In this series, Lucy Worsley explores the Myths and Fibs of King George IV and the Regency.  This is the second series of the Royal Myths Series and the second episode.  I only found four episodes of Royal Myths on YouTube.

She discusses the madness of King George III, the Prince Regent's complicated relationship with his wife Caroline and Napoleon, the Battle of Waterloo, Peterloo massacre, and how the British monarchy survived the revolutions surrounding them.  The story kicks off with a lie: the Prince of Wales secret marriage to a Catholic woman.  This marriage could effectively disinherit him from the throne due to the Act of Settlement.  Then she goes into King George III and how his madness overshadowed everything about his reign. Worsley discusses how the French Revolution had an impact on how the British handled things at home and how they suppressed the dark side of what they did to stop a revolution from happening at home.

Lucy Worsley's discussion on King George III was fascinating, I found it interesting that while the Prince of Wales was satirized, the King wasn't and that he was a figure of sympathy.  Combine this with Prince Charles' commentary on George III, you can gain a nuanced version of the king.

You can use this episode of the series in the classroom when there is a sub in the room.  Unless you want to use it as a supplement for a lecture in a history classroom.

You can highlight, copy, and paste the questions into a Word, GoogleDoc or Google Classroom document for use in school or home school.  Format it the way you want to.  All questions after formatting should fit onto one page.

You can find the link to the YouTube video here. 

Royal Myths George IV and the Regency Questions:

1. What was the royal scandal that could stop the Prince of Wales from being king?
2. Who cleared up the rumor?
3. When was King George III treated for his first bout of mental illness?
4. What satirical images were non-existent?
5. Who was portrayed in satire?
6. Who fought to avoid a regency?
7. Who image improves after his first bout of mental illness?
8. When did the image of the “Mad King” take off?
9. Who did the Prince of Wales marry?
10. Who was the Prince Regent’s nemesis?

Royal Myths George IV and the Regency  Answers:

1. What was the royal scandal that could stop the Prince of Wales from being king? - That he had secretly married a Catholic
2. Who cleared up the rumor? - Charles James Foxe, close friend of the prince
3. When was King George III treated for his first bout of mental illness? - November 1788
4. What satirical images were non-existent? - King George’s Madness
5. Who was portrayed in satire? - Prince of Wales
6. Who fought to avoid a regency? - Tories
7. Who image improves after his first bout of mental illness? - King George III
8. When did the image of the “Mad King” take off? - 20th Century / American Bicentennial
9. Who did the Prince of Wales marry? - Caroline of Brunswick
10. Who was the Prince Regent’s nemesis? - Napoleon

The Royal Archives digitized the papers of King George III and posted them online.  George III is often misunderstood and this papers help shed light on the King.  I created this assignment to allow students to explore those papers.

Feel free to download and use in your classroom.