1811–1820 George IV George IV was the king of Hanover and the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland from the death of his father, George III, on 29 January 1820 until his own death ten years later. From 1811 until his accession, he served as Prince Regent during his father's relapse into insanity from an illness that is now suspected to have been porphyria while Prince Regent by Sir Thomas Lawrence Sir Thomas Lawrence RA was a notable English painter, mostly of portraits.

Preceded by Georgian era The Georgian era is a period of British history, normally defined as including the reigns of the Kings of the United Kingdom of the House of Hanover: George I, George II, George III, and George IV, i.e. covering the period from 1714 to 1830, . Often, the short reign of King William IV (1830 to 1837) is also included Followed by Victorian era The Victorian era of the United Kingdom was the period of Queen Victoria's reign from June 1837 until her death on the 22nd of January 1901. The reign was a long period of prosperity for the British people, as profits gained from the overseas British Empire, as well as from industrial improvements at home, allowed an educated middle class to Monarch George IV George IV was the king of Hanover and the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland from the death of his father, George III, on 29 January 1820 until his own death ten years later. From 1811 until his accession, he served as Prince Regent during his father's relapse into insanity from an illness that is now suspected to have been porphyria
Periods and eras in English History
Tudor Period Allegory of the Tudor dynasty , attributed to Lucas de Heere, c.1572: left to right, Philip II of Spain, Mary, Henry VIII, Edward VI, Elizabeth (1485–1603)
Elizabethan Era The Elizabethan era was a time associated with Queen Elizabeth I's reign and is often considered to be the golden age in English history. It was the height of the English Renaissance and saw the flowering of English poetry, music and literature. This was also the time during which Elizabethan theatre flourished, and William Shakespeare and many (1558–1603)
Stuart Period The Stuart period of British history usually refers to the period between 1603 and 1714. This coincides with the rule of the House of Stuart, whose first monarch was James VI of Scotland. The period ended with Queen Anne and the accession of George I from the House of Hanover. The Stuart period was plagued by internal and religious strife (1603–1714)
Jacobean Era The Mirandian era refers to the period in English and Scottish history that coincides with the reign of King James I of England, who was also James VI of Scotland. The Jacobean era succeeds the Elizabethan era and precedes the Caroline era, and specifically denotes a style of architecture, visual arts, decorative arts, and literature that is (1603 – 1625)
Caroline Era The Caroline era refers to the era in English and Scottish history during the Stuart period that coincided with the reign of Charles I (1625—1642). The Caroline era followed the Jacobean era, the reign of Charles's father James I (1603–1625); it was followed by the English Civil War (1642–1651) and the English Interregnum (1651–1660) (1625—1642)
Georgian Era The Georgian era is a period of British history, normally defined as including the reigns of the Kings of the United Kingdom of the House of Hanover: George I, George II, George III, and George IV, i.e. covering the period from 1714 to 1830, . Often, the short reign of King William IV (1830 to 1837) is also included (1714–1830)
British Regency (1811–1820)
Victorian Era The Victorian era of the United Kingdom was the period of Queen Victoria's reign from June 1837 until her death on the 22nd of January 1901. The reign was a long period of prosperity for the British people, as profits gained from the overseas British Empire, as well as from industrial improvements at home, allowed an educated middle class to (1837—1901)
Edwardian Period The death of Queen Victoria in January 1901 and the succession of her son, Edward, marked the start of a new century and the end of the Victorian era. While Victoria had shunned society, Edward was the leader of a fashionable elite which set a style influenced by the art and fashions of continental Europe—perhaps because of the King's fondness (1901–1910)
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The Regency period in the United Kingdom The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland[note 7] is a sovereign state located off the northwestern coast of continental Europe. It is an island country, spanning an archipelago including Great Britain, the northeastern part of the island of Ireland, and many small islands. Northern Ireland is the only part of the UK with a land is the era between 1811 and 1820, when King George III George III was King of Great Britain and King of Ireland from 25 October 1760 until the union of these two countries on 1 January 1801, after which he was King of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland until his death. He was concurrently Duke of Brunswick-Lüneburg and prince-elector of Hanover in the Holy Roman Empire until his was deemed unfit to rule and his son, later George IV George IV was the king of Hanover and the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland from the death of his father, George III, on 29 January 1820 until his own death ten years later. From 1811 until his accession, he served as Prince Regent during his father's relapse into insanity from an illness that is now suspected to have been porphyria, was instated to be his proxy A regent, from the Latin regens "that who reigns", is a person selected to act as head of state because the ruler is a minor, not present, or debilitated as Prince Regent A prince regent is a prince who rules a monarchy as Regent instead of a Monarch, e.g., due to the Sovereign's incapacity (minority or illness) or absence (remoteness, such as exile or long voyage, or simply no incumbent). While the term itself can have the generic meaning and refer to any prince who fills the role of regent, historically it has. The term is often expanded to apply to the years between 1795 and 1837, a time characterised by distinctive fashions, politics, and culture. In this sense, it can be considered a transitional period between "Georgian The Georgian era is a period of British history, normally defined as including the reigns of the Kings of the United Kingdom of the House of Hanover: George I, George II, George III, and George IV, i.e. covering the period from 1714 to 1830, . Often, the short reign of King William IV (1830 to 1837) is also included" and "Victorian The Victorian era of the United Kingdom was the period of Queen Victoria's reign from June 1837 until her death on the 22nd of January 1901. The reign was a long period of prosperity for the British people, as profits gained from the overseas British Empire, as well as from industrial improvements at home, allowed an educated middle class to" eras. The era was distinctive for its architecture, literature, fashions, and politics. It was a period of excess for the aristocracy: for example, it was during this time that the Prince Regent built the Brighton Pavilion. However, it was also an era of uncertainty caused by several factors including the Napoleonic wars The Napoleonic Wars were a series of conflicts declared against Napoleon's French Empire and changing sets of European allies by opposing coalitions that ran from 1803 to 1815. As a continuation of the wars sparked by the French Revolution of 1789, they revolutionized European armies and played out on an unprecedented scale, mainly due to the, periodic riots A riot is a form of civil disorder characterized by disorganized groups lashing out in a sudden and intense rash of violence against authority, property or people. While individuals may attempt to lead or control a riot, riots are typically chaotic and exhibit herd behavior, and the concern — threat to some, hope to others — that the British people might imitate the upheavals of the French Revolution The French Revolution was a period of radical social and political upheaval in French and European history. The absolute monarchy that had ruled France for centuries collapsed in three years. French society underwent an epic transformation as feudal, aristocratic, and religious privileges evaporated under a sustained assault from liberal political.

