| Collection | Correspondence of William IV |
| Description | Collection of papers, mostly correspondence, of William Henry, third son of George III, as Prince (21 August 1765 - 16 May 1789), and Duke of Clarence (16 May 1789 - 26 June 1830), from the time when he was serving as midshipman in the Royal Navy to the day before becoming King (25 June 1830). Aside from letters, there are a few documents of a different nature - eg. Prince William's copybook; extracts from Articles of War; doctor's reports; couplets; power of attorney records.
The papers appear in the correct order and proceed chronologically, with the exception of a last batch of letters which appear at the end of the collection and are marked as 'undated' (GEO/MAIN/45233-45274), [but these possibly date from the first years of the Regency period].
Letters addressed to 'My dear Brother' are assumed to have been sent by William to his elder brother, George, Prince of Wales (later Regent). |
| Admin History | This collection of documents was found, together with other papers belonging to George III and other members of the Royal Family of that time, in Apsley House (London), house of the Dukes of Wellington, and then transferred to the Royal Archives. |