George II is perhaps best remembered as the last British monarch to lead his troops into battle and also as the instigator of the custom of standing for the Hallelujah Chorus in Handel’s Messiah. His reign marked the high point of Handel’s career which the King did much to promote but also saw other great achievements in British culture with the art of Hogarth and the works of Pope and Swift. In politics, Robert Walpole
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George II’s life looked at more or less chronologically. In each session his personal life and family will be examined as well as the role he played as Prince of Wales and King as well as looking at the background to his “times”, the social and cultural state of the nation. Themes that will come out include the changes in politics with the development of the post of Prime Minister under Robert Walpole and his successors, foreign affairs such as the wars against France and the famous Jacobite Rebellion in 1745 under Bonnie Prince Charlie, cultural developments especially in music and the role of the court in the works of Handel (who wrote much of his best loved music for the royal family) and his contemporaries, the art of Hogarth, Britain’s first great native painter of everyday life who nevertheless ended up by being given a royal appointment, and the early development of the British Empire in Canada and India under great leaders like Wolfe and Clive..
What will I achieve? By the end of this course you should be able to...
Discuss the place and role of the monarchy in the eighteenth century with more authority Listen to music and look at art from the period with greater appreciation of the background to how the composers and artists approached their work Recall facts and events from the reign to put in context with other historical studies Recognize the style of the period and influences on our modern world Analyse the interaction between the court and the events going on around them..
What level is the course and do I need any particular skills?
This is an `introductory` course and does not assume previous study or reading although you will need a good grasp of English to keep up with the course. As with most of our history and current affairs courses, an open mind and a willingness to listen to and think about views with which you do not always agree are more important than specific levels of skills.
How will I be taught, and will there be any work outside the class?
Illustrated lectures, discussions, questions.
Are there any other costs? Is there anything I need to bring?
No other costs are involved. You might want to bring pen and paper for any voluntary note-taking..
After a BA in History & Geography at Keele with Music, Education and Greek Studies as subsidiaries, William Sterling taught History full-time before becoming a Civil Servant working for the Departments of Transport and Education. This allowed him to study part-time for his MA from Birkbeck and PhD from King’s College, London. From 1992, he lectured in Adult Education at a number of colleges before joining the City Lit in 2008. Since 1994 he has been an official Gallery Guide at the British Museum, covering the whole museum but specialising in the Ancient Greeks, Romans and Etruscans, the Medieval & Modern European and Enlightenment Galleries. As a lecturer, he specialises in those same areas as well as Royal History (especially British Monarchs from 1603 to 1910), Composers’ Lives and other Cultural, especially interdisciplinary, topics. He also lectures on Cruise Ships on subjects ranging from Vikings to Shakespeare. He runs a website offering free resources on the subjects he teaches.
Please note: We reserve the right to change our tutors from those advertised. This happens rarely, but if it does, we are unable to refund fees due to this. Our tutors may have different teaching styles; however we guarantee a consistent quality of teaching in all our courses.
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https://www.citylit.ac.uk/the-life-and-times-of-king-george-ii3062887The life and times of King George IIhttps://www.citylit.ac.uk/media/catalog/category/9580scb4.jpg8989GBPInStock/Courses/Courses/Culture, history & humanities/Courses/Culture, history & humanities/History/Courses/Culture, history & humanities/History/British & Irish history/Courses/Online courses228511771178163017311228511771178<p>George II is perhaps best remembered as the last British monarch to lead his troops into battle and also as the instigator of the custom of standing for the Hallelujah Chorus in Handel’s Messiah. His reign marked the high point of Handel’s career which the King did much to promote but also saw other great achievements in British culture with the art of Hogarth and the works of Pope and Swift. In politics, Robert Walpole created the post of Prime Minister and Bonnie Prince Charlie’s rebellion was the last attempt by the Stuarts to regain power and made him into an<br>instant legend. Towards the end of the reign men like Pitt, Wolfe and Clive laid the foundations of the British empire whilst the Agricultural Revolution was transforming British society..<br></p>003062842The life and times of King George II8989https://www.citylit.ac.uk/media/catalog/category/9580scb4.jpgInStockDaytimeFriOnlineAvailable courses1 to 4 weeksWeekday2026-11-06T00:00:00+00:00Nov 2026Culture, history & humanitiesHBH958989The life and times of King George II715889William Sterlingthe-life-and-times-of-king-george-ii/hbh95-2627<p>George II is perhaps best remembered as the last British monarch to lead his troops into battle and also as the instigator of the custom of standing for the Hallelujah Chorus in Handel’s Messiah. His reign marked the high point of Handel’s career which the King did much to promote but also saw other great achievements in British culture with the art of Hogarth and the works of Pope and Swift. In politics, Robert Walpole created the post of Prime Minister and Bonnie Prince Charlie’s rebellion was the last attempt by the Stuarts to regain power and made him into an<br>instant legend. Towards the end of the reign men like Pitt, Wolfe and Clive laid the foundations of the British empire whilst the Agricultural Revolution was transforming British society..<br></p>0000-Available|2026-11-06 00:00:00<p></p><p>The life and times of George 11.