William IV (1765-1837) reigned from1830-37. His reign was dominated by the Reform crisis, beginning almost immediately when the Duke of Wellington’s Tory government (which William supported) lost the general election in August 1830. The Industrial Revolution had roared along pushing Britain into first place in the world with a huge empire where the sun never set.Pledged to parliamentary reform, Earl Grey’s Whig government won a further election which William had to call in 1831 and then pushed through a reform bill against the opposition of the Tories and the House of Lords. William understood the theory of the more limited monarchy, once saying ‘I have my view of things, and I tell them to my ministers. If they do not adopt them, I cannot help it. I have done my duty.’

£220
Weekly on Mondays