The Mad King Who Lost America

The Mad King. The Man Who Lost America. Farmer George? There are a lot of things you could call George III, but boring certainly isn’t one of them. His reign was as scandal-packed as it was long, and it all led up to a seriously tragic end. As the leader of their enemies, the Americans villainized him, and his own subjects were quick to jump on the bandwagon. But was he really such a dire villain…or just a scapegoat?
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[@georgewhitehead8185]

I as a doctor, and history buff, can possibly shed some light on "where and why did King George come in contact with Arsenic?" Here is the possible and probable answer. It was fashionable and popular among the higher class, the intelligentsia, the avant guard, and even royals, to use small portions of Arsenic as a stimulant. At fashionable, and intellectual parties, it was quite common for these people to partake of Arsenic as a stimulant. They of course knew that "too much" would most likely kill them, but they did it anyway for the "high" and exhilarating stimulation that Arsenic gave them. This I believe is why, in 2005, they discovered large amounts of Arsenic in King George's hair samples. Doctor George Whitehead (presented to you May 4, 2024) Thank you.

[@Sarafimm2]

Considering what was going on before he had his episodes of madness, I can believe he was using the arsenic as both a stimulant to keep himself awake to deal with troubles and to experience the mental "high" to get away from them. I would not doubt someone(s) might have used the arsenic to keep him happy in those last years of his life because of all his issues, physical and mental. George III might not have been as wary in taking arsenic as a medicine, since he had already been using it for years. Was it a matter of a drug that needed a higher dosage the longer it was used, or, sinisterly, was it a way to be rid of a monarch who was "inconvenient".

[@raymondjack]

Sounds like fentanyl now, people always be trying to get high.

[@christinec7892]

Wasn’t arsenic used in dying fabrics and wall paper at this time too? I recall reading something about Napoleon most likely dying from the arsenic in the wall coverings in his room. I know that the wallpaper could flake and become airborne.

[@Max_Ohm]

Fascinating

[@sevenandthelittlestmew]

Arsenic was in everything for a good century. Makeup, wigs, and “party drugs”, apparently. It was impossible to avoid. As for the arsenic green in clothing, paint and wallpaper coloring, that was introduced in the late 18th century as Scheel’s Green and became popular (and a bit more stable) as Emerald Green or Brilliant green in the mid-19th century. During King George III’s reign, it was also regularly used as a treatment for syphilis. If King George was sleeping around, and contracted the disease, well… the arsenic and the disease would have both been a factor in his declining mental health, and ultimately his demise.

[@sydnidowney3598]

INTERESTING...that King George passed a law to protect Native Americans by not allowing further expansion and encroachment on Indian lands by colonists and also was responsible for ending slavery in the UK. l

[@A-Grammie-On-the-ROCK]

He was a religious man likely a TRUE Christian not phony one and thus had the love of God for others wellbeing.

[@kaibotski4939]

I could be wrong but I thought he passed the law to ensure the land is legally ceded by the natives so we don't get stuff like the Nisga'a treaty. It's pretty specific that no land can be purchased without a treaty. He wanted to ensure the land can't be taken back and have more rebellions against the crown further down the road. Also the slavery thing is just to cut off cash to the US and good PR. It triggered mass slave flight thus causing economic harm and free recruits. I mean he personally expressed his disdain for slavery but it was only abolished when convenient. Just as Abe Lincoln did when the union found it convenient.

[@donnadees1971]

Fie on you for passing him off as bein British. Sadnesses, just tragic sadnesses. Grief can do it to you, and arsenic in his food…lol

[@bettybuccaneer]

And, there lies the real reason for the Revolutionary War. It wasn't about taxes. It was more about maintaining slavery.

[@Unknown17]

@@bettybuccaneer What a unique and ridiculous theory!

[@janesawyer1342]

What an informative video of King George III. I didn't realize he'd been through all of this. He'd been through 3 wars?, and experienced tragedy and dysfunction in his family. I personally suspect his son was poisoning him. It sounds like Queen Charlotte was a good influence in his life, and that his being faithful to her was a good reflection on him.

