Birth of William IV
Birth of William IV, Buckingham Palace, 3rd son of George III & Charlotte
Role range: 1830-1837
Historical biography archive · Updated 2026-11-03
William IV Biography and Timeline
Follow William IV through 26 dated historical records for Great Britain.
William IV, historical timeline
A chronological timeline drawn from matching World History Database records.
26Distinct records
1 of 1Page
1765–1837Years on this page
1765
1772
Legislation
Royal Mariages Act, royalty under 25 must have permission of the sovereign
Role range: 1763-1809 – 1830-1837
1784
Marriage
Allegedly enters into a secret marriage to Caroline von Linsingen
Role range: 1830-1837
1785
Lieutenant
Appointed Lieutenant aboard the Hebe, 40 gun frigate
1786
Captain
Appointed Captain
1787
Marriage
Gives away the bride at Nelson's wedding
1788
Rear Admiral
Appointed Rear Admiral
1789
Peerage
Created the Earl of Munster
Role range: 1830-1837
Peerage
Created the Duke of Clarence
Role range: 1830-1837
1794
Birth of George
Birth of George, son of William IV & Dorothy Jordan
Role range: 1830-1837
Vice Admiral
Appointed Vice Admiral
1811
Admiral
Appointed Admiral of the Fleet
1818
Marriage
William IV marries Adelaide of Saxe-Meiningen
Role range: 1830-1837
1827
Succession
George IVs brother, Frederick "Grand Old Duke of York, dies making William heir
Role range: 1830-1837
1830
Accession
Accedes to the throne on the death of his brother George IV.
Role range: 1830-1837
Succession
Succeeds his brother George IV as King of Great Britain.
Role range: 1830-1837
Formation of Grey Ministry
Invites Earl Grey to form a government after Wellington's resignation.
Role range: 1830-1837
1831
Coronation
Crowned King of Great Britan
Role range: 1830-1837
Peerage
Created the Duke of St Andrews
Role range: 1830-1837
1832
Constitution of Great Britain
The Reform Act abolishes the King's power to buy seats in Parliament. Parliament is free to choose its own Prime Minister
Role range: 1830-1834 – 1830-1837
Reform of Parliament
The Reform Act abolishes the King's power to buy seats in Parliament. Parliament is free to choose its own Prime Minister. 1st Reform Bill, threatens to create extra piers if the Lords do not pass the bill
Role range: 1830-1834 – 1830-1837
1833
Royal Assent Given To Abolition
The Slavery Abolition Act received royal assent in August 1833 during the reign of William IV.
Royal Assent To Factory Regulation
The Factory Act of 1833 became law during the reign of William IV and introduced a national system of factory inspection.
1834
Dismissal
Dismisses the Melbourne Cabinet, the last time a British monarch takes such an action
Role range: 1830-1837
1837
Death of William IV
Death of William IV, of pneumonia & cirrhosis of the liver. Death of William IV, last of the Hanoverian Dynasty
Role range: 1830-1837
Burial
Buried in St George's Chapel, Windsor
Role range: 1830-1837
Records, sources and methodology
These dates and descriptions come from the historical_events database. Exact duplicate records have been collapsed. Names are grouped by the country, Name 2 and Name 1 fields; records with missing Name 2 cannot be reliably assigned to an individual biography. Check the underlying sources before formal citation.