George IV: King in Waiting

by Stella Tillyard

George IV spent most of his life waiting to become king, first a pleasure-loving and rebellious Prince of Wales during the 60-year reign of his father, George III, and for 10 years as Prince Regent, when his father went mad. "The days are very long when you have nothing to do," he once wrote plaintively, but he did his best to fill them with pleasure—women, art, food, wine, fashion, architecture. He presided over the creation of the Regency style, which came to epitomize the era and was, with Charles I, the most artistically literate of all British kings.

Genres: History, Biography, Nonfiction, Royalty

120 pages, Hardcover

First published July 4, 2019

About the author

Stella Tillyard is a British novelist and historian. She was educated at Oxford and Harvard Universities and the School of the Museum of Fine Arts in Boston. Her bestselling book Aristocrats was made into a miniseries for BBC1/Masterpiece Theatre, and sold to over twenty countries. Winner of the Meilleur Livre Etranger, the Longman-History Today Prize, and the Fawcett Prize, Tillyard has taught at Harvard University, the University of California, Los Angeles, and the Centre for Editing Lives and Letters at Queen Mary, London. She is currently a Visiting Professor in the Department of History, Classics and Archaeology at Birkbeck, University of London. Her latest novel is Call Upon the Water (published in the UK under the title The Great Level).

Reviews

[Carolyn Harris · Rating 4 out of 5]

A short and sympathetic biography of one of Britain's most unpopular monarchs. Tillyard provides an overview of George IV's life and times including the satirical press coverage that shaped his unfortunate public image. There are some really interesting observations about how rapidly society changed after the French Revolution and how the future King George IV resisted the social changes of the late 1790s and early 1800s including the separation of work and leisure and the decline of drawing room sociability. There is a brief discussion of his love of collecting and I would have been interested to read more about these collections, especially as George IV bought numerous pieces that had belonged to the French royal family. Includes Further Reading suggestions for both George IV and the Regency era.

[Melissa · Rating 4 out of 5]

A decent and very readable overview of George IV’s tenure as Prince of Wales, Prince Regent and one of Britain’s most unpopular monarchs.

This is very much a whistle-stop tour of his life and reign, so if you’re looking for a detailed deep dive, this probably isn’t the book for you.

However, I found this to be a very enjoyable and interesting read with lots of facts about George IV I didn’t know about before, from his treasured Rembrandt collection to his role in the construction of Brighton Pavilion.

[Jonathan · Rating 5 out of 5]

An excellent short biography of this rather odd and unimpressive monarch. Stella Tillyard has rather expertly portrayed the man, his indulgent lifestyle and his idiosyncrasies in a very engaging and informative style. After reading this book, I know a lot more about George IV than I did 24 hours ago, a man so important to the history of my adopted home of Brighton. Another fabulous addition to this Penguin Monarchs series.

[Becky · Rating 5 out of 5]

A fantastic and fascinating window into the heart of the mercurial Prince Regent. Tillyard's work gives invaluable emotional insight into the true humanity behind the figurehead. And for those who might struggle with history tomes, this was a rather quick but nonetheless meaningful read.

[Marina · Rating 3 out of 5]

Well-written but much too short - I finished it in just a few hours. Feels like a compilation of other sources (I came across a few sections that were suspiciously close to Christopher Hibbert's biography of G IV). Still, an engaging beginner work covering all pertinent points.

[Tony Bertram · Rating 4 out of 5]

A short book on a very unlovable monarch.
I suspect that this is as much as any non specialist needs to know.

[Marcus · Rating 4 out of 5]

My new favourite monarch -- a sybaritic interior decorator and drama queen.

[Steph · Rating 5 out of 5]

While not a perfect book, and it drags a little at points, it is so far the best this series has had to offer, in my opinion.