[@llydstrlng-sm1mo]

It is always the good people ending up the worst 💀💀💀

[@user-tv1qb6vf5r]

I like your comment,and I agree with your suspicion of the son 😊

[@rubyhoward2085]

That's my thoughts also Jane, his son and heir was very ambitious and who knows who was in his ear, helping him to attain the throne. His mother was a piece of work also but I think she was out of the picture by the time he started to have bouts of mania. Queen Charlotte loved him. Pure and simple. No woman would have fifteen children for a man, even a king, if she didn't love him. Well, anyway I enjoyed it.

[@jaybee4118]

@@rubyhoward2085I definitely don’t think it’s simple enough to say no woman would have 15 children unless she loved her husband… while I believe they did love each other and I don’t think it’s the case here, there are unfortunately ways of forcing women to have many children. Especially then when women had virtually no rights as an individual.

[@mylamberfeeties875]

​@@rubyhoward2085🤣 the average woman gave birth 5 to ten times do research it was common

[@carolynrosser1574]

A shame you didn’t include the barbaric treatment he received from his doctors. Their “treatment“ was really torture and would have made a sensible person go crazy. What they did to control him was incredibly inhumane.

[@johns3544]

Not as bad what joe pedo handlers are doing the mad so called president 🙄

[@tomakafrankconlon3207]

The problem with the arsenic theory is simple. Most royals should have also acted just crasy as arsenic was used so commonly in their clothing. He was bi-polar most likely. That is why he would have episodes, become better and go mad again.

[@tessdurberville711]

He had Porphyria.

[@bonniemoerdyk9809]

@@tessdurberville711 ... I am a Stewart descendant, although not sure if King George was maybe a great (x?) uncle. I also, in the last 3 years have had vivid sapphire blue urine a few times ... talk about being shocked! 😮

[@user-vm5ud4xw6n]

@@tessdurberville711I would think if he had porphyria that the narrator would have mentioned the symptoms, most notably the constipation, nausea and vomiting.

[@allinaday9882]

I agree 100%. It is relatively recent that scientist have discovered how much arsenic was in almost everything the ruling classes of the world used.! ( I was prescribed arsenic for 3-5 months to treat Ameoba Histolica infection and I basically slept. And ate a little bit. A much smaller dose I am sure, but still.

[@appaloosa42]

Thyroid issues will also cause mental/emotional aberration. Iodine intermittent deficiency being a cause.

[@dtchouros]

To live your life on a stage while battling inside takes fortitude and a toll.

[@stevenmiller184]

Arsenic was found in Napoleon's hair as well. Again, deliberate poisoning was suspected. This turned out to be false. At that time Arsenic was used in the green coloring applied to walls. Just as lead used to be used in paint. This coloring was on the walls of Napoleon's last residence on the remote island of St Helena. Normally, this is not a problem but in damp or humid conditions the Arsenic will vaporize and be absorbed. I wonder if the cyclic nature of his madness had something to do with varying levels of humidity.

[@christinec7892]

I just posted something similar!

[@bohd3]

Seasonal madness was common in those days

[@paradoxical_taco]

Arsenic was also believed to be a preservative, and people still loyal or devoted to Napoleon had taken locks of his hair and - it’s believed - put arsenic in the envelope they kept these locks of hair in, leading to the tests on these locks inconclusive regarding Napoleon’s death and arsenic. It was also used in the dye/pigment used on green book covers. I think green books published before a certain date must be handled by scholars wearing gloves.

[@user-iy6gq9ts7h]

How sad that a faithfu godly husband and loving wife, with so many children that Lived in that era, had to endure so much. They did, however, live long lives.

[@misha4422]

Thank you. I learned a LOT of things I did not know. Being a monarch was not easy.

[@user-mh4su3xn2q]

I now have a better understanding of England's "Mad" King.

