EXCLUSIVE MASTERCLASS | THE ROYAL COLLECTORS: KING GEORGE III | ‘The most cultured monarch’, art collector, friend of America and family man with Oliver Everett

George III is unjustly remembered solely as having been mad and having lost the American colonies. This lecture corrects this impression. He was a discerning art collector, patron of the arts and artists, friend of America and Americans, and a committed family man. He was also a keen architect who added the future Buckingham Palace to the Royal residences, and re-inhabited Windsor Castle. 

This lecture describes his life, family and wide interests, his patronage of the arts, his important additions to the Royal Collection and his relationship with North America and Americans.

OLIVER EVERETT is Librarian Emeritus of the Royal Library, Windsor Castle. He was Librarian there and Assistant Keeper of the Royal Archives from 1985 to 2002. He wrote articles on the Royal Library, helped with several books on the Royal Collection, wrote the official guidebook on Windsor Castle, taught a history course on it and advised on a television series on it. 

He was in the British Diplomatic Service, 1967-78, including postings in India and Spain. He was Assistant Private Secretary to the Prince of Wales, 1978-80; and Private Secretary to Diana, Princess of Wales, 1981-83.

He lectures widely in Britain and abroad, including at the Victoria & Albert Museum, London; the Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York; the Getty Museum, Los Angeles; and the New York Public Library. In Canada, at the National Gallery of Canada, Ottawa; and the Art Gallery of Ontario, Toronto.  In Australia, at National Gallery of Victoria, Melbourne and University of Melbourne; Art Gallery of New South Wales, Sydney; Queensland Art Gallery, Brisbane. And to art societies in Britain, France, Germany, Belgium, Holland, Spain and New Zealand; and also on cruise ships. 

He was educated at Cambridge University and did post-graduate work at Tufts University, Massachusetts; and at the London School of Economics.

King George III - portrait painted on the occasion of his Coronation  Sir Allan Ramsay, (English, 1713-84), George III (1738-1820), circa 1761-2, The Royal Collection, England, RCIN 405307, Royal Collection Trust/© Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II 2017 | Public Domain