How was King George III mad?

Modern medicine may help us to discover the real reasons behind King George III's erratic behaviour, writes historian Lucy Worsley. George III is well known in children's history books for being the "mad king who lost America". read more

George III (George William Frederick; 4 June 1738 – 29 January 1820) was King of Great Britain and King of Ireland from 25 October 1760 until the union of the two countries on 1 January 1801, after which he was King of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland until his death in 1820. read more

George III is well known in children's history books for being the"mad king who lost America". In recent years, though, it has become fashionable among historians to put his"madness" down to the physical, genetic blood disorder called porphyria. read more

Dr. Manfred S. Guttmacher, an Amer­ican psychiatrist, took this position in his 1941 book, America’s Last King: An Interpretation of the Madness of King George III. Guttmacher believed the king’s behavior reflected a manic-depressive psychosis that lasted throughout his life. read more

We now know from a description of his symptoms, particularly the colour of his urine, that George III suffered from a rare condition called porphyria which affects the cognitive functions but is not in itself a mental.illness. read more