[@Factinate]

Does that mean we earned the sub?

[@romad357]

The American Revolution actually started on April 19, 1775 when the British Army tried to disarm the Massachusetts militia and fighting broke out.

[@stevenmiller184]

Yes, you are correct. There was a previous event in which the local militia in New Hampshire bloodlessly overtook a nearly abandoned fort on the coast, took the powder there and hid in it in Exeter, New Hampshire. The lack of armed resistance made this a largely ignored event. I belonged to a reenacting group in New Market that would hold an encampment there to mark the day. We would also go down on April 19th to reenact the battles of Lexington and Concord. Of course, the environment is different now, when we fired a volley, car alarms would go off.

[@appaloosa42]

Yep. Long history of stealing from peter to repay paul in this Hemisphere.

[@JMM33RanMA]

The armed revolt happened because they were already prepared for it. The intolerable acts abolished the Mass. Parliament and town meetings. The parliament met outside Boston as the revolutionary, republican, provisional congress. Unlike most revolutions this one was fully supported by the people who, in town meetings, continued to elect delegates to it. Town meetings began "networking" to coordinate with other towns, counties and colonies. They began storing supplies, expanding and training the militia. The result was the retreat under fire of the redcoats, with severe losses, from Concord, and the subsequent loss of control in New England to any place upon which a redcoat's boot was not planted. Even the Southerners learned, at Little Round Top, you make New England Yankees angry at at your peril. After Pearl Harbor, the Japanese also learned that all Americans are dangerous when riled up.

[@camalbee413]

@@stevenmiller184 that’s really cool I used the live in Newmarket. Wish I could’ve seen the actual reenactment

[@user-cp8tw7qi4j]

Nothing is worse than to loose a child, but to be so wealthy and powerful must make the pain more unbearable. Sorrow/ grief are soul wrenching. So King George III was probably poisoned. But in his reign he did some amazing feats. As Shakespeare said “ the good is often interred with their bones”

[@brendaowens2466]

Arsenic is also used in dyeing clothing in those days. This could also be the reason.

[@allangibson8494]

Green pigments… Scheele’s Green - the colour of Napoleon’s wall paper on St Helena…

[@jacky3580]

Particularly the color green, but all intense colors were loaded with it.

[@kristinedunner988]

In 1770 Captain Cook "discovered" Australia and in 1788 sent convicts with their jailers to settle in the continent. They were instructed by the king to respect any native inhabitants. This did not always happen.

[@myne00]

Guess that's why it was called Terra Nullus

[@nicholaswilson1851]

Honestly they shouldn’t have expected people who didn’t broke the law to suddenly cooperate.

[@holliemichailidis2951]

​@@nicholaswilson1851 Actually most convicts/settlers didn't bother aboriginals much. They even got along and helped each other. Farmers had issues when aboriginals killed livestock or stolen crops. But it was mostly the authorities/politicians that did most harm towards aboriginals.

[@marjoriegoodwin2993]

George and Charlotte according to the artists, had some big lovely eyes.

[@ThinWhiteAxe]

Well it was also the beauty standard of the day

[@mmyr8ado.360]

The probably used nightshade on their eyes to make them look big.

[@marjoriegoodwin2993]

@@mmyr8ado.360 Really? How do people do that? I just never heard of it. Curious.

[@benketengu]

I am an American the textbook I used in Advanced placement world history pointed out that the tea Smugglers we’re going out of business because the British tea was cheaper hence The Boston tea party. One of the major causes was there was not enough currency available in the colonies, The lack of it was strangling business. Another was the prohibition against a direct trade between the American colonies and the Spanish territories. Instead of sending a ship down to Cuba for example we were supposed to Buy any Cuban products in England at the ridiculous price. These things might have been able to be negotiated had not the last American attempt to avoid war arrived in London during August when there is no one to negotiate with. London was too hot and government was out of session.

