United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland
United Kingdom, 1801–1927. Draft, not yet reviewed
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland was established by the Acts of Union in 1801 that united the Kingdom of Great Britain and the Kingdom of Ireland into one unitary and sovereign state. The 19th century was an era of Industrial Revolution and growth of trade and finance, in which Britain largely dominated the world economy. The Great Irish Famine, exacerbated by government inaction in the mid-19th century, led to demographic collapse in much of Ireland and increased calls for Irish land reform. Growing desire for Irish self-governance led to the Irish War of Independence, which resulted in British recognition of the Irish Free State in 1922.
Seat of power: London
Rulers
George III of Great Britain
monarch of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland, 1801–1820
The Acts of Union 1800 merged the separate kingdoms of Great Britain and Ireland into the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland. Further wars against revolutionary and Napoleonic France from 1793 concluded in the defeat of Napoleon at the Battle of Waterloo in 1815. In 1810, George suffered a final relapse of his recurrent mental illness, and his eldest son, George, Prince of Wales, was named Prince Regent the following year.
Portrait of George III of Great Britain: Allan Ramsay, Public domain, file
George IV of the United Kingdom
monarch of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland, 1820–1830
During most of George's regency and reign, Lord Liverpool controlled the government as prime minister of the United Kingdom. He commissioned John Nash to build the Royal Pavilion in Brighton and remodel Buckingham Palace. After Liverpool's retirement, George was forced to accept Catholic emancipation despite opposing it.
Portrait of George IV of the United Kingdom: Thomas Lawrence, Public domain, file
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William IV
monarch of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland, 1830–1837
His reign saw several reforms: the Poor Law was updated, child labour restricted, slavery abolished in nearly all of the British Empire, and the electoral system refashioned by the Reform Act 1832. Although William did not engage in politics as much as his brother or his father, he was the last British monarch to appoint a prime minister contrary to the will of Parliament.
Portrait of William IV: Martin Archer Shee, Public domain, file
Victoria
monarch of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland, 1837–1901
She inherited the throne aged 18 after her father's three elder brothers died without surviving legitimate issue. Victoria attempted privately to influence government policy and ministerial appointments; publicly, she became a national icon who was identified with strict standards of personal morality. Her reign of 63 years and 216 days, longer than those of any of her predecessors, constituted the Victorian era, a period of industrial, political, scientific, and military change within the United Kingdom marked by a great expansion of the British Empire.
Portrait of Victoria: Alexander Bassano, Public domain, file
Edward VII
monarch of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland, 1901–1910
He proved to be an effective constitutional monarch whose reign strengthened the popularity of the British monarchy. He played a role in the modernisation of the British Home Fleet and the reorganisation of the British Army after the Second Boer War of 1899 to 1902. He fostered good relations between Britain and other European countries, especially France, and was popularly called Peacemaker.
Portrait of Edward VII: W. & D. Downey, Public domain, file
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George V
monarch of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland, 1910–1927
His reign saw the rise of socialism, communism, fascism, Irish republicanism, and the Indian independence movement. The Parliament Act 1911 established the supremacy of the elected British House of Commons over the unelected House of Lords. In 1917, George became the first monarch of the House of Windsor, which he renamed from the House of Saxe-Coburg and Gotha as a result of anti-German public sentiment.
Portrait of George V: Bassano Ltd, Public domain, file
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Culture
- The exhibition was the first in a series of world's fairs, exhibitions of culture and industry that became popular in the 19th century.
- The Victorian era, the period of Queen Victoria's rule between 1837 and 1901, saw Britain reach the zenith of its economic and political power, with the introduction of steam ships, railways, photography and the telegraph.
- Famous people of the time attended the Great Exhibition, including Charles Darwin, Karl Marx, Michael Faraday and the writers Charlotte Brontë, Charles Dickens and Lewis Carroll.
Picture
The Great Exhibition, also known as the Crystal Palace Exhibition, was an international exhibition in Hyde Park, London, from 1 May to 15 October 1851.
Image: Read & Co. Engravers & Printers, Public domain, file
Sources
- United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland (Wikipedia)
- United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland (Wikidata)
- About the picture (Wikipedia)
Text adapted from the Wikipedia articles listed as sources, CC BY-SA 4.0.