |publisher=Metropolitan Museum of Art}}</ref>
}}

George's heavy drinking and indulgent lifestyle had taken their toll on his health by the late 1820s. While still Prince of Wales, he had become obese through his huge banquets and copious consumption of alcohol, making him the target of ridicule on the rare occasions that he appeared in public;{{Sfnp|Parissien|2001|page=355}} by 1797, his weight had reached {{Convert|17|st|7|lb|kg lb}}.{{Sfnp|De-la-Noy|1998|page=43}} By 1824, his [[corset]] was made for a waist of {{Convert|50|in|cm}}.{{Sfnp|Parissien|2001|page=171}} He had [[gout]], [[arteriosclerosis]], [[peripheral edema]] ("dropsy"), and possibly [[porphyria]]. In his last years, he spent whole days in bed and had acute and serious spasms of breathlessness.{{Sfnp|Hibbert|2008}}

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&nbsp;... There have been good and wise kings but not many of them&nbsp;... and this I believe to be one of the worst."<ref name=sketch/> By December 1828, like his father, George was almost completely blind from [[cataracts]], and had such severe gout in his right hand and arm that he could no longer sign documents.{{Sfnp|Smith|1999|pages=266–267}} In mid-1829, [[David Wilkie (artist)|David Wilkie]] reported the King "was wasting away frightfully day after day", and had become so obese that he looked "like a great sausage stuffed into the covering".{{Sfnp|Smith|1999|pages=266–267}} George took [[laudanum]] to counteract severe bladder pains, which left him in a drugged and mentally impaired state for days on end.{{Sfnp|Smith|1999|page=269}} He underwent surgery to remove a cataract in September 1829, by which time he was regularly taking over 100 drops of laudanum before state occasions.{{Sfnp|Parissien|2001|page=4}}

By the spring of 1830, George's imminent end was apparent. Now largely confined to his bedchambers, having completely lost sight in one eye and describing himself "as blind as a beetle", he was forced to approve legislation with a stamp of his signature in the presence of witnesses.{{Sfnp|Parissien|2001|page=3}} His weight was recorded to be {{Convert|20|st|kg lb}}.<ref>{{Cite book |last=Baker |first=Kenneth |title=George IV: a life in caricature |publisher=Hudson and Thames |year=2005 |isbn=978-0-500-25127-0 |page=202}}</ref> Attacks of breathlessness due to dropsy forced him to sleep upright in a chair, and doctors frequently tapped his abdomen in order to drain excess fluid.{{Sfnp|Smith|1999|page=269}} Despite his obvious decline, George was admired for clinging doggedly to life.{{Sfnp|Smith|1999|page=270}} His will to live and still-prodigious appetite astonished observers; in April 1830, the Duke of Wellington wrote that the King had consumed for breakfast "a Pidgeon and Beef Steak Pye&nbsp;... Three parts of a bottle of [[Moselle wine|Mozelle]], a Glass of Dry Champagne, two Glasses of [[Port wine|Port]] [and] a Glass of [[Brandy]]", followed by a large dose of laudanum.{{Sfnp|Parissien|2001|page=3}} Writing to Maria Fitzherbert in June, the King's physician, [[Henry Halford|Sir Henry Halford]], noted "His Majesty's constitution is a gigantic one, and his elasticity under the most severe pressure exceeds what I have ever witnessed in thirty-eight years' experience."{{Sfnp|Parissien|2001|page=6}} Though George had been under Halford's care since the time of the Regency, the doctor's social ambitions and perceived lack of competence were strongly criticised, with ''[[The Lancet]]'' labelling Halford's bulletins on the King's health as "utterly and entirely destitute of information", subsequently characterising Halford's treatment of George, which involved administering both [[opium]] and laudanum as [[Sedative|sedatives]], as appearing to lack sense or direction.{{Sfnp|Parissien|2001|pages=5–6}}

George dictated his will in May and became very devout in his final months, confessing to an archdeacon that he repented of his dissolute life, but hoped mercy would be shown to him as he had always tried to do the best for his subjects.{{Sfnp|Smith|1999|page=269}} By June, he was unable to lie down, and received the [[Anointing of the sick|Sacrament]] on 14 June in the presence of Lady Conyngham, Halford, and a clergyman.{{Sfnp|Parissien|2001|page=6}} While Halford only informed the Cabinet on 24 June that "the King's cough continues with considerable expectoration", he privately told his wife that "things are coming to a conclusion&nbsp;... I shall be released about Monday."{{Sfnp|Parissien|2001|pages=7-8}}

At about three in the morning of 26 June 1830 at Windsor Castle, George awoke and passed a bowel movement—"a large [[Melena|evacuation mix'd with blood]]".{{Sfnp|Parissien|2001|pages=7-8}} He then sent for Halford, allegedly calling to his servants "Sir Henry! Sir Henry! Fetch him; this is death!"{{Sfnp|Parissien|2001|pages=7-8}} Accounts of George's final moments and [[last words]] vary. According to Halford, following his arrival and that of [[William Knighton|Sir William Knighton]], the King's "lips grew livid, and he dropped his head on the [[Page (servant)|page]]'s shoulder&nbsp;... I was up the stairs in five minutes, and he died but eight minutes afterwards."{{Sfnp|Parissien|2001|pages=7-8}} Other accounts state the King placed his hands on his stomach and said "Surely, this must be death", or that he called out "Good God, what is this?", clasped his page's hand, and said "my boy, this is death".{{Sfnp|De-la-Noy|1998|page=103}}{{Sfnp|Parissien|2001|pages=7-8}}{{Sfnp|Smith|1999|page=271}} George died at 3:15&nbsp;a.m.{{Sfnp|Parissien|2001|pages=7-8}} An autopsy conducted by his physicians revealed George had died from [[upper gastrointestinal bleeding]] resulting from the [[gastric varices|rupture of a blood vessel in his stomach]].{{Sfnp|Smith|1999|page=275}} A large [[tumour]] "the size of an orange" was found attached to his bladder; his heart was enlarged, had [[Atherosclerosis|heavily calcified valves]] and was surrounded by a large fat deposit.{{Sfnp|Smith|1999|page=275}} The King was buried in [[St George's Chapel, Windsor Castle]], on 15 July.{{Sfnp|Hibbert|1973|page=336}}