[@christopheraliaga-kelly6254]

Pitt the Elder, on being told that it was wonderful that George & Charlotte had so many sons, retorted"The damnedst set of millstones to be put around the necks of the nation!" NOT ONE OF THEM had an ounce of George or Charlotte's sense!! Talk about brains jumping the generation!

[@Robert-tj3qq]

I'd say the arsenic came from something he used over a period of time. Arsenic has been used in products of the past

[@LindaStoronsky-yk4df]

The white face powder used at the time was made of arsenic.

[@lisaguthrie174]

Yes Arsenic was used in hats and gloves etc . He also probably had lead.

[@lisaguthrie174]

😮

[@dragondemonsyne]

If this was it, he wouldn't have been the only leader of the time done in by accidental arsenic poisoning. They are pretty sure that is what did in Napoleon. Arsenic was one of the components of a common green pigment used at the time, and the house Napoleon lived in during his exile has green wallpaper. In the damp climate, the pigment reacted with moisture in the air and produced volatile, gaseous arsenic compounds. Since arsenic is a cumulative poison, breathing traces of it over time was enough.

[@blacktigress15]

@@LindaStoronsky-yk4df that was white lead not arsenic

[@omegatired]

Arsenic was used to dye clothing, wall paper, color plates and bowls; couple that with possibly bipolar disorder ... Yeah, you could definitely get a periodically mad king. Although, as much as he and Caroline loved each other, it's more a wonder he survived her passing as long as he did. Thank you for this informative view of King George III. As an American, we didn't get a lot of information on the British side of things in American History back when I was in High School and even college.

[@manofcultura]

Other people tend to gloss George III as a bat brain who oversaw the loss of America. But thankfully channels like you show there’s more historical characters like George III. At the end of the day even rulers are human, for good or ill.

[@Imjetta7]

This was really informative, thank you!

[@Factinate]

Glad you liked it! Welcome to the channel 🙂

[@Nettsinthewoods]

Great vid. This put todays royal issues into perspective. Arsenic was prevalent in wall paper, especially green paper in the 18c. A lot of people died as a result of its effects.

[@BladeStar-uq6xe]

The only known conversation between George Washington and King George 3: Washington: You're crazy! You're an absolute Psycho! George 3rd: I want a second opinion! Washington: Fine, you're ugly too! 😃😄😁😆🤠😎😀

[@yvettevitacaponigro]

Thank you for the post! Informative! ✌🏼😊

[@briano6115]

There are really 2 reasons why he was crazy, (1) he was British; (2) he was British. I think that covers it. {oh, btw, I am british :)

[@susanlansdell863]

Sound reasoning.xx👍

[@hgc5293]

😂

[@mannywilliams6409]

Actually, he was more German than English. When his grandfather became king he spoke almost no English at all.

[@appaloosa42]

Made the Saxons proud.

[@everTriumph]

Arsenic was famously present in Napoleons hair as well. It was attributed to the copious amounts used in wallpapers and coverings. Mourning clothes were often dosed with the chemical, leading to the early demise of widows. It was quite possibly present in other things as well. As for America, they were just a bunch of hooligans.

[@someonethatexists46]

Poor guy ☹️

[@lisasweeney8158]

It was nice to see Nigel Hawthorne. Now there was a good actor. Thankyou.

[@janethayes5941]

This is such a a great channel for learning.😊

[@dakotaridgek9]

I grew up in King George, Virginia.

[@jacquiaba9132]

Interesting that the IS names places after English royalty!!!

[@thedreadtyger]

​@@jacquiaba9132 They were our kings and queens until the revolution. A reading of our Declaration of Independence shows the authors' demand for their rights as Englishmen.

[@limeycheesehead97]

Another brilliant video!

[@christinemcconnell2618]

I always thought he had porphyria, a condition where the body is unable to metabolise the breakdown products of haem.

[@emilywall2597]

That’s what I had read.

[@allinaday9882]

What is haem?

