“King George,” the controversial mastermind behind the Texas Renaissance Festival (TRF) — reportedly the the largest in the world — has been found dead at the age of 87, the Austin-American Statesman reports.
The Grimes County Sheriff’s Office revealed that a housekeeper found George Coulam’s body in his home, located across the street from the festival grounds and enclosed behind an elaborate golden gate. His cause of death has not yet been revealed.
Coulam, who insisted on being called “King George,” founded TRF in 1974, turning it into the “largest faire in the world” with over 500,000 people passing through its gates every season. For decades, he reigned over the faire about an hour north of Houston and 20 minutes south of College Station in a rural area called Todd Mission, which Coulam incorporated as its own village.
The outsized influence “King George” had on both the faire and the surrounding area was highlighted in a 2024 HBO docu-series called Ren Faire, which also emphasized the succession battle regarding who would take over the festival once he retired. The three-part series also centered around Coulam’s never-ending quest for love — something well known to “rennies,” or those who worked the faire.
A little over a week ago, a Grimes County judge presiding over a lengthy legal dispute over the TRF’s ownership ordered Coulam to hand over his kingdom, according to the Statesman. The ruling upheld the 2023 sale of the festival property and its assets, totaling $60 million.
In the suit, a group of buyers alleged they reached a 2023 sale agreement with Coulam but he failed to honor the August closing date, according to multiple media reports.
Coulam also recently suffered a loss in the Todd Mission mayoral race after serving as mayor for more than four decades.
Virtually simultaneously, it appeared “King George” had lost power over both his fantasy kingdom and the town he ruled over for years.
After the court ruling, TRF announced that its 2025 season would go ahead as planned. Now, following Coulam’s death, the festival has released yet another statement, this time asking the public to extend “respect and privacy” for his family and those involved in the festival.
Those who attend the festivals, known as “patrons,” flocked to Facebook to express their shock at the news — a Shakespearean end to a Shakespearean story.
The King is Dead. Long Live the King.
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This article appears in May 14-27, 2025.
