In the long Via Dolorosa down which Roman Catholics had to march to win the franchise before 1829, they hardly had a more resolute opponent than King George III. In my new biography of him, I try to explain how his opposition to Catholic Emancipation was based on George’s sincerely held principles and profound religious beliefs rather than mere anti-papist prejudice, although his stance also accorded with what was politically expedient at the time. I hope by the end of this article, Catholics will agree that the king, who acceded in 1760, was right to defend the politico-religious status quo throughout his reign, the longest of any king in British history.