King George III, the monarch of Great Britain, died on this day in 1820. He was the guy who let the 13 colonies slip through his fingers, though it could be fairly argued that had more to do with overly punitive ministers than his own orders. In fact, the war was something of a PR boost, as most Britons respected his gumption in the fight to keep the colonies. Today, though, he's also known for losing his mind.
The king had faced challenges greater than those experienced by most British monarchs. Losing the colonies may have made him popular, but the war was also expensive and led to great political ructions. The stress was immense.
In several instances between 1788 and 1804, he went through bouts of chronic pain, experienced hallucinations, and occasionally became violent. In 1810, he went through another spell of madness that would become permanent. His son, the Prince of Wales, took the reins; on his father's death, he became George IV.
Recent research indicates there may have been something else going on. It turns out that he likely had porphyria, a hereditary condition with symptoms that exactly matched what George III had gone through. You can read about the king, and the centuries-long speculation over his condition, on the website of Colonial Williamsburg.
