Pitt and the King

• King George III: key information

  • he couldn't read properly until 11 years old
  • 1768 he founded the Royal Academy of Arts
  • payed an active role in political life
  • was the third Hanoverian monarch -> ruled from 1714
  • used patronage to influence Parliament on issues
• King George III: political instability

  • government at the time wasn't effective -> MPS were more likely to criticise than to cooperate
  • George wanted to hold coalition but Bute influenced him to focus on public life
  • elder Pitt and Thomas Delhalm -> George disliked them
  • Elder Pitt resigned in 1761 after questioning a war against Spain
  • George was vilified by Europe
  • Bute reigned due to financial instability
• King George III: North's ministry 1770-82

  • rural landowners didn't like him
  • America was the greatest and fatal issue -> squires and George agreed that America should be taxed for its own defences
  • the King prolonged the war for independence -> north was blamed
  • seen as a puppet of the king
  • Joined Charles James Fox
• King George III: William Pitt the Younger

  • war with France meant people turned to his side
  • Pitts government was the minority
  • due to his sons leaving the King became unstable
  • Pitt and Fox fought over powers the prince regent should have
• King George III: mental illness and family

  • violent breakdowns -> believed to have been caused by porphyria which is pain in the nervous system
  • cared for his family and children
  • sad when his children left and when some of his children died
  • could've had bipolar disorder
• William Pitt the Younger: key information

  • born 1759
  • Father was Pitt the Elder who was also a statesman and responsible for victories in the 7 Years War
  • died at age 46
  • youngest PM at 24
  • mother was the sister of a former Whig Prime Minister
  • was in ill health -> educated at home and went to Cambridge in which he graduated at 14
  • friend put him in touch with James Lowther
• William Pitt the Younger: Major Acts

  • Act of Union 1800 -> United Great Britain and Ireland
  • India Act of 1784 -> control over all the British territorial possessions in the East Indies
• William Pitt the Younger: first ministry 1783-1801

  • George III asked Pitt to form a government and he tried to do this with Fox -> who disagreed
  • high debt so harsh imports
  • corruption gave him the majority
  • parliament had to dissolve --> due to defeat by the North-Fox coalition
  • Pitt refused to give up
  • foreign policy had moderate success
• William Pitt the Younger: second ministry 1804-1806

  • weaker than his first
  • third coalition against Napoleon's France
  • created alliance with Russia, Sweden and Austria
  • failing with health
  • £40 000 grant to pay off his debt
  • died 23rd January 1806
• William Pitt the Younger: private life and character

  • never married and had few friends
  • lacked common touch -> benefitted from old political system although originally a reformer
  • didn't visit Scotland or Ireland
  • over-confident
• Charles James Fox: key information

  • third son of Lord Holland
  • Britain's first foreign secretary
  • long vendetta against George III
  • well known -> drinker, womaniser and gambler
  • pleaded to have the slave trade abolished
  • wanted to reduce the influence of the crown
• Charles James Fox: entry to politics

  • had seat due to his father
  • accused of insubordination due to opposing law about royal marriage
  • gravitated to whig group --> 'became their leader'
  • wanted to recognise New US -> right to conduct negotiations
• Charles James Fox: the Fox-North Coalition

  • joined his old enemy
  • Fox + North were the secretary of states
  • popularity was low due to offering the Prince of Wales £100 000 a year
  • fell due to the India Bill
  • House of Lords rejected the India Bill
  • Pitt became PM
  • supporters changed sides
• Charles James Fox: opposition to Pitt and Addington

  • became weakest opposition
  • welcomed the French revolution
  • could've joined Pitt but refused
  • damaged reputation by supporting the Prince of Wales
• Defeat and Political instability:

  • the American War of Independence 1776 - 1782 had resulted in a defeat for the British -> lost 13 colonies and this was humiliating
  • the war had led to a large national debt
  • increased political tensions as the Whigs had sided with the American Colonists
  • Whigs wanted to reduce the power of the monarchy -> George III mistrusted them
• Political Problems:

  • Lord North resigned in 1782 having disagreed with the monarch
  • Whig government of Shelburne was shunned by the charismatic Charles James Fox -> who joined his enemy Lord North
  • Shelburnes government was unworkable without Fox's supporters
  • Fox-North Coalition took over
  • Parliament attempted to gain control over the East India Company -> threat to the King's power
  • the bill fell and then the King bought in William Pitt
• Why Pitt becoming PM was surprising:

