George IV was acting as King long before he was crowned While his father George III suffered from mental health issues. In 1811 he took the oaths to be Regent (acting King) but was not King until 1920 when his father died. He did not have a good marriage and his wife Caroline was not allowed into Westminster Hall for the coronation, apparently, she was banging on the locked doors trying to get in. She fell ill at the Theatre that evening and died 3 weeks later. George IV loved the arts and architecture and with John Nash built some amazing buildings – Brighton Pavilion, Regent’s Street in London and Regent’s canal, he also supported musicians like Haydn, writers like Jane Austen and scientists like William Herschel.