William IV

Previous king: George IV (brother)       Reigned: 1830-1837       Next queen: Victoria (niece)

William IV George IV had no children to inherit, so his younger brother William IV became king when he died. He was 64, the oldest man to become king.

Burning of the Houses of Lords and Commons by Turner The Industrial Revolution had caused major shifts in population.In 1832, the Reform Act was passed. This standardised and extended parliamentary representation. Many of the growing towns gained representation, and rotten boroughs (which had MPs although there were few voters) were abolished.

In 1833, slavery was abolished throughout the British Empire. The slave trade had been abolished in 1807.

In 1834, most of the Houses of Parliament was destroyed by fire. J M W Turner, the landscape painter, painted this (see right).

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