As the 18th century dawned, foreigners continued to dominate the English royal line. This program profiles the four Kings George and William IV, and their significance in the German House of Hanover. Beginning with the rancorous relationship between George I and II, the program explores the origin of the position of Prime Minister, the courtly rivalry between George II and his son Frederick—expressed largely through opera sponsorship—and the American Rebellion. The personally disastrous reigns of George III and IV, both of whom suffered humiliation and insanity while presiding over a vast colonial empire, are explained in detail. (45 minutes)