[@jeffreylehman1159]

Actually, it is a build up of a precursor of hemoglobin.

[@user-vm5ud4xw6n]

@@allinaday9882it’s the English way of spelling (probably shortening) hemoglobin. But who knows. I’ve seen it a few times but I’m not so sure about the porphyria diagnosis!

[@nevisstkitts8264]

Critical studies by scientists over the last five decades have discredited the claim for porphyria. Perhaps the most objective investigations examined the genetic traces in George III's descendants finding a complete lack of porphyria markers.

[@jeeperspeepers8323]

I just ate dinner, then watched this, and then I wept.

[@jCREATESj]

Arsenic was an ingredient in women's cosmetics back in the day. Perhaps it was also in the powder used in wigs?

[@marietteestabrook4098]

Yes.,absolutely. It killed the bugs since they didn’t wash the wigs.

[@patrickporter1864]

Wallpaper.

[@jCREATESj]

@@patrickporter1864 swimming in poisons...and today toxins and allergens

[@clairisalong126]

I feel like this holds with my theory that you can either be a good parent or a good leader, but you can’t be both, because somethings Gotta give. You’re either paying attention to your kids instead of the nation, or paying attention to the nation instead of your kids. He obviously cared greatly about his children and his nation, which I believe is why it wore so heavily on him.

[@neilbuckley1613]

Interesting, King Charles I, whose incompetence and stubborn adherence to Divine Right of Kings led to his execution was by all accounts a good family man, faithful to his wife, adored by his children, loved by his ministers and servants and a connosieur of art. Contrast this with Samuel Pepys, who was Secretary of the Navy in the reign of King Charles II. Pepys is credited with reforming the administration of the Navy so well that his work was still in force in Nelson's time, and the official records show him to have been a highly intelligent and effective official. However his personal diary reveals an unfaithful husband who molested his female sevants, beat his young male servants unmercifully and used his position in a Weinstein like manner to blackmail sea captains wives into his bed.

[@helenpk237]

Oh! My goodness me ! To hear this vidence of poor king gear get the third , how dreadful & evil , to find out that good king was murdered slowly ! Oh ! Dear Father God please let his Dear Soul be at Peace with you in Heaven , I’m sorry I misspelt evidence but have just corrected my mistake xx thank you so much for this video, & for the EVIDENCE that has been found xx ❤❤❤❤ love Helen xxxx

[@dreadcthulhu5]

Arsenic was used in the white face powder they all wore, their clothes, various medicines and other daily household items they used. It's not necessarily murder, but living everyday life.

[@helenpk237]

I’m sorry I spelt George like gear!! I still feel very sad. For king George cos, he was a good King in many ways but, unfortunately the Doctors & surgeons didn’t know enough about Arsenic poisoning!! X helen x

[@Kathy-ut9kf]

Congratulations, I wish you much continued success😊❤🎉

[@12thDecember]

I'll add to the comments that he had porphyria, sometimes called (unfortunately) the vampire disease.

[@Sammy312]

Thank you..Very good.

[@violetangelflame1]

Hum? I never knew any of this! Very interesting and informative!

[@s1nd3r3llee]

Arsenic was in so much of daily life back then.

[@leeedwards9275]

They found arsenic in his hair.

[@gmanette188]

Thanks

[@marietteestabrook4098]

Yes.,The wigs were full,of arsenic to kill the bugs since the wigs were never washed!

[@patrickvolk7031]

Lots of people that day had arsenic exposure.

[@wintersking4290]

Arsenic was used as a treatment for syphilis which it is known he had and syphilis causes madness. None of this is surprising at all.

[@benketengu]

Thank you very much for your video I learned some thank you

[@fifi199991]

Great info!!!!!

[@jadakowers590]

Interesting video! Could all three be responsible for King George’s mental dysfunction?

[@bob7975]

Arsenic was often found as an environmental pollutant back then. It was used in dyes, medications, cosmetics, leather tanning, and believe it or not, food coloring. It has a stimulant effect in small doses and was also often used as a recreational drug. He was most likely given arsenic compounds by his doctors, who would have been acting according to the best medical practices of the time.

