King

King of Spain, 1759—88; b. 1716.
King of Great Britain in 1760, at age 22, until 1820; b. 1738.
King of France in 1774, at age 19, until 1791, when he was toppled by the French Revolution; 1754—93.

Eighteenth-century writers seemed uncertain how best to describe Britain’s relation to its many overseas possessions. Only tepidly did they employ the concept of empire since for them it carried uncomfortable baggage from ancient history. The traditional usage suggested that control over distant colonies and expansion into new regions depended on military might. But the notion that Great Britain was a modern-day Rome, dispatching powerful legions to conquer the world, did not sit well with a people who celebrated liberty and rights, the blessings of living under a balanced constitution.

T. H. Breen
The Marketplace of the Revolution (2004)