Trama

When King George III goes mad, his Lieutenants try to adjust the rules to run the country without his participation.

Aging King George III of England (Sir Nigel Hawthorne) is exhibiting signs of madness, a problem little understood in 1788. As the monarch alternates between bouts of confusion and near-violent outbursts of temper, his hapless doctors attempt the ineffectual cures of the day. Meanwhile, Queen Charlotte (Dame Helen Mirren) and Prime Minister William Pitt the Younger (Julian Wadham) attempt to prevent the King's political enemies, led by the Prince of Wales (Rupert Everett), from usurping the throne.—Jwelch5742

It's the late eighteenth century. King George III of England is generally genial and well-liked by his subjects, despite England having recently "lost" a colony, which is now calling itself the United States of America. His biggest supporters include his wife, Queen Charlotte, Prime Minister William Pitt, who realizes that a strong regent is essential to his own agenda regardless of what he thinks of the role of the King in and of itself, and many of the royal servants, such as Captain Greville, the King's new equerry, and Lady Pembroke, the Queen's lady in waiting. Regardless, there are factions who would like to take the King down, first and foremost being George, the Prince of Wales, the King and Queen's eldest offspring and first in line for the throne, the largely idle Prince who wants the title for the associated proverbial as opposed to actual power. The King begins to exhibit odd behavior, which grows increasingly bizarre. There are physical signs that the issue is medical in nature, such as discolored urine. While conventional medicine of the day is more to keep a patient as comfortable as possible, an outsider is brought in in the form of Francis Willis, who is able to take charge of the medical care of the King in believing that the King can be cured, whether or not the King likes the treatment and/or Willis and his team's proverbial bedside manner. Meanwhile, the Prince tries to take advantage of his father's ill-health for his own benefit, he knowing he having the support of the reform-minded leader of the opposition, Charles Fox. The Prince, however, is unaware that what may be problematic is the true nature of his relationship with Mrs. Maria Fitzherbert, who most openly just assume is the Prince's mistress.—Huggo

A meditation on power, and the metaphor of the body of state, based on the real episode of dementia experienced by King George III (Sir Nigel Hawthorne) (now suspected a victim of porphyria, a blood disorder). As he loses his senses, he becomes both more alive, and more politically marginalized, neither effect desirable to his Lieutenants, who jimmy the rules to avoid a challenge to regal authority, raising the question of who is really in charge.—Dan Hartung <dhartung@mcs.com>

The story of King George III of England's (Sir Nigel Hawthorne's) slide into insanity, and the political and royal back-stabbing which results from his incapacitation. Despite being very amusing at times, this is a sad tale of medical practices in the later 1700s, as well as an insight into life inside and around the royaly of the time.—Rob Hartill