KING WILLIAM IV - AUTOGRAPH LETTER SIGNED 10/06/1827 - HFSID 54993
Price: $2,200.00
KING WILLIAM IV
Handwritten letter from the prince asking for the recipient's presence at a ceremony
Autograph Letter Signed: "William Frederick", 3p (integral leaf), 7x9¼ folded, 14¼x9¼
unfolded. October 6, 1827. The prince requests the presence of the recipient at a
ceremony, ostensibly mentioning his sister, Charlotte, Princess Royal, Queen of
Wurttemberg, in the opening. A response from the recipient contained in the inner part of
the integral leaf reads, in part: “Sir,/ I have this evening received the Honor of Your Royal Royale
Highness's letter of this day…Sir, Your Royal Highness's/ Most Obedient/ Humble Servant”.
Prince William Henry (1765-1837), the third son of King George III, reigned as King
William IV from 1830 until his death. Since his older brothers, including King George IV,
predeceased him without legitimate offspring, he inherited the throne, becoming the last
Hanoverian monarch of England. William, who himself had 10 illegitimate children, also
died without an official heir, resulting in the accession of his niece, Queen Victoria. As a
young officer in the Royal Navy, the future king served in New York during the American
Revolution, where George Washington authorized a plot to kidnap him, if this could be
done "without offering insult or indignity." Serving in the West Indies, he formed a lifelong
friendship with Lord Horatio Nelson. In 1789, King George III made William the Duke of
Clarence reluctantly, fearing that his reform-minded son would be a vote against him in
the House of Lords. William forced his royal father's hand by threatening to run for the
House of Commons, a threat which appalled the King. As a member of the House of Lords,
William - now the Duke of Clarence - generally supported reform measures, with one
notable exception: he supported slavery and the slave trade. Despite his naval background,
and despite being made a titular Lord High Admiral, William unsuccessfully sought active
duty during the Napoleonic Wars; his early opposition to war with France probably prevented
this, although he later supported the conflict. William IV proved a popular monarch, noted
for shunning pomp and ceremony. His reign saw the passage, with his support, of the
Reform Act of 1832, expanding the British electorate, and also - despite his earlier
opposition - the ending of the slave trade. Multiple folds. Toned. Faint surface creases
throughout. Several stains. Corners lightly worn. Tape remnants on top half of first page.
Otherwise, fine condition.
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