[@kathyr2792]

It would be interesting if they could test hair from his father and grandfather. It seems possible to me that his mother was up to no good.

[@anitapeludat256]

My Grandfather, born in Canada, in the late 1800's, was named after King George . He emigrated to the USA to become an American citizen by volunteering in WWI. King George was quite a resilient man to survive a tough life. And 15 children. Wow, a number of queens were quite prolific and brave .

[@fixedG]

Dark horse theory: poisoned by a time traveler.

[@peterunderdown4374]

Just a thought,as nice was used in all makeup,wigs and powders at the time ,bathing was frowned upon.

[@peterunderdown4374]

Asnic

[@chipcook5346]

"And then several other spares"! And a decent man? Did not know. When you said tea, I thought "lead." Is this it? No. Arsenic. Arsenic. Hats, then? Or is that mercury? A number of plants accumulate arsenic. Was he a foxglove fan?

[@Armphid]

"With what little power and resources he had left..." as if he wasn't the sovereign rules of the largest, more powerful, and wealthiest empire the world has ever seen. Let's not pretend that he was a plucky underdog. The treachery and opposition of his son wasn't something that I knew about, though. Very interesting.

[@nneichan9353]

Treatments given for his illnesses might have resulted in the arsenic levels noted in his hair. either deliberate doses or as contaminants in medicines. impossible to tell if arsenic was the cause of his illnesses, or resulted from treatments for this same illnesses.

[@nomdeplume5446]

It cracks me up that THE defining moment in American history is barely a footnote in British history.

[@willhovell9019]

The Party of King's friends was a big mistake. If the Whiggs had been in power, perhaps the North American uprising wouldn't have proved necessary. Various monarchs have exceeded their authority, from Charles 1st James 2nd, George 3rd and indeed Queen Victoria, ignoring parliament and public sentiment. 'Farmer' George 3rd would have been more content to be a country farmer.

[@amitisshahbanu5642]

Porphyria

[@rogersheddy6414]

One thing that's very interesting in a biography. Written a few decades ago is the fact that george the third had an incredible memory. Somehow he knew the names ranks and service histories of everyone who was an officer in both his army and his navy. He would walk up to any number of junior or senior officers and refer to all kinds of things they had been part of. It's almost as though he had memorized all the dispatches issued from the beginning of his reign. I mean, There are people who memorize all this statistics about these baseball players. But also consider this. People with such an intensely detailed mind as that often verge into insanity. It is a byward to say that genius and insanity are closely related, that there is a fine line between the two. One thing they don't mention here is that parliament had to pass an act to finance the gambling debts incurred by his son, the prince of wales. He actually incurred debt that was equal to the cost that waging a war would have been. Absolutely massive beyond our imagining today. So if you can imagine something like that looming over you as well...

[@MortarIvy]

And here I thought he was called the “Mad King” because I wouldn’t answer his texts, but left on read.

[@A-Grammie-On-the-ROCK]

Why did all those people seem to look alike with huge blue eyes and similar facial features ?

[@randomsurname9090]

Usually because of the time period's beauty standards. While some people surely did look quite like their portraits, the artist behind it always considered the "trends" of that time and worked accordingly, in favor of the (often aristocratic) subject. That's why they put emphasis on eyes, posture, certain other facial features like a soft chin or rosy cheeks and especially for females: round, small shoulders. It was a combination of expectations, personal style and highlighting the things they had in common with their ancestors.

