Style and Decadence: The British Regency Era/Age. Episode 1 of 3. Dr Lucy Worsley.
Audio: English. Subtitles: English – Español.
In the summer of 1788, George III's mental health deteriorated, possibly as the result of a hereditary disease, porphyria. This medical hypothesis has recently been contested.
The eventual inability of the King to exercise power gave rise to intense discussions and political upheaval, and a Regency Bill was discussed. But the King recovered before the bill was passed by Parliament.
In late 1810, George III's mental health broke down once again, this time irretrievably.
His son – also called George – was then effectively named Prince Regent in February 1811. He occupied this position until his father's death in 1820, when he accessed to the throne in his own right, as King George IV (1820 – 1830).
The Prince Regent's style and way of life was entirely different from that of his frugal father.
He was a womanizer and a debauchee, and was invariably piling up huge debts.
Somewhat surprisingly, the Regent's artistic taste was impeccable. But that led to even greater expenses, because he avidly collected works of art of the very best quality.
The British Regency lasted formally until 1820, when George III died, and his son the Prince Regent succeeded to the throne in his own right, becoming King George IV.
It is, however, customary to extend the term "Regency Era" so as to include George IV's own reign, and even to use the denomination to encompass the reign of William IV (1830 – 1837).
After William IV came Queen Victoria, whose reign was entirely different from those of her much dissipated uncles.
Whoever the monarch, the early 1800's would have been a time of intense upheaval in England: Napoleonic wars followed by extended peace, Second British Empire, Industrial Revolution, British mastery of the seas, and so on. The country experienced very deep economic and social changes. But the Regent's inimitable personal influence spiced all this with a very special flair.
