# King George IV — The Works of Max Beerbohm character guide > King George IV in The Works of Max Beerbohm by Max Beerbohm. **Role:** major **Also known as:** George, young George, George III, poor George, The King, King George the Fourth, George the Fourth **First appearance:** 0005-king-george-the-fourth ## Snapshot A royal dandy whose childhood of surveillance bred a lifelong talent for lying, dressing, and disappointing everyone who loved him. ## Who they are George is the book's grand cautionary case, a prince raised under a German sergeant's discipline so stifling that freedom became indistinguishable from excess. He lies compulsively, spends magnificently, and mourns his own untruthfulness even as he practices it, a contradiction Beerbohm finds both comic and genuinely sad. His early arc sets the terms for everything that follows: what happens when a man is taught to equivocate at his mother's knee and then handed a crown. ## Relationships ### [Princess Caroline](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/the_works_of_max_beerbohm_se/characters/princess_caroline) _family_ King George IV and Princess Caroline were estranged spouses, their marriage marked by public scandal and mutual animosity. ### [Thackeray](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/the_works_of_max_beerbohm_se/characters/thackeray) _social_ King George IV and Thackeray were acquaintances, with Thackeray often satirizing the king in his writings. ### [Mrs. Fox](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/the_works_of_max_beerbohm_se/characters/mrs_fox) _rivalry_ King George IV and Mrs. Fox were antagonists due to her staunch support of Princess Caroline against the king. ### [Lord X.](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/the_works_of_max_beerbohm_se/characters/lord_x) _friendship_ King George IV and Lord X. were close confidants and companions in the king's social circle. ### [Lady Belper](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/the_works_of_max_beerbohm_se/characters/lady_belper) _social_ King George IV and Lady Belper were social acquaintances within the aristocratic circles of the Regency era. ### [Charles James Fox](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/the_works_of_max_beerbohm_se/characters/charles_james_fox) _rivalry_ Charles James Fox was a political opponent of King George IV, clashing over policies and the king's treatment of Princess Caroline. ### [Max Beerbohm](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/the_works_of_max_beerbohm_se/characters/max_beerbohm) _psychological_ Max Beerbohm, as the author, had a satirical and observational fascination with King George IV, portraying him as a figure of ridicule. ### [Mr. Brummell](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/the_works_of_max_beerbohm_se/characters/mr_brummell) _friendship_ King George IV and Mr. Brummell were once close friends and style icons, though their relationship later soured. ### [Princess Caroline](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/the_works_of_max_beerbohm_se/characters/princess_caroline) _family_ King George IV and Princess Caroline were estranged spouses, their marriage marked by public scandal and mutual animosity. ### [Thackeray](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/the_works_of_max_beerbohm_se/characters/thackeray) _social_ King George IV and Thackeray were acquaintances, with Thackeray often satirizing the king in his writings. ### [Lady Belper](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/the_works_of_max_beerbohm_se/characters/lady_belper) _social_ King George IV and Lady Belper were social acquaintances within the aristocratic circles of the Regency era. ## In the story ### [Dandies and Dandies](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/the_works_of_max_beerbohm_se/chapters/dandies-and-dandies) Referenced as the Prince whose attempt to revive knee-breeches failed due to the slow evolution of fashion. ### [A Good Prince](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/the_works_of_max_beerbohm_se/chapters/a-good-prince) Referenced implicitly as a historical prince whose behavior contrasts with the current prince's blameless life. ### [King George the Fourth](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/the_works_of_max_beerbohm_se/chapters/king-george-the-fourth) The subject of the chapter; portrayed as a misunderstood voluptuary and giver of tone, whose life is defended against Thackeray's denunciation. ### [Poor Romeo!](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/the_works_of_max_beerbohm_se/chapters/poor-romeo) Mentioned alongside Brummell as a figure whose foibles Coates parodies. ### [Diminuendo](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/the_works_of_max_beerbohm_se/chapters/diminuendo) Mentioned in the context of royal pets and the emptiness of a life of pleasure. ### [The Bibliography of the Works of Max Beerbohm](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/the_works_of_max_beerbohm_se/chapters/the-bibliography-of-the-works-of-max-beerbohm) Subject of a caricature and a note in The Yellow Book. ### [Portraits of Mr. Max Beerbohm](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/the_works_of_max_beerbohm_se/chapters/portraits-of-mr-max-beerbohm) Appears in a portrait by Walter Sickert, standing before a picture of George the Fourth. ### [Endnotes](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/the_works_of_max_beerbohm_se/chapters/endnotes) Referenced indirectly through the Prince of Wales (Albert Edward) who introduced a dance step. ## Links - HTML: https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/the_works_of_max_beerbohm_se/characters/king_george_iv - Book: https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/the_works_of_max_beerbohm_se - All characters: https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/the_works_of_max_beerbohm_se/characters