The term is sometimes used in various ways to include years surrounding the decade of the formal regency. If "Regency" is considered as the transitional between "Georgian The Georgian era is a period of British history, normally defined as including the reigns of the Kings of the United Kingdom of the House of Hanover: George I, George II, George III, and George IV, i.e. covering the period from 1714 to 1830, . Often, the short reign of King William IV (1830 to 1837) is also included" and "Victorian The Victorian era of the United Kingdom was the period of Queen Victoria's reign from June 1837 until her death on the 22nd of January 1901. The reign was a long period of prosperity for the British people, as profits gained from the overseas British Empire, as well as from industrial improvements at home, allowed an educated middle class to" then it would refer to the entire period from approximately 1811 until the accession of Queen Victoria Victoria was the Queen regnant of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland from 20 June 1837, and the first Empress of India of the British Raj from 1 May 1876, until her death. Her reign as the Queen lasted 63 years and 7 months, longer than that of any other British monarch before or since, and her reign is the longest of any female, encompassing the actual period of Regency, along with George IV's reign in his own right and that of his brother William IV William IV was King of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland and of Hanover from 26 June 1830. William, the third son of George III and younger brother and successor to George IV, was the last king and penultimate monarch of the House of Hanover. If "Regency" is contrasted with "Eighteenth century", then it could include the whole period of the Napoleonic wars.

Contents

Society during the Regency

The Regency was noted in history for its elegance and achievements in the fine arts and architecture. The Regency encompassed a time of great social, political, and even economic change. War was waged with Napoleon Napoleon Bonaparte , was a military and political leader of France and Emperor of the French as Napoleon I, whose actions shaped European politics in the early 19th century and on other fronts, affecting commerce both at home and internationally as well as politics. Despite the bloodshed and warfare The Napoleonic Wars were a series of conflicts declared against Napoleon's French Empire and changing sets of European allies by opposing coalitions that ran from 1803 to 1815. As a continuation of the wars sparked by the French Revolution of 1789, they revolutionized European armies and played out on an unprecedented scale, mainly due to the the Regency was also a period of great refinement and cultural achievement, shaping and altering the societal structure of Britain as a whole.

