IV.

Last Years

During the years of the French Revolution from 1789 and the war with revolutionary France (1793-1801) George III became even more obvious a symbol of the existing order. His devout Anglicanism and the seriousness with which he took his duties as head of the Church of England reinforced the allegiance of many who felt threatened by the godlessness and republicanism of the French (and the minority of British) Jacobins. He gave full support to the war effort, although his opposition to Catholic Emancipation in 1801 led to the resignation of Pitt. In that year and in 1804 he suffered recurrences of his illness and by 1809 his eyesight had declined to the point of blindness. Hence during the Napoleonic War he took an even smaller part in government, although his continuing refusal to countenance Catholic Emancipation led to the fall of the Grenville ministry in 1807. In 1810 George III's illness led to a state of almost complete incapacity and between 1811 and 1820 his monarchical functions were exercised by the Prince of Wales as Regent. His final years were spent in seclusion at Windsor, where his memory failed and he was unable to recognize members of his family, although his love for the music of Handel never quite deserted him. He died on January 29, 1820.