Bridgerton spin off Queen Charlotte has sparked viewer's interest in the history that inspired the story. The Netflix series explores the relationship between Queen Charlotte and King George III, and explores how the couple navigated their relationship through his mental health.
King George III's "madness" has been well documented in popular culture and the history books over the years but the cause of his illness is much debated among historians.
According to the Royal Family's official website, he experienced bouts of illness between 1788-89 and again in 1801. He became permanently deranged in 1810. In the last decade of his reign, his son George IV, acted as Prince Regent from 1811.
Read more: 'My brain was telling me my baby was going to die'
Some medical historians have argued that his mental instability was caused by a hereditary physical disorder called porphyria. Others, believe that he had bipolar disorder and or hypomania
What is porphyria and its symptoms?
Porphyrias are a group of mainly inherited conditions. They are characterised by attacks of severe pain or light sensitive skin problems. It is a rare genetic disease.
According to the Mayo Clinic in the USA, symptoms of acute porphyrias may include:
- Severe pain in the belly, chest, legs or back.
- Digestive problems, such as constipation, nausea and vomiting.
- Muscle pain, tingling, numbness, weakness or paralysis.
- Red or brown urine.
- Mental changes, such as anxiety, hallucinations or mental confusion.
- Rapid or irregular heartbeats you can feel, called palpitations.
- Breathing problems.
- High blood pressure.
- Seizures.
The idea that King George III suffered from porphyria was first mentioned by mother and son psychiatrists, Ida Macalpine and Richard Hunter in the 1960s. They came to these findings after studying his medical history which detailed his bouts of mania and stomach pain.
However, many scientists and medical historians since have rejected these findings. In a paper published by the Royal College of Physicians of Edinburgh, researchers claim that he most probably suffered from recurrent bipolar disorder, with at least three episodes of acute mania and with chronic mania, and possible dementia later in life.
Read next:
- Michael Mosley shares five simple ways to sleep better that everyone can do
- Sue Cleaver's refusal to obsess over diets as she made one simple change to lose weight
- Eight hidden signs your child may have anxiety
- 'Like being taken over by a demon' What it's like to live with PMDD
- Mum who starved son to death will stay in secure hospital 'indefinitely'