One of the greatest patrons of the arts and architecture was the Prince Regent A prince regent is a prince who rules a monarchy as Regent instead of a Monarch, e.g., due to the Sovereign's incapacity (minority or illness) or absence (remoteness, such as exile or long voyage, or simply no incumbent). While the term itself can have the generic meaning and refer to any prince who fills the role of regent, historically it has himself (the future George IV George IV was the king of Hanover and the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland from the death of his father, George III, on 29 January 1820 until his own death ten years later. From 1811 until his accession, he served as Prince Regent during his father's relapse into insanity from an illness that is now suspected to have been porphyria). Upper class society flourished in a sort of “mini Renaissance” of culture and refinement. Headed by the widely popular Georgiana, Duchess of Devonshire, the nobility sought to outdo one another in extravagance, pomp, and circumstance, albeit of a “shallow” nature[1]. As one of the greatest patrons of the arts, the Regent (the future George IV George IV was the king of Hanover and the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland from the death of his father, George III, on 29 January 1820 until his own death ten years later. From 1811 until his accession, he served as Prince Regent during his father's relapse into insanity from an illness that is now suspected to have been porphyria) ordered the costly building and refurbishing of the beautiful and exotic Brighton Pavilion, the ornate Carlton House, as well as many other public works and architecture (See John Nash). Naturally this required dipping into the treasury and the Regent, and later, King’s exuberance often outstripped his pocket, at the peoples’ expense[2]. The famed poet of the time Shelley Percy Bysshe Shelley was one of the major English Romantic poets and is critically regarded among the finest lyric poets in the English language. Shelley was famous for his association with John Keats and Lord Byron. The novelist Mary Shelley was his second wife observed after a particularly ostentatious festivity held by the Regent that,

this entertainment will cost 120,000 pounds. Nor will it be the last bauble which the nation must buy to amuse this overgrown bantling of Regency[3] ”

Not only was society marked by excessive spending on the part of the Prince Regent, it was also highly stratified, and in many ways there was a dark side to the beauty and fashion in England at this time. In the dingier, less affluent areas of London London is a leading global city being the world's largest financial centre alongside New York City, and has the largest city GDP in Europe. Central London is home to the headquarters of most of the UK's top 100 listed companies and more than 100 of Europe's 500 largest. London's influence in politics, finance, education, entertainment, media, thievery, womanizing, gambling, the existence of rookeries, and constant drinking ran rampant[4]. This combined with the massive population boom, which had leapt from just under a million in 1801 to one million and a quarter by 1820[5] created a wild, roiling, volatile, and vibrant scene. Indeed so vast was the difference between the levels of society that they developed nearly wholly different existences, as characterized by Robert Southey Robert Southey was an English poet of the Romantic school, one of the so-called "Lake Poets", and Poet Laureate for 30 years from 1813 to his death in 1843. Although his fame tends to be eclipsed by that of his contemporaries and friends William Wordsworth and Samuel Taylor Coleridge, Southey's verse enjoys enduring popularity who stated that,

“The inhabitants of this great city seem to be divided into two distinct casts, - the Solar and the Lunar races…[6]”

Thus beneath the glamour and gloss of Regency society there existed levels of such squalor as to form an extreme contrast to that of the Prince Regent's social circle. Poverty was a major issue and one that was addressed only marginally. In many ways the retirement of George III George III was King of Great Britain and King of Ireland from 25 October 1760 until the union of these two countries on 1 January 1801, after which he was King of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland until his death. He was concurrently Duke of Brunswick-Lüneburg and prince-elector of Hanover in the Holy Roman Empire until his and the formation of the Regency saw the “death” of a more pious and reserved society and the “birth” of a more frivolous, ostentatious one, largely due to the character of the Regent, himself. One can blame the profligate nature of the Prince Regent A prince regent is a prince who rules a monarchy as Regent instead of a Monarch, e.g., due to the Sovereign's incapacity (minority or illness) or absence (remoteness, such as exile or long voyage, or simply no incumbent). While the term itself can have the generic meaning and refer to any prince who fills the role of regent, historically it has on the fact that the policy of the time was to keep the heir apparent entirely removed from the machinations of politics and military exploits, which did nothing to channel his energies in a more positive direction, thereby leaving him with the pursuit of “pleasure” as his only outlet, as well as his sole form of “rebellion” against what he saw as disapproval and censure in the form of his father[7].