[@user-qc9ov9pc5j]

Incest

[@bonniemoerdyk9809]

@@randomsurname9090 ~ I'm wondering if maybe it was also a touch of Thyroid disease? I've noticed most of the Stewart Kings and Princes have this feature. I've paid particular attention due to being related to them. I only recently found out about Thyroid Eyes, how the bulging is a feature of it. My dad had the same look to his eyes as he got close to 80, and if you changed his clothing and hair style, he would have fit in w/all the other Stewart King Portraits! 😉👑

[@neilbuckley1613]

Definitely hereditary in the Hanover family and passed down through Victoria. Look at a photo of Tsar Nicholas and King George V standing together. They were first cousins and look very similar, but te gie away is George's big blue eyes.

[@clairisalong126]

What was arsenic used for at the time? Did they know it was toxic, like they didn’t know mercury was toxic for a long time and were using it every day.

[@morewi]

It was used for a lot of things back then and arsenic has been used for thousands of years

[@rogerscottcathey]

Poor fellow. He was actually a decent man. He doubtlessly had been or became poisoned. Arsenic began to be used as a wallpaper colorant in 1775 "when Swedish German chemist Carl Wilhelm Scheele (1742-1786) first used arsenic to produce the vivid color that came to be known as Scheele’s Green." See RSID museum publication issue 15 Who knows if it was experimented with by the King through his interest in science or what . . .

[@Rich4098]

I once saw a show that forwarded the same theory about Napoleon's death. I think that locks of hair at the time were preserved in arsenic, and that's why they find arsenic in the hair.

[@thomasshepard6030]

Interbreeding had a lot to do with it

[@danydazed4314]

Can’t say I’ve ever pitied a king before, but king George…poor bastard.

[@GotrekGurnisson]

I love your thumbnail photo

[@LokiScarletWasHere]

If not for the arsenic I would have been open to the idea that he had partial seizures. Seizures can do some weird shit when they aren't tonic-clonic. Staring fits, mania, personality changes, you name it.

[@Sarafimm2]

The fact King George III was faithful to his wife, or enough to get her pregnant repeatedly, says a lot about their relationship. If he hadn't had such a good relationship with her or had far fewer possible heirs, he may have been able to pass the law that allows the monarch to control marriages within the royal family. It would have been challenged long ago and possibly abolished by Queen Elisabeth II's time, but can you imagine how the British monarchy might have been changed because of it.

[@donnasherwood283]

i think he had porphyria as does prince ernst of hanoer i believe which is some somatic genetic disorder

[@tessdurberville711]

It is a blood disorder.

[@_Peter_Silie_]

George III suffered from porphyrism, his state of health wasn't unclear from the beginning. The doctors made very much ado about him in order not to lose their jobs. They knew all about the disease.

[@Wren40]

Could have been a mixture of the poison, and the loss of his wife and daughter. A broken heart has been recorded making people so dispondant they give up.

[@michaelshore2300]

Wall paper Arsnic was used to produce the bright red in Georgian wall paper

[@sheilacabral7137]

Women also used cosmetics that contained things like arsenic,lead and silver nitrate. Any of these things could have made him sick. They also had wallpaper that contained things they used as dyes such as lead.

[@amariev226]

Probably poisoned. I remember in the movie they said he was peeing "blue."

[@marietteestabrook4098]

That’s from porphyria.

[@user-he8sc4ib7e]

Millennia of cousins intermarrying could have had something to do with the mental instability. As others have pointed out, mercury and arsenic compounds were common ingredients in so-called 'medicines' in those days, and was widely used in dyes, as was mercuric nitrate in hat making. Lead was everywhere, from plumbing to pewter to crystal glass. It's actually a miracle that every king and queen wasn't barking mad.

[@elizabethbrauer1118]

Perhaps they were all barking mad ... and we just called them eccentric, pompous, erratic, etc. King Charles was often considered odd, and still is.

[@drummergirl2319]

The American Revolutionary War technically began in 1775 with the battles of Lexington and Concord, not when we declared Independence in 1776.

[@TheNester.]

I think 🤔 his son was poisoning him.

[@ericf7063]

Well, anything's possible, but hazardous chemicals were used in the manufacture of a great many household items. From wallpaper to dishes to glassware. Lead, mercury, cyanide and arsenic were in almost everything back then. It's not surprising that it would show up in a hair sample. What wasn't mentioned was in what concentration and what else showed up.

