7. The Age of Revolutions 1760-1792 - In 1760, at the age of 22, George III succeeded his grandfather as Britain's third Hanoverian nomarch. The country was still at war with the French and his first decade was to be a time of political instability as Parliament and the stubborn, conscientious king tussled to establish the constitutional monarchy we recognise today.

Meanwhile, the frontiers of the known world were expanding in philosophy and religion, science and technology, literature and the arts.

And this wealth of new ideas showed itself in practical ways: British society was changed forever by the growing industrial revolution, the map of the world was also changed forever as revolution in America resulted in the birth of a new nation and, much closer to home, revolution in France was to change the face of Europe,