Tuesday, Nov. 09, 2010

King George III

England's King George III would never have been allowed to interact with the public through something as unfiltered as Facebook. Despite presiding over the British Empire during both the Seven Years' War against France and the Revolutionary War in the U.S., George III is best known for his crippling mental illness. In the latter years of his reign, the raving monarch was often bound in a straitjacket and chained to a chair. At the time, the source of his madness was unknown, although modern medicine has provided possible insight. Doctors revisited his medical records in the 1970s and concluded he might have suffered from a rare blood disorder called porphyria. In 2004, scientists discovered high levels of arsenic in his hair sample; arsenic has been known to trigger porphyria.

Favorite Quotations
• "Everyone who does not agree with me is a traitor and a scoundrel."
• "I have known stranger things. I once saw a sheep with five legs."
• "Push off, you fat turd."
(Note: The first quote has been attributed to the real King while the latter two are from the 1995 film The Madness of King George.)

Likes and Interests
Wigs, nightgowns, when America was just a collection of colonies.

Recent Status Updates
• "King George III doesn't feel so good."
• "King George III can run naked through the palace if he wants to!"
• "I love all of my 15 children equally. Even what's-his-name."