[@michaelturner2806]

Haven't watched the video yet, but I'm here half because the video topic sounds interesting, but the other half wondering if the thumbnail is from Blackadder.

[@JMM33RanMA]

While this video goes further into the root causes, an important cause of disaffection between the colonies and the crown is overlooked. One of the last acts of the Stuart regime was to attempt to gain complete control over the colonies by abolishing their charters and their local governments in an attempted consolidation. On the eve of the "restoration" by William of Orange, the people of Boston arrested Governor General Andros and the people of New York arrested his Lt. Governor. Hamfisted actions by stubborn king and politicians continuously inflamed the already brewing discontent. It is correct that American portrayals of George III as a tyrant are somewhat exaggerated, but the statements and actions of the king and parliament lent them credence. My ancestors in Massachusetts were moved to revolt by the attempt to abolish their Parliament and local government by town meeting. The attack on Lexington and Concord was the spark that set of the powder keg.

[@doncook2054]

his bizarre upswings remind me of an acquaintance of mine (from eons ago), who didn't realize he had married a hell-being. He was so strung out on meth that he thought he was marrying the eagle on top of the flagpole at the (now discredited/closed) wedding chapel.....he would also talk nonstop for hours, and seemed to get so worked-up that he "frothed" ...I am a psychotherapist; it would be easy to slip into pop diagnosis, yet I think we should rule out substance abuse.

[@IapetusStag]

The only George I know: From Pirates of the Caribbean 😅😂

[@erikreber3695]

10 seconds in... was it found in green wallpaper??? 😂

[@bryancrick640]

We urgently need to discover the cause of KCIII's madness

[@tristanthomas5006]

I'd say the arsenic was exposed to him on and off. And long term, it caused Alzheimer's disease, which is why he never recovered in later life.

[@Fiobo823]

I just assumed he had syphilis!

[@chincemagnet]

When I heard madness and rheumatism, I assumed heavy metal toxicity, but my first thought was lead.

[@simonf8902]

Porphyria. Well known for years.

[@Imjetta7]

Symptoms don’t even match.

[@minaolenella869]

it is not believed anymore. None of the relatives have this genetic disease and symptoms do not fit.

[@scoopydaniels8908]

I never really considered the fact that the American Revolution is just a tiny piece of the British story from 1700 to 1850.. as a British person, how many of the battles can you name from the American Revolution?

[@user-tq9pv1zw6x]

He was probably bi-polar.

[@katherinelehmann9590]

It sounds a lot like bipolar disorder to me…

[@b1646717]

500 years of cousin lovin'?

[@Michael-vp9gs]

At the time of the American Revolution... King George the 3rd was not suffering from his much later mental health issues.

[@sarahhale-pearson533]

He had porfyria , an hereditary disease…

[@trinaedwards8182]

A good king

[@7thsealord888]

There was all the stress and grief he underwent, which would have taken its toll. Seems like he perhaps wasn't the strongest of people in the first place. In that era, Arsenic and other poisons were freely used in anything and everything, regarded as being beneficial when used properly. Add to that, the state of medical science then. Imo, George would probably have been better off consulting native 'witch doctors' from his overseas colonies, than the so-called doctors he actually had. With all that on him, George 3's deterioration isn't so strange. Perhaps we really should be asking HOW the poor b#st#rd hung on for as long as he did?

[@zogkuma]

Farmer George wasn't so mad after all! Who would'a thunk? 🤣

[@amadeusamwater]

If arsenic was the cause, it must have been intermittent. since the madness came and went.

[@dennismorgan2303]

that is it??????? what about the arsenic???

[@bethelshiloh]

This is the one to whom Cornwallis wrote to on behalf of my 5th great granddaddy for a pension.

[@debbralehrman5957]

Wow🤔

[@Torby4096]

Did he have green wallpaper?