William IV: The unconventional reign of Britain's 'Maddest Lad'

Of all the monarchs to sit on the British throne in the modern era, few are as infrequently discussed as King William IV. Ouch! But a close reading of his biography reveals a life filled with risk-taking, debauchery, and an anti-authoritarian streak seemingly at odds with his royal status. So today we're going to take a look at William IV, the maddest lad to ever sit on the British throne. Okay, time to take a look at a guy who became king by accident. William Henry of the House of Hanover was born on August 21st, 1765. While he would one day ascend to the throne as King William IV, he initially looked like a long shot. At the time, his father, King George III, was in his 20s and only five years into what would turn out to be a nearly 60-year reign. George III also had two older sons, George and Frederick, who were ahead of William in the line of succession. It was basically like being born the third Van Halen brother. From William's perspective, there wasn't really any pressure on him to behave while he was growing up. He was free to live a life completely unfit for a future king, and that he did. William enlisted in the Royal Navy at age 13, and while you might assume the pampered prince would take on an easy homebound assignment, William went to war for his country at the same age most people went to eighth grade. He spent time deployed in North America and the Caribbean, and even participated in the Battle of Cape St. Vincent in 1780. He also formed a fast friendship with famous Admiral Horatio Nelson, who won crucial victories in the Napoleonic and Revolutionary Wars. And when William eventually reached the throne several decades later, his 12 years service earned him the nickname Sailor King, which kind of makes him sound like an anime pirate. By the time William reached his teens and joined the Royal Navy, the United States had declared its independence and the Revolutionary War was underway. William served in New York, which made him the only member of the British Royal Family to actually touch American soil during the Revolution. That's an impressive distinction for a guy who just started shaving. Of course, there were some downsides. William knew his princely status made him an extremely valuable target for the rebel forces, but despite the obvious danger, he actually enjoyed walking around the city completely unescorted. Maybe being ransom was on his bucket list. Rumors about the young royal's walks eventually found their way to General George Washington, who was the commander in chief of the Continental Army and future dollar bill mascot. Washington quickly approved a plot to capture the adolescent prince. He enthusiastically wrote to his co-conspirators, saying, "The spirit of enterprise so conspicuous in your plan for surprising in their quarters and bringing off the Prince William Henry and Admiral Digby merits applause." In other words, Operation Steal the Fancy Teen is a go. He granted his authority to carry out the plan in any manner and at such time they felt was appropriate, and cautioned the men against offering insult or indignity to the persons of the prince or admiral. Just because it's a kidnapping doesn't mean it has to be rude. The message was clear. Washington wanted Prince William brought to him by any means necessary. Fortunately for the future king William IV, the redcoats caught wind of the plot and made sure to assign guards to him at all times. But not even barely escaping Washington's gunhole abduction plan could stop William from making his excursions around the city. He simply brought the guards with him on his walks. William's naval career lasted twelve years, a super impressive run considering naval career is a phrase here meaning getting hammered in close proximity to water. He spent most of his time in the navy drinking and causing trouble. After a few less than regal incidents, including a drunken brawl in Gibraltar, William retired from active service in 1790 at the ripe old age of 25. He did not, however, retire from drinking like a sailor. When war broke out between Britain and France in 1790, he repeatedly sought to take command of a ship. He gave a series of speeches in the House of Lords, and while some were well received, at least one caused great concern, the visibly drunk on the Tonight Show kind of concern. These erratic tendencies and the fact that William had recently fallen down a flight of stairs and broken his arm convinced the king to hold firm in his belief that William should not return to the navy. Still, he was eager to get back into command of a ship, and he brought it up every time the British found themselves in another conflict. But the king and Admiral T kept turning him down due to his personal issues. So William did what he could to get close to the action. For example, in 1813, William witnessed the bombardment of Antwerp from atop a church steeple, and he nearly lost his life when he came under fire from several shells. One account of the