George II of Great Britain

"You are in the presence of George Augustus, Duke of Brunswick-Luneburg, Archtreasurer and Prince-elector of the Holy Roman Empire, King of Great Britain and Ireland...and of you."

- Henry Pelham to Jack Sparrow

George Augustus, also known as George II, was the King of Great Britain and Ireland, Duke of Brunswick-Luneburg, and Archtreasurer and Prince-elector of the Holy Roman Empire. Greedy and extravagant, King George would rule the British Empire with an iron fist. He had many loyal subjects, most notably Lord John Carteret and Prime Minister Henry Pelham.

Around the War Against Piracy, King George sent Lord Cutler Beckett to the Caribbean, as his duly appointed representative, to wipe out piracy with an armada. At some point after the war, Hector Barbossa would serve as a privateer of the King's court. In 1750, with his hatred of King Ferdinand, King George would gain interest in finding the Fountain of Youth before the Spanish.

Troubles with pirates
"I have direct orders from the King himself to eliminate the pirates in these waters... and you will be the first to go!"

- Oliver Randolph Pynce-Jones III to Jack Sparrow.

In the 1730s, the King appointed his good friend Weatherby Swann as the governor of Port Royal, the most important British colony in the central Caribbean. The new governor went to the Caribbean, and discovered that the Caribbean waters are plagued with pirates.

Some time after the battle of the Isla de Muerta, the King ordered Captain Oliver Randolph Pynce-Jones III to exterminate all pirates in the Caribbean waters.

Beckett's offensive
"These Letters of Marque, they are signed by the King?" "Yes, and they're not valid until they bear my signature and my seal."

- Elizabeth Swann and Cutler Beckett.

Shortly before Lord Cutler Beckett's journey to Port Royal, the King provided him with Letters of Marque to recruit Jack Sparrow as a privateer on behalf of England and the East India Trading Company. But Beckett's plan was unsuccessful, as James Norrington was able to turn in the signed letters, as well as the heart of Davy Jones to Beckett.

War Against Piracy
"In order to effect a timely halt to deteriorating conditions, and to ensure the common good, a state of emergency is declared for these territories, by decree of Lord Cutler Beckett, duly appointed representative of His Majesty, the King."

- Cryer

After Beckett's capture of Davy Jones' heart, the King made Beckett his representative, giving him great power and command over the enormous fleet, which included many soldiers and vessels of the Royal Navy, which was assembled to destroy the Brethren Court as well as all pirates on the Seven Seas.

The Fountain of Youth
"I've heard of you. And you know who I am." "Face is familiar, have I threatened you before?"

- George II and Jack Sparrow

Several years after the War Against Piracy, King George II would receive a report that the Spanish have located the Fountain of Youth; a legendary spring that is known to grant immortality. The King wanted the Fountain found before King Ferdinand, as he didn't want a Catholic to gain eternal life. He would employ Hector Barbossa, the Pirate Lord of the Caspian Sea, as a privateer to oversee the mission.

The King soon learned from his ministers that Jack Sparrow was recruiting a crew to find the Fountain, so he had the pirate brought into St. James's Palace for questioning. King George asked about a map that was supposedly in Jack's possession as well as if Sparrow could lead an expedition to the Fountain under Barbossa's command. Negotiations failed and Sparrow escaped the palace.

With the pressing issue of the Spanish outdistancing them towards the Fountain, the King gave Barbossa the HMS Providence, a ship of the British Royal Navy, and sent him on the quest for the Fountain.

Personality and traits
"Would someone please remove these infernal chains!"

- George II after Jack Sparrow continuously rattles his chains

King George was greedy, extravagant, and more interested in exotic food than foreign policy. He issued heavy taxes which left some of his subjects penniless and hungry. The King also had some prejudices towards the Spanish, particularly Catholics, as he stated during his meeting with Jack Sparrow on the quest for the Fountain of Youth: "I will not have some melancholy Spanish Monarch&mdash;a Catholic&mdash;gain eternal life!" King George seemed to love gambling, as shown by taking the risk of dealing with pirates like Jack Sparrow and Hector Barbossa.

Despite his kingship over Great Britain and Ireland, George II also had claims to the throne of France, as witnessed by Lord Beckett's Letters of Marque.

The King could be described as a big, beefy man with a large face. On his head, he wore a powdered wig to show his high social standing as the King of England.

Behind the Scenes

 * George II was portrayed by Richard Griffiths in Pirates of the Caribbean: On Stranger Tides.
 * George II and Ferdinand VI of Spain are the first historical monarchs that appear in the POTC film series.
 * King George's wax seal shown in Pirates of the Caribbean: On Stranger Tides Ultimate Sticker Book is actually the wax seal from New Carlisle L.C. (Lower Canada).

Appearances

 * Pirates of the Caribbean: The Price of Freedom
 * Enter... the Scarecrow!
 * Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Man's Chest
 * Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Man's Chest (comic)
 * Pirates of the Caribbean: At World's End
 * Pirates of the Caribbean: On Stranger Tides
 * LEGO Pirates of the Caribbean: The Video Game