The Madness of King George III
The Madness of King George begins at the end 1788 when King George III’s sanity began to be questioned. The film documents the struggles surrounding the politics and relationships within the Royal Family during King George III’s battle with mental illness. The movie ends only six months later in April of 1789 when King George III is found fit for duty and returns to his regular routine. Despite several historical inaccuracies, The Madness of King George accurately displays the hardships associated with King George III's illness in conjunction with the responsibilities of his office.
Alan Bennett originally wrote The Madness of King George in 1991. The award winning film, released in December of 1994 in the United States, also appeared in March of 1995 in the United Kingdom. Alan Bennett was born in Leeds, England and attended Oxford University, later working as an actor, screenwriter, and author. Nicholas Hytner produced many historical films before directing The Madness of King George. Some of his work includes, Henry IV, Henry V, Miss Saigon and several other films based on the writings of Shakespeare. 1
In 1760, the sudden death of King George II placed his grandson, George III, on the throne. Approximately one year later, he was married to Charlotte of Mecklenburg-Strelitz, a seventeen-year-old girl from a small duchy south of the German Baltic coast.2 Born the following year, their first son, the future George IV was followed by fourteen other siblings at almost an annual pace. George III’s first decade as King was not free of problems, but was fairly calm in the arenas of government and personal sanity. George III competently assumed the position as king and won, for the most part, the hearts and minds of his people.
In the opening scene of The Madness of King George, Nigel Hawthorne, the actor playing King George III, refers to himself as “Farmer George” in a quite pompous manner. His subjects assigned the nickname due to the King’s
Alan Bennett originally wrote The Madness of King George in 1991. The award winning film, released in December of 1994 in the United States, also appeared in March of 1995 in the United Kingdom. Alan Bennett was born in Leeds, England and attended Oxford University, later working as an actor, screenwriter, and author. Nicholas Hytner produced many historical films before directing The Madness of King George. Some of his work includes, Henry IV, Henry V, Miss Saigon and several other films based on the writings of Shakespeare. 1
In 1760, the sudden death of King George II placed his grandson, George III, on the throne. Approximately one year later, he was married to Charlotte of Mecklenburg-Strelitz, a seventeen-year-old girl from a small duchy south of the German Baltic coast.2 Born the following year, their first son, the future George IV was followed by fourteen other siblings at almost an annual pace. George III’s first decade as King was not free of problems, but was fairly calm in the arenas of government and personal sanity. George III competently assumed the position as king and won, for the most part, the hearts and minds of his people.
In the opening scene of The Madness of King George, Nigel Hawthorne, the actor playing King George III, refers to himself as “Farmer George” in a quite pompous manner. His subjects assigned the nickname due to the King’s