time even claims William received a contusion from the explosion of a shell. But it's possible he detonated the shell himself. And according to at least one modern account, in the final attack, he had a bullet through his coat. After being frozen out of the navy, William decided to become a politician because it's good to be a member of the royal family. Most people write a high profile firing into shift work at a pizzeria. William served in the House of Lords, where he espoused some opinions that didn't age particularly well. For example, he was against the abolition of slavery in the British colonies, making the argument that enslaved people in North America and the Caribbean were in a state of humble happiness. Yikes! But not all of William's views were so authoritarian. He also promoted progressive laws on religious freedom and the treatment of adultery. Despite his tumultuous record, William served a brief stint as Lord High Admiral in 1827. As part of his position, he was required to work with a council of admiralty officers. But William didn't have much respect for their authority. It led to frequent conflicts, which came to a head when William disappeared in protest. And we don't mean he stormed off to the pub. He apparently commandeered a squadron of ships without telling anyone and didn't return for ten days. Which is a thing you can do when you're both Lord High Admiral and a prince. His brother, King George the Fourth, had no choice but to ask him to resign from his position. William spent much of his adult life in a relationship with an Irish actress and comedian known by the stage name of Dorothea Jordan. The two never married, but they didn't let that stop them from having ten children together, which is more than enough kids to field a baseball team. In 1811, Princess Charlotte of Wales, the only daughter of William's eldest brother George, unexpectedly passed away. This meant that King George the Third had no legitimate grandchildren, which in turn meant William and his brothers would have to race to produce a new heir to the throne. William and Dorothea separated in 1811, and he married Princess Adelaide Saxe-Meiningen, a woman nearly half his age. The pair were never able to conceive an heir who lived beyond infancy, but they reportedly enjoyed a happy marriage. King George the Third died in 1820 after nearly 60 years on the throne. By that time, his three eldest sons were nearing their 60s and starting to look a little long in the tooth themselves. George took over the throne and became King George the Fourth, but neither he nor his brother Frederick were in the best of health. There was also the little problem that they had no heirs. When Frederick passed away in 1827, William unexpectedly became the heir presumptive. After realizing he actually had a shot at being king, William reportedly cut back on his drinking and got back into the habit of taking long walks. George Washington had passed away many years earlier, so he no longer had anything to fear. When King George the Fourth passed in 1830, William became the monarch of the United Kingdom. At the age of 64, King William the Fourth was the oldest king to be crowned in British history. It was a record he held for quite a while. In fact, it was only recently broken when 73-year-old King Charles III was crowned on May 6, 2023. When most people think of the British royal family, they think of Buckingham Palace. The royal residence and its famously stately guards are nothing short of iconic. So it's weird to think there was a time a king wanted to give it away, but there was, and that king was William. In fact, he tried to disown the property on more than one occasion. King William was an informal monarch, and his life as a sailor likely made him a bit uncomfortable with the trappings of the crown. Unlike his predecessors, he refused to even live in Buckingham Palace. He seemed to want nothing to do with the place, so he offered it to the British Army to use as high-class barracks. And when that didn't work, he tried to turn Buckingham Palace into the new Parliament after the old Houses of Parliament burned down in 1834. Parliament politely declined. King William the Fourth's reign only lasted seven years, but the primary goal of his rule was to stay alive long enough for his niece, Princess Victoria, to reach age 18. You see, Victoria was the daughter of William's deceased younger brother Edward, and while he was quite fond of her, he absolutely hated her mother, the Duchess of Kent. Ugh, what is it with that lady? Out of spite for the Duchess, William became determined to live long enough for Victoria, the next in line for the throne, to reach adulthood. If that happened, it would mean that her mother would never become regent. He managed to hold on long enough to accomplish his mission. When William the Fourth shuffled off to the bar fight in the sky in 1837, his niece took the crown just one month after her 18th birthday, kicking off the Victorian era. You know, the one all the steam punk kids like.