Why was King George III's reign considered a regency?
Why was King George III's reign considered a regency?
While King George III's entire 60-year reign (1760–1820) was not a regency, the final decade of his rule is famously known as the Regency Era.
The Cause: King George III's Health
Beginning in 1810, King George III suffered a final, debilitating descent into physical and mental illness, widely believed today to be caused by the genetic blood disorder porphyria. Because he was deemed no longer capable of ruling, Parliament decided that executive power must be transferred.
The Regency Act of 1811
To resolve the crisis, Parliament passed the Regency Act 2011. This act formally established a regency, appointing the King's eldest son, George, Prince of Wales, to rule in his father's stead as the Prince Regent.
Although George III remained the titular King until his death in 1820, all royal authority was exercised by his son during this period, giving the era its defining historical name.