William IV of the United Kingdom William IV of the United Kingdom William IV (William Henry; 21 August 1765 – 20 June 1837) was King of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland and King of Hanover from 26 June 1830 until his death in 1837. The third son of George III, William succeeded his elder brother George IV, becoming the last king and penultimate monarch of Britain's House of Hanover. William served in the Royal Navy in his youth, spending time in North America and the Caribbean, and was later nicknamed the "Sailor King". In 1789, he was created Duke of Clarence and St
The king is dead, long live the king! 10 May 1774, heir-apparent Louis-Auguste, le Dauphin, immediately became King Louis XVI of France. This quick transition of sovereignty was made within the phrase "The King is dead, long live The King!" In Denmark, the prime minister makes a similar proclamation upon the death of a monarch—"Kongen leve, kongen er død" (hail the king, the king is dead)—from the balcony of Christiansborg Palace (the Danish Parliament building). This declaration is official and marks the ascension of a new monarch immediately after the death of the old. This is due to the fact that Frederick III abolished the coronation ceremony with