William IV of Great Britain
William IV, known as the 'Sailor King' for his genuine career in the Royal Navy under Admiral Rodney in the American Revolutionary War, came to the throne in 1830 at the age of 64 as the eldest surviving son of George III after the deaths of his brothers. His reign was dominated by the constitutional crisis over parliamentary reform: the Great Reform Act of 1832, which redistributed seats from rotten boroughs to the new industrial cities and extended the franchise to the propertied middle classes, passed only after William agreed — under duress — to create enough new Whig peers to overcome the House of Lords' resistance. The Slavery Abolition Act of 1833, abolishing slavery throughout the British Empire and providing £20 million in compensation to slave-owners, was one of the most significant legislative acts of the century. Straightforward in manner, occasionally tactless, and more popular than his brother George IV, he was succeeded on his death in 1837 by his niece Victoria.
- Lived: 1765 CE – 1837 CE
- Nationality: british
- Roles: king, naval officer
