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The Great British Collection

William IV

Full name:  William IV

Born:  21st August 1765

Place of Birth:  Buckingham Palace, London

Ascended to the throne:  26th June 1830, aged 64 years

Crowned:  8th September 1831, at Westminster Abbey

Reign:  6 years

Died:  20th June 1837, Windsor Castle, Windsor

William was born August 21 1765, to George III. As George III's third son, it was assumed he would not become king.

At the age of 13, he became involved in the Royal Navy, and pursued a career in this field. He saw service in both America, and the West Indies.

In 1789, he was made Duke of Clarence.

From 1790 to 1811, he lived with his mistress and they had ten children together. In 1811, he married Princess Adelaide of Saxe-Meiningen.

William became heir at the age of 62 when George III's second son died. Then in 1830, with the death of George IV, William became king of England. At the age of 64, he was the oldest person to succeed to the throne.

The Reform Crisis dominated Williams' reign.

The Reform Act, passed in 1832, was created to stop inequality and abuse of the electoral system, giving voters of all boroughs power.

William died at the age of 71 in 1837. With no legitimate children, his niece, Victoria, succeeded him.

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