George III also known as The Golden Age of Ballooning 3: The Great Day For France is a sketch from "The Golden Age of Ballooning" the fortieth episode of Monty Python's Flying Circus.
Synopsis[]
Sir Charles Dividends (Graham Chapman) and Lord Interest (Eric Idle) discuss politics on a show titled 'Decision' when the host (Michael Palin) turns to the camera and introduces Episode 3, about Jacques (Idle) and Joseph’s (Terry Jones) success on balloons especially at George III's (Graham Chapman) court.
In 1781, a book-reader (Idle) reads a children's book to King George, until a knock on the door occurs and the book-reader starts to read a more mature book. Lord North (Terry Jones) comes in and tells him that Louis XVIII (Palin) and his dukes are here. King George is confused over which Louis is dead and which Louis is living, and eventually Louis storms in, punching Lord North in the nose. Louis says he's Louis XVI and gets confused over which number George this is. King George insists they have a state banquet to talk but Louis would prefer to not hang around. George says he'll only talk if Louis retreats his troops in America, and that he'll give him £10,000 for his plans. Louis, confused, agrees and King George says he'll get Monsiuer Necker onto the money business, but Louis really wants to leave. Joseph Montgolfier bursts in and exposes the Louis XVI impostor. Dr Hamer (Terry Gilliam) enters to announce the arrival of the Ronettes, and Mr Bartlett (Peter Brett). The Ronettes enter singing "George III", and King George breaks into insanity 12 years earlier than he's supposed to, from the sensory overload.
Meanwhile, in France, Antoinette (Carol Cleveland) is worrying about Joseph's disappearance and Jacques reassures her the plans are safe, but won't explain any further. O'Toole (Chapman) comes back in, having not located the claret yet, and says that Mr Bartlett is gone now. The audience applauds at his delivery of the line, and O'Toole absorbs it. He repeats his lines to even more furious applause. The rest of the cast comes on stage to applaud and policeman restrain audience members who are rushing on stage to give O'Toole flowers as the credits roll.
Afterwards, a voiceover (Chapman) reels off more descriptions of available merchandise. A party political broadcast from The Norwegian Party plays, with a Norwegian politician (Idle) addressing the audience in Norwegian.