Lucy Worsley's Royal Myths & Secrets

(whispers incomprehensibly) More vigorous measures. (whispers continue) The king has suffered before from mild spells of mental illness. But now in 1788, it's got really bad. He talks to himself for hours until his throat is hoarse, until foam comes out of his mouth. And the doctors don't really know what's wrong with him. All they can do is restrain him and give him freezing cold baths. Must not retreat. I've got-- In years to come, George III will be thought of as the "Mad King" who lost America. He will be seen as a weak and volatile monarch, running amok through the palace corridors in his nightshirt. But in the 18th century, that's not how people see him at all. Traitors and apes! (whispers) Traitors and apes. -

Voiceover

George's subjects didn't see much of his madness and certainly not images of the king in freezing baths or straitjackets. (classical music) In an age when print shop windows were full of cartoons lampooning figures of authority, images of a mad King George are almost nonexistent. The public's attention was being diverted to a different royal problem. This is the only known satirical print of King George III during the first period of his mental illness, and it's a sympathetic image. The poor guy's clearly suffering in his bed. Unlike his son, who's bursting drunkenly in with his mates, and he's shouting out, "Damn me, I'll just see if the old fellow's dead or not." It's pretty clear that one of these two is out of control and dangerous, but it's not the king. It's the prince. (classical music) (foosteps leave) The king's son had been a target for the cartoonists for most of his adult life. Prince George was the perfect subject for satire. He was a man of excess, in wine, women, food, and art. (deep sigh) (mysterious music) (bell tingles) (mysterious music continues) Now this is the image of the Prince of Wales that the popular press have latched onto. Drunken, debauched, in debt. Clearly George isn't fit to be the future sovereign. (syncopated horns) (lip closes loudly)