King William IV, known as the Sailor King, inherited the throne when his elder brother, George IV, died in 1830 with no surviving heirs. Although William had no legitimate children of his own, he still did everything he could to help the young woman he wanted to take the throne do it in her own way. For William IV’s heir was Princess Victoria of Kent and there was a big barrier between her and full control of the throne. 

The daughter of William’s younger brother, Edward, Duke of Kent, Victoria grew up with her mother at Kensington Palace after her father died young. The Duchess of Kent allowed Sir John Conroy almost complete control of her daughter’s life. 

The young princess led an incredibly isolated life where she had almost no friends or acquaintances. Victoria was so closely guarded that she was not allowed to walk down the stairs at Kensington Palace without having someone hold her arm to ensure she did not fall. 

Had Victoria’s uncle died before 24 May 1837, she would not have reached the age of majority and would have required a regent. King William understood that Conroy and the Duchess of Kent would exercise this role, with the new queen’s mother nominally in control but sharing power with a man rumoured to have been her lover.

Having little tolerance for either the Duchess or Conroy, King William battled through ill health for almost a month after his niece’s eighteenth birthday to ensure that she would rule in her own name. 

He died on June 20 1837, just weeks after Victoria turned eighteen. She took complete control of her throne immediately and the Duchess and Conroy quickly disappeared.

Although the Sailor King’s reign was less than a decade, he committed his life to the crown to his last breath.