</p><p>George II is perhaps best remembered as the last British monarch to lead his troops into battle and also as the instigator of the custom of standing for the Hallelujah Chorus in Handel’s Messiah. His reign marked the high point of Handel’s career which the King did much to promote but also saw other great achievements in British culture with the art of Hogarth and the works of Pope and Swift. In politics, Robert Walpole created the post of Prime Minister and Bonnie Prince Charlie’s rebellion was the last attempt by the Stuarts to regain power and made him into an<br>instant legend. Towards the end of the reign men like Pitt, Wolfe and Clive laid the foundations of the British empire whilst the Agricultural Revolution was transforming British society..<br></p><p>George II’s life looked at more or less chronologically. In each session his personal life and family will be examined as well as the role he played as Prince of Wales and King as well as looking at the background to his “times”, the social and cultural state of the nation. Themes that will come out include the changes in politics with the development of the post of Prime Minister under Robert Walpole and his successors, foreign affairs such as the wars against France and the famous Jacobite Rebellion in 1745 under Bonnie Prince Charlie, cultural developments<br>especially in music and the role of the court in the works of Handel (who wrote much of his best loved music for the royal family) and his contemporaries, the art of Hogarth, Britain’s first great native painter of everyday life who nevertheless ended up by being given a royal appointment, and the early development of the British Empire in Canada and India under great leaders like Wolfe and Clive..</p><p>Discuss the place and role of the monarchy in the eighteenth century with more authority<br>Listen to music and look at art from the period with greater appreciation of the background to how the composers<br>and artists approached their work<br>Recall facts and events from the reign to put in context with other historical studies<br>Recognize the style of the period and influences on our modern world<br>Analyse the interaction between the court and the events going on around them..</p><p>This is an `introductory` course and does not assume previous study or reading although you will need a good grasp of English to keep up with the course. As with most of our history and current affairs courses, an open mind and a willingness to listen to and think about views with which you do not always agree are more important than specific levels of skills.</p>Illustrated lectures, discussions, questions.<p>No other costs are involved. You might want to bring pen and paper for any voluntary note-taking..</p>HBH100The life and times of King George 111.HistoryBritish & Irish historyvirtual718958HBH95NONEFri06/11/26 - 20/11/2610:30 - 12:3010:3012:303 sessions (over 3 weeks)31 to 4 weeksDaytimeWeekdayOnlineOnlineWilliam SterlingAvailable courses2026-11-06T00:00:00+00:00Nov 2026Culture, history & humanities8989The life and times of King George IIthe-life-and-times-of-king-george-ii/hbh95-2627<p>George II is perhaps best remembered as the last British monarch to lead his troops into battle and also as the instigator of the custom of standing for the Hallelujah Chorus in Handel’s Messiah. His reign marked the high point of Handel’s career which the King did much to promote but also saw other great achievements in British culture with the art of Hogarth and the works of Pope and Swift. In politics, Robert Walpole created the post of Prime Minister and Bonnie Prince Charlie’s rebellion was the last attempt by the Stuarts to regain power and made him into an<br>instant legend. Towards the end of the reign men like Pitt, Wolfe and Clive laid the foundations of the British empire whilst the Agricultural Revolution was transforming British society..<br></p>0000-Available|2026-11-06 00:00:00<p></p><p>The life and times of George 11.</p><p>George II is perhaps best remembered as the last British monarch to lead his troops into battle and also as the instigator of the custom of standing for the Hallelujah Chorus in Handel’s Messiah. His reign marked the high point of Handel’s career which the King did much to promote but also saw other great achievements in British culture with the art of Hogarth and the works of Pope and Swift. In politics, Robert Walpole created the post of Prime Minister and Bonnie Prince Charlie’s rebellion was the last attempt by the Stuarts to regain power and made him into an<br>instant legend. Towards the end of the reign men like Pitt, Wolfe and Clive laid the foundations of the British empire whilst the Agricultural Revolution was transforming British society..<br></p><p>George II’s life looked at more or less chronologically. In each session his personal life and family will be examined as well as the role he played as Prince of Wales and King as well as looking at the background to his “times”, the social and cultural state of the nation. Themes that will come out include the changes in politics with the development of the post of Prime Minister under Robert Walpole and his successors, foreign affairs such as the wars against France and the famous Jacobite Rebellion in 1745 under Bonnie Prince Charlie, cultural developments<br>especially in music and the role of the court in the works of Handel (who wrote much of his best loved music for the royal family) and his contemporaries, the art of Hogarth, Britain’s first great native painter of everyday life who nevertheless ended up by being given a royal appointment, and the early development of the British Empire in Canada and India under great leaders like Wolfe and Clive..</p><p>Discuss the place and role of the monarchy in the eighteenth century with more authority<br>Listen to music and look at art from the period with greater appreciation of the background to how the composers<br>and artists approached their work<br>Recall facts and events from the reign to put in context with other historical studies<br>Recognize the style of the period and influences on our modern world<br>Analyse the interaction between the court and the events going on around them..</p><p>This is an `introductory` course and does not assume previous study or reading although you will need a good grasp of English to keep up with the course. As with most of our history and current affairs courses, an open mind and a willingness to listen to and think about views with which you do not always agree are more important than specific levels of skills.</p>Illustrated lectures, discussions, questions.<p>No other costs are involved. You might want to bring pen and paper for any voluntary note-taking..</p>HBH100The life and times of King George 111.HistoryBritish & Irish historyconfigurable
16301178British & Irish historyhttps://www.citylit.ac.uk/courses/humanities/history/british-and-irish-studies1/2/285/1177/1178/16301/Courses/Culture, history & humanities/History/British & Irish history
