Breadth 2: Monarchy

George III: 1760-1820

  • 1780s and 1800s experienced mental instability

  • Son Prince George took on royal duties

  • 1714- network of patronage ensured loyalty from MPs and extended Crown’s influence

  • Inc financial incentives (sinecures/pensions) secured govt support esp in American War

  • 1770s ++++opposition to patronage, taxes funded the war, govt contracts favoured certain suppliers

  • 1779 Rev. Christopher Wyvill founded the Yorkshire Association, advocated for tax+spending reductions via limitations of Crown+govt patronage

  • Other counties followed and the association allied with the Rockingham Whigs incredibly Edmund Burke

  • Burke was mega against pointless well paid positions, wanted reforms to end royal patronage

  • Initial bill failed but put reform on the agenda

  • Burke was paymaster of the armed forces, limited his salary and placed funds in the BofE

  • Supported the Civil Service Act 1782, abolished 130+ sinecures and saved £70,000 annually

  • Pitt’s 1784 election success was ensured by Crown influence w/ patronage+corruption giving him a maj

  • Public ops did aid put but he was primarily the dispenser of royal patronage

  • Monarch’s influence was declining by George’s death but was prominent during his reign

William IV: 1830-37

  • Position of monarchy challenged by 1832 reform act

  • King had been pressured to appoint more Whig peers May 1832, first time monarch had been forced to agree to such pressures

  • Harder for the King to appoint/dismiss ministers.

  • 1834-35, 1834 the King dismissed the Whig govt and invited Peel/Cons to form a govt

  • Despite winning back 100ish seats in the general election that they’d lost to the Whigs 1832, no govt could be formed as there was no maj of support for Peel in the HoC

  • Peel had to resign, King had to invite Whigs to form a govt

  • Monarch could not rely on patronage to maintain the govt he wanted in power

  • Public ops and party politics +++important

  • Crown’s influence over the composition of govt significantly reduced

Victoria: 1837-1901

  • 1837 aged 18 Victoria came to the throne

  • At first very reliant on advice of Lord Melbourne, Whig PM

  • HoC defeat caused M’s resignation, Peel was invited to form a govt

  • Victoria followed M’s advice and refused to change her ladies in waiting for Peel

  • Bedchamber Crisis of 1839 had M back in office

  • Prince Albert died 1861 and she withdrew from public life

  • Although she continued to work on state business, rumours started that she’d gone mad like her grandfather George III

  • Queen Victoria largely did not go against PM wishes, although had a strong ops on abilities of ministers that were kept to herself

  • 1871 Sir Charles Dilke radical MP suggested abolishing the monarchy to WC Newcastle

  • Many MPs thought the monarchy should receive less tax payer money esp for maintaining Vic’s 9 children

  • Some Monarchists suggested Dilke should be shot

  • Vic’s image improved when her son nearly died of typhoid fever 1872

  • Public sympathy and nationalism ++

  • Monarch rebrand as Germany on the rise

  • Monarch symbol of imperial greatness and Brit Nationalism

  • Vic had a great relationship w/ Disraeli PM from 1874 who she called ‘Dizzy

  • Dizzy contributed to her rebrand calling of ‘Empress of India’ 1876

George V: 1910-35

  • Became Monarch during the HoL crisis

  • Uncertain how to act

  • Similar w/ William’s situation 1832

  • King was requested by Asquith to create a n.o Liberal peers to help w/ passing bills in the HoL, King agreed on the down-low, the threat was enough to convince the Lords, the peers weren’t created.

  • Monarch’s could technically veto bills that had passed in the Houses of Parliament, but had last been used in 1707

  • George considered using his royal veto over Ireland but assented to Irish Home Rule in 1914

  • 1924 George was co-operative 1924 for when PM stood down and George followed the convention of letting the next biggest Party form govt

  • FIRST EVER LABOUR GOVT

  • George V appointed Ramsay MacDonald Jan 1924 and was super celebrated for his tactful/helpful attitude towards Labour cabinet members