In June 1830, King William IV became the oldest person to ascend the British throne. Both his age and lack of legitimate children soon began causing concern over what would happen in the case of his death.
As the daughter of King George III’s next son – the Duke of Kent, who passed away in 1820 – eleven year Princess Victoria of Kent was next in line. However, Victorias age was also a concern as she was still a minor, making her unable to rule independently. As a result, the ‘Regency Act’ was put in place on 23rd December 1830.
The new Act clarified two concerns: what would happen if Victoria became Queen while she was still below the age of eighteen; and what would happen if Queen Adelaide gave birth to the kings baby either before or after his death.
It stated that in the instance of a legitimate child or pregnancy, the baby would instantly become monarch (born or not) and Adelaide would have acted as Regent until it turned eighteen. Similarly, if Victoria had inherited the throne, her mother – the Duchess of Kent – would have taken on the role. In the instance of Queen Adelaide’s death and the King remarrying, the Regency Act would have no longer been applicable.
Knowing that the Duchess had been trying to get a regency for years, William IV was determined not to let her succeed, and – during a banquet held to celebrate the Queens birthday – put his ‘trust in God that my life be spared for nine months longer, after which period, in the event, no regency would take place’. Despite his increasingly fragile health, the King – who was still without an heir of his own – stood by his word and passed away just one month after Princess Victoria turned eighteen, thus avoiding a Regency and allowing Victoria to rule freely.
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