William IV of the United Kingdom

William Henry was born as the third son of King George III and Queen Charlotte at Buckingham House. As the third in line, he was never expected to become king, which shaped his unconventional upbringing and career path.

At age thirteen, William entered the Royal Navy as a midshipman aboard HMS Prince George. This began his naval career that would span over a decade and earn him the nickname 'Sailor King' later in life.

William participated in his first naval engagement at the Battle of Cape St. Vincent against the Spanish fleet. Despite his young age, he showed courage under fire and gained valuable combat experience.

William served in New York during the American Revolutionary War. George Washington reportedly approved a plot to kidnap him, but it was never executed. This experience gave him firsthand knowledge of colonial affairs.

While serving in the West Indies, William formed a lasting friendship with the future Admiral Horatio Nelson. They would remain close friends until Nelson's death at Trafalgar, with William serving as best man at Nelson's wedding.

William was promoted to the rank of Captain in the Royal Navy and given command of HMS Pegasus. He proved to be a competent naval commander, though his royal status sometimes complicated his relationships with fellow officers.

King George III created William the Duke of Clarence and St Andrews, along with Earl of Munster. This peerage gave him a seat in the House of Lords and formal royal responsibilities beyond his naval career.

William began a long relationship with the famous actress Dorothea Jordan. They would live together for twenty years and have ten illegitimate children, known as the FitzClarences, whom he openly acknowledged and supported.

William ended his twenty-year relationship with Dorothea Jordan, partly due to pressure to marry and produce legitimate heirs following Princess Charlotte's death. Jordan died in poverty in France five years later.

William married Princess Adelaide of Saxe-Meiningen in a double ceremony with his brother Edward. Despite their 27-year age difference, the marriage proved happy, though their children died in infancy.

George IV appointed William as Lord High Admiral, the first person to hold the office since 1709. He threw himself into naval reform with enthusiasm, though conflicts with the Admiralty Board led to his resignation the following year.

Upon the death of his brother George IV, William became King at age 64 - the oldest person to assume the British throne at that time. His accession was largely due to the deaths of his two elder brothers without legitimate heirs.

William was crowned at Westminster Abbey in a deliberately simple ceremony that cost a fraction of his brother's extravagant coronation. His unpretentious style earned him popularity with the public and the nickname 'Sailor King.'

After intense political crisis, William agreed to create new peers if necessary to pass the Great Reform Act, which expanded voting rights and reformed parliamentary representation. His pragmatic intervention helped avert potential revolution.

The Slavery Abolition Act was passed during William's reign, abolishing slavery throughout most of the British Empire. As a former naval officer who had witnessed slavery in the West Indies, William supported this humanitarian legislation.

William exercised royal prerogative to dismiss Lord Melbourne's Whig government - the last British monarch to remove a ministry against parliamentary will. The resulting Peel government fell within months, demonstrating the limits of royal power.

At a state dinner, William publicly attacked the Duchess of Kent for keeping Princess Victoria isolated and expressed his hope to live until Victoria turned 18. His outburst shocked the court but reflected genuine concern for his niece's welfare.

William IV died at Windsor Castle from heart failure, just one month after Princess Victoria's eighteenth birthday. He had achieved his goal of preventing a regency. Victoria succeeded him, ending the personal union with Hanover.