King William IV - St John the Baptist - Ilketshall St John, Suffolk - Coats of Arms on Waymarking.com

Royal Arms of King William IV painted on a wooden panel in St John the Baptist's church, Ilketshall, Suffolk. One of only three in Suffolk of this monarch.

"William IV was king of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland from 1830. He was known both as the 'Sailor King' and as 'Silly Billy'. His reign saw the passing of the Reform Act of 1832.

William was born at Buckingham Palace in London on 21 August 1765. He was the third son of George III and Queen Charlotte and as such was not expected to succeed to the throne. At the age of 13 he began a career in the Royal Navy. He enjoyed his time at sea, seeing service in America and the West Indies and becoming admiral of the fleet in 1811. In 1789, he was created Duke of Clarence.

From the early 1790s until 1811, William lived with his mistress, the actress Dorothy Jordan. They had 10 children who took the surname Fitzclarence.

In 1811, William's oldest brother George became prince regent (later George IV) when their father was declared insane. The death of the prince regent's only daughter in 1818 resulted in a scramble among George's brothers to marry and produce heirs. The same year, William married Princess Adelaide of Saxe-Meiningen. With the death of George III's second son, William became heir and then, with the death of George IV, king in June 1830.

He was initially very popular. His insistence on a simple coronation contrasted with the extravagance of his brother's reign.

William's reign was dominated by the Reform crisis. It began almost immediately when the Duke of Wellington's Tory government, which William supported, lost the general election in August 1830.

The Whigs, led by Lord Grey, came to power intent on pushing through electoral reform against strong opposition in the Commons and the Lords. Another general election in 1831 gave the Whigs a majority in the Commons but the Lords continued to reject the Reform Bill. There was a political crisis during the winter of 1831-1832, with riots in some parts of the country.

The king eventually agreed to create enough new Whig peers to get the bill through the House of Lords, but the Lords, who had opposed it, backed down and it was passed. The 1832 Reform Act abolished some of the worst abuses of the electoral system and extended the franchise to the middle classes.

William died on 20 June 1837, without surviving children. His niece Victoria succeeded him."

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Bearer of Coat of Arms: Noble (aristocratic) family Full name of the bearer: King William IV of England Where is Coat of Arms installed (short description) ?: nave wall of church opposite south entrance Material / Design: Wood Blazon (heraldic description): Coat of Arms of the United Kingdom from 1816 to 1837 used by King George III, George IV and William IV “ Quarterly, First and Fourth Gules three lions passant guardant in pale Or armed and langued Azure (for England), Second quarter Or a lion rampant within a double tressure flory counter-flory Gules (for Scotland), Third quarter Azure a harp Or stringed Argent (for Ireland), over all an inescutcheon, ensigned by an arched royal crown, Tierced per pale and per chevron, First Gules two lions passant guardant Or (for Brunswick), Second Or semée of hearts Gules a lion rampant Azure (For Luneburg), Third Gules a horse courant Argent (For Hanover), an inescutcheon over all three, Gules the Crown of Charlemagne Proper (As Archtreasurer of the Holy Roman Empire), the whole surrounded by the Garter; for a Crest, upon the Royal helm the imperial crown Proper, thereon a lion statant guardant Or imperially crowned Proper; Mantling Or and ermine; for Supporters, dexter a lion rampant guardant Or crowned as the Crest, sinister a unicorn Argent armed, crined and unguled Proper, gorged with a coronet Or composed of crosses patée and fleurs de lys a chain affixed thereto passing between the forelegs and reflexed over the back also Or; Motto 'Dieu et mon Droit' in the compartment below the shield, with the Union rose, shamrock and thistle engrafted on the same stem. ” PINCHES, J.H & R.V., The Royal Heraldry of England, 1974, Heraldry Today. SOURCE - https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/William_IV_of_the_United_Kingdom#/media/File:Coat_of_Arms_of_the_United_Kingdom_(1816-1837).svg Address: St John the Baptist Ilketshall St John, Suffolk England NR34 8JJ Web page about the structure where is Coat of Arms installed (if exists): [Web Link] Web page about the bearer of Coat of Arms (if exists): [Web Link]

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