Primary Source

Image Citation

“State Portrait of George III in Coronation Robes,” by Allan Ramsay, Jamestown-Yorktown Foundation. JYF2009.2.

Standards and Skills

Virginia Standards of Learning: VUS.4c, US1.6c, VS.5b

Meets National Standards of Learning for Social Studies

Summary and Significance

This coronation portrait announces King George III’s succession to the supreme power in Britain. This painting captures a moment of optimism within the British empire. King George III set out to rule as an enlightened king. American colonists were hopeful that his reign would start a new era of wealth and growth. These hopes proved false. Eventually, the American colonists rebelled against King George III in the American Revolution.

Historical Background and Image Analysis

Image/Author Background

King George III was many things. The king who lost America in the American Revolution. The “Mad King”. The… enlightened king?

When King George III took the throne in 1760, he saw himself as an enlightened king who valued virtue and wished to avoid party politics. His coronation was cheered by British subjects, including American colonists.

Copies of this portrait, by artist Allan Ramsay were sent around the empire to convey his authority, much like official presidential photo portraits are distributed today.

Americans had every reason to praise their new king at the beginning of his reign. The French and Indian War ended in 1763 after nine years of conflict. The victory gave Great Britain control over eastern North America, including lands west of the Appalachian Mountains.

The Proclamation Act of 1763 issued by George III banned settlement west of the Appalachians. The relationship between the Americans and the king began to sour, leading to conflict with the British government through the 1760s and early 1770s.

Despite widespread discontent among the colonials, many Americans remained loyal to the King. Some believed Parliament was the problem, not the King. Attempting to reach the King directly, colonists sent King George III the Olive Branch Petition in 1775, a final effort to avoid war.

King George did not respond to the Olive Branch Petition. Instead, he issued the Proclamation of Rebellion, which declared parts of the colonies to be in “open and avowed rebellion.” The refusal of the King to even read the petition was the final straw for American colonists. The Declaration of Independence soon followed in response.

King George III eventually lost the fight to keep the American colonies part of the British empire. The king’s mental health began to severely decline soon after, leading to his nickname “The Mad King.”

Image Analysis

In the portrait, King George III is depicted as a monarch of the Enlightenment. The king appears lavishly and ornately adorned. His crown sits to his right, placed on a blue velvet cushion. The crown is not worn on the king’s head but is placed in the background of the image. Also missing are the other usual monarchical symbols, such as the orb and scepter. These symbols are front and center in a portrait showing Queen Elizabeth I at her own 1559 coronation, shown here. Comparing the two portraits, the one of King George III clearly decenters symbols of the power of the monarchy.

Classroom Inquiry

King George III’s coronation portrait showed that he would be an enlightened King who would be virtuous and put his country before politics. Compare the portrait of King George III to the painting of George Washington around the time he was sworn in as America’s first president.

1. What elements of the King George III portrait show that he is a wealthy and powerful monarch?
   The ornate and expensive clothing and the crown show King George III is wealthy and powerful.
2. King George III’s portrait includes symbols of monarchy. What symbols of American democracy does George Washington’s portrait include?
   The symbols of American democracy include the books and the American flag symbol on the chair. His extended hand also acknowledges that his power comes from the people.
3. Examine King George III’s portrait with students and point out that the portrait showed he was an enlightened king who would value virtue and what was best for the people over politics by: Including a crown without other symbols of monarchy (like a scepter or orb), putting the crown slightly behind him, not on his head, and standing casually.
   Ask students: What are other elements he could have included in the painting to show he was an “enlightened king”? Either list them or draw your own portrait.

Related Classroom Resources

Looking for more educational content? Explore these online tools:

• Teaching with Primary Sources Digital Library

Additional Reading

• “George III by Allan Ramsay, 1762,” The American Revolution Institute.
• George III (1738-1820), Colonial Williamsburg, http://www.ouramericanrevolution.org/index.cfm/people/view/pp0022.
• Jeremy Black, The Hanoverians: The History of a Dynasty (London: Palgrave Macmillan, 2004).
• Jeremy Black, George III: America’s Last King (New Haven: Yale University Press, 2006).
• “Up Close with George Washington,” Smithsonian National Portrait Gallery.