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The Six Masonic Sons of George III:
Part I
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George III (1738-1820) is probably best known for his long
reign, his "madness" and for losing the American War of
Independence. However, Freemasons should remember
him for other reasons.
George was the grandson of George II and the son of
Frederick Lewis, Prince of Wales (1707-1751), the first
Royal Freemason. Frederick Lewis led a hedonistic lifestyle
and died before his father, thrusting George onto the thrones
of England and Hanover in 1760 at the age of just 20.
A year later he married Princess Charlotte of Mecklenburg-Strelitz and fathered 15 children in 22 years. George, unlike
George I and George II, was popular with his English subjects.
Born in England, he spoke English and preferred to live in
England. Unlike his father, he was prudent, Tory, interested
in agriculture, and according to Georgian society, the ruler
of the dullest court in Europe.
This was also in marked contrast to his brothers, who like
Frederick Lewis, enjoyed parties, drinking, gambling and
running up huge debts. Three of George's brothers followed
Frederick Lewis into Freemasonry, including Henry,
Duke of Cumberland (1745-1790) who, in 1782, became
Grand Master of the Premier Grand Lodge of England.
George III never became a Freemason himself. However,
he did father seven sons who lived to maturity, of whom six
became Freemasons. Those six sons were: George, Prince of
Wales; Frederick Augustus, Duke of York; William Henry,
Duke of Clarence; Edward Augustus, Duke of Kent; Ernest
Augustus, Duke of Cumberland and Augustus Frederick,
Duke of Sussex.
They were men of very differing characters, with
contrasting political and personal outlooks on life, but
all found something in Freemasonry, which is why they
are all worth examining as individual men and Freemasons.
George III and family
All photographs copyright and courtesey of the Library & Museum, United Grand Lodge of England
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Copyright 2002-2007
MQ Magazine
Web site created by Mark Griffin
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