William IV Silver (1830 - 1837)

At the age of 64, William IV was the oldest man ever to succeed as Monarch of The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland. Having served in the Royal Navy, William is often referred to as the 'Sailor King'. Less flatteringly, he was also known as 'Silly Billy' on account of his shortcomings in judgement, tact and intellect.

Disinterested in pomp and ceremony, William was a different kind of monarch from his brother George IV - he was even known to walk around London unaccompanied!

William's brief reign was the stepping stone from George IV to Victoria and unsurprisingly, silverware of the period is both bold and showy.