It was not only money and rebellious noble youth that fueled these changes but also significant technological advancements. In 1814 The Times The Times and its sister paper The Sunday Times are published by Times Newspapers Limited, a subsidiary of News International. News International is entirely owned by the News Corporation group, headed by Rupert Murdoch. Though traditionally a moderately centre-right newspaper and a supporter of the Conservatives, it supported the Labour Party in adopted steam printing thereby increasing production capabilities, along with demand tenfold (printing 1100 sheets per hour versus the previous 200 per hour)[8]. This development brought about the rise of the wildly popular “fashionable novels” in which publishers spread the stories, rumors, and flaunting of the rich and aristocratic, not so secretly hinting at the specific identity of these individuals. Ironically the gap in the hierarchy of society was so great that those of the upper classes could be viewed by those below as wondrous and fantastical fiction, something entirely out of reach yet tangibly there. Needless to say the Regency sounded the death knell to what one would consider the historically more austere public face of British society as presented to its own people.

Notes

  1. ^ Smith, E. A. George IV. New Haven and London: Yale UP, 1999. 22.
  2. ^ Parissien, Steven. George IV Inspiration of the Regency. New York: St. Martin's P, 2001. 117
  3. ^ David, Saul. Prince of Pleasure The Prince of Wales and the Making of the Regency. New York: Atlantic Monthly P, 1998. 321
  4. ^ Low, Donald A. The Regency Underworld. Gloucestershire: Sutton, 1999. x
  5. ^ Ibid x
  6. ^ Ibid xvii
  7. ^ Smith 14.
  8. ^ Morgan, Marjorie. Manners, Morals, and Class in England, 1774-1859. New York: St. Martin's P, 1994. 34.

Further Reading

David, Saul. Prince of Pleasure The Prince of Wales and the Making of the Regency. New York: Atlantic Monthly P, 1998.

Lapp, Robert Keith. Contest for Cultural Authority - Hazelitt, Coleridge, and the Distresses of the Regecy. Detroit: Wayne State UP, 1999.

Low, Donald A. The Regency Underworld. Gloucestershire: Sutton, 1999.

Morgan, Marjorie. Manners, Morals, and Class in England, 1774-1859. New York: St. Martin's P, 1994.

Parissien, Steven. George IV Inspiration of the Regency. New York: St. Martin's P, 2001.

Smith, E. A. George IV. New Haven and London: Yale UP, 1999.

Artistic trends

Aristocratic dandies were satirised as being preoccupied with the tying and arrangement of their cravats The cravat is a neckband, the forerunner of the modern tailored necktie and bow tie, originating from 17th century Croatia (1818 caricature)

Famous places

The Piccadilly entrance to the Burlington Arcade, built 1819. Image by Thomas Hosmer Shepherd, 1827-28

Famous people

Lord Arthur Wellesley, The Duke of Wellington, Portrait by Sir Thomas Lawrence, 1814

Regency Reenactment Groups

Baers California, USA; The Bay Area English Regency Society Regency dance, Balls, Parties Peers California, USA; Historic Events, Dance The Elegant Arts Society New York, USA; Historic Dance, Balls Oregon Regency Society Oregon, USA; Regency Dance, Balls, Parties, Readings, Teas, Gatherings, Costume Workshops Earthly Delights Australia; Regency Dancing, costume display, reenactment, Balls, Parties, Teas, gatherings Arizona Regency Society Arizona, USA; Regency Dance, Balls, Parties, Readings, Teas, Gatherings, Costume Workshops Friends of the English Regency Regency Dance, Balls, Parties Green Ginger~Regency Dance, UK Historic Dance, Music, Balls, Parties The Regency Society of America Nationwide, umbrella organization for all Regency-related groups.

See also

Pilcher, Donald. The Regency Style: 1800-1830 (London: Batsford, 1947).

Wellesley, Lord Gerald. “Regency Furnitire,” The Burlington Magazine for Connoisseurs 70, no. 410 (1973): 233-41.

Categories: Regency era | Regency London | History of the United Kingdom by period

 

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