King George III died on 29th January 1820 and his son (the Prince Regent) became King George IV at the age of 57. Charles Windsor may also be a relative old king (a very old one, if his mother lives as long as the Queen mother).
By this time, the King's Apartments at the Royal Pavilion were finished. They consisted of:
The green walls of these rooms are covered with the designs of dragons, dolphins, birds and flowers.
To mark his affection for Maria Fitzherbert, the new king raised her annual allowance to £10,000, while to mark his hatred of his official wife (Caroline of Brunswick), he refused to let her play any part in the coronation ceremony on 19th July 1821.
Caroline in fact tried to force her way into George's coronation ceremony and there was some rioting in sympathy for her, but she was unsuccessful and died later the same year.
In 1822, the exterior of the Royal Pavilion (as it is today) was completed in stucco and Bath stone. The finishing touches were added to the decorative interior of the Palace in 1823. Click on the picture for a link to a web site with more information on Bath stone and materials used for interior decoration.
Also in 1822, a tunnel was dug leading from the Palace to the Royal Stables. People who knew the king in his younger days, wondered whether there was a similar tunnel leading to Mrs Fitzherbert's house, but no evidence of one has been uncovered yet. If you edit a tabloid newspaper, do not go digging up the Old Steine as you will not be popular with Brighton & Hove Council!
During, the reign of King George IV, Brighton continued to develop:
King George IV was to enjoy his Royal Palace until 6th March 1827. His treatment of Caroline of Brunswick made him unpopular in many circles and more political control moved from the monarchy to Parliament.
King George IV died at Windsor on 26 June 1830 and was buried with a locket of Maria Fitzherbert's hair. Maria outlived the King by nearly seven years. She lived (without the locket of her hair) until 27th March 1837. She was buried in St John Baptist's Catholic Church in East Brighton. The picture shows George IV's statue, which is situated just outside of the grounds near the North Gate of the Royal Pavilion. King George IV was succeeded by his brother King William IV, who made many visits to Brighton and the Royal Pavilion.