William IV was the third son of George III (the “mad†king), who was groomed to join the navy (what’re you gonna do with third sons?!), and eventually became Admiral of the Fleet. Named the Duke of Clarence by his father, William retired from service in 1790 and settled comfortably in with his mistress, the actress, Dorothy Jordan, with whom he sired ten children. Eventually prevailed upon to effect a suitable marriage for political purposes, he amiably left Dottie and married Princess Adelaide of Saxe-Meiningen. They had a surprisingly solid marriage, although repeated attempts to produce progeny ended tragically in miscarriages and early deaths. Upon being awakened in the night upon the death of his brother, George IV, and being told that he was now king, he rolled over and went back to sleep, remarking that he had not yet slept with a queen until this moment. His tenure was relatively peaceful, and the Reform Act of 1832 is its most lasting contribution. Well – almost – perhaps the most important legacy was that William’s brother Edward’s daughter, Victoria, ascended to the throne upon William’s death in 1837, and England didn’t have to worry about heirs for another 65 years – what a relief!