  • he was the youngest prime minister at 24 years old
  • had very little experience (only 4 years)
  • he didn't command the support of the majority of MPs in the house of commons
  • most support stemmed from the house of lords
  • people doubted him
• Why Pitt becoming PM was not surprising:

  • he came from a famous family, his father was prime minister
  • had the aid of the wealthy landowner James Lowther --> saw Pitt's youth as easily controllable and easy to influence
  • favoured by King George -> against the Fox-North Coalition
  • people began to distrust the Fox-North Coalition -> saw it as artificial
  • good public speaker
• independents: what made the 18th century House of Commons different from the present day was the number and importance of independent MPs. These are MPs not linked with political parties or factions. They gave their allegiance to the ministers whom they trusted the most. There were 92 county MPs and their status as landed gentry, sons or relatives of peers gave them independence.
• Why did George III favour Pitt?

  • Pitt as loyal and able to the King
  • Pitt was independent --> although effectively became a Tory
  • excellent speaker in the Commons
  • father and uncle had served the kind well -> nepotism??
• Potential Problems:

  • very little support in the house of commons at the start -> Fox-North coalition meant many MPs were loyal to the Whigs
  • this meant that Pitt would not be able to pass laws or legislation due to the lack of majority
  • Pitt came to power and lasted in power due to the King
  • didn't call an election straight away --> although urged too
• Comments made on Pitts ministry:

  • called the 'Mince Pie Ministry' -> they believed the government would fail before Christmas 1783
  • Criticism on the Rolliad (collection of Parliamentary jibes) said -> "A sight to make surrounding nations stare; A kingdom trusted to a school-boy's care.'
• Pitt winning allies:

  • independents began to warm up to him -> by 1784 he gained a following
  • Pitt passed the Mutiny Bill in March -> if this had failed so would his government
  • Kings patronage -> influenced the lords to back Pitt and not the Whigs (saw them as an enemy if they supported Whigs), created new peers (Lords) to support Pitt
  • Lords controlled pocket boroughs and put Pitt supporters in charge
  • John Robinson -> managed Pitts campaign and recruited more support in the Commons
• When was the 1784 election held?

  March
• The 1784 election results:

  • popular enthusiasm and the election campaign was hard fought
  • Westminster had 13 000 voters
  • Fox battled with Sir Cecil Wray -> gaining a small majority and he had the support of the Prince of Wales
  • influence and backstairs deals saw a large number of Pitt supporters returned
  • Patronage of the East India company was also important
• Out of the 558 MPs elected in the 1784 elections:

  • 52 regularly supported Pitt
  • 138 were supporters and followers of Charles James Fox
  • 183 were independent gentlemen/supporters of current Government
  • 185 were crown party -> these were people who word jobs, income or loyalty to the crown and would support whoever favoured the King
• The significance of the election:

  • the use of influence and patronage by royal agents was used to return MPS who would be loyal to the king and Pitt
  • Independents were impressed both by the strong impression that the Younger Pitt had given himself
  • Pitt attracted those who favoured reform and a more moral and principled type of politics
  • weak Fox-North coalition
  • populous boroughs may not have always supported Pitt
  • 1784 -> Pitt had support of the House of Commons, House of Lords and the King
• Pitt’s victory in 1784:

  Pitt’s Personal Qualities: he had good public speaking skills father had been prime minister, in favour of reform, less corrupt. Although his personal qualities were key, it was not his main reason

  King’s support: George created the support in the House of Lords, those in the lords favoured him, influenced opinions. Without the King’s support, Pitt worldn’t have had many people on his side and therefore wouldn’t have had a majority

  Unpopularity of Fox-North Coalition: seemed artificial. Not a major reason as Fox still had won his seat by a slight majority
• 1783 East India Bill and the fall of Fox:

  • November 1783 -> Fox introduced his East India Bill
  • to take power from the East India Company and transfer it to government
  • this is because the government had conquered much of India and Fox believed that to gain and increase power
  • contrary to the spirit of the 1689 Revolution
  • House of Lords vetoed the bill because the king had threatened them
• The English Bill of Rights 1689 -> laws and liberties changed -